In the article “The Myth of a Latina Women: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria”, Judith Ortiz Cofer uses her background as a Puerto Rican to highlight the disrespect that Latina woman face in a society that does not understand their value. Overall, Cofer argues that the derogatory views placed in the Hispanic culture has led to the creation of various stereotypes that cause Latina women to have a lack of opportunities, to be mistakenly categorized, and be devalued. Cofer proves her point through various life experiences in which she has been stereotyped, as well as through her personal background. One of Cofer’s point focuses how people misjudge others based on their ethnic appearances, which can lead them to have a lack of opportunities. Cofer explains that during her high school’s Career Day, she was unaware of how to dress professional, therefore she wore her party clothes. Coffer recalls “The way our teacher and classmates looked at us that day in school was just a taste of the culture clash that awaited us in the real world, where prospective employers and men on the street would often misinterpret our …show more content…
tight skirts and jingling bracelets as a come-on” (205). Cofer’s argues that based on their way of dressing Latina women are sexualized. Non-hispanics mistake the vibrant colors and the attire that the Hispanic heritage is accustomed to as a way to weaken a women’s identify. When a person is sexualized they are stripped from their qualities and judged on their appearances. The sexualization that is imposed on Latinas lead them to have a limited role in society. They are expected to be glorious women by their looks, but are not expected to succeed beyond a housewife. Furthermore, Cofer argues that the way people view Hispanic’s has led to the devaluation of Latina women. She reveals that one night a man stopped her to sing to her “Don’t Cry Me Argentina” and “La Bamba”. Being Puerto Rican, Cofer understood the lyrics to be offensive and to mean that she was incapable of being anything beyond the stereotyped domestic Latina. Hence, the man was comparing her to what Cofer considers a character that does not suit her (206). By signaling a woman out for the stereotypes one is putting them in a place of comfortless. They are implying that Latina women cannot be more than those stereotypes. They expect them to be maids, housewife’s, and cooks, based the few occupations that modern film has displayed them as. This devalues a Latina women’s character, because no matte how hard they work, people will see them and expect little of them. Additionally, Cofer further argues that the stereotypes placed on Latina women based on their appearances has caused them to be mistakenly categorized, which contributes to the devaluing of their abilities to achieve great opportunities.
Cofer backs up her point by explaining that when she was about to read one of her poems at a restaurant, she was mistaken for a waitress by a non-hispanic women (207). Cofer proves that Latina women are mistakenly categorized into areas that do not apply to them. She further proves that one gets a great education and is able to work towards their dreams, they are still judged by what they appear to be not what they really are. Cofer argument highlights the fact with all the sterotypes that are alive in society today, it is difficult for a Latina women to be seen as more than just a pretty face with no achievements to their
name. Overall, Cofer strongly supports her claims through personal experiences, with her background making her argument credible. Having traveled between Puerto Rico and New Jersey her whole life, Cofer was able to understand how both the American culture and the Hispanic culture are perceived. She grew up in a tradition Hispanic home, hence, she grew up surrounded by stereotypes. This allowed her to understand that people jump to conclusions and judge Hispanics without thinking of who they might be, or how they might have been raised. Cofer demonstrated how stereotypes have affected Latina women and has stripped them of their identity which has caused them to have limited access to opportunities.
In Bettie’s analysis of Mexican-American and white girls, she finds that race, gender and class are extremely crucial in the outcomes and futures of these girls. The unmentioned and hidden effects of class, race, and gender provide the explanation for much of the inequality seen between the white middle-class girls and Mexican-American working-class girls. Much of this inequality is itself perpetuated within the school system, both by the faculty and students.
Moreover, she feels that the "U.S society is gendered and racialized: it expects certain behavior from women, certain bearings from men, certain comportment from queer mujeres, certain demeanor from queer hombres, certain conduct from disabled, and so on"(65 Anzaldua).
Initially, understanding an individual's point of view is essential to a discussion or argument. In the essay, ''The Myth of The Latin Women: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria" Cofer attempts to illustrate the effect stereotypes have in a Latina's life. Throughout the piece, she writes of her personal experience and how the positive side of being Latina is being downgraded by stereotypes, she writes, "We cannot change this by legislating the way people look at us. The Transformation, as I see it, has to occur at a much
Oftentimes, societal problems span across space and time. This is certainly evident in Julia Alvarez’s How the García Girls Lost Their Accents a novel in which women are treated peripherally in two starkly different societies. Contextually, both the Dominican Republic and the United States are very dissimilar countries in terms of culture, economic development, and governmental structure. These factors contribute to the manner in which each society treats women. The García girls’ movement between countries helps display these societal distinctions. Ultimately, women are marginalized in both Dominican and American societies. In the Dominican Republic, women are treated as inferior and have limited freedoms whereas in the United States, immigrant
In her childhood, Cofer traveled back and forth from Puerto Rico to the United States due to her father’s active military career. This caused her to be entrenched in both worlds, literally and figuratively. She also expresses the issues she faced and experiences due to her dual cultural heritages through her works. In her short story: Not for Sale, Cofer divulges the identity conflict she experiences in having to merge her father’s deeply rooted Puerto Rican traditions with the customs of the new world she was immersed in. She writes “I was being denied everything by my father: no dating like other sixteen-year-olds (I was a decent Puerto Rican senorita, not a wild American teenager); no driver 's license (the streets of Paterson were too dangerous for an inexperienced driver -- he would take me where I needed to go); no end-of-the-school-year weekend trip with my junior class to Seaside Heights (even though three teachers would be chaperoning us). No, no, no, with a short Spanish "o."” (Cofer, 1992. P.1). She points out the challenges of been torn between on culture and the
