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Machismo In Latin America

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Growing up in a Hispanic community, I was exposed to the limitations of females and was taught to know my place. I recall many times in which I saw firsthand the belittlement of women. Beginning in my own home, my father expects my mother to cook, clean, and organize his belongings. As a Hispanic female, I have been surrounded by this mentality. In Latin American countries the corresponding roles of women are justified by the term machismo. It is passed down from generation to generation and is instilled from a small age. It’s the belief that males are superior to females and have dominance over them because of their roles. It can be also be defined as the level of masculinity that defines a male. Women are expected to do the roles society …show more content…

Without recognition, there can be no solution. Machismo has become a custom and the norm. This mentality needs to dissolve. Both genders need to recognize that gender roles do not give one gender the right to dictate over the other. In my home, I have seen how far the mentality of machismo can go. My father, a man of Mexican nationality, was instilled with machismo and to this day that mentality carries on. I recall many instances in which my father would not eat if a plate was not placed before him or threw the food if it didn’t meet his expectations. He believes that a male’s masculinity is defined by the task they perform and therefore female tasks are inexistent. Latinos need to recognize that machismo mentality not only demeans women but treats females as employees rather than loved ones. The second step to eliminate machismo mentality is to educate the Hispanic community. Latinos need to realize that women are valuable and much more than gender roles. In prior times, females were placed in stereotypical roles because they did not work and therefore, they dedicated their time to raising their children. Today times have changed and many females now balance work, children, and housework. Many women complete these tasks without complaining, giving more than 100 percent effort. The time has come for women to be treated as more than a wife or a mother, but

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Quintana shows how this can affect the boys in this situation as well as “growing up as a kid and now an individual who does not identify as “macho” came with years of insecurity and wishing I was like others” (Quintana, par. 1). 3. Then, the sand is sanded. Quintana shares his own personal experience with machismo culture. This affected his mental health as a kid, as he didn’t understand why he fit into the social norms of the rest of his family and other individuals in Hispanic communities.

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