The Myth Of The Latin Wom I Just Met A Girl Named Maria

The essay â€Å"The Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria† by Judith Ortiz Cofer is about deprivation that Latin women go through everyday due to stereotypes that society make up. Stereotypes play a big role in the way that individuals are identified by society. Cofer describes her personal experiences of being a Latin woman, and her struggles that she has to face because of the stereotypes. Cofer tells us of some incidences that happened throughout her life. Like going to London for a summer to Oxford University, where a man sees her on a bus, drops to his knees and sings his own version of â€Å"Maria† from West Side Story. Even though she was aggravated, she tried to be calm while everyone around her were amused by the young man’s song. She describes how growing up during 1960’s in New Jersey, she suffered from â€Å"cultural schizophrenia† which meant she was forced to keep on with her heritage. Being a Latin woman you’ re raised strictly and they have high expectations. Mothers encouraged their daughters to act like mature women. Cofer explains another stereotype, such as the â€Å"hot tamale†, where woman are viewed as sexual objects. Woman are usually misinterpreted because of the way they are dressed. Some men treat Latin woman without respect. She talks about when she was at a hotel. A man approached her and began to sing the song of â€Å"Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina† in the tune of â€Å"La Bamba†. She was offended by the man’s song. People view Latin’s as house maids,Show MoreRelatedThe Myth Of The Latin Wom I Just Met A Girl Named Maria Essay1830 Words   |  8 PagesIn â€Å"The Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria,† the incidents on the bus, in the hotel, and at the poetry involved prejudice and stereotypical misconceptions of Puerto Rican women. While Cofer was on a bus trip to Oxford University, a man â€Å"broke into an Irish tenor’s rendition of â€Å"Maria† from West Side Story† (Cofer 103). This implies that Latinas dealt with people who automatically assume that a Latina’s name is â€Å"Maria† or â€Å"Evita† based on a fictional movie. While at a hotel withRead MoreThe Myth Of The Latin Wom I Just Met A Girl Named Maria868 Words   |  4 Pagessociety. â€Å"The Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria† is a short essay in which the award winning poet and professor of English, Judith Ortiz Cofer, wishes to inform and persuade the audience that labels and stereotypes can be humiliating and hurtful. The author targets the general public, anyone that doesn’t understand that putting someone in a box because of a stereotype is wrong. Cofer starts out the essay by telling the reader a story with a drunk man who re-enacted â€Å"Maria† from theRead MoreThe Myth Of The Latin Wom I Just Met A Girl Named Maria Essay1757 Word s   |  8 PagesThe articles â€Å"The Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria† written by Juthish Oriz Cofer and â€Å"White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack† by Peggy McIntosh are two essays covering the topic of race and gender. With a focus on privilege and race, one may assume that these two articles say the same thing, while in reality that is not true. As McIntosh and Cofer come from two different backgrounds and social standing, the authors offer two very unique views on the subject matterRead MoreComparing Mairs And The Myth Of A Latin Wom I Just Met A Girl Named Maria1328 Words   |  6 PagesWe tend to identify them based on their appearance, rather than who or how they are as people. We are often unaware of the impacts our labels have on these people. In the essay â€Å" On being a cripple† by Nancy Mairs and â€Å" The Myth of a Latin woman : I Just Met a Girl Named Maria† by Judith Ortiz Cofer, the writers have s uccessfully portrayed the feelings that arise in people’s mind based on the way they are identified. In both the essays, the writers tell us how they have been incorrectly labeled and