The Myth Of The Latin Woman Summary

Imagine yourself at local bridal shop. As you walk in you see a women wearing a floor length white wedding gown. At the woman’s feet you see a Latin woman frantically pinning the end up whilst the bride is showing signs of irritation and annoyance. Suddenly the bride throws her hands in the air and spits out at the women “If I would have known Mexican girls were not really quick at making clothing I would have went somewhere else.” Congratulations, you have just witnessed stereotyping (imaginary situation aside) at its finest. Judith Ortiz Cofer is a popular, Latin author. In her essay “The Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria” from her collection “The Latin Deli: Prose and Poetry” she also tells her audience of stereotypical

As the essay begins, Cofer draws sympathy from her readers by explaining a moment in her life when she was reminded of the deep emotional damage she endured in her childhood as a Latin girl growing up in America. Her use of pathos hooks her audience in such a way that they are able to look past their own cultural differences and understand her point of view. As Cofer is reminincing in her thoughts she explains that as a child she was brought up in a Latin culture environment. The exact words she uses

By explaining how each culture views clothing and hair color based on how they saw their parent’s views upon such things as children, shows Cofer’s readers both sides of the situation. This specific use of ethos strongly supports Cofer’s original argument by highlighting the fact that she is able to truly look passed any biases she could possibly have, and see the real reasons behind stereotypes and common assumptions. This particular part is very impactful on the readers and very creditable for Cofer. She then transitions towards a pathos technique when explaining how a young boy had made a sexual advance towards her at their high school prom. She goes to say that he had made the assumption she would comply based on her race. This example evokes sympathy from Cofers readers on how even at a young age young Latina women are viewed as a sexual symbol.

As the essay comes to a close Judith Ortiz Cofer shifts towards a more logos point of view by explaining a recent even in her life that had caused her to see how people are still prone to stereotyping in her adult life. She describes an early time in her career as an author; when she was doing a poetry reading, and was mistaken as a waitress by a woman in the audience. As