Summary Of Selenidad By Debra Paredez
In the book Selenidad author Debra Paredez discusses the emergence of an identifactory scheme that originated after the death of popular Tejano performer, Selena Quintanilla. Paredez's description of the characteristics of Selenidad are an accepted description of today's Latina femininity and used to better understand what it is to be Latina. In addition, Paradez describes Selenidad as a reconstructed symbolism that transcends various groups within the Latino/a community as seen in modern popular performances. Rita Moreno, Gloria Estefan, and Jennifer Lopez are women who in the past have shown that it is possible to be Latina and popular among the dominant culture. Yet, "Ritanidad" or "Jenniferdad" is never considered because, as Paredez explains, …show more content…
This iconography, such as the purple sequined jumpsuit Selena wore during her final concert, is the measure used to define the Latina body; in fact, drag and transgender performers use Selena's songs and style of dress to express their own Latina femininity, as Paredez explains with regard to a popular performance by queer performer, Melissa, "Like those embodied by the young women at the Selena auditions, [Melissa's imitation of Selena] operates as identifacatory practice for...Latina subject formation." (Paredez p.156). The popularity of Selenidad among LGBT Latinas is a focus of Paredez's book. In an article written by Yvonne Yarbro-Bejarano she states that "...deconstructing binary notions of of lesbian sexuality..." (p.190) or reconstructing of femininity is the subject of most lesbian art and showcases two chapbooks created by Latina poet Marcia Ochoa which exemplify this artistic paradigm. Paradez, however, counters this idea when she shares comments made by gay Latinos/as asserting that Selena's femininity actually conforms to the gay Latina femme ideal; she quotes Lorenzo Herrera y Lozano, "Selena's a drag queen...She was an outcast in her family...She was a gay man!" (Paredez p.165). It's this universality that marks the difference between Selenidad and Latinidad. Where Latinidad, as appropriated and defined by the dominant culture, has sparked contention Selenidad, which has remained wholly Latino/a defined, has found a common
Dolores Del Rio Film Analysis
1811 Words | 8 PagesThe exotification of Dolores del Rio is evident in an article published by a Photoplay issue in 1934, as she is described as possessing “golden skin, smooth as mellowed ivory and her dark, flashing eyes bespoke the lue of those maidenly ‘senoritas’ who peep at life from behind cloistered shutters… When the young man comes to call on a senorita in Mexico… he brings his guitar” (38). Through the exotification of Dolores del Rio, Hollywood found great success in the United States and in Latin America, one of the most profitable film markets in the cinematic industry. As a white-passing Latinx woman, del Rio was “more easily able to move in and out of ethnic roles” (33). Because Dolores del Rio was a Latinx woman that held “upper-class roles” and a Eurocentric standard of beauty while nonetheless, identifying with her Mexican heritage, she not only appealed to the white American public, but to Latin American audiences as well (Hershfield
Selena Quintanilla Fina Research Paper
566 Words | 3 PagesSelena met with Saldívar to take her to the hospital when Saldívar claimed she was raped in Mexico. Tests showed this claim was false, the two women got into a disagreement at Saldívar’s hotel room As Selena went to leave she was shot in her back by Yolanda. This essay will be about Selena's musical career and accomplishments, as well as her tribulations through her time performing as a child to her professional adult career. Selena was born on April 16, 1971 in lake Jackson, Texas. At age 10 she became the lead singer of her family's band “Selena Y Los Dinos”.
Essay On Selena Quintanilla
496 Words | 2 PagesAnd soonafter, they played in Texas. Though they started off with great performances, Selena wasn 't accepted as Tejano singer because she was a woman. Despite this, Selena y los Dinos didn 't give up and continued with music. Due to the great determination Selena and the rest of her family had, they finally became successful.
Ending Poem: The Struggle Of Puerto Rican Identity
1273 Words | 6 PagesThese words by poets Aurora and Rosario Morales, Puerto Rican Americans, reveal the struggle of the average Puerto Rican. For example, most islanders do not fully understand who they are or how to present themselves when someone asks, “What is your family’s ancestry like?” or, “Where does Puerto Rico get its unique culture?” These questions spark the idea of a questioning identity. This is because the island of Puerto Rico was formed with the help of many different cultures. Are the people of this island African?
