THE DEATH OF
I
f the buttons are on the right side of the shirt, then it is a men’s shirt. If the buttons are on the left, it is a women’s shirt. This was one of the lessons that we were taught in this machismo society. However, the concept of machismo, an over-exaggerated masculine pride, is losing its grip on the way Latinos dress, which is freeing Latinos to express themselves through their own unique styles.
“With roots in Spain and the Mediterranean area, Mexican male dominance evolved into an institutionalized behavior,” James Diego Vigil said in his textbook, “From Indians to Chicanos.” According to Vigil’s textbook, machismo and the “macho man” was born out of necessity. It came about “because of the misfortunes that befell the natives at this time, there was a need for this male attitude and behavior especially to defend the honor of females, many of whom were victims to the Spaniards,” according to Vigil’s textbook where he referenced Susan Kellogg’s book, “Weaving the Past.” However, according to Vigil, the “macho syndrome” also brought upon a “close-minded masculine tyranny” at home and in the larger society. The textbook does not explicitly state this, but I believe this close-minded macho tyranny affected the way Latinos, specifically Mexican Americans/Chicanos, dress by establishing strict gender norms. Let’s establish this early. The fashion created by my Mexican/Mexican American forefathers and foremothers is beautiful. I take issue with the concept of machismo that was developed centuries before my parents and grandparents. The strict standards of the way people dress according to their sex at birth is common throughout several cultures. However, in my opinion, these standards are elevated in Mexican/Mexican American culture due to machismo. Machismo dictated that men must dress in a way that expressed their masculinity and physical power, while women had to dress in a way that makes them submissive to the man.
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