Are we idolizing the wrong Latinas?
I know being in a Latina in the US comes with a lot of pride. I know a lot of Latinas feel the way I do, when we see a famous and beautiful Latina we feel really proud because she is one of us! But I’ve questioned a lot of the Latina’s who we feel proud about. For example, I got in an argument with someone a couple months ago about how Evelyn Lozada should be on the cover of Latina Magazine because of what an amazing Latina she is….ERK, stop..huh? What!?! I don’t know her personally of course, but theres nothing too amazing about her. Yes she is beautiful I would never take that away from her, but is that what is important about being Latina? Doesn’t that just further stereotypes of Latinas portraying sex symbols or maids and not much in between? Ive seen the show she is on a couple times and she seems like a dramatic, immature, bad role model….Mind you she has a daughter and I believe one scene she is speaking with Chad Johnson (husband) where he basically tells her he will have sex with other women and she doesn’t really seem to stick up for herself. Also, JLO, a Latina who many Latinas are very close to because she has been around for a long time and one of the only Latinas we have in mainstream music…I don’t idolize her at all because she changed her look to basically look white…what kind of person does that when she knows that she is a role model for many Latin women? So heres who I think should be getting a lot of attention or who get attention and I am happy they do:
Eva Longoria-Voices her politics, works for rights for Latinos and it doesn’t hurt that she is smoking hot
Zoe Saldana- A personal favorite of mine, and a known feminist. Also, really fucking beautiful and a hero (saved this woman in a car crash).
Celia Cruz-I know she passed but come on….she is LA REINA. I don’t know any Latinos that don’t know and love her music, she brought us Salsa and some of her songs carry historical and political context of the African slave trade to Latin America. I love a smart and talented woman. RIP I love you
Okay these are just some examples, but I hope you get what I mean. I don’t want to idolize anyone for being beautiful and thats it. Especially as a Latina and a woman of color I believe that when you become famous you almost have a duty to show young women who look up to you what it truly means to be a Latina.
