#I also appreciated that they added an original scene showing him giving her the gps keychain

[skania]

[miss-fox116]

(This isn't anonymous, oops) Can I get uhhhh...entire essay about how much you love Cruz??? thanks 😂

WHY DO YOU LOVE ME SO MUCH??!!

This is literally the best assignment I have ever received! I actually made an entire appreciation post for Cruz with 10 reasons why I love her, (you can read it here if you want), but I’d be happy to restate those reasons again!

A few things before reading:

I divided the paragraphs under different headings (for your convenience)

I took the essay thing very literally! I actually wrote a book instead of an essay haha!

Some of the things may be a bit personal

This essay will contain Cars 3 spoilers

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR REQUESTING THIS!!! Hope you enjoy!!

Why I adore Cruz Ramirez

by: Sarah Fox 

Origins

Before I delve into the various reasons of why I adore this precious banana babe, I must make a small confession: I was never a Cars fan until I saw Cars 3. I was only seven years old when the first movie came out in 2006 and I vaguely remember my exact reaction to it. The only scene that I loved was the neon lights display in Radiator Springs (I don’t know the exact name, but the “Life Could Be Dream” song is very enchanting by the way). Lightning McQueen’s attitude in the first film was a major turn off for me. I was disappointed with his asinine behavior and don’t even get me started on Cars 2! With that being said, Cars was on the back burner in terms of my personal interests. All of that changed when the teaser for Cars 3 dropped in November of last year.I vividly remember me clutching my chest at the sight of Lightning barrel rolling in slow motion. The horrific crash sequence sent my soul into an emotional spiral (it came up as an ad on YouTube that I couldn’t skip). I just knew that I had to see this movie. I desperately wanted to know how Lightning would come back from a traumatizing experience like that.

Cruz and Cristela

Just when I thought that I couldn’t get any more interested in this film, Cruz Ramirez came rolling into my heart.Cruz was the bridge that led me to become a Cristela Alonzo fan. After I saw a brief Cars 3 interview, I knew I had to do some research on her. I saw every episode of her TV series “Cristela,” on Netflix and it always had me in tears of joy. I also saw her stand up comedy special, “Lower Classy” and I was in stitches by the time it was over. When I heard that she was playing Cruz, it was an automatic bonus for me. At first, I thought Cruz would be that annoying character who was extremely optimistic about every situation and had absolutely no flaws. I thought she was going to be this two- dimensional “Mary Sue” with no character arc. After she got vulnerable with Lightning and told him about her racing dreams, I instantly saw myself in her character. 

My Reflection

It was like staring into a mirror. In that moment, I realized that I had a serious issue with self-doubt. Just as Cruz lacked the self-confidence to pursue her dreams, I have the same problem when it comes to seeing myself in a positive light. On another note (one that is not often mentioned),Cruz is a Latina car. When she stated that none of the other racers “looked like her,” I immediately recognized the underlying meaning behind that. I am an African American woman. I’m not trying to play the race card here, but I do understand the struggle of being placed in an environment where no one looks like you or understands your struggle of being a minority in America (I currently go to a predominantly white college). 

Yes, I’ve had some challenges in regards to racism and I know all too well the feeling of not having the same opportunities as others. I also believe that being a woman in general can be challenging, especially since we aren’t exactly considered equal to men in certain aspects. I just appreciate Pixar for their willingness to be real in that way. I love that they integrated Cristela’s story with Cruz’s character. It helped me to relate to her on a deeper and more personal level. Cruz just adds such heart to the Cars franchise and she helped me to realize that even if I come from a broken background (speaking in terms of family), I can still make a difference and achieve my dreams.

Like Father, Like Daughter

 That scene alone is one of the major reasons why I love Cruz. I also ADORE her relationship with Lightning. At first, I didn’t appreciate Cruz giving Lightning the “old man training style” (although, I did enjoy the Zumba!), but I began to enjoy their chemistry once they got to train on Fireball Beach. That scene is one of my favorite scenes in the movie because Lightning is teaching Cruz some techniques without even realizing it! Yeah he got annoyed at her for messing up so many times, but he was determined to help her get it right. Once Cruz got vulnerable (after Lightning yelled at her) about her shattered dreams, their relationship got so much deeper! I also love how Lightning just took Cruz under his wing (or tire), and allowed her to learn about Doc’s past and gain some racing techniques along with him. The Florida 500 scene always tugs at my heart strings!!! I could go on and on about it, but I JUST LOVE how Lightning selflessly gave Cruz her first shot at becoming a racer. This touched my heart because he was there for her and he realized that she was important and that she had potential. Cruz also helped Lightning to realize that he was inspiring people to dream big. I just love the dynamic between them and I gush every time I see Lightning acting like a dad and Cruz just being the precious daughter that she is.

Cutie Pie

For this section, I’m just going to make a list of all the cute aspects of Cruz that I LOVE!!!!! 

Her bubbly personality just brings a smile to my face all the time!

Speaking of smiles, she has the cutest smile EVER! 

Yellow is definitely her color!

Her teeth look like little fangs! They are just too adorable!

The squeal she does before racing

That girl can MOVE!!! (Reach for your lunch!)

She is an emoji! Her facial expressions are priceless!

The fact that she is a fan of Lightning and Louise

The way she calls Lightning “Mr. McQueen.”

The lip bite she does when she races

The doughnuts she does after winning a race

Her spunky attitude (not afraid to tell Lightning that he’s old)

The fact that she’s the “Maestro of Motivation”

That moment when she pretended not to recognize Lightning

The names that she has for her tires

Conclusion

If that wasn’t enough proof for you, let me just say that I LOVE CRUZ RAMIREZ! What else can I possibly say? She dragged me into hillbilly hell with no mercy, she is the sweetest character in the world, she is a direct reflection of me, and she motivates me to work hard and push through the pain. I may abuse her emotionally in my fan fictions, but I still love her so much! 

Bonus: Favorite Lines

“The beach ate me.”

“That’s right! Get him! Get him Mr. McQueen!”

 (To Lightning) “I wanted to become a racer forever, because of you!”

“Show me what ya’ got!”

“USE THAT!”

“You talked him into it! Way to go Mr. McQueen! You can talk a snow mobile into an air conditioner!”

“Uh oh! My GPS says that there’s slow traffic in my way!” 

“I didn’t want to hit a crab! What? It was cute!”