Gender roles and masculinity are social themes that are frequently discussed in our society and apply uniquely to Latin@ culture. ‘Macho’ is simply the Spanish translation of ‘male,’ but it has taken on connotations that relate to having masculine qualities. In the context of Latin America, ‘machismo’ is a term that relates to male sexuality; it is “a concept that dictates many aspects of Latin American male behavior,” (Kobashigawa). Such qualities are performative in that men and women are expected to act according to social norms. Masculinity itself is not a negative quality to have; however, certain Latino men exhibit ‘hypermasculinity,’ which is “an exaggerated sense of masculinity stressing such attributes as courage, virility, and domination,”
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Like other groups, Latin@s have become quite progressive in accepting the breaking of traditional gender roles. Jane the Virgin, created by Jennie Snyder Urman, shows how gender is becoming less of a rigid division among people in the 21st century. In the show, there are numerous examples in which Latin@ stereotypes regarding gender roles are destroyed. Jane, the main protagonist, is shown to be a hard-working, educated, successful young woman, despite the stereotype that Latinas are poor and hold low-level careers such as hotel maids and house cleaners. Additionally, the show doesn’t define Jane’s character solely by her gender or sexuality. Mainstream popular culture often defines women in terms of a dichotomy of two mutually exclusive categories, virgins and whores: “...a man’s perception of female roles is divided between two contexts: la casa (the home) and la calle (the street), (Kobashigawa). Gloria Anzaldua shares a similar view: “for a woman of my culture there used to be only three directions she could turn: to the Church as a nun, to the streets as a prostitute, or to the home as a mother,” (Anzaldua 17). Jane, however, exhibits a more complex sexuality that is more realistic and relatable to most Latina women. Furthermore, the show’s inclusion of LGBTQ characters does not force them into a ‘token’ role. Luisa, a lesbian character, is well-developed and is not portrayed to be primarily masculine in nature. Jane the Virgin has shown that Latin@s nowadays are not as restricted to specific gender roles as they were many years ago. In contrast, Mi Vida Loca, directed by Allison Anders, depicts the lives of young urban Chicanas in the 1990s. There are important differences between how the characters of both films are represented. The characters of Mi Vida Loca fit more into traditional gender
Like other groups, Latin@s have become quite progressive in accepting the breaking of traditional gender roles. Jane the Virgin, created by Jennie Snyder Urman, shows how gender is becoming less of a rigid division among people in the 21st century. In the show, there are numerous examples in which Latin@ stereotypes regarding gender roles are destroyed. Jane, the main protagonist, is shown to be a hard-working, educated, successful young woman, despite the stereotype that Latinas are poor and hold low-level careers such as hotel maids and house cleaners. Additionally, the show doesn’t define Jane’s character solely by her gender or sexuality. Mainstream popular culture often defines women in terms of a dichotomy of two mutually exclusive categories, virgins and whores: “...a man’s perception of female roles is divided between two contexts: la casa (the home) and la calle (the street), (Kobashigawa). Gloria Anzaldua shares a similar view: “for a woman of my culture there used to be only three directions she could turn: to the Church as a nun, to the streets as a prostitute, or to the home as a mother,” (Anzaldua 17). Jane, however, exhibits a more complex sexuality that is more realistic and relatable to most Latina women. Furthermore, the show’s inclusion of LGBTQ characters does not force them into a ‘token’ role. Luisa, a lesbian character, is well-developed and is not portrayed to be primarily masculine in nature. Jane the Virgin has shown that Latin@s nowadays are not as restricted to specific gender roles as they were many years ago. In contrast, Mi Vida Loca, directed by Allison Anders, depicts the lives of young urban Chicanas in the 1990s. There are important differences between how the characters of both films are represented. The characters of Mi Vida Loca fit more into traditional gender