Judith Ortiz Cofer s The Myth Of The Latin Woman - 997 Words

â€Å"You are what?!† Most of the time wherever I go, the same tone follows me; a cross between shock and disgust. â€Å"I guess we will need a bed,† she commented â€Å"we can t expect anything from her.† She mumbled under her breath. It has happened once again, I have been put into a stereotype. This time it is about being a lazy homeschooler. The girl spoke as if I wasn t in the room or had any feelings, which made my heart a fish on a campfire. This hasn t been the first time I have heard similar remarks, whether it is because I am a woman or a homeschooler. That doesn t make me dumb, lazy or lack social skills. Though most are just myths created by people who make assumptions based on previous experiences with people good or bad and think everyone in that group is the same. Judith Ortiz Cofer s essay The Myth of the Latin Woman by speaks to me because I have had similar experiences and I felt her pain. â€Å"As a Puerto Rican girl growing up in the United States and wanting like most children to belong, I resented the stereotype that my Hispanic appearance called forth fro m many people I met.† (Cofer 204) This brings up the way I feel wherever I am, another quote that hits it close to home is â€Å"Though I now know that most adolescents feel out of step most of the time, I also know that for the Puerto Rican girls of my generation that sense was intensified.† (Cofer 204) I feel out of step all the time and as a woman I often hear stereotypes about how I can t do certain tasksShow MoreRelatedThe Myth Of The Latin Women : I Just Met A Girl Named Maria1466 Words   |  6 Pagesessay The Myth of the Latin Women: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria by Judith Ortiz. The essay I did not believe it had to be in our syllabus because it really did not have to do much with the student learning outcome was The Declaration of Independence by Thomas Jefferson. In the essay of Judith Ortiz The Myth of the Latin Women: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria was an essay I believe many students were able to relate, understand, and reflect with the arguments she pointed out. Judith Ortiz seemedRead MoreOvercoming Racism Essay1244 Words   |  5 Pagesracism in America. Having more class than your opponent and keeping ones dignity is still possible when pursuing equality, though it may not always be easy. Judith Ortiz Cofer tells in her essay, â€Å"The Myth of the Latin Woman†, what it is like growing up a Puerto Rican woman in white America, also that one does not need violence or cruelty to overcome racism and stereotypes or to gain equality. Americas tend to be closed mindedRead MorePerceptions Paper885 Words   |  4 PagesPerspectives: Effects on Research and Writing Every person s perceptions are entirely inimitable in their own way. Perception, in itself, means to interpret the world around, in one s own way based on their personally acquired morals, values, and fears. Our minds begin to examine and interpret things using these traits. How does this all relate to research and writing? After making interpretations, a person then begins to form an opinion about the subject at hand. When writing, a topic isRead MoreComparison of Two Personal Narratives1264 Words   |  6 Pages(Roberts, 2010). Literