Masculinity and the Latin Culture

Inquiring about masculinity in the Latin culture was both interesting and difficult. It was difficult because there were a lot of different articles about Latino men, and it was hard to figure out which information I would use. It was also interesting because there were a lot of positive traits that Latino men have that I was not aware of. The book Hombres y Machos: Masculinity and Latino Culture helped me uncover the traits that Latino males encompassed, as well as the stereotypes given to them. Like any other group, there are preconceived notions about the Latino man-mainly that he is “macho.” The “macho” Latino man is the same as the guys of Guyland and the hegemonic Black males in Gender Talk-he is authoritative, misogynistic, the ruler of his familial sphere, and overtly sexual. Interestingly enough, “macho” is a construct from American popular culture, and more Latino men are actually moving away from that idea. Author of Hombres y Machos, Alfredo Mirande explains “Traditionally, most of the generalizations concerning Latino culture and Latino men were derived from research typically carried out by white men who lacked genuine knowledge and understanding of the cultural patterns they observed” (19). I am not surprised that the ideas about masculinity and the Latin culture have been conducted mainly by the dominant culture. This helps to create the ideas about the Latin community that the white culture wants to put out, and makes the rest of society believe in it. When looking at masculinity in the Latin culture, other factors must be considered, such as religion. The Catholic faith is a central religion in a lot of Mexican families, and some of the ideas about masculinity get acted upon because it is a part of the religious teachings. This is not to say that the Catholic faith teaches men to be “macho,” but it does stress, in some areas, the sin of homosexuality. I have seen this within my own family, my grandfather being an avid follower of the Catholic faith believes homosexuality is a sin, and a feminine man must be a “homo.” The pressure to be seen as a “man” may sometimes translate to be “machismo.” It is an overcompensation in order to protect oneself from being called a homosexual.

Celia Jaes Falicov, author of the article “Changing Constructions of Machismo for Latino Men in Therapy: The Devil Never Sleeps,” discusses the machismo man and the ways that the face of Latino masculinity is changing. She states, “It appears that Latino men, like White men, live in a culture of ‘‘masculinities’’ in which each man expresses his maleness in a unique way, as a blend of mainstream cultural expectations along with alternative features or behaviors” (3). Like any other culture, there is a mixture of positive and negative attributes given to Latino masculinity. It was surprising how many fathers in the Latin community were nurturing towards their children. As seen in Guyland, these parents were the same ones whose children grew up with positive ideas about masculinity, and felt as though they could make their own rules on the man they were to become.

I asked a few of the guys I work with who are Mexican about masculinity and the lessons they were taught as young boys about what it means to “be a man.” I also asked them about whether or not the idea of the machismo man played a big role in the shaping of masculinity in their culture. I needed some other insight because frankly, the book Hombres y Machos is a little difficult to get into. When asking these guys first about the idea of the machismo man, they explained that this cultural practice where the man is the ruler of the household is an idea that has slowly started fading out in America. They told me that I could definitely see examples of machismo behavior in Mexico, but the characteristics of a macho man are different since adapting to America. I started to form an idea about the way I viewed masculinity in the Latin culture versus how I felt about it in the Black community. I am torn because in the Black community, it seems as though there is a huge need to prove ones masculinity to the dominant culture that has been emasculating these men for years. Their overt masculine practices such as the dehumanization of Black women in music videos seems to stem from their want to be “cool” at all times. In the Latin culture, however, it seems more of a cultural practice to have the man be at the head of the household as well as the more dominant figure. I want it to be known here that I do not seek to dissect or change one’s cultural practices just because it is not the way I live my life. I would never suggest that the way Middle Eastern women stay completely covered means they are objects, and that they must fight back in order to stop these practices from continuing. I realize that in different areas of the world, there are different conceptions of oppression, as well as customs that are formed by the male being at the forefront. I cannot urge change in situations like the ones I have described because I feel uncomfortable suggesting change in a religious practice. With that being said, it is difficult for me to suggest that the way some Latinos conduct themselves towards women should be changed. I feel this way because, as my friends told me, this masculinity is a cultural practice more than a tool used to compensate for a lack of power, as seen in regards to Gender Talk. I am not sure if I am right, but I don’t think that is the aim of this class or my journey. The goal is to get me thinking.

I asked my friends whether their fathers showed them affection when they were growing up. They told me that in a lot of Mexican households, the boys did not feel urged to express their emotions towards their fathers and usually saved the discussion of feelings for their mom’s. One of my friends told me that in twenty-one years, his father had never said to him that he loves him. He said it was just not something that done in his family, or a lot of families he knew about. The other guys agreed with this statement. While I personally feel this is problematic because it is the same types of parenting practices seen in Guyland, I feel as though, again, it is different because it is a cultural practice. I am not saying that I don’t think this one aspect of the culture should change, because I believe that children need to hear that they are cared for by both parents, I am just simply saying I feel conflicted in saying it is an issue that must be fixed. It goes back to the example I gave about Middle Eastern women and how I cannot interject my own personal ideas on the rights of women to suggest that their cultural practices need to be changed. I cannot do it. In Hombres y Machos, Mirande explains that a lot of the more traditional views of those in the Latin community, such as the machismo model, are being countered with more fathers who are showing their child affection, as well as taking on more traditionally female roles in the household, since the wives are working.

I have to say that the section of masculinity I thought was going to be the easiest, turned out to be the most complex. With Guyland and Gender Talk, I was presented issues of hyper masculine men, trying to reassert their power in a world where they feel they have become emasculated. In Hombres y Machos, it appears as though a lot of the ideas of masculinity come, not from this pull towards recognition, but more as a responsibility to the culture and religious practices. In Guyland and Gender Talk, there were pressing issues about what these hegemonic masculine practices were doing to women, as well as the face of those cultures. I was able to find problems that needed to be solved, especially in regards to the women who were helping to cheer these practices on. For example, the girls who wanted to be seen as equal to the guys in Guyland and would try to gain equality by getting inebriated and allowing men to take advantage of their bodies. It is wrong because it is directly hurting the girl as well as showing these guys that women are objects to conquer. The point I am trying to get at is this: I may not personally agree with the structure of some of the more traditional Mexican families who place the men at the head and the women as less, but I can’t find it problematic because I don’t agree with it. There are lifestyles I would not choose, but it does not mean they are wrong or problematic just because I would not live in them. Even though I do not agree with the level of pressure put on some of these male children to grow up and be not only straight but have a impenetrable shield around them does not mean I can attack it. I may have contradicted myself in regards to other posts I have given, but for some reason, I view a lot of the text that I have gotten from Hombres y Machos differently than I do Guyland and Gender Talk.