In “Myth of the Latin Woman”, by Judith Ortiz Cofer, the author points out how she has been treated by different people in different countries due to their conception of her as a Latin woman. She cites several incidents where she was viewed, stereotypically, as a woman only capable of being a housewife, and as a sexual object. She also argues the cross-cultural conflict Hispanics have to deal with on an everyday basis, in this, purely dominated by Caucasians, where cultural traditions are seeing, erroneously, as something purely sexual.Clearly in this essay, the author shows her anger against people who have a misconception about Hispanic women and her desperate fight to stop being seen as an “outsider”.
Her anger is unnecessary she is being too sensitive when she presents a few incidents where she was stereotyped as Hispanic, and she is stating a biased opinion when she brings the issue about Latin women and the way they are treated in factories.One of the issues with her essay is that she is too sensitive. She goes a little too far when she describes the incident where an old woman mistakenly thought she was a waitress. She makes a huge deal of something that is a very petty issue. She definitely presents this minor experience as very offensive. Another incident she recounts in this essay is the one in London, where she felt humiliated by this British guy who is on his knees singing to her.
Most women would find this very amusing and charming rather than offensive, overcoming the issue of being stereotyped as sexual icons by embracing it instead of fighting it.She also points out in her essay, the way Latin women are treated in factories, presenting this problem as if it was purely related to Hispanic females. She claims this issue is connected to a specific gender, race or ethnicity. On the contrary, this problem is more related to lack of education, moral values and legal status.
Legal status, especially, plays a key factor in cities with high number of immigrants, where many people are victims of these abuses, regardless of gender and race.It is clear in Judith Ortiz Cofer’s work that the author is constantly running away from this girl called Maria, who follows her everywhere she goes like some sort of ghost and she is not comfortable with it. She is desperate, trying to be seen, not as just a Hispanic woman, but also as a competent, professional, intelligent person. This personal fight against culture misconception and stereotyping causes her to be extremely sensitive and biased.
After all, stereotypes can have a negative and positive impact on individuals. We live in a world where many still discriminate and stereotype in a negative way, specifically here in United States, where its population is, ironically, formed by individuals from diverse cultures, ethnicities and religions. But this issue should not cause on people the desire to change their own culture, their own roots, to stop being seen as outsiders. Acceptance of what people are and where they come from is needed, to achieve peace in this multi-cultural society.
