The Issue Of Stereotypes In The Story ‘The Myth Of The Latin Woman’: Essay Example

I personal don’t care about someone stereotyping me because I will prove you wrong and make you feel ashamed. I know who I am as a person and someone thinking different does not change that. She fights for equality and against prejudice and stereotypes in this piece.

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She handled the situation very well by just mustering up a smile and walking away. Also towards the ending of the story a father called her “Evita” and continued to recite “don’t cry for me, Argentina”. ” by him doing this in front of his daughter its telling her it’s “ok” to do thing like this.

Judith Ortiz Cofer

• The purpose of this article is to inform about her upbringing being a Latina.
• She was the featured speaker and the woman who had called upon her for a cup of coffee would soon find herself plagued by her stereotypical presumptions.
• The writer explains the cultural origins of Latin women’s dressing preferences and describes the prejudice that severely affects such women’s lives.
• The author recalls her own childhood while describing how different life was for her compared to the mainstream American lifestyle.
• The dressing style of Puerto Rican women is a reflection of their culture and values.
• These narratives create the stereotype that Latina women are sexually promiscuous.

Never the less, the misconceptions and stereotypes that surround Hispanic females have long ranging impacts that are emotional, social, financial, and political in nature. She goes into more details on how at school she had a hard time showing her true self and how confusing she got at times by what she learned at school vs what she learned at home. Followed by a debate, which discusses https://www.litcharts.com/lit/the-myth-of-the-latin-woman/ the idea of racial democracy among experts. These narratives, Cofer argues, originate in cultural customs from Latin American countries, but they become powerful—and oppressive—cultural tropes that are manipulated and promoted by the Anglo-American media. It is better to explain why an existing stereotype is what it is, and how it came to be, than to deny it altogether.

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This relentless effort to preserve the native culture while living up to the standards of the western culture is onerous. And this onus relates not only to the Puerto Ricans or the Mexicans living in an alien world but to all the races and ethnicities that are considered inferior in the West. The sense of humiliation that is fostered by racial discrimination is inevitable. To conclude, it may be said that this particular essay has universality in theme that binds people all the world over. Cultural stereotypes perpetuated by Anglo-American media create and reinforce an image of Latina women as fiery and hypersexual.

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However, if a woman chooses to wear open and bright clothes in the US, this can be read as the wrong signal from other cultures’ representatives. Indeed, men of the mainstream culture find the dress of Puerto Rican women not only attractive but enticing (Cofer 910). The stereotype of treating Latin women as sexually available is supported by the media in the US and severely https://hitwe.com/latin/dominican-brides/ affects their life. The thesis statement of “The Myth of the Latin Woman” by Judith Ortiz Coferis that the author, as a product of Latin American culture, is oftenmisunderstood and stereotyped by Western mainstream culture. Thismisunderstanding extends to her style of dress and behavior, which are oftenmisinterpreted or deemed inappropriate by Western standards.

Indeed, the culture and values of Puerto Rican women are reflected in their dressing style. If it is read wrongly, issues and challenges appear, such as harassment or misunderstanding of a message. People of different cultures and identities have to consider the value of diversity, which is equal for everyone regardless of their clothes. The difference between responses to Latin women’s way of dressing causes challenging situations, and creates cultural bias.

She also explains how on the island the woman don’t get sexual harass because showing your skin was a way to stay cooled off. On the island they could dress freer because in most cases they were protected by the traditions, mores, and laws of the Spanish/ Catholic systems of morality and machismo. They main rules was “you may look at my sister, but if you touch her I will kill you”. When Cofer is confronted with a career day at school and is faced with the challenge of deciding what is appropriate to wear. She states her expression of clothing could promote the cultural chasm that she faces. Stating “that it became quickly obvious that to the Puerto Rican girls ‘dressing up’ meant wearing their mother’s ornate jewelry and clothing” ( ).

While experiences of discrimination and stereotyping are less severe for educated or professionally successful Latina women, Judith still faces discrimination as an adult because of these stereotypes. At a conference, another man sings lewd songs about Latina women to her, and at her first poetry reading, a woman in the audience assumes she is a waitress. These experiences inspire Judith’s work as a writer, motivating her to change stereotypes of Latina women by depicting the complexities of their lives. Cofer further demonstrates the cultural stereotype of the Latino and Hispanic woman as sexually expressive. “For example, that of the Hispanic woman as the ‘hot tamale’ or ‘sexual firebrand” (232). She tells us that the heritage of Latino women lends them to this expression without fault.

In literature, Latinas have often been portrayed as exotic and sexual objects, with their bodies being fetishized and objectified. In film and television, Latinas are often portrayed as hyper-sexualized and fiery, with their bodies being used as props to titillate and entertain. The origins of the myth of the Latin woman can be traced back to the colonization of Latin America by European powers. During this period, Latin America was depicted as a land of savages, with the indigenous population and African slaves being depicted as inferior and subhuman. She also talks about some of the central stereotypes that are put on Latinwomen, especially by the media. Latinas are often sexualized and presented asthe “fiery lover,” or else they are reduced to a domestic worker who can hardlyspeak English.