Summary Of Mexican American Culture
899 Words | 4 PagesThroughout “The Mexican in Fact, Fiction, and Folkore” examines the term “Mexican” as it is applied in Southwest literature and argues the Anglo society has made a conscious effort to misrepresent Mexicans (Rios 60). He states the people of Mexican descent are viewed as un-American because they are perceived as filthy, lazy, and dumb. Ricatelli adds to the conversation of Mexican stereotypes by examining the literary expressions of Chicanas and Mexicanas in the literature of both the United States and Mexico. In “The Sexual Stereotypes of The Chicana in Literature” Ricatelli explains how in Yankee literature, the Chicana is referred to as the “fat breeder, who is a baby factory” meanwhile the Mexican is described as an “amoral, lusty hot tamale” (Ricatelli 51). He makes note of these stereotypes in order to highlight the ethnocentric and nativist points of view that dominated Anglo literature.
An Essay About Selena Quintanilla
1215 Words | 5 PagesSelena Quintanilla-Perez was a talented Mexican-American singer, songwriter, spokesperson, and fashion designer. On top of her career, she had respect, and was admired as a great role model by Mexican Americans. The “Queen of Tejano” music, her contributions to music and fashion made her one of the most celebrated Mexican-American entertainers of the late 20th century. Billboard magazine named her the “Top Latin Artist of the 90s” and then “Best Selling Latin Artist of the decade”. Selena ranks among the most influential Latin artists of all time and is credited for catapulting a music genre into the mainstream market.
What Is The Melting Pot And The Salad Bowl By Sonia Sotomayor
625 Words | 3 PagesSonia Sotomayor is an appointed US Supreme Court Justice and, at one time, an appeals court judge. She delivered a speech in 2001 to the University of California Berkeley School of Law, to convey her identity as a Latina living in America. Sotomayor uses a variety of rhetorical choices to share her story and family history, explaining what specifically defines a Latina or a Latino, ultimately, to convey the impacts of American social stereotypes of race and ethnic diversity, and explain how Latina or Latino men and women differ from this conflicting stereotype. Sotomayor shares what makes her culture, hers in the first section of this piece, describing how her family came to America, as well as what their life is like here. Sotomayor lists the typical foods her and her family eat describing how " I bet the Mexican-Americans in this room are
Summary Of Myth Of The Latin Woman
722 Words | 3 PagesThe Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named María is an essay by Judith Ortiz Cofer that addresses the impact of stereotyping on Latino women. Throughout the essay, Cofer relates her personal experiences with stereotypes to discuss how they have negatively affected her life and the lives of other Latinas. She also explains how these stereotypes originated and calls on her audience, the majority-white non-Latino population, to stop propagating the stereotypical portrayals of Latino women. In The Myth of the Latin Woman, Cofer speaks out about how stereotyping hinders the process of assimilating to a new culture by appealing to ethos through her personal experiences, using similes that show how stereotypes create isolation, and adopting
Analysis Of The Myth Of Latin Woman
1021 Words | 5 PagesThe Myth of The Latin Woman Analysis Latin American women face challenges every single day and moment of their lives. They are strongly discriminated against in all sectors of employment, in public places, and even while just walking down the street. In her essay, "The Myth of the Latin Woman," Judith Ortiz Cofer describes her own experiences using illuminating vignettes, negative connotation, and cultural allusion to exemplify how she used the struggles in her day to day life as a Latin woman to make herself stronger. Cofer uses illuminating vignettes to illustrate the different situations she encountered as a Latina while growing up and living in America.
Macaria's Daughter Analysis
1149 Words | 5 PagesIn the altar’s center is “a plaster image of the Virgin of Guadalupe, quarter-life size, its brown Indian face staring down on the woman” (Paredes 23). The implication of the stare is of criticism as the Virgin, symbolic of an ideal Mexican womanhood, looks down on Marcela, whose Anglo features starkly contrast with the Virgin’s, and whose actions are in opposition to the values that she represents. This carefully constructed scene is meaningful. Marcela’s lifeless body lies between the bed and the altar, and opposite to the altar is Marcela’s shrine dedicated to Hollywood movie stars. These are the visual images of the opposing forces that characterize the Mexican-American struggle for resistance against American cultural hegemony.
