Today there are many cultures of Hispanic/Latino background that are affect by the social norms that have been constructed. It has become hard for Hispanics to hold the expectations that are set on them by our society. As of 2017 we are set to norms that men and women are expected to follow. Patriarchy plays a major role in how we uphold those standards. Before beginning, I would like to identify a key term that will be used many times throughout this paper. Patriarchy is best defined as a political-social system that implies that males are dominant, and superior to everything and everyone, especially females (Hook). Hook suggests that men are admired in society while females are to be inferior. Throughout this paper, I will be exploring the …show more content…
ideas of how LGBTQ children are affected by patriarchy as well as how Hispanics are affected. LGBTQ children face many struggles in their day to day lives. The reality is, LGBTQ children do not fit in the norms that set upon them. The community is oppressed on a basis because of sexuality and cultural norms. Being Gay, Lesbian, or even Transgender can be complex for children to balance their identity with the idea of masculinity roaming around. Being lesbian, or gay in a Hispanic culture can be challenging and confusing for some folks because of how males are expected to be very masculine. A Hispanic household may have similar concepts as an American culture when talking about women's roles in a household. Women are believed to serve men as hook said, “As their daughter I was taught that it was my role to serve, to be weak, to be free from the burden of thinking, to care take and nurture others” (Hook 1). Hooks claim that patriarchy sets men above women in our society. Women “are supposed to” be stay at home moms, while the father is the provider. Men are supposed to be free from the burden of taking care of children. (Hook 1). In other words, women should be staying home doing the responsibility of what both parents should be doing. Hispanic women are also expected to be the caretakers at home. Both American and Hispanic households have similarities. A Hispanic house hold expects the women cook, clean, take care of the children, and serve the men. Hooks wants her readers to understand that patriarchy puts men on a pedestal while women are not socially accepted in society. One problem with patriarchy is that labels begin to surface. Men begin to view taking care of their own children as a ‘burden’. Parenting should not be considered a burden, otherwise our society would not prosper. Men and women should both divide the responsibilities of having children both ways. Furthermore, patriarchy sets men into isolation as well.
When referring to isolation, men are expected to hide their emotions. Hook further states, “Patriarchy demands of men that they become and remain emotional cripples” (Hook 3). Men should not feel the need to bottle up their emotions and hide the true side of them. Patriarchy can isolate everyone in society, not just men, or the GBTQ community. Expression of male emotions is not the norm for patriarchy. Women are taught that expression of emotion is accepted amongst women. Hooks shares a story of the patriarchal lessons she had been taught as a young girl, “I was taught that girls could and should express feeling, or at least some of them” (Hook 1). Patriarchy has a funny way of setting norms for men and women. Women can express their emotions, while men have to withhold theirs? Women are expected to nurture children, while men are not? Women due to tend to express their emotions in ways see fit, but when a particular emotion is expressed, they become limited by society. Hook was taught that rage was not accepted feminine emotion. When expressed, women are minimized and are told not further express the emotion (Hook 1). Women are encouraged to express their emotions but are limited to the kinds of emotions they can express. Patriarchy seems very contradicting when assigning gender roles. For instance, the idea that men should not express their emotions. Yet, hooks brother was taught that it is expected for men to …show more content…
express rage and portray violent behavior (Hook 1). How do we expect men to store their emotions, but yet accept the idea that men are violent? Men’s expression of violent and rage is accepted in our society, while women are held to isolate those emotions. Men and women have similar struggles with patriarchy. Both genders face struggles with patriarchy in upholding norms. LGBTQ children struggle in being raised in a traditional Hispanic household.
