What does it mean to be a WOMAN in a Latino society?
Gender Equality is only an illusion
Before graduating my grandmother told me, “You have to start looking for a job to help your mom.” These words were devastating for myself. She was making plans for me, plans that weren’t my plans.
On the other hand, my older brother was studying at a private school in Mexico. What gave him the right to pursue a higher education while I had to work to help the family? -This didn’t sound so fair to me…
After graduating from high school I wanted to continue with my education. I had been told many times that in the US anyone can go to college and make a career as long as they had the will and desire to do so. College acceptances were coming in the mail frequently and I was ready to take the next step.
Meanwhile my grandmother was telling me to get married and have kids already because in her perspective that was my role as a woman.
I say, hell no to that! -I respect my grandmother’s belief in the institution of marriage and a woman’s single role as a mother and wife but I wanted something different for myself.
I was thirsty for knowledge, I had always known that I want to become a women that makes a difference to society.
While my brother was ‘living the life’ of a college student, and I say ‘living the life’ because he had all the support from the family, I was struggling.
When I told my family I was leaving to Minnesota to study, they all made a big deal about it, it was as if told them I was going to mars.
So, what does it mean to be a woman in a Latino society? It means that…
Our role as a women is to cook, clean and have children…. SAME STORY!!!!
We need to be married at a young age, or else time starts running out
We are ALWAYS 2nd to the men in the family
If we have a job, we are dealt with a lower position
Once we become housewives and mothers our jobs tend to be minimum wage and part time because we are at the mercy of taking care of the men AND children.
Higher goals and lower achievements
and I can keep on going with the list…
I came to realized that I was born with the disadvantage of being a WOMAN
Over the years we come to believe that “we are all equal,” a false illusion for many of us, specially women. Nietzsche explains, “On Truth and Lie in an Extra-Moral Sense” that language is used for social construction in which concepts such as equality and gender designate a meaning with a false illusion.
In our modern society we have sold the idea that WOMEN have FAIR and EQUAL opportunities in life; but in a world that has been historically dominated by men we cannot possibly expect that women are up to date with the demanding of the world. The sad part is that we buy that idea. Society shapes the world in a way that man always have the advantage on everything.
I do not blame my grandmother for believing that my role as a women was to get married, have children and get a job. I blame society for changing the laws but not changing or preparing people (for a change) ideologies. I’ve always said, it’s easier to change the laws of a country than it is to change a person ideology.
I am a WOMAN, a LATINA struggling to overpass the patriarchal ideologies; not for man, not for society but for MYSELF.
