In general, we have a problem in the United States of sexualizing all women. We constantly photo shop already gorgeous women and change their bodies to beyond realistic expectations. However, we also seem to have a joy in constantly sexualizing women from around the world as well. Whether it be our fetish with tiny petite Asian women, the veiled Middle Easterner, the harem girl, and so much more. You name it; we have it. The worst part about this practice of sexualizing and stereotyping women of different countries and backgrounds is that we essentially create this “otherness” to them, that it is okay to do that to them because somehow they are not us.
Well, here’s the problem with that: they are us. When you really think about it, I don’t think there is a country in the world that you couldn’t find a representative for in the United States. We all come from extremely different backgrounds and countries. Not a single person among us can actually say their ancestors have a geographical entitlement to the United States except for Native Americans. In exoticizing women across the globe, we are essentially exoticizing young American girls of all origins. We are telling them that we expect them to fit into this mold of otherness, even if they were born and raised and a product of the USA. We are telling them that they are not good enough to be treated as humans, and the only way they can redeem themselves is if they adhere to these stereotypes.
One of the worst groups to suffer from this fate is Latina women. Latina women come from all different countries form Central and South America. Yet, as Stuff My Mom Never Told You YouTuber Cristen points out, we have essentially reduced women of extremely different backgrounds to one word: “spicy”. We have perpetuated that unless a woman is “spicy”, loud, and angry she somehow is not a “real” Latina. Essentially, Cristen points out that when we consider Latina women in this category we are invalidating their experiences, frustrations, anger and turning it into a joke to a point where they are no longer humans, but one dimensional jokes. This especially can be seen in media and Hollywood, where minorities of all demographics are already underrepresented and stereotyped. A new study found that Latino/Latinas are the most underrepresented and hypersexualized groups in films. And even worse, although they are one of the least represented groups in the media, Latina women are the most likely to be fully or partially naked on screen. Even in Broadway, which is supposed to be a more diverse subsection of the industry still has Latina characters like Carmen Miranda and Desi Arnaz who depicted as one dimensional sexy fetishes rather than three dimensional and complex human beings.
This needs to stop. Latina women are so much more than what they are giving. There are plenty of amazing Latina actresses out there who deserve to be in roles that celebrate their origins and create interesting and complex characters for all of us to see. Because here’s the thing: in real life, these women are amazing. They come in all shapes and sizes from all different countries. Hispanic women are as likely (59 percent) as non-Hispanic women (64 percent) to participate in the labor force, with Native born Hispanic women having an even higher percentage than non-Hispanics. They are doctors, lawyers, engineers, congresswomen, public transit workers, and so much more. They are college students and graduate students, who work for tireless hours just to write the perfect essay; who are hilarious, beautiful, intelligent, kind, charismatic, caring, understanding, supportive, and so much more.
The point is, these women are so unique and so beautiful to the point where it is so hard for me to imagine any Latina woman I know as a stereotype. And that’s the thing: no one should. These women deserve to be represented fairly and beautifully, and these stereotypes about them need to stop. And that’s why if we could stop sexualizing Latina women I would greatly appreciate it.