Men are already held to masculine standards. The LGBTQ face many oppressions in our society today. They are isolated from norms and face consistent bullying whether at school, home, or even public places. Suicide is one of three major cause of deaths. Hispanic rates of suicide are higher than nationwide reports (Division of Violence Prevention, 2015). Suicide is the act of intentionally harming one’s own body. The rates of suicide are higher amongst gay, lesbian, and transgendered people. As the years progress, people have been feeling more inclined to ‘come out’. The idea of coming out was constructed by white men (Brekus 2003; Seidman 2009). This is important to keep in mind because race can play a role in how people ‘come out’’ or even decide whether or not they choose to ‘come out’. For a white gay male, it may be easier to come out as gay as opposed to a gay male from Hispanic/Latino decent. Why is that? Patriarchy. Patriarchy supports the idea that men dominate our society. A white male can hold more power in society than a black male, or Asian, or even Latino. Latino immigrants are more afraid to come out due to feeling socio-economic support from families (Cantú, Naples, and Vidal-Ortiz 2009). Being a gay and Hispanic can cause fear in people to share their sexuality with their families. Family should be the one group of people you should feel unconditional love and support from. Being a
male in the family household is already tough with the patriarchal standards that are set upon them. Now to introduce being a gay male in a household can be even more difficult. The family and LGBTQ member now has to face hardships from the community and culture. Gender presentation and sexual identity are areas in which Latinos/immigrants draw concern. Stigmas and images can be set upon a family who has an LGBTQ member (Hom 2007). These stigmas can be difficult to handle in a society where men are supposed to dominate the society. Our society views men as strong, bold, and masculine. Latino gay men may fear of not being seen as “masculine’ or ‘man enough’ because of their sexuality. This image that is set upon them can cause LGBTQ folks to feel insecure. Such insecurities are not healthy in discovering one’s sexuality and self-identity. There is many risk facts to consider relating to the issue of insecurities and self-identity. A study was taken of LGBTQ Youth: 22.8% % had personal substance use concerns; 20.3% were concerned about violence (physical, domestic, and/or sexual violence) against them; 79.2% expressed family or home-related concerns; and 34.7% reported past or present homeless, thrown out, or ran away (Rosario et al., 2004; Savin-Williams, 2005b). Patriarchy in a Hispanic culture of LGBTQ students can have many negative effects in an adolescent’s life. Many children face issues related to abuse (mental, emotional, and physical). You may have children running away from home because of how unsafe they feel. Being part of the LGBTQ puts tremendous pressure on children. Children can feel trapped inside and hold an image that they do not represent. In a Hispanic culture, Machismo and Marianismo are terms that is used. Machismo is best defined as having strong masculine pride. Marianismo is the expectation of feminine submissiveness or dependent on men (Dictionary.com). Hispanics hold their children to masculine norms, as in being ‘macho’. Naming a child “Macho” can set norms on the child. manly, strong, and aggressive. Naming or nicknaming a child ’Macho’ categorizes the child as manly, strong, and aggressive. This can also set norms sets expectations, and can assign the child to a gender. Family members will begin to hold “macho’ to social norms of aggression. One norm that is expected it the idea that men never are dominant to women.
There are seven billion humans living on planet earth, with hundreds of different cultures and ethnicities. As the leading species on earth, humans have further felt the need to also have a dominant gender. This title is given to the males of society. In the novel How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez, the main characters experience a firsthand look to how male dominance prevails in not only the Dominican Republic but also in America. The Garcia family is a prestigious family line in the Dominican Republic, as a result the children of the family have a traditional and very controlled upbringing. The Garcia family moves from the Dominican Republic to the United States which causes the children of the family: Sofia, Yolanda,
Women have to face a lot of oppression from the patriarchal world we live in, and are treated like object by the male dominance, especially if you are women raise in a Latino culture. A journal article, “Domestic Violence in Hispanics in southeastern United States: A survey and Need Analysis”, by Carolyn Murdaugh, Salena Hunt, Richard Sowell, and Irma Santana states the high domestic violence occurrences in the Hispanic community. The article states, “Latina in the US, with 54.9% reporting violent victimization” (Murdaugh, etc. 107). In almost every culture, patriarchy exists, expecting that female existence to be inferior, and more like an object than an equal. All women in their lives have face oppression, abuse, or harassment because they are women. A woman is not supposed to be an independent persons, they are expected to be a servant for male dominance. When women break away from these sexist norms, they are prosecuted as a whore or are beaten as a punishment. In the traditional Hispanic culture, if you do not take the role of the virgin, mother, or wife, you are judged and criticized of being a whore. Hispanic mothers and fathers have been telling their little girls and women that they must obey their husband. Also, men have been learning throughout their whole life is to be superior and abusive in order to maintain discipline in the household. It is a Hispanic tradition, so it not completely fault of men that women are being treated this; it is society and it is hard to break away from it. Society has portrayed women or the feminine role to be weak and inferior to the male dominance. People believe because of the feminine side, women should be discipline and treated as object with only sexual purposes. I believe that Latinas should have the rights to live their lives, without being criticized of what they done.
