Today officially, the emoji of "yerba mate" has come out. Yerba mate is a drink, a sort of tea or infusion, that is made out of a leaves indigenous to South America. It is a centuries old custom that is steeped in lure and tradition. This yerba mate plant is incredibly healing, so while it is enjoyed as a drink, it is also an incredible superfood and the reason why so many can keep their weight under control, their energy up and their intestines moving! The fact that there is now an emoji of this, is of particular interest to me.
Let me tell you why this is significant.
You see, I was born in Argentina and came to this country when I was 2. When I was in school, I could sense there was something "odd" about my family. When I had friends from school come to my house, I very quickly saw that my lifestyle was very different from theirs. They were interested in my parents accent, they were wondering what the concoction on the stove was, they never heard the language that my parents were speaking on the phone, and we had very different customs. At that time, I was probably the only person in my elementary school from a different country. Being from another country did not make me "cool" or "exotic" it made me different. It made me an "other."
To be honest, back then, (I am ancient… this is the 60's) it felt like I had a foot in each country. People here could tell I wasn't a native and when I went to Argentina, they called me a yankee. To make as little fuss as possible, I always just tried to blend in to whatever culture I was in. So, I always felt a bit out of place. I can imagine that I am not the only immigrant to have this feeling. Oh for the feeling of being normal!
So, let's get back to the topic of yerba mate. Yerba can be made in a tea cup with a tea bag, but typical Argentinians, (of course there are other countries like Paraguay and Uruguay that drink it, soI am including them here too!) drink yerba with a gourd and bombilla. The gourd is basically the vessel, or cup used to drink yerba and the bombilla is the strainer "straw" used to sip the infusion through. It looks odd if you have never seen one! And, my father, thinking that Americans would always assume it was "weed" always made my mother put it away if people were coming over. He would be mortified when people saw it. He actually couldn't believe it when I started SoulMate Yerba Co. because he was shocked that Americans would even be interested!
So, the fact that there is now an "emoji," something that is typically used in casual conversations to describe an emotion or thought, of a mate, is earth shattering to me! It signifies that Yerba Mate is now in the mainstream. It can be part of everyday culture. It has crossed the divide! That's huge because it also might be a way that we can share the idiosyncrasies of our culture. It is a "nod" to this ritual in a way that will also be accessible.
Bravo little gourd! Bravo! Now… the next step is to get an emoji of a "fancy" mate cup, one with designs and bright colors. Patience….. patience….
