50 Shades of Latinas
Spicy, exotic, domestic, sensual, chola – stereotypes. Latinas are often portrayed in the media in very narrow and stereotypical ways when in fact, now more than ever, Latinas are one of the most diverse and influential demographics in the US and all over the world. The 50 Shades of Latinas are: brunette, blue-eyed, Mexican, entrepreneurs, black, athletic, Dominican, teachers, white, blonde, Salvadorian, lawyers, tall, brown eyed, Argentinian, nurses, curvy, educated, Chilean, mothers, short, curly hair, Puerto Rican, activists, bilingual, grandmothers, CEO’s, Bolivian, y mucho mas. We could go on and on but instead here are the top three reasons why we are currently and have always been, obsessed with Latina women.
1. Passionate – Latina women are often portrayed in the media as passionate but only in very physical and sensual manner. While we love to see women embrace who they are in every aspect and whatever it is that makes them feel confident, we see a different type of passion that is often not highlighted. Latinas are dedicated, loyal and will put their heart and soul into whatever it is they are doing. Whether it be their career, home, children, men, hobby, etc. Latinas excel at what they set their mind to. Culturally, Latinx households have a matriarch whom is respected, admired and is the “leader” of the family. We see this passion trickle down from this matriarch, who is usually the grandmother or eldest in the family. Traditions are also passed down from this Latina – from food, customs, celebrations to family history and even the way you clean your house.
2. Strong – Latinas are strong and we are not referring to this in a physical way. Many Latina women face adversities in their daily and overall lives, which leads them to be strong in a way that can be difficult to express in words. It is the state of mind and consciousness of being a luchadora – knowing that they are willing and not afraid of what they may face to ensure their pursuit of happiness. While we continue to see Latina women face everything from discrimination in the workplace – pay gap of $.55 per every $1 a white male makes, to gender role expectations in their own homes. However difficult these issues are, we are seeing Latinas stand up and breaking those glass ceilings, demonstrating that resilience is a quality that many possess and are passing down to their fellow Latinas.
3. Powerful – Latina Power 👊🏽👊🏼👊🏿👊🏻👊🏾 from the boardroom, classroom to the home, Latinas are ensuring their voices are heard. Latinas are having a major breakthrough and we refuse to call it a moment. Having influence over big purchase decisions at home to influencing media, policies and trends, Latinas have major poder and it is being noticed. According to the latest Census data, Hispanic female majority-owned firms grew in number by more than 682,000, or 87 percent, during the last five-year period and between 2013 and 2015, 74 percent of Hispanic females enrolled in college immediately after completing high school.
Latinas are educated, tech-savvy, influencers, bicultural, bilingual, trendsetters, activists, traditionalists, business owners and much more. The Colibri Collective celebrates Latinas today and always!