In The Community
Living in the United States as a Latina woman comes with its own set of experiences, challenges, and joys. From navigating cultural differences to embracing our heritage, Latina women living in the U.S. share a unique perspective. Here are 10 things that unite us:
The struggle with our dual identity
Photo by Matthew Moloney on UnsplashBalancing between two cultures can sometimes feel like walking a tightrope. Dual identity feels like straddling our heritage and American upbringing, trying to honor both without losing our authentic selves. Connecting with other Latinos having the same experience can be very grounding!
The art of code-switching
Photo by Bewakoof.com Official on UnsplashSwitching between languages and cultural norms depending on the situation is second nature for many Latina women in the U.S. Whether it's speaking Spanish at home and English at work or adjusting behavior to fit different social contexts, code-switching is a skill we have mastered out of necessity.
The certainty that family is everything
Photo by Rajiv Perera on UnsplashFamily comes first, always. Latina women foster strong family ties and prioritize spending time with loved ones, even if they don’t always get along. From large gatherings filled with laughter and food to relying on family for support during tough times, family is the cornerstone of Latinos’ lives.
Never skip celebrating traditions
Whether it's observing cultural holidays like Día de los Muertos or embracing traditions passed down through generations, Latina women take pride in their heritage and celebrate it without reservation. From music and dance to food and customs, traditions keep them connected to their roots and it’s a great way to find community in a foreign land.
The weight of doing well
Photo by Jennifer Marquez on UnsplashLatina women often feel the weight of expectations placed on them by their families and communities. Not to mention society! The pressure of proving ourselves in a place that may underestimate us is something that has become part of our reality. That said, it’s okay to just be. You don’t have to prove anything to anyone but yourself.
The struggle with beauty standards
Dealing with societal standards of beauty can be particularly challenging for Latina women, as we often face unrealistic expectations regarding body shape and size. That said, celebrating diverse beauty standards is more prominent than ever and it becomes very empowering in a culture that promotes such narrow ideals.
Navigating machismo in everyday life
Photo by Paul Lowry on Wikimedia Commons
Latina women frequently encounter machismo, that nasty cultural attitude that upholds traditional gender roles and emphasizes male dominance. From subtle sexism to overt discrimination, Latinas have become experts in navigating these dynamics, which adds to our self-assurance and empowerment.
Understanding the importance of faith
Photo by Frantisek Duris on UnsplashWhile not all Latinas are religious, we all have some spirituality within us. For some, religion plays a major role in providing strength, guidance, and a sense of belonging. For others, practicing spirituality in the form of meditation or any other practice is a great way to stay grounded and be more aligned in our daily lives.
Juggling bicultural cuisine
Photo by Edgar Castrejon on UnsplashThe kitchen is where cultural fusion truly shines for Latina women in the U.S. From abuela's recipes passed down through generations to adding a spicy twist to classic American dishes, our bicultural takes on dishes make life quite fun. Especially for our gringo friends, who often enjoy our vibrant and flavorful interpretations.
The beauty of embracing diversity
Photo by Tim Mossholder on UnsplashLatina women in the U.S. come from diverse backgrounds, representing a variety of countries, ethnicities, and experiences. Despite these differences, there's a sense of solidarity and sisterhood that transcends borders and unites us in this journey.
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Colombian actress Sofía Vergara has had the spotlight on her recently due to the success of Netflix's latest true crime series "Griselda,” where she plays the titular role of Griselda Blanco. The series was the top show on the Netflix Global Top 10 list for three consecutive weeks since its debut.
This marks a big accomplishment for Vergara because it’s the first role she plays outside the realm of comedy after working on the sitcom “Modern Family” for over 10 years, which catapulted her to fame. It also made her one of the highest-paid actresses in the industry, so she’s had a very successful career so far.
However, she recently stirred up some controversy with some comments she made about her Spanish accent and how she feels it limited her career. Her comments, however, reflect a bigger issue–the belief that having an accent somehow means you’re occupying a lesser societal status.
Racism and the belief that if you’re in the United States, you should speak English at all times has fueled the idea that if you speak with a Spanish-language accent, you are less educated, less capable, less intelligent, and less skilled.
