The Myth of the Latin Woman Themes

In “The Myth of the Latin Woman,” Judith Ortíz Cofer argues that stereotypes of Latina women as hypersexual, uneducated, and submissive perpetuate their marginalization in Anglo-American society. These narratives, Cofer argues, originate in cultural customs from Latin American countries, but they become powerful—and oppressive—cultural tropes that are manipulated and promoted by the Anglo-American media. Cofer describes experiencing throughout her life instances of people with power (particularly those who are male, white, wealthy, or educated) making…

Cofer articulates a central tension in the lives of Latina women in the Anglo-American world: namely, that being accepted into Anglo-American culture often forces them to disavow or abandon the cultural heritage and traditions of their native countries. For example, Cofer describes how, as a child and teenager, the Puerto Rican mothers she knew dressed their daughters in clothes that were excessively formal, mature, or ornamental by American standards. Cofer recalls wanting to dress like…

Much of “The Myth of the Latin Woman” is devoted to describing how Latina women feel uniquely excluded and marginalized in Anglo-American society. Behaviors, styles, and modes of expression that protected or empowered them in their native countries, Cofer explains, are often perceived differently in the United States. However, the essay argues that, though cultural customs can be distorted when translated into new contexts, people from different cultures often have more in common than one…