Latino Dads Use TikTok to Connect With Their Children

Latinos are known to be very family-oriented and this trait continues to prevail even amid the global pandemic.

And in this day and age, many Latino dads are using social video-sharing app TikTok to connect with their kids.

Many Latinos are currently not with their families because of the global pandemic. They are living far away from their family because of the travel restrictions and lockdown regulations in some areas. However, this does not stop Latino Dads from staying connected with their children.

In a recently published article in Los Angeles Times, some Latino dads shared how they remained connected with their children using a TikTok. This is a widely used app today, mostly by teenagers. But people of all ages are already fond of using the app.

One of the Latino dads, who shared his experience in using Tiktok to connect with his kid, was Genaro Rangel. Genaro surprised and humored his daughter with the use of TikTok. He pulled his fake hair out of a ponytail and whipped it dramatically over his shoulders. He exclaimed "¡Qué pasó!," which means "It's me!"

His daughter Wendy Rangel, who recorded the video giggled, while her dad did an off-tune impersonation of Mexican legend Marco Antonio Solis, who is known as "El Buki." Wendy said her father is a natural joker. The family was originally from the Mexican state of Baja California.

Genaro is one of the middle-aged Latino dads with a growing number of followers in TikTok. Her daughter said, "People don't really see this side of their dads. Most dads don't like being recorded and they're more protective about what people think about them. My dad doesn't have a filter. He doesn't care about being tough. He just likes being himself."

The videos of her father on TikTok captured the attention of many individuals. One user commented that her dad reminds her of her father. She added, "I swear Mexican dads are straight-up comedy." This only showed that many can relate to Genaro.

Alexandro Gradilla, a professor of Chicano Studies at Cal State Fullerton, said Latino TikTok dads defy the stereotype of the machista Latino father. He also said their growing presence in the app shows a cultural shift within the immigrant families.

Gradilla noted that one of the things that Latino dads encounter when they crossed the border is that they do not want to be loved because of obligation and respect. But they also want to feel loved. Latino family gives a big value to the family relationship.

Another Latino dad, who has 1.6 million followers on TikTok, is the 46-year-old Latino Vicente Avila. He is known as Vinny the Twister and known for his signature phrases, "See you later, alligator!," "Pshht!," and "Check it out!"

His app started to become popular last year as he documented his daily life and that includes making quesadillas for his kids, heading to work using his old truck, and buying elotes from street vendors. At present, he is featuring his children in his series.

"I came to this country in the same way that so many Latinos do. So they feel identified with me, and I identify with them," Avila said." For him, his videos on TikTok have allowed him to have a closer relationship with his children.