Orgullosa Mujer Latina: My Introspective as a Young Lady

WRITTEN BY KAREN LOPEZ

BY LEYNA VU

When we hear the word “women,” some of us think of our own mothers, sisters, and significant others. Each woman has different obstacles and voyages to lead them where they wish to be. However, we cannot forget the sisters, guardians, and lovers that have been supporting us every day.

Being a woman is not an easy task. In fact, I do not know how half of us survive every day. We just keep swimming and persist through. Starting this Spring semester at Long Beach State, I have come to realize that the ideal Latina women portrayed in the media does not reflect reality.

Latinas are pressured to present themselves as beautiful and nurturing. The Pew Research Center found that “62% of Latinas surveyed said Hispanic women face pressure to be beautiful by dressing nicely, wearing makeup, or doing their hair and nails, and 56% reported feeling pressure to get married and have children.” The idea that Latina women have to be sexy and follow the traditional housewife stereotype is detrimental to us as there is a lot more to our beings than physical appearance and family roles.

If anyone could say it better would be Haydee Zavala, a PHD graduate from Claremont Graduate University and Spanish speaker. “My hope is that one day beauty will be viewed as a subjective concept that is not linked to an evaluation of a woman’s worth or success,” she said.

Her study “Unveiling the Beauty Myth: The Relationship Between Beauty and Education Among Latina Adolescents” addresses the concept of beauty and how it connects to young adults’ esteem. However, this is not only present in the overall population of young adults but also in Latinas in higher education.

Most Latinas did not grow up expressing emotions of dissatisfaction because it is not something we talk about despite its importance. There is a reason why Latina women wear tons of makeup, have disorders often not identified in specific ethnic groups, and remain silent while facing a tough reality.

Another study called “Body Appreciation Among Latinx Women: Examining Fasmiliso, Social Approval, and Sociocultural Attitudes as Contributing Factors,” written by Eunice Alejandra Carcamo Mejia, found that in general “males show a higher level of body appreciation than females, whereas females have higher levels of body dissatisfaction.” Women who appreciate their bodies and embrace their roots, culture and love for themselves will have confidence regardless of background noise.

I am not saying women need to wear makeup, get married immediately, or follow what people say to them. Rather, women should figure out what they want within themselves. If you want to feel empowered or have self-growth by doing x, y, z, then do it. I know there is a Latina beauty standard, but that does not mean I should comply with what I am familiar with.

If make up is what makes me feel a little bit confident then so be it. If exercise is what I truly find joy and want to improve physical appearance, then so be it. There is no need to second guess a decision if it makes you feel empowered, comfortable, and beautiful by highlighting your culture and features that make you unique.

Prince Royce, an American singer-songwriter, sings this message romantically. His two songs “Las Cosas Pequeñas” (the little things) and “Corazón Sin Cara” (heart without face) talk about loving yourself regardless of size and how Royce himself is not perfect.

It’s okay if you are Latina and want to learn to dance salsa, bachata, or learn something else you are passionate about. I know for me I should do everything in my power to show myself everything is possible with time.

Women are beautiful when they find true happiness and are successful in life without having to worry about appearance and behaving a certain way. Confidence is not something gained without appreciating yourself and finding value in yourself first.

The current president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, is a politician, scientist, and a mother. Most significantly, she is our first Jewish woman to be a president whose goal is to make Mexico better. According to Iowa State University’s Archives of Women’s Political Communication, Pardo was the corecipient of the Nobel Peace Prize and a member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, making climate change more easy to digest for everyone and finding solutions to counter climate change. Pardo is showing Latina women they can do anything and it’s never too late to begin doing what they want to do.

There are plenty of women who demonstrate that beauty is not the only thing that matters to them. Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo is an example of just one of the many Latina women who demonstrate that it is possible to have both brains and beauty, and I am proud to look to her as my current presidenta (president).