While there is no widespread widely recognized American Sign
Language (ASL) sign for "tamales" -- there is sign borrowed from LSM (Lenguaje
de Señas Mexicana).*
TAMALE (or "TAMAL") or TAMALES:
Tap two "F" hands together. It is easy to visualize how the index and thumb could represent the round
"fillings" of a
tamale and the other fingers could represent the corn husks.
Source: Adapted from the advertisement poster for the play, "Tamales De Puerco."
In the poster you will see a very clever use of the TAMALE sign to represent the
second "A" the the spelled word "tamales."
Check out the advertising poster:
Source:
Tamales, (March 31, 2013), "Tamales de Puerco (Pork Tamales): A trilingual play
in English, Spanish & American Sign Language April 5-28," En•clave LA, retrieved
3/10/2019 from <https://enclavela.wordpress.com/2013/03/31/tamales-de-puerco-pork-tamales-a-trilingual-play-in-english-spanish-american-sign-language-april-5-28/>
Here is a video example:
Source: Tamale (Mar 11, 2015) "IMG 9748," Hansel Jensen Miranda Esquivel, Youtube channel, retrieved 3/12/2019 from https://youtu.be/Vc5nMjEpP84
Notes:
https://enclavela.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/tamales1.jpg
https://thisstage.la/2013/04/signs-and-signing-create-tamales-de-puerco/
Note:
An ASL Hero from "Pueblo, Colorado" wrote in to share that of the five sign
language teachers he surveyed, four chose to spell the word "tamale"
(T-A-M-A-L-E). "One teacher showed 2 F hands, palm up, touch the pinky
sides of the hands together. Then move with almost a roll so the pinky side
remains in contact but now the thumb side is in contact. This does look
quite like the closing of the corn husks when making a tamale."
Source: Personal Correspondence, (Tue, Mar 12, 2019 8:31 am) "LP Sign Search
Requests," Matthew Mejia, <email on file>.
Note: LSM (Lenguaje de Señas
Mexicana) is also sometimes referred to as "Mexican Sign Language."
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