This harmful stereotype has been bolstered by the media and society at large so relentlessly that many bilingual Spanish/English speakers buy into it without even realizing it. It’s also important to note that not all accents are discriminated against - this harmful stereotype doesn’t rear its ugly head in media when it comes to accents deemed respectable like a British, French, or Italian accent.
Sofía Vergara’s Comments on Her Bilingual Spanish/English Accent
Back in January, Sofía Vergara went viral for clapping back at Spanish interviewer Pablo Motos on the show “El Hormiguero” for seemingly criticizing her English pronunciation. They were talking about “Modern Family” when Motos interrupted Vergara asking her: “How do you say ‘Modern Family’?”
Vergara responded by saying, “Do I say it wrong? Because you speak better English than me?” Motos said “Yes,” prompting Vergara’s clap back, “How many Emmy nominations do you have in the United States? How many times have they nominated you for a Golden Globe?”
The clip spread all over the internet with most people praising Vergara’s quick wit and her shut-down of Motos’ seemingly obnoxious behavior. A little over a week after that, the “Los Angeles Times” released an interview with Vergara, where she discussed “Griselda” and the barriers she has found due to her accent.
She said, “I’m always looking for characters because there’s not much that I can play with this stupid accent. I can’t play a scientist or be in ‘Schindler’s List.’ My acting jobs are kind of limited.” Vergara added later in the interview, “Eva Longoria doesn’t have an accent. Jennifer Lopez doesn’t have an accent. Jessica Alba doesn’t have an accent. Is it frustrating? Of course. In the beginning, more than now, and the frustration was towards me. How come I can’t f— get this right? I’ve been here for 30 years. How dumb can I be?”
While it’s important to understand where Vergara is coming from, it’s even more important to point out the false premise she has seemingly bought into. The fact is that having an accent doesn’t signal being less intelligent or less talented. That she hasn’t been able to play more serious roles has nothing to do with her accent or the reality of how many actual scientists, humanitarians, and thought leaders have Spanish/English accents but rather an indictment of the pervasive bias and racism that continues to exist in Hollywood and mainstream media.
Accent or Not, Hollywood Doesn’t Reflect Reality
The false premise that having an accent somehow makes you less worthy of being taken seriously or achieving success is something the Latino/Spanish-dominant community has been dealing with for ages. Why has someone like Sofía Vergara bought into it as well? First of all, because it’s heavily sustained in her industry. Hollywood’s systemic racism is notorious and it perpetuates harmful stereotypes of Latino identity, linking Spanish-dominant Latinos and their accents or way of speech to unserious roles, uneducated characters, criminal behavior, and more.
Second of all, this false premise is sustained by society at large, particularly in the United States. Linguistic discrimination, which is illegal, is a major issue for non-native English speakers simply because they don’t speak in a way that’s considered “standard.” While it’s true that this leads to discrimination, which can limit opportunities for Latinos and other English as a second language speakers, rising above it is possible.
To overcome this harmful belief, it’s important to note that there is an abundance of research that confirms that people who speak two languages have elevated cognitive functions. The media and some in American society would like bilingual Spanish/English speakers to believe that they can’t be successful in law, health, tech, space, business, or whatever industry if perfect English isn’t spoken. Very real systemic barriers exist for those without perfect English. Data confirms this, but it certainly doesn’t help when someone like Vergara underscores that if not for her “stupid accent” she’d be an even bigger star. Instead, the frustration should be directed at why Hollywood doesn’t think a scientist can speak with a Spanish accent.
It’s tricky navigating this world as a Latina with the last name Haas.
For some, I am too brown, and for others, I am not brown enough. My Spanish doesn’t roll smoothly off the tongue. My skin golden and illuminated under the sun doesn’t blush and blister, and my hair is both curly and straight — not knowing what to choose.
I am the granddaughter of immigrants and a first-generation college student. I am the dream my grandparents dared to dream as they left their countries and moved to the United States.
Many immigrated in search of opportunity and the chance to build a new foundation that their kids and grandkids could build upon and grow. Immigrants left their respective countries and their homes because they believed the United States was a land of opportunities.
According to a study published by the Pew Research Center, 72% of Latine adults believe that the United States is a safer place to raise children, and 86% say the United States offers more opportunities to be successful than the country of their ancestors.
