Latina Representation

      So this week, we are talking about Intersectionality which according to Oxford Dictionary means "The interconnected nature of social categorizations such as race, class, and gender as they apply to a given individual or group, regarded as creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage." This topic got me to thinking of myself because I am a proud Hispanic woman. My father is from Peru, and my mother is half Puerto Rican and Salvadorean. I personally claim all three as a part of who I am because I feel as if I have been raised in all three cultures equally. I am proud of my heritage and my culture. I follow a bunch of Facebook pages that appeal to Latinos like Mitu and Pero Like. They are like a Hispanic version of Buzzfeed in which they just talk about culture and make fun of Hispanic parents. The other day on a page called Mic I saw a video about Latina Representation in the Media. It was unbelievably accurate because it calls out Hollywood for always portraying Hispanic women as hotheads, maids, or dumb. I had never really thought about this, but now that I have seen it I realize how true it is. These stereotypes of Hispanic women can be quite damaging because this is what people will now associate with Hispanic women. They know have these preconceived notions which are from true because not all Hispanic women are sexy, dumb, maids, and over emotional.
    I have experienced this before because I have had people tell me that I am typical Hispanic hothead because I am loud and I can get quite angry. However, this is not true because it takes a lot for me to get angry. I try to keep myself under control because I do not want people to box me into these stereotypes. I have also had a Caucasian friend tell me that I do not look like a typical Hispanic because I am thin and I do not have big hips or boobs. It is as if my body has anything to do with my heritage or race. It is just incredible how people only believe the stereotypes and do not know how to keep an open mind. My two best friends here at Manhattan College are two white girls, and they tell me all the time "You are not really Hispanic. You are a white girl just like us." They are trying to take away a part of me, and a part that I hold dear to my heat. Yes I may like pop music and am fully immersed in the American culture but that does not mean that I am not Hispanic. I grew up in private school so I have been surrounded my white people my whole life so I have adopted parts of their lifestyle, but at the end of the day I am Hispanic. I go home, listen to my Bachata and speak Spanish to my family. They do not get to take that away from me just because I also understand parts of the culture and world. I do not have to be just one. I am an Americanized Latina and proud because I get to experience two very different, but amazing worlds.
  It is also bad because then there are also other Hispanics who judge other Hispanics for not being Hispanic enough. If you don't speak Spanish then you are basically disowned because it is as if you are neglecting your culture. It is also like that if you don't like all Hispanic food or can't dance. This was a problem that the famous Tex-Mex singer Selena felt because she did not grow up speaking Spanish. She sang her songs in Spanish, but she did not fully understand them. When she would do interviews, the interviewers would find it unbelievable that she did not know Spanish. It is just sad because they should be happy that one of our own is making it in the music industry, but instead they are only criticizing her. This is seen in many Hispanics who were born and raised in America, this is why videos such as this are very prominent When You're Not Latinx Enough. We are judged even though we should be embracing one another.