6 yo daughter hates family teasing - cultural differences are tough (Latin American)

Hi all! My daughter is a sweet, sensitive, smart 6 year old who is pulling away from her dad's Latin American side of the family because she hates the culture of teasing that goes on.In Latin American families, at least in this particular culture, it is very, very common to tease as a form of affection. They create nicknames based on physical characteristics and give each other a hard time (in a loving way) as a means of bonding. It is generally seen as warm and gregarious, not hurtful, even if the content can be rougher than gringas like myself are used to.However, my daughter feels like "a knife is stuck in her heart" whenever they say anything even lightly teasing to her. She'll cry and cry, and I'll put my foot down to her cousins, aunts, etc. This has led to a lot of awkwardness, because they genuinely do not feel like they are doing anything wrong and feel like they have to walk on eggshells around my daughter.On the one hand, my primary instinct is to say "tough shit" and insist on them interacting with my daughter in a positive way only. But on the other, I know that I am influenced heavily by my own white culture and what positivity looks like. I'm also concerned with how thin her skin seems to be - I get not wanting to be called "gordita" every time she eats with a little too much fervor even if that's very much a term of endearment culturally (and I'll still go to bat for her there), but she'll also sob over every tiny thing. At this point, I think she's on the defensive with that side of the family and takes every comment in the worst way possible.It can be hard enough to bridge cultural gaps in families, and I want to make sure I don't inadvertently alienate her from them or vice versa, just because there are different cultural values at play.Would appreciate any thoughts or ideas for how to approach this in a loving way for everyone involved.I hope you'll believe that her family members truly aren't cruel--they just have very different ways of showing affection than our immediate family does...and than the white culture she's typically exposed to does. I've been trying to ensure she has more exposure to her Latin American side of the family in general so that she doesn't live in a cultural vaccuum, but right now she fights it hard because she feels so sad with the teasing. Not sure what the right thing to do is.Would especially appreciate insight from Latin American parents who recognize this cultural difference...though obviously, any and all advice is warmly welcomed.[For the record, my husband is torn and sees both sides as well. But ultimately wants to do what is best for our daughter in the long run and will stick by that. He thinks our daughter is a little too sensitive, but also sometimes thinks teasing can be more toxic than his family would like to admit. It's a balance.] via /r/Parenting http://ift.tt/2jL5jqe