Stereotypography

Latina women have long been known for their passion, their sexuality, and their skills in housekeeping. It's a lucky man that finds himself married to a Latina: her fiery personality will never prove boring, and the house will always be spotless! Never mind that this isn't necessarily true, this is how they've been portrayed by television programs, radio, and word of mouth, so there must be something to it, right? Stereotypes often occur out of ignorance, be it for another group’s style, traditions, or history. If there's a way to group people, there's a stereotype pertaining to them, and stereotypes can provide a sharper cut than any blade. Three examples of this follow: the first cut targets a sole Latina, next, a slice into Irish ideals, and finally, a brutal stab into the heart of the Mexican perspective.

For a first example of stereotypes, In “The Myth of the Latin Woman,” Judith Ortiz Cofer writes about the many stereotypes that she, as a Puerto Rican woman, has endured. She opens with a tale of how she had been publicly serenaded—on a London bus, of all places—by, as Cofer puts it, “a young man, obviously fresh from a pub” (187). Later on, she mentions a second random serenade of sorts, this time from a older man in a classy metropolitan hotel. The young man sang “Maria” from West Side Story, the older man first chose a song from Evita, then encored with a crudely-worded song to the tune of “La Bamba.” In both situations, whether it was their intention or not, their actions resulted in alienation of the author, singling her out and thrusting the stereotypes of her lineage in her face. The men may have meant well; they may have felt that what they were doing was good-hearted fun. They may have even been trying to...

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...sidered so much less insulting?

To conclude, stereotypes may sometimes appear harmless, but they almost always cause damage of some sort. It can keep a young Latina woman from taking the bus, or humiliate an entire country. It can cause pain, it can cause fights, it can cause wars. It is up to each and every one of us to pay attention to what we are saying, to whom, and to consider the consequences of our actions, and be proud of who you are without lampooning who others are.

Works Cited

Cofer, Judith Ortiz. “The Myth of the Latin Wiman: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria” Patterns Across Cultures. Ed. Stuart Hirschberg and Terry Hirschberg. New York: Houghton Mifflin Co.,

2009. 187-191. Print.

McKinney, Luke. “8 Insulting Ways People Act 'Irish' on St. Patrick's Day.” Cracked.com. Demand

Media, Inc., 13 Mar. 2012. Web. 14 Mar. 2012