Whether they were on Broadway or in Hollywood, being a Hispanic actor meant you were put into this stereotyped box that was and is hard to break through. How many times has there been a Hispanic or Latino in the role of a hero, wealthy man/woman, or doctor in film or television? The following quote from Lin Manuel Miranda is to explain the struggles of a male Hispanic actor aspiring to be on Broadway. “I couldn’t see a way for me [a Latino man] to have a career in musical theater based on the musicals that already existed. I don’t dance well enough to play Bernardo [of ‘West Side Story’], or Paul in ‘A Chorus Line.’ And I don’t have an operatic voice enough to play the ‘Man of La Mancha.’ And if you’re a Latino man, that’s all you get… I
Immigration has always been an issue in the United States, which is often portrayed as harmful and as major threat to American culture. As a result, various anti immigration policies have been aimed against immigrants in order to prevent and preserve the miscegenation of American culture, such as English only policies. Among the largest minority groups in the U.S, are Latinos who currently compose of 15% of the U.S population (Delgado and Stefancic 3). Unfortunately, Latinos have been accused of taking American benefits, jobs, and have wrongfully been depicted as a result of not assimilating to American culture. Latinos are often accused of resisting assimilation, but what has failed to be acknowledged is that there are obstacles set in place that are preventing Latinos from completely assimilating. Among those greatest obstacles there is discrimination. Institutional as well as individual discrimination have prevented many Latinos from feeling a sense of belonging. As a result Latinos have been reluctant to assimilate. Another major component is proximity. Many Latinos are native to nearby countries which allows for easy communication with family members as well as their culture. Moreover, it also allows for a constant influx of immigrants that replenish and preserve Latino cultures and traditions in the U.S. Lastly, Latino movements are working diligently to promote unity among communities for the purpose of creating a sense of identity and pride amongst Latinos, such as the Chicano movement.
Social problems include difficulties with family relationships, isolation, interpersonal conflicts, and pressures of social roles. The Latino culture tends to place a higher premium on the well-being of the family unit over that of any one family member, a concept termed familialism (Smith & Montilla, 2006). In general, familialism emphasizes interdependence and connectedness in the family, and often extends familial ties beyond the nuclear family (Falicov, 1998). Given these values, Latinos often describe depression in terms of social withdrawal and isolation (Letamendi, et al., 2013). Social roles also play an important role in mental health, traditional gender roles in particular are strongly enforced and can be a source of distress. In Latino culture, men and women are expected to fulfill the roles outlined in the traditions of Machismo and Marianismo respectively. Machismo indicates that the man is supposed to be strong and authoritative, while Marianismo designates the woman as the heart of the family both morally and emotionally (Dreby, 2006). Although there is little research on causal factors, adherence to these traditional gender roles can pose a psychological burden and has been found to be strong predictor of depression (Nuñez, et al., 2015). The centrality of social problems in the conceptualization of depression for Latinos may be reflective of the collectivistic values that are characteristic of the group. Although these values have the potential to contribute to depression, they also have the potential to serve as protective factors and promote mental health (Holleran & Waller, 2003). Therefore, it is imperative that the counselor carefully consider cultural values, both in terms of potential benefits and drawbacks, to provide appropriate counseling to the Latino
My readings suggest the Hispanic culture gender roles are very common and strict. Starting early in life children are taught to follow the strict guidelines of their gender (American Home Resources, 2010). There exists three common gender specific scripts in Hispanic culture; females can either be “Marianismo” or “Hembrismo”, and, males are classified as “Machismo”. The two female roles differ greatly; “Marianismo” defines behaviors of women as being obedient, dependent and caring for their children. The “Hembrismo” role stresses a female’s strength to persist through life’s difficulties; however, this role is not accepted widely in their culture. The “Machismo” role describes behaviors of men as being dominant and independent. This role views the man as being in charge of the family. (Peñalosa,
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.
