So readers, I pose you these questions:
(1) What’s a person who speaks three languages?…. Answer: tri-lingual!
(2) What’s a person who speaks two languages?…. Answer: Bi-lingual!
(3) What’s a person who speaks one language?….Answer: An American!
Now I start this column with those questions not to be funny, obnoxious or to offend but, rather, because the following story about my experience with “Rick” and the never-ending problem with stereotyping is common. And taxing. Indeed, it’s a rare day when I don’t encounter one stereotype or another. Now to be clear, I make no claim of absolute immunity for women, folks of color, etc., when it comes to stereotyping because stereotyping is an equal opportunity for cultural lazy nitwits.
Turning now to the aforementioned “Rick.”
Oh, no, not him again, I said to myself as “Rick” eyed me sitting in the café and headed to my way probably bent on resuming our heated debate three months ago about who was the worst president in U.S. history, one that I had zero interest in continuing. Undeterred by my “leave me the heck alone” body language, he pulled up a seat next to me, nonetheless.
“Terry, they’re taking over. I can’t go anywhere without seeing all these Mexicans in stores, on rooftops and construction sites, doing yardwork and even as cashiers in stores and restaurants, and all of them speaking in Spanish. What’s been your experience in dealing with all these illegal Mexicans who’re coming here committing crimes and taking American jobs?”
Good Lord, here we go again I thought while taking a deep breath.
“My experience is that if anything I’ve noticed sharp increases in the quality of service and as compared to that of years ago. I cannot recall a single time when I was not satisfied when I dealt with Hispanic people for a wide range of services. And sir, why do you assume that they’re all here illegal and all from Mexico? Those who I’ve gotten to know are legal immigrants from Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Cuba as well as Mexico, Belize, Brazil, Venezuela and Costa Rico.”
When “Rick” responded, “how am I supposed to know? They all look alike to me,” I knew that the conversation – like the one of several months ago – was going nowhere. And fast. So, I shut down my laptop, took one last gulp of my unfinished coffee and left “Rick” sitting there with a dumbfounded look on his face after this, eh, farewell…adios amigo!
Now thanks to “Rick” and my unwillingness to let another incidence of ignorance pass by, I decided to craft a piece I’d originally planned to publish to recognize September’s Hispanic Heritage Month.
First some education for “Rick” and others of his narrow mind.
Latin America is comprised of 33 different countries located within South America, Central America, and the Caribbean islands. Just like each European country has different cultures and traditions, so do the individual countries in Latin America. Of course, there are a substantial number of people from South America living in the U.S. While many may speak Spanish like those in Mexico and Central America, their heritage is not one and the same.
Another harmful Latin stereotype that often leads to discrimination is that Latin American immigrants are out to steal “American jobs,” ones you won’t see “Rick” and his ilk lining up to get. Yet, high rates of immigration do not exacerbate unemployment. In fact, research suggests the opposite. Maintaining the false belief that immigrants are stealing people’s jobs usually makes insecure people like “Rick” feel threatened.
Next, it does not require a Ph.D. in common sense to see through the lie that millions of Mexican criminals have crossed our southern border and are wreaking havoc all over America. If one is foolish enough to believe that nonsense, they probably believe the lie that Haitians were eating dogs and cats in Springfield, the 2020 presidential election was stolen, and Attorney General Kash Patel is a teetotaler.
Of course, stereotypes about Latin people have always existed but those stereotypes got a huge boost when a then presidential candidate launched his campaign with harsh words about Mexico. “They are not our friends, believe me. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists.”
Bingo! …. it didn’t take long for his comments to open the floodgates afterwards which resulted in sinister looking Latin men being splashed on the front pages of newspapers and TV screens which furthered the stereotypes and scared the heebie-jeebies out of “real Americans.” From there, hundreds of Latin Americans across the country were snatched away from jobs, homes and schools for deportation, leaving many “American jobs” vacated and fruit and vegetables unpicked and rotting in the fields. Like blood thirsty hyenas, it didn’t take long for power hungry politicians to hitch their wagons onto the anti-immigration mantra under the threat of being “primaried” if they failed to tow the party line.
Let’s shift to unmasking some of the more common stereotypes about Latin Americans:
Latino Masculinity Equals Dominance and Violence
This is rooted in the concept of “machismo,” a set of cultural beliefs about manhood. Machismo emphasizes male strength, honor, emotional reserve, and confidence. Like gender roles in any culture, these traits can be helpful or harmful depending on the context. Machismo has been associated with sexist attitudes and emotional repression. However, many Latino men are moving away from rigid gender roles toward a more flexible definition of masculinity, emphasizing positive traits like chivalry and bravery.
Latin American Women Are Always the Home Caretakers and Don’t Work Traditional Jobs
Another common stereotype is that Latin American women aren’t part of the American workforce and always default to staying at home and caring for children. This is false. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that among Latinas aged 25 to 54, over two-thirds are part of the civilian labor force.There are many high-achieving Latin American women in all fields, from law to science and athletics, and perpetuating stereotypes won’t help them pursue their goals. But it is worth noting that prejudice does impact Latin American women’s access to certain jobs. Latin American women are vastly underrepresented in fields commonly dominated by White individuals. For example, only 1% of higher education faculty identify as Latina. In addition, Latin American women are less likely to be assigned leadership positions. The U.S. Government Accountability Office reports that while approximately 69% of female managers in the country are White, the number of Latino or Hispanic female managers is closer to 12%.
This stereotype is harmful because it plays into the assumption that Latinas are “promiscuous” and destined to become teenage mothers. However, the mean age for giving birth to their first child is 26.5 for mothers of Central or South American ethnicity, 24.1 for those from Puerto Rico, and 23.7 for mothers of Mexican descent.
Latin Americans Are Unwilling to Learn English
This stereotype is heavily present with people assuming the Latin American people they encounter don’t understand what they’re saying or, worse, mock them when they try to communicate with limited English. By contrast, – duh! – only 20% of native-born Americans can speak a second language well enough to hold a conversation.
This stereotype is also fed into by the education system, with teachers and administrators assuming kids who speak English as their second language don’t want to learn. A lack of funding and support for English language learning programs can hamper students’ ability to progress in their studies. Sadly, this is a big reason why many immigrants feel inadequate when attempting to speak English, even if it’s a few words.
Which brings me to some final words for whining people like “Rick” who fret about and are lost in the grips of stereotypes, irrationality and insecurity.
C’mon “Rick,” get a life. This is the second time you’ve come out on the losing end of your debates with yours truly. And as the saying goes, “three strikes you’re out.”
So, if you still haven’t learned your lesson, well, you know where to find me.
Terry Howard is an award-winning writer, a contributing writer with the Chattanooga News Chronicle, The American Diversity Report, The Douglas County Sentinel, TheBlackmarket.com, recipient of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Leadership Award, and third place winner of the Georgia Press Award.
