What a fresa is

Fresa (which is Spanish for strawberry) is a slang term often used in Mexico for a cultural stereotype of superficiality in youngsters.

The term fresa (then often likened to the "preppy" stereotype), was born in the 60's to define teenagers with a conservative mentality, who didn't drink and enjoyed being from traditional families. During the 80's the meaning changed and became a term to describe the lifestyles of the young and rich.

Sociolinguistic use

Initially, only those with typically Spanish or European looks and belonging to the middle or upper classes could be called "fresa." However, despite popular belief, a fresa can be working class or even poor- it's how they talk and act that earns them the "fresa" label[1]. The term has been made popular in other Latin American countries due to international popularity of TV shows with fresa characters. In Venezuela there is another word for the same people, which is "cotufa", which literally means popcorn. It is believed this term came from "Brain as small as a popcorn", but this term has its differences from the word "fresa". The term "cotufa" is actually more like the "dumb blonde" stereotype, but in Venezuela they don't associate it directly to the hair color because it's seen on people with other hair colors.

Fresa is sometimes considered the stereotypical opposite of naco, however it is not always a derogatory word. Traditionally, teens who attend expensive schools or have wealthy parents (and are more likely to be fresas) are called "niños bien" (fine kids) or "gente bien" (fine people). The fresa accent is also different from the typical Mexican accent, with a different tone and vocabulary.

Kids, teenagers or even young adults are known to use stereotypically "fresa" behavior as a way of giving a false impression of their social status.

Fresa as a Subculture

Fresas have become something of a subculture in contemporary Mexico. Like Emos, Metalheads and Punks they dress in a certain way, speak in a certain way and live in a certain way. They are an abundant and very influential subculture with little or no knowledge of what happens outside their circles.

Fresas are mostly stereotyped as frivolous, self-centered and pretty much unintelligent; mostly as zombies who swirl through life solely thinking about "frivolous matters." Of course no everyone fits into this stereotype and not all fresas are like this, but the few that are overpower the image of those that are not.

The word fresa is somewhat pejorative outside the fresa circles. Being called a fresa, for example, in a punk subculture could be considered an insult, as many of the people in other subcultures absolutely abhor fresas, and use the term as an insult.

The term fresa however, is scarcely used within the fresa circles, as people who live and belong to these circles don't view themselves as fresas and simply see the word as a term to describe their lifestyle; they view themselves simply as "normal" people and refuse to label themselves as something, even though people outside could see them as such. Rarely, if ever, will you hear someone who lives in this circle call another one a fresa.

Fictional fresas

* A well-known "fresa" is the fictional persona El Pirruris, created by comedian Luis de Alba, a parody of the real-life so-called juniors, the young and presumptuous children of Mexican politicians and entrepreneurs.[2]
* Santiago, in Daniel Krauze's best selling novel Cuervos. Santiago is a typical mexican fresa with quite the arrogant personality. He is often referred to as being the "textbook fresa".
* This stereotype still exists as of 2006, with fictional "fresa" characters as Mia Colucci from the telenovela Rebelde