When one thinks of a Mexican stereotype they think of a person wearing a sombrero, a wide-brimmed hat with a crown that is conical to some extent (not usually as tall or pointed as a witch's hat), and a poncho, a well-known sleeveless garment with unsewn sides and a space for the head to pass through. Mexicans wearing sombreros and ponchos or serapes is a well-known stereotype and basically a visual shorthand for one who is from Mexico.
The sombrero, technically called the sombrero charro (charronote hat; "sombrero" just means "hat" in Spanish), originated in the central Mexican state of Jalisco. The classic cowboy hat of an American stereotype and a norteño (a Northern Mexican) comes from the sombrero.
The poncho, on the other hand, originates in South America along the Andes Mountains and in Patagonia. Although the origin of the word poncho is not clear, it is believed to come from the Quechua pu(n)chu or the Mapudungun pontro. Although the origin is not certain, it was the Mapuche people who spread what we know today as the poncho throughout Spain and Latin America, including Mexico.
The serape was an inexpensive outer piece of clothing first worn by the poorer working folk of Mexico and Guatemala. The serape can be traced back to the Chichimecs people in the northeastern Mexican state of Coahuila. The original serapes would have been worn like a poncho, either with an opening for the head to pass through or thrown over the shoulder as often seen in movies. As a long rectangular piece of clothing, serapes would be wrapped around the body like a shawl or blanket for protection against the cold and the environment. Serape refers to both a blanket and a garment possessing a traditional striped weave.
Common part of the outfit of the Bandito, the vaquero and charro (two different flavors of Mexican Cowboy), the ranchero, the Mexican revolutionary, and the mariachi band. This hat is also commonly worn by Americans on Cinco de Mayo.
The sombreros/serapes/ponchos may have a male gender bias in their application to them. Women may dress in China Poblana dress/blouse combinations instead as a Mexican stereotypical shorthand.
This, along with maracas, moustaches, nachos, burritos, and tacos, are used to stereotypically represent Mexico. These also show up in Spexico, when North Americans assume Spain is simply an eastwards and transatlantic extension of Mexico and export Mexican tropes, like the sombreros and Mexican Spanish, to a country where they don't belong.
One of the various Mexican National Stereotypes. Goes hand in hand with South of the Border. Often paired with Magnificent Moustaches of Mexico. Part of the outfit of members of a Gratuitous Mariachi Band. Common in The Western genre, The Wild West, and the Cowboy Episode. Americans Are Cowboys wear a hat related to this kind of hat. All Asians Wear Conical Straw Hats is another use of a hat denoting National Stereotypes.
Examples:
- Frito-Lay had a Fritos mascot who was a stereotypical Mexican revolutionary named Frito Bandito, who stole Fritos chip bags. He wore a sombrero and bandoliers.
- El Cazador de la Bruja takes place in Mexico, but doesn't actually state that it takes place in Mexico. Sombreros are the most common form of visual indicator to make it obvious, though there are other, more subtle cultural clues as the series progresses.
- Cowboy Bebop starts with Spike and Jet heading to New Tijuana, a colony on one of Mars' moons. While tracking down the bounty Asimov Solensan, Spike dons a poncho and sombrero to fit in. When he reveals himself, Asimov says his outfit was ridiculous.
- Mobile Fighter G Gundam takes this trope to hilarious levels, with the Space Colony of Neo Mexico being shaped like a giant sombrero and their Gundam Fighter representative, the Tequila Gundam, literally rocking a sombrero and poncho. The series doesn't take itself very seriously and makes no effort to be subtle about each nation's stereotypes, but Neo Mexico is one of the more obvious examples.
- In The LEGO Movie, when President Business advertises Taco Tuesday, most of the people shown celebrating have sombreros, ponchos, mustaches, and maracas.
- Marcianos vs. Mexicanos:
- The Reyes cousin, Juan, the only Mexican working for El General, wears a sombrero.
