Blanca Quinteros Ms. A. Aramillo English IV Honors 29 October 2015 How The Garcia Girls Lost Their Accent The transition the girls made from Dominican Republic to the United States was imbued with struggles – cultural, linguistic, and gender-related. In the 1960s American women were limited in various ways, including family roles and equality in the workplace. The way gender roles were set retained them from expanding their abilities in their homes and jobs. Women had one path to follow: marriage at their early 20s, and subsequent servitude to their husbands and/or children. A feminist movement in the 1960s to 1970s focused on breaking down the gender inequality.
She also later states that there are several different Latino cultures from her family of Puerto Rican Americans to Latinos from the colonization of land by Spain. Although to some may seem Latino only identifies a small group of people the ethnic term is very broad encapturing many cultures from around the world. Sonia, a Latina woman, “only learned about tacos in college” from her Mexican-American roommate, further justifying Sotomayor’s
“The common denominator all Latinos have is that we want some respect. That 's what we 're all fighting for” - Cristina Saralegui. Judith Ortiz Cofer published the article, “The Myth of the Latin Woman,” where she expresses her anger towards stereotypes, inequality, and degradation of Latin Americans. Cofer explains the origins of these perceived views and proceeds to empower Latin American women to champion over them. Cofer establishes her credibility as a Latin American woman with personal anecdotes that emphasize her frustration of the unfair depiction of Latinos in society.
Being Hispanic can sometimes make you feel like you're not being treated equal in certain situations, I can feel being discriminated or even looked down upon if I am at a place where I don't necessarily "fit in." Being raised in a small community that doesn't have many different races has taught me that yes there is people out there that will not like you based on your skin color and where you come from, but there will be people that will treat you equal no matter what race you are or what skin color you have. As I've grown older I've come to realize and talked to my family about, embracing who you are. I love being able to speak both Spanish and English. It is so important to love yourself in the skin you're in and embrace your unique culture
Women play a major role in Hispanic households. They are not expected to become doctors, lawyers, engineers, or architects. Growing up, I found myself constantly arguing with my parents. I would get upset as soon as their explanations ended with “because you are a girl.” It was unfair they made me do things that my brothers were also capable of doing.
Latinos are mistaken to have dark brown hair and eyes as well as tan or olive skin. In reality latinos come in every color some may have more of their genetics from their mom or dad's side who is not a Latino. Some look like white americans others look african american a few may even look chinese. There is no exact image of a Latino nobody can actually know who is a Latino and who is not. Latinos can be from all parts from Mexico which can be quite annoying to a Latino when they are told they do not look like one but they understand many have an image in there head of what they think a Latino looks like.
“If a person, Chicana or Latina, has a low estimation of my native tongue, she also has a low estimation of me. Often with mexicanas y Latinas we’ll speak English as a neutral language. Even among Chicanas we tend to speak English at parties or conferences. Yet, at the same time we’re afraid the other will think we’re agingadas because we don’t speak Chicano Spanish.” These sentences are mostly in English, but were oppressed by the three words “mexicanas y Latinas.”
I am of Hispanic descent, but since I live in the United States, I have lost touch with my Hispanic roots. I don’t know Spanish and I hate spicy food. I might look Hispanic, but I don’t associate with the many stereotypes that come with associating myself as a Hispanic. I remember the first time visited my family in Mexico. I have heard many ugly stereotypes about Hispanics and I was not very excited to go.
I identify as a Latina. I have always considered myself as a Latina, but throughout time, I believe that I have assimilated more into a white individual because of the privilege that I hold and because I have lived in the US most of my life. I have received mostly negative messages from those who are not from my ethnicity. My peers and I were told we wouldn’t graduate high school and be laborers for the rest of our lives. With the current politics, I believe that this still holds true where some people still hold stereotypes and give oppressing messages to Latinos.
In the American Dream project, by Nicole Delgado, Melissa Garcia, Eliana Nivon, Xiomara Rivera, and Ariana Wong, Latinos made great efforts to not be seen as inferior and to not be looked down upon by Americans, especially white Americans. We learn now that the empowerment for Latinos enhanced their political, working, and educational rights occurred during the Chicano Movement (Delgado, Garcia, Nivon, Rivera, and Wong). Latinos faced many social issues in America, such as racial stereotyping, shunning those who lived in lower-class areas, and subverting their movements achievements. This only encouraged them to stigmatize their heritage proudly (Sinmadera). Initially, they came to America to escape poverty in hopes their children would go to college and have a different life than they did.
This stereotype couldn't be further from the truth as well. In fact Stephanie was impressed when she heard that most of the family members including women work in the fields from 6am-8pm at night on a daily basis during the harvest periods. Another stereotype is that Latino’s don’t value education (Lopez, 2013). I found
Mexican American students in the classroom have many stereotypes in the classroom. A few of these stereotypes are them being lazy or not being able to understand someone when they talk. When really that is not true for most Mexican Americans. One thing that happens when a Mexican enters an American classroom they get sensory overload. Sensory overload for them when they walk into a classroom is when they see all of the posters all over the walls.
By living in the United States you see many stereotypes play a role in gender and race. Most of the stereotypes are seen and created in media outlets. White Americans, grow up feeling superior without giving themselves the opportunity of getting to know how people from other cultures really are. We all need to learn to, “Do not judge a book by it’s cover.” Being a person of color, having a different culture, or being a certain gender is not bad but rather it is good to be unique.
Hispanics are also very family oriented. Latinos tend to stay near their families and always support them. Hispanics are also very religious and expect their families to be the same way. Latinos are also said to have too many children this is also true. However, in modern society Hispanics are having less and less children this is due to the growing number of Latinos attending colleges.
People get categorized by stereotypes everyday just by outward appearances or the group of people they are associated with. A stereotype is a preconceived notion about a group of people. People form fixed images of a group that are assumed that all group members act and behave is a particular way. A person essentially gets stereotyped by being “guilty by association” of a particular group. All stereotypes get based off of a bit of truths that all group members similarly have.