In this semester we read many essay but many of them had something in common. Every essay might have something like, yet there 's always something each essay make them so unique. In the 50 Essays: A Portable Anthology book has two essays that how felt a discriminated living in the United States for the color of their skin. Yet even though the two essay might seem alike, both essays go problems were treated different. In the essay "The Myth of a Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria" by Judith Ortiz Cofer she talks about how she felt being a Puerto Rican living in a country of judgment for being a Latina. In the second essay "How It Feels to Be Colored Me" by Zora Neale Hurston , she talks about how being a black female living in the
Although our society is slowly developing a more accepting attitude toward differences, several minority groups continue to suffer from cultural oppression. In her essay “How to Tame a Wild Tongue,” Gloria Anzaldúa explores the challenges encountered by these groups. She especially focuses on her people, the Chicanos, and describes the difficulties she faced because of her cultural background. She argues that for many years, the dominant American culture has silenced their language. By forcing them to speak English and attempting to get rid of their accents, the Americans have robbed the Chicanos of their identity. She also addresses the issue of low self-esteem that arises from this process of acculturation. Growing up in the United States,
...of mixing the cultures and the identities of women. Her voice is what emphasizes the article to show how the goal is to redistribute the language and culture not criticizing the “New World”. This is what affects our future as a whole and challenges us to be “bridge the gap between marginal Latino/a culture and the American mainstream.” If society does not at least try to blend together, then it will cause into a huge war that possibly could never end. Just being that woman to show her passion and influence, can cause a great impact and force this world to acknowledge we all are the same.
Judith Ortiz Cofer, a professor of english and creative writing, tackles gender roles as well as cultural stereotypes in “ The Myth of the Latin Woman” and challenges them by attempting to replace the stereotypes with the realities. In “The Myth of the Latin Woman” Cofer discusses her life in America as a Puerto Rican woman. She also shares her stories of when she was stereotyped and how gender roles play a role in how Latinos are viewed. Stereotypes will follow you around because of your appearance and how the media portrays Latinas.
The eternal endeavor of obtaining a realistic sense of selfhood is depicted for all struggling women of color in Gloria Anzaldua’s “Borderlands/La Frontera” (1987). Anzaldua illustrates the oppressing realities of her world – one that sets limitations for the minority. Albeit the obvious restraints against the white majority (the physical borderland between the U.S. and Mexico), there is a constant and overwhelming emotional battle against the psychological “borderlands” instilled in Anzaldua as she desperately seeks recognition as an openly queer Mestiza woman. With being a Mestiza comes a lot of cultural stereotypes that more than often try to define ones’ role in the world – especially if you are those whom have privilege above the “others”.
The idea that a woman’s job is to be a wife and mother is old-fashioned, but not completely out of style. Though these roles require a great deal of talent, resilience, patience, love, and strength, to name a few, they are often underestimated or depicted as simple. Especially in modern times, many women in the United States who stay home to raise a family are viewed as anti-feminists, whereas women in Latin America are not criticized for similar actions. In recent decades, more Latin American women have started to break the mold, daring to be both sexy, and successful in the workforce, while remaining pillars of domestic life.
In the essay "It’s Hard Enough Being Me," Anna Lisa Raya relates her experiences as a multicultural American at Columbia University in New York and the confusion she felt about her identity. She grew up in L.A. and mostly identified with her Mexican background, but occasionally with her Puerto Rican background as well. Upon arriving to New York however, she discovered that to everyone else, she was considered "Latina." She points out that a typical "Latina" must salsa dance, know Mexican history, and most importantly, speak Spanish. Raya argues that she doesn’t know any of these things, so how could this label apply to her? She’s caught between being a "sell-out" to her heritage, and at the same time a "spic" to Americans. She adds that trying to cope with college life and the confusion of searching for an identity is a burden. Anna Raya closes her essay by presenting a piece of advice she was given on how to deal with her identity. She was told that she should try to satisfy herself and not worry about other people’s opinions. Anna Lisa Raya’s essay is an informative account of life for a multicultural American as well as an important insight into how people of multicultural backgrounds handle the labels that are placed upon them, and the confusion it leads to in the attempt to find an identity. Searching for an identity in a society that seeks to place a label on each individual is a difficult task, especially for people of multicultural ancestry.
The struggle to find a place inside an un-welcoming America has forced the Latino to recreate one. The Latino feels out of place, torn from the womb inside of America's reality because she would rather use it than know it (Paz 226-227). In response, the Mexican women planted the seeds of home inside the corral*. These tended and potted plants became her burrow of solace and place of acceptance. In the comfort of the suns slices and underneath the orange scents, the women were free. Still the questions pounded in the rhythm of street side whispers. The outside stare thundered in pulses, you are different it said. Instead of listening she tried to instill within her children the pride of language, song, and culture. Her roots weave soul into the stubborn soil and strength grew with each blossom of the fig tree (Goldsmith).
Latina women are suppressed through Hispanic culture with the ideology that a woman’s domain is within the walls of her own home. However, there has been a greater turnover rates in high school graduates amongst Latinas they are still falling behind due to lack of resources and the restricted patterns of opportunity perpetuated through transformative assets.
Suaréz, Lucia M. “Julia Alvarez And The Anxiety Of Latina Representation.” Meridians: Feminism, Race, Transnationalism 5.1 (2004): 117-145. SocINDEX with Full Text. Web. 25 Mar.2014.