Category: Latina Magazine

Latina Magazine, racism

Really Latina Magazine, Really???

Here is something I don’t understand. Latina Magazine can post 10 Latinas Who Have Played ‘The Help’ and we the people are ok with this? Sure, there was this wonderful blog that blasted Latina Magazine but I though that this would get more attention. I thought that perhaps people would understand how horrible it is for a magazine to perpetuate a negative stereotype.

First, lets talk about The Help which is a movie that came out this past weekend based off the book by Kathryn Stockett. I have not seen this movie and I really do not plan to as of yet. I say yet because I do feel in order to completely trash something you have to either see it or read it. But what I do know that Stockett was sued by Ablene Cooper who claims that the likeness of one of the maids in her book “Aibileen” was based off of her. Cooper was a maid that worked for Stockett’s brother’s family and I think it is a safe bet that she has a case. However, a Mississippi judge throw out the case based on the fact that Stockett send Cooper the book in 2009 and she didn’t read it! She read it much later and the judge ruled that it was beyond the statuette of limitations (which I think is crap). So basically Cooper perpetuated her own stereotype that if you hide money in a book…a negro will not find it.

This movie is getting rave reviews from just about every critic. I am willing to bet that this movie will win an award or two, which will have me vexed. It is no secret that people of color in hollywood (in this case African American women) are more or less forced to play roles in movies that live up to the slave image. The Help is a prime example of that because it is basically like Aunt Jemimas on the silver screen. But, despite this, this movie gets praises from everyone! We love a good story when the white hero saves the negro folks from whatever.

What infuriates me is the whole notion that Latina Magazine (a magazine that is supposed to be for all Latinos *pause*) can make a top 10 list of Latina maids. Really? Can we make a list of top 10 tomato pickers? Or a list of our favorite Cholos and Cholas? Hold up, I got it…how about we make a list of favorite wetbacks! Yes! We can start with Elian Gonzalez and end with every Cuban pitcher that the New York Yankees “saved”. To me this list of Latinas who played maids is the same exact shit! Are you telling me that Latina Magazine thinks that little girls who are growing up wanting to be an actress should aspire to be on the list? Really?

What about the 157 idiots on Facebook who actually liked this article? No one finds anything wrong with this crap? Hell no. They do not. You want to know why? Because they are very much like Ablene Cooper who doesnt read a thing until it is too late. Latina Magazine should be ashamed that they sold out like that. I cannot say that I am all that surprised considering it took them forever to have Afro Latinas in that publication.

Wait. How about this? How about we make a movie of a bunch of people who want to steal 20 million dollars from this rich white dude who is under house arrest in a building he owns. We can have these people (who are mostly white) get lessons from a Latino and an African American on how to be criminals. I know what you are thinking…they would never make a movie like that. Really? PEEP THIS:

Afro Latino, beauty, Latina Magazine, Sessilee Lopez

Negritas!

I am dedicating this blog to the beautiful black Latinas that most of us never see. Clearly what I am saying is all relative because yes we can see them everyday but do we “see” them in dominate positions of beauty? Probably not. I know plenty of dark skinned Latinas that are gorgeous. Their skin darker than mine and their beauty reminiscent of the great queens of Egypt; and when I say queens of Egypt I am not talking about Elizabeth Taylor’s “Cleopatra”. I am talking about Nubian Queens from la Caribe.

I had to make a short trip to the store tonight to pick up a few things when I saw the current cover of Latina Magazine. This cover made me stop in my tracks. I know that Latina Magazine has had dark Latinas on their cover before (although not as many as blanquitas), but for some reason this just stood out to me. This started making me think about what we as Americans consider images of beauty to be. So in seeing this cover I was shocked and quite happy!

Her name is Sessilee Lopez. She is Dominican and Portuguese and is a rising star in the modeling world. She has a blog too! Now, this post is not about about her, but in January I talked about naming famous Afro Latinos that were not David Ortiz or Rosario Dawson. So I am adding her to this list.

However, as much as I want to commend Latina Magazine for this wonderful cover, I am by no means saying that they are politically correct. We all know Latinas are not shaped like your average American girl. But, you would never know that from looking at the pages of this illustrious magazine. My wife has written letters to the editor about what Latina Magazine should represent. While they have never gotten back to her, they did respond to many other letters that that were similar, which pretty much stated that Latina Magazine does not represent real Latina women.

Afro Latinas, Latinegras, Dark Latinas, Morenas, or Negritas are several different ways to call these women. I have several in my family. My cousins (who I miss very much), my mother, my aunts, my wife, and 2 sister in laws. I have grown up knowing what true beauty is.
P.S. I love all Latinas of all colors… 🙂