By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com
The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast’s Fifth Anniversary Season kickoff month continues! It is a pleasure to welcome Ana Saia to the podcast.
Ana is a talented, comical influencer and the self-proclaimed “redheaded Latina.” She is joining the “no sabo” generation out to reclaim the term and inspire her over 3 million TikTok and Instagram followers with comical and accurate portrayals of Mexican American heritage. Embracing her insecurities and driving into the acting and singing space, this influencer aims to take the media world by storm.
As a white-presenting Latinx woman, Ana Saia often feels conflicted when others place their own racial or ethnic assumptions upon her and disregard the Mexican heritage she has grown to love throughout her life. She decided to join TikTok to share her unique life with others. Her first viral video was of her using a colloquial Spanish term with her Spanish teacher and receiving a poor grade. The Las Vegas-based creator prompted many viewers to respond with their own stories of being failed by Spanish teachers for making similar mistakes.
A so-called “no sabo” kid is a child who comes from a Latin or Hispanic family and speaks little to no Spanish. Because of this, they can sometimes be treated as outsiders to the culture. Ana Saia created a post explaining how to survive a family reunion as a “no sabo” kid. When the United States observes Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, it is often peppered with debates about what terms Latinos should use to identify themselves. Ana grew up listening to Spanish at home in Las Vegas but continuously works to improve her Spanish to clean up the “English accent” many tend to have due to the culture clash.
Along with embracing her insecurities, Ana also jumps into acting and singing. She has always loved the arts and performing as a child, but with a family of low means, she wasn’t able to pursue acting or see it as an option growing up. With her growing social media presence, Ana is taking classes and auditioning and is not afraid to show her growth. She has posted reels of her favorite film scenes from Brave, Encanto, Enchanted, and Spider-Man, along with her comical skits.
In this edition of The Jake’s Take with Jacob Elyachar Podcast, Ana Saia spoke about finding success on TikTok and why Selena Gomez would be the perfect collaborator.
You can connect with Ana Saia on social media! Visit her Instagram, TikTok & YouTube channels!