People leave their homes out of necessity. They run toward the promise of a future. Unfortunately, the American dream promised to many is not afforded to most Latine immigrants.
The U.S. government and U.S. business interests recruited Mexican immigrants for cheap labor, and upon arrival, these immigrants faced racism and segregation. The lands Mexican people lived on were taken from them by two provisions in the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which enforced taxation and required proof of land grants in American court.
Puerto Rican people also faced racism and segregation when immigrating pre-Civil Rights Movement. Both were neglected and stripped of everything they had. Puerto Rican people were given statutory citizenship despite being a U.S. commonwealth, which meant their status was established by legislative means rather than by birth.
Voters in Puerto Rico can participate in presidential primaries, but they do not have voting representation in congress or electoral votes in U.S. presidential elections. However, the participation of Puerto Rican people in the Civil Rights Movement had been integral to their political and social lives.
Today, Latine people in the United States have more access to human rights, but they still face racism both socially and institutionally. I know this firsthand as a Latine person.
My last name never stopped people from asking me if I needed a green card to be here, from being followed around a store or harassed by white people at my school and on the street. And when asked for, my last name is always greeted with odd looks and questions. Haas doesn’t necessarily fit my characteristics or demeanor.
My last name comes from my paternal grandfather — an American-born veteran whose last name even he knows little about. So I can’t tell you anything about where the last name Haas comes from or the origins of immigration this part of my family experienced.
What I can tell you about is my paternal grandmother’s story of leaving Mexico and the town she grew up in. I can tell you about the small town in Puerto Rico where my maternal great-grandmother fled and why she left. Their stories resonate with me because they are the ancestral stories that make my identity complex and unique.
Being third-generation, my roots can feel deeply cemented in this land yet also far removed from another. These stories from my family are the anchors that ground me in my Latine heritage and identity.
But I used to define my identity by the way others saw me. My inabilities and disconnections to a culture that has kept me on the outskirts of belonging and othering has shaped how I perceive myself. And as the aforementioned Pew Research Center study found, the complex aspects that define Latine identities continue to change as generations grow in the United States. We see this in the way someone doesn’t need to be fluent in Spanish or have a Spanish surname to be considered Latine in the United States.
Society has told immigrants that if they wanted to assimilate, they would have to abandon parts of their culture. For some immigrants, this went as far as not teaching their kids Spanish or naming them something that was “easy” for Americans to pronounce, essentially white-washing our culture.
To be American has historically meant that you have to lose a significant part of yourself to create a national identity that you’ll never be accepted into anyway.
This Latine identity was created in the 1980s for mobilization purposes.
According to UC Berkeley sociology professor G. Cristina Mora, organizers, pop stars and political leaders used the media to create a common identity around the Spanish language, making it easier to mobilize them.
However, Latine political participation was unequivocally low due to a lack of identity in the United States, which meant the needs of Latine people were being overlooked. A large contributing factor to this was the fact that Latine people were under the white racial category in the U.S. Census. As this common identity and political message became a national conversation, it led to the creation of the Hispanic ethnic category.
But one identity based around the Spanish language alone doesn’t accurately convey the nuances of my identity or that of other Latine people.
America is a nation of immigrants, and we should celebrate the vibrant, unique and diverse cultures that illuminate our communities instead of make them conform to a nation that would not exist without them. I am part of this nation because my family immigrated — both the parts that have challenged my ties to my Latine culture and the ones that gave me my tanned complexion and wavy hair.
It is also true that my last name has never anchored me to ancestral lands and traditions. It has never offered me kindness or privilege, but it has played a role in shaping my identity. It connects me to my father, siblings, cousins and grandparents, and I have learned to lean into that aspect of my family name and hold it as a connection, not an identifier.
Aspects of my identity will continue to grow and shift with the knowledge and wisdom I hope to gain as the years carry on, but my roots will forever exist steady and strong in both the land I descend from and the land that I was born on.
I can no longer afford to cut the roots that keep us connected to our cultures for the sake of fitting in with a country that discriminates against, murders and incarcerates our loved ones. I will no longer conform to a society that was built on the backs of our ancestors or water down my identity and culture.
It is important now more than ever to stand in my Latine identity proudly and unapologetically; to uplift my communities and explore my cultures because they are beautiful and unique.
That is what makes this nation great to me.