There is a word that Spanish speakers will associate with Mexicans. As soon as they hear this word spoken, they almost automatically know this person must be Mexican. That word is mande. From a young age we are taught that this is how you respond to your elders, whether its your parents, grandparents, teachers, or just anyone that is older than you, you must respond with mande when they call your name. Mexicans are polite and the way they respond to others shows this politeness. The way we treat and speak to our elders is important.
The word mande translate directly to English as command me in a formal sense. Spanish words have a formal and informal style. This word mande, actually comes from the formal expression “mande usted” but Mexicans have shortened it to just mande. When somebody calls out name or speak directly to us, we respond with mande. If something was said and we didn’t quite hear what it was, then we respond with ¿mande? In this sense, this word is used as when someone says pardon or excuse me.
Growing up this is how I would respond to my elders, mainly our parents or grandparents. If we ever responded with ¡que! which translates to “what” and it’s very informal, then we would receive a severe scolding and some very concerned look from others. Only a rude and disobedient child would respond with ¡que!  to their parents. But my friends who were Hispanic, mainly with Puerto Rican parents, would say this was weird. For them it was weird that I would respond with mande to my parents or any older person, while for me hearing them respond with que made me cringe and close my eyes, just waiting for the yell or the slap across the face that indicated that usually came with responding to your parents in this matter. But their mother or father would just continue the conversation as if nothing wrong happened. For them this was a normal and fine way to respond to an older person. We would say que but this would be in an informal sense, like when responding to our friends. That when I knew mande was a Mexican expression.
I’ve heard people say that this expression shouldn’t be used anymore. That mande is a remnant or legacy of Spanish colonial times when it was expected from mixed indigenous people to respond to Spanish nobles or full-blooded Spaniards. Or how slaves were had to respond to their Spanish masters. They say it was a form of submission and shouldn’t be used in modern times. Some argue that it takes from our autonomy by allowing others to “command us” and make decisions for us. Whether all of this is true or not, mande has become a form of respect. For me this is not an expression of submission but rather of respect. And I believe this is what it means for the majority of Mexicans. It doesn’t matter what your background is or your profession. Responding with mande is a sign or respect and politeness.
This was so engaging and fun to read. I learned a little about you, the language, and the cultures through this which was lovely. I like that you explained the etymology and also went on to explain your connection to the word. I also found that you incorporated a suspenseful tone at the beginning. I don’t know if it’s just me, but overall I liked that it kept me hooked. As for the purpose, this is what I got: mande is a form of respect and an appropriate way of responding, it is also what establishes a cordial connection with your elders.
I liked this because I am familiar with some Spanish words and I had thought que was what you respond with when someone is calling you, so it was interesting to see a different word used for these responses and it was also interesting that the same word is used for two different situations. I got that using mande to respond to people shows a sign of respect and politeness.
It is fascinating to know this. I am Hispanic, Colombian to be exact, and sometimes ill found myself with Mexican friends and coworkers, and they would always respond with that word. which I found weird because I did not know what the meaning was. I just thought it was an expression. The same will be for us as Colombians if you respond que that would be a vulgar way to do it
I really enjoyed reading your essay, the structure was really sophisticated. I found this part “while for me hearing them respond with que made me cringe and close my eyes, just waiting for the yell or the slap across the face that indicated that usually came with responding to your parents in this matter. But their mother or father would just continue the conversation as if nothing wrong happened” to be interesting because it displayed a nice comparison between the use of que and mande. I also liked when you started talking about the history of the word, it reminded me of the structure used in “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao.”