Analysis Of Cindy Cruz's 'Toward An Epistemology Of A Brown Body'
1355 Words | 6 PagesCritical Summary Cindy Cruz’s “Toward an epistemology of a brown body” addresses the absence of educational research regarding the “brown body” and sexual orientation of Latinx. Cruz discusses her experience as a lesbiana and not knowing there was a possibility that anyone else in her family shared her orientation. She reflects on her grandmother’s funeral and how she became aware of the “generations of queers” that surrounded her (Cruz 2001, 658). Knowledge of the brown body, Cruz claims, comes from mothers and grandmothers and from the actions of past women of color. Stories about the brown body experiences are often dismissed due to the fact that they are performed rather than explained, and the theoretical aspect of these accounts exists outside of our present reality (Cruz 2001, 659).
The Myth Of The Latin Woman Analysis
1045 Words | 5 Pages“The common denominator all Latinos have is that we want some respect. That 's what we 're all fighting for” - Cristina Saralegui. Judith Ortiz Cofer published the article, “The Myth of the Latin Woman,” where she expresses her anger towards stereotypes, inequality, and degradation of Latin Americans. Cofer explains the origins of these perceived views and proceeds to empower Latin American women to champion over them. Cofer establishes her credibility as a Latin American woman with personal anecdotes that emphasize her frustration of the unfair depiction of Latinos in society.
La Prieta By Gloria Anzaldúa Summary
749 Words | 3 PagesGloria Anzaldúa’s “La Prieta” tell her struggles with identity by talking about prejudices she dealt with while growing up. These prejudices, such as colorism, sexism, and heteronormativity, were not only held by people outside her social groups but within them as well. Anzaldúa goes on to explain the way identity is formed by intersecting factors and not only one aspect of someone’s life therefore denying one factor of identity can cause isolation and self-hatred. The fact that Anzaldúa developed faster than is deemed normal the first struggle in forming her identity.
Judith Ortiz Cofer's The Myth Of The Latin Woman
923 Words | 4 PagesIn "The Myth of the Latin Woman", Ortiz Cofer utilizes logos to speak to her audiences presence of mind, particularly by referring to cases from her life. In the story, she demonstrates to us readers that as a result of a Latina 's decision to wear "tight skirts and jingling wrist trinkets… " (Ortiz Cofer), and in addition red instead of pale pink, they are characteristically thought of as searing sex images. Ortiz Cofer gives another case of the stereotyping she encountered when she states, "I recollect the kid who took me to my first formal move hanging over to plant a messy, over-excited kiss agonizingly on my mouth; when I didn 't react with an adequate energy, he commented angrily 'I thought you Latin young ladies should develop early" ' (Ortiz Cofer). This illustration demonstrates that basically in light of the fact that she was a Latina, the kid stereotyped her and expected it is adequate to give her
Summary Of She Is Old School Like That By Lorena Garcia
492 Words | 2 PagesThe women's reactions, although were affected “positive” from their upbringing were still formed within the confines of society. The chapters show the different ways which Latinas interact and the perception of sex. Often the voice of Latinas is lost and losing this voice means losing a part of history. It is important to record the way which Latinas are socialized about sex since it is reflected in the nature of their
More about Summary Of Selenidad By Debra Paredez
Dolores Del Rio Film Analysis
1811 Words | 8 PagesSelena Quintanilla Fina Research Paper
566 Words | 3 PagesEssay On Selena Quintanilla
496 Words | 2 PagesEnding Poem: The Struggle Of Puerto Rican Identity
1273 Words | 6 PagesSummary Of Mexican American Culture
899 Words | 4 PagesAn Essay About Selena Quintanilla
1215 Words | 5 PagesWhat Is The Melting Pot And The Salad Bowl By Sonia Sotomayor
625 Words | 3 PagesSummary Of Myth Of The Latin Woman
722 Words | 3 PagesAnalysis Of The Myth Of Latin Woman
1021 Words | 5 PagesMacaria's Daughter Analysis
1149 Words | 5 PagesAnalysis Of Cindy Cruz's 'Toward An Epistemology Of A Brown Body'
1355 Words | 6 PagesThe Myth Of The Latin Woman Analysis
1045 Words | 5 PagesLa Prieta By Gloria Anzaldúa Summary
749 Words | 3 PagesJudith Ortiz Cofer's The Myth Of The Latin Woman
923 Words | 4 PagesSummary Of She Is Old School Like That By Lorena Garcia
492 Words | 2 Pages