Tyrese Says He Sometimes Wishes He Was 'Born Latino:' 'The Latin Community Is Grounded'
Tyrese Gibson set social media ablaze during Black History Month when he shared how he sometimes wishes he was "born Latino."
Gibson, 45, posted a video of a Hispanic man on Feb. 1 receiving a new car from his family alongside an open letter on Instagram consisting of five paragraphs, four of which calling the Black community "lost, fragmented, and competitive."
"Sometimes I wish I was born Latino...I mean the Latin community is grounded in family, loyal, entrepreneurs, businessman, and women literally represent the dream, the grind the hustle doing whatever it takes to stick together against all odds," he wrote.
The 'Fast and Furious' actor went on to express what he's learned from other cultures including Jewish and Muslim communities.
"I've learned a lot from the Jewish community sticking together eating dinner every Friday together. I've learned a lot about the Muslim community throughout all my travels in the Middle East," the caption continued. "They have a father structure where they honor their fathers the Middle East the thinking in the mentality is that they would much rather have a son over a daughter because they know that there is nothing like the leadership of a FATHER and a man being the head of the household..."
"I have no idea how we lost our way.. We can't get anything done and accomplished, as a fragmented culture.... insecure, threatened by each other m... Competitive towards our own race, killing ourselves every single day frivolously the majority of us is black men and the millions are locked up in prison," the singer turned actor continued.
Although Tyrese closed the caption describing Black people as "beyond powerful, influential, and successful," many followers disagreed with his stance.
"Dude, didn't you create TWO broken homes, talking about you wish you were Latino because they value family," one follower wrote. "Do YOU value family?"
"This just in, twice divorced male who openly wept over child support payments cries about lack of family structure in the black community. More news at 11," another user joked.
After his picture was photoshopped with a mustache and sombreo, Tyrese shared the digitally altered picture, doubling down on his stance on Instagram Sunday.
"I said what I said, he said. "We have what it TAKES to take over the WORLD!!!"
