Being latino is often described as synonym of joy, happiness and family union. However, other spheres of the latin identity are not explored very often. That was the goal of the panel organized by Unidos, a latin organization of Stockton University; the discussion was composed by men that were born or have family in Latin America, as Cuba, Puerto Rico, Mexico and Peru.
Masculinity, as Professor Michael Rodriguez said in the panel, it’s hard to define. In some way masculinity is just a social construction because it’s all about how people see you and with that opinions the person builds an identity for their own self. One of the most discuss topics was the machismo and how the latin culture push men to make them think that they have to be always on the top. In our society nowadays we keep a hierarchy and maybe everyone want to be in the dominant part, but for men this desire is a more important goal. If they don’t get that position, they value less, because that spot belongs to them. So, it’s easy to see how this pressure come along with the capitalism system, that specially say to the men that they have to work hard.
In that point, the question is if that male chauvinism is in some way intrinsic of the latino identity or we can apply all that pressures to other cultures too. The answer it’s yes, but that doesn’t imply that latin identity is not full of heteropatriarchal ideas. The notion of manhood can be complex when we understand the narrative is harder for intersectional people: men that are not just latinos, but are immigrants, are from the Afro or LGBT community. In the immigrants these ideas have several consequences. The narrative lead men to think they must hold even the worst conditions and show a happy and hard face, as nothing was happening. Men can’t complain, because hard work and maintain the family their main objective.
Being afro is also difficult, because there are narratives with stereotypes, for example that they’re thieves or violent people. So black men have to effort much harder to show they’re not bad people.
Probable one of the discussion topics that I missed the most is the role that women play in this narrative. With these ideas that men have to be on the top, necessarily implies that they play an active role for women can’t get the power. How can the men from their privilege spots to have a better manhood that don’t oppress women?