Latinos have struggled to discover their place inside of a white America for too many years. Past stereotypes and across racism they have fought to belong. Still America is unwilling to open her arms to them. Instead she demands assimilation. With her pot full of stew she asks, "What flavor will you add to this brew?" Some question, some rebel, and others climb in. I argue that it is not the Latino who willingly agreed to partake in this stew. It is America who forced her ideals upon them through mass media and stale history. However her effort has failed, for they have refused to melt.
The topic of Hispanic women experiencing inequality in education due to the social constructs of subordination and Hispanic culture is of interest to me because I am Hispanic and have fallen victim to the social constructs of subordination of women, within the Hispanic culture and educations system. Living in Chandler, Arizona during my adolescent years allowed me to experience two forms of education, public and private schooling. In Arizona, Charter schools are as common as public schools in California. Charter schools similar to Private...
Most Mexican families are extremely traditional, with the man as the head of the house hold, and the authority figure. Machismo (masculinity) in all latino countries is a huge problem, not only because women are being deprived of their freedom, but because men abuse their power. I asked five Mexican women how they felt about Machismo in Mexico. Two of the five women told me kind of the same thing; They believe that it is not a bad thing, but it depends on the man. The other three were very against it, and they ...
Kanellos, Nicolás, Felix M- Padilla, and Claudio Esteva Fabregat, eds. Handbook of Hispanic Cultures in the United States: Sociology. Houston: Arte Publico Press, 1994. Print.
Growing up in a Latino base community there were numerous instances that metaphor,“si me voy con la Luna o el Sol”, which means either you choose the Sun (Dad) or Moon (Mother), was used just to see who the kids prefered .Therefore creating, the environment that children would be repeatedly asked to choose the ultimatum between parents. In the reading “Mamitis and the Traumas of Development in a Colonia Popular of Mexico City” by Matthew C. Gutmann and “Bad Boys and Good Girls: The Implications of Gender Ideology for Child Health in Jamaica” by Carolyn Sargent and Michael Harris correlations between class in their countries and how it impacts family developments. The Essay will focus on Gutmann’s reading on mamitis gender expectation, secondly how Sargent’s reading tackles the issue of
If a man possesses the masculinity that society claims he should have, he may still experience many emotional issues within himself. After a man has been taught that domination is the key, they may develop a sense of aggression. Aggression may also follow the fact they men hold all of their feelings into to protect themselves from the schemas. Men have been seen to use violence in their past to solve their issues. In the documentary, one of the prisoners in the group session spoke about how he was in jail because all of his emotions that had been bottled up become uncontrollable in one instance. If a boy or a man does not contain the masculinity expected, he may become bullied and out-casted. The continuation of discrimination toward a boy may cause suicidal thoughts. On top of being bullied for not being a powerful man, he may still be trying to hold in his emotions to prove that he
Johnson argues that patriarchy is made up of more than just individuals. Systems are more complex than people (Johnson 92). Within a system there are different parts the come together to form a whole. In terms of patriarchy, these parts are the different standards and ideals that patriarchy upholds. The three facets of patriarchy are male centered, male identified, and male dominated. Also patriarchy is not just driven by men, women can also play a role in its continuation. Believing in the equality of men and women is not enough to challenge the system (Johnson 94). Our culture must break down and question the parts of the patriarchal system in order to lessen its grip on our culture.
In today’s society, a huge issue that resonates across cultures is the idea of racially stereotyping an individual or a culture as a whole. Some might join in and take these stereotypes as a joke, and others might believe that these “jokes” are entirely offensive and inappropriate. Although Americans insist on pursuing negative stereotypes associated with Hispanics; because a lot of Latinos are not able to speak fluent English, so they are labeled as “uneducated.” Another common stereotype for Hispanics is that they are all extremely poor and living in poverty because images are constantly seen of them in large groups piling into small vehicles and residences; Hispanics argue that these stereotypes are demeaning and unfair to their culture, because not every Latino is uneducated and living in poverty.