- El Chacas is shown wearing a sombrero in the Disney Acid Sequence in which his family sings "Mexico Lindo y Querido" to help the main character be proud of his mexicanidad.
- Panchito Pistoles from The Three Caballeros is a Mexican rooster who wears a sombrero as part of his ensemble. He is generally a Nice Guy but has a sanguine, energetic personality, and at least in his early appearances, he was quite the Gun Nut. Downplayed, however, since often times when the Cabelleros appear or sing together (both within the film and in other works featuring the characters), they all wear sombreros, even though Donald is American and Jose is Brazilian. A serape is also featured, but is played akin to a Magic Carpet.
- America Sings: Zig-Zagged through the course of its run. The original version of the "Who Shot the Hole in my Sombrero?" scene used a heavy Mexican accent (modeled after the one used by the song's original singer Rex Allen, who himself was not Mexican), playing this straight. But after complaints that the accent was too stereotypical and offensive, it was rerecorded with a Texan accent, averting it.
- "it's a small world": Many (but not all) of the dolls in the Mexico section wear sombreros.
- Age of Empires III: Naturally, the Mexican civilization has several units who wear sombreros, such as their unique outlaws - the Desperado, Bandido, and Cuatrero - as well the Insurgente and Chinaco. Some of their unique General skins feature sombreros, namely the Calaca and Adelita skins.
- HuniePop: Two of the gifts in the "Mexico" category are a poncho and a sombrero.
- Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance: May or may not be Played for Laughs. When the cyborg ninja Raiden has a mission in an unnamed Mexican city, he comes up with a disguise so he'll "blend right in" on the streets. This disguise, of course, is a mariachi-style sombrero and poncho, which does absolutely nothing to hide any of his cybernetics below the waist. Two locals (who are wearing much more low-key hats) notice Raiden mere seconds after he exits his car, and wonder who the heck this mariachi cyborg is.
- Pokémon: Ludicolo's design has a sombrero-shaped head and poncho-like body hair, which combined with it being described as dancing and its name evoking Spanish "loco" in English and "rumba" in Japanese, evokes a stereotypical Mexican folk dancer or mariachi.
- In Super Mario Odyssey, one of the hats for sale in the Sand Kingdom (which is based on Mexico) is a sombrero.
- Smosh: Invoked in Anthony is Mexican, where the titular character dons a sombrero and poncho after "believing" his heritage is Mexican due to his Spanish last name, Padilla. Unfortunately, Ian points out to what Anthony is doing, such as working in a Mexican food restaurant and selling strawberries on the side of the road, to emulate his supposed Mexican roots is borderline racist (along with not knowing any Spanish besides a few words). The video ends with The Reveal that Anthony is not actually Mexican, but black.
- Ed, Edd n Eddy: In the episode "Ready, Set... Ed!", when Eddy has all the kids in the rocket car with him, Ed and Double D are outside running in place in front of a scrolling backdrop, donning a new costume for each "country" represented. When they get to Mexico, Ed and Double D are wearing sombreros and ponchos.
- Jelly Jamm: It's a minor Running Gag for a cardboard cutout of a mariachi with a sombrero to appear during comedic moments.
- Looney Tunes: Speedy Gonzales, the Fastest Mouse of all Mexico, wears a sombrero as part of his Iconic Outfit. Ironically, it was in his original appearance, without his iconic sombrero, that he is more stereotypical and unflattering.
- Minoriteam: El Jefe, being a Mexican stereotype-based superhero, naturally wears a sombrero-mask.
- Momos Amerika: In the first episode, when Momo's son is depicted as ashamed of his Arab heritage and preferring to hang out with his Latino homies (the show takes place in Anaheim, California; most Latinos there are of Mexican heritage), he wears a sombrero and dances.
- In TUGS, Izzy Gomez is a Mexican banana tramper who is identified by his sombrero. He also exhibits many unflattering Mexican stereotypes such as being lazy and cheap, often trying to sneak into Bigg City Port for free.
