Gender Roles In The Latino Community

“Nobody can give you freedom. Nobody can give you equality or justice or anything. If you’re a man, you take it.” As said by Malcom X, this quote promotes the go getter attitude that those of an oppressed community must possess. Upon reading this line, I couldn’t help but think that it fully summarized the course itself. While discovering the many neighborhoods in Chicago, it seemed apparent that each carried its own vibe. From the affluent area of old town to the modest area of Pilsen, each neighborhood displayed power, race and masculinity in its own way. Grasping these concepts through photographs may be the most effective way to understand the atmosphere within each neighborhood. Photographing certain areas almost forces you to uncover …show more content…
Gender roles in the communities that we visited were highly evident. Women were looked to be the “protector” of the children while the men were the “providers”. That social stigma is expressed everywhere, not only the communities that we visited. Women are looked to be lesser than males and seen as incapable of the tasks that men are involved in. I photographed a mural that showed two children and a protective mother. This photo displays the role a woman plays in the Latino community. Gender roles are represented by this photo because while the woman is protecting her children the man is expected to take on that role instead. It just goes to show that women are capable of any task, no matter the gender that the task is intended for. Women in the Latino community are strong and powerful leaders, they protect and preserve their loved ones and are looked at with great respect. Gender roles within the communities did not stop there. During our visit to Pilsen, our group was split up and asked to go on different routes. As we walked down the main road, I noticed the men walking around setting up their vendor carts. I captured a photo of a man pushing his cart around in order to earn sales. The photo represents the role that a man plays in his family. One of the last photos that I took came to be one of the most relevant to the issues still going on today. Gender is by far the most important concept that we covered in this class and my knowledge of this term has only grown. The readings and seminars that were a part of the class expanded my horizons. The readings presented insightful information that allowed the reader to think critically about the topic. The seminars we attended (B.A.M, Dolores Huerta) provided internal information. Information that provided the audience (us) with a stronger understanding of gender