Myth of a Latin Woman Essay Example

this harassment, they run the risk of losing their jobs. These cultural differences are evident when comparing attitudes towards dressing among young girls in the United States and Puerto Rico. In the US, it is considered embarrassing for young girls to dress maturely, while in Puerto Rico, revealing clothing is seen as a way to stay cool and appear desirable. However, regardless of these differences, if a man disrespects a Latin woman, her family members and their traditions will come to her defense. On the island of Puerto Rico, women dress attractively to impress men and give them an opportunity to express admiration through erotically charged street poems called propos that are composed on the spot. However, when Latin women encounter White men in different cultural settings, they do not receive the same positive response; instead they may be compared to "hot tamales" or treated as objects. The author shares an incident involving Coffer at a fancy hotel where she was subjected to inappropriate behavior by a man who sang a vulgar version of a song and used her name inappropriately during his rhymes. Despite feeling humiliated by this experience, she remained calm and realized that he would not have done such things publicly if she were an Anglo woman. Unfortunately for him though, she was only perceived as a Latina woman which gave him power over her embarrassment in front of othersIn her essay, Coffer concludes that Latin women are often stereotyped as domestic workers or housemaids. However, she acknowledges that while many Latin women do work in these roles due to limited English skills, it is not always the case. Latin women raised

in the United States have more opportunities for education and career success, like Coffer herself. Despite her education, though, Coffer has still faced discrimination based on her appearance. She recalls an incident at a poetry reading where she was mistaken for a waitress and took a coffee order without being questioned. While she understood it wasn't intentionally cruel, this experience made her realize the need to be strong and overcome obstacles in her career. As an immigrant in the US, Coffer's personal experiences shed light on the daily struggles of Latin women due to unfounded stereotypes and cultural misunderstandings. Through her work, she aims to change global perceptions of Latin women.She advocates for society and the media to move past surface-level attributes like skin color and culture, emphasizing the importance of recognizing the valuable and respectable qualities that Latin women possess. Regardless of cultural backgrounds, all women deserve respect, admiration, and value solely based on their gender. Just as society has been able to abolish slavery and dismantle racism in history, it is now imperative to eliminate stereotypes as well.