Myth of Latina Woman Lindsay
AP Style Prompt:
In the essay below, author Judith Ortiz Cofer examines the impact of racist stereotypes. Read the passage carefully. Then, in a well-organized essay, analyze how Cofer uses rhetorical strategies to convey her attitude towards Latina stereotypes.
Mythbusters: Deconstructing the Latina Stereotype In Cofer’s essay “The Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria,” Cofer uses a variety of rhetorical strategies to portray Latina stereotypes as harmful and inaccurate. Right from the start of the essay, Cofer establishes Latina stereotypes as harmful by relaying her own personal experiences with them. Cofer evokes visual and auditory imagery when she recounts the story of the man who “with both hands over his heart…broke into an Irish tenor’s rendition of “Maria” from West Side Story” (Cofer 370). Cofer’s use of imagery intensifies her experience and makes it much easier to relate to, thereby inspiring empathy toward her and resentment toward the stereotypes under which she suffers. Cofer later creates more imagery when describing the man who “sang a ditty to the tune of “La Bamba” and “stepped directly into [her] path” (373). Cofer’s sensory imagery conjures a feeling of being cornered and caged, unpleasant by anyone’s standards. The images highlight the persecution that is part of Cofer’s life, making them more relatable and once again inspiring empathy for the Latina woman’s plight. Cofer continues to reveal the degrading nature of Latina stereotypes by criticizing the relation of Latina women to food. Advertisements that utilize diction like “sizzling” and “smoldering” contribute to the “Hot Tamale” stereotype that Cofer discusses (372). The connection between women and food that these words create demeans women to being mere objects for consumption. Cofer illustrates how she is subjugated to the analogy again when she is expected to “mature early” and is “thought of as a fruit or vegetable” (373). Not only does the analogy serve to
In the essay below, author Judith Ortiz Cofer examines the impact of racist stereotypes. Read the passage carefully. Then, in a well-organized essay, analyze how Cofer uses rhetorical strategies to convey her attitude towards Latina stereotypes.
Mythbusters: Deconstructing the Latina Stereotype In Cofer’s essay “The Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria,” Cofer uses a variety of rhetorical strategies to portray Latina stereotypes as harmful and inaccurate. Right from the start of the essay, Cofer establishes Latina stereotypes as harmful by relaying her own personal experiences with them. Cofer evokes visual and auditory imagery when she recounts the story of the man who “with both hands over his heart…broke into an Irish tenor’s rendition of “Maria” from West Side Story” (Cofer 370). Cofer’s use of imagery intensifies her experience and makes it much easier to relate to, thereby inspiring empathy toward her and resentment toward the stereotypes under which she suffers. Cofer later creates more imagery when describing the man who “sang a ditty to the tune of “La Bamba” and “stepped directly into [her] path” (373). Cofer’s sensory imagery conjures a feeling of being cornered and caged, unpleasant by anyone’s standards. The images highlight the persecution that is part of Cofer’s life, making them more relatable and once again inspiring empathy for the Latina woman’s plight. Cofer continues to reveal the degrading nature of Latina stereotypes by criticizing the relation of Latina women to food. Advertisements that utilize diction like “sizzling” and “smoldering” contribute to the “Hot Tamale” stereotype that Cofer discusses (372). The connection between women and food that these words create demeans women to being mere objects for consumption. Cofer illustrates how she is subjugated to the analogy again when she is expected to “mature early” and is “thought of as a fruit or vegetable” (373). Not only does the analogy serve to
Cited: Cofer, Judith Ortiz. “The Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria.” The Language of Composition: Reading∙ Writing∙ Rhetoric. Eds. Renée H. Shea, Lawrence Scanlon, and Robin Dissin Aufses. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2008. 370-75. Print.