Introduction
“The Myth of the Latin Woman” by Judith Ortiz Cofer presents a specific essay that deals with cultural and national identity issues in America. The essay’s author focuses on a specific case in her life when she was awarded a compliment precisely because of her Puerto Rican appearance. This leads her to a process of reflection in which she describes the cultural inconsistencies between herself and peers who are more integrated into the American national culture (Ortiz Cofer, 2011). In particular, the essay pays attention to cultural differences or the peculiarities of dresses and colors and the particular type of objectification the author was subjected to.
Personal Connections
I fully agree with the author’s ideas because they made me look at the problem of cultural differentiation from an exceptional and personal perspective. The problem with racism is that it often goes unnoticed or is not taken seriously enough. We often judge people of a different culture or nation more superficially or consider them from generalized categories, as if the subject reflected nationality and cultural identity.
I had the experience of cultural generalization in online correspondence when my narrower psychological traits were attributed to national stereotypes. Like my online friends from other countries, I have found this kind of reduction not only bitter but also minimal. However, I can honestly admit that I sometimes light-headedly committed this sin.
This essay motivated me to pay attention to such things in Internet communication and correct other people’s behavior. It is not necessary to accuse them of racism. Still, one can point out the limitations of such a worldview, which sometimes turns out to be disrespectful absolutely by accident and thoughtlessness.
Conclusion
The topic raised in this essay seems extremely important because it makes each person see a representative of another culture as an equal person and not a particular stereotype from a movie or a book. In this way, there is real depth and mutual understanding in the interaction between people, which can manifest at the level of working relations and in a global perspective, for example, in political diplomacy. If people learn to transcend cultural and national stereotypes and correct themselves in this, communication and not labeling will become a tangible symbol of the global picture of the future.
Work Cited
Ortiz Cofer, Judith. “The Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named María.” The McGraw-Hill Reader: Issues across the Disciplines. Ed. Gilbert H. Muller. 11th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2011, pp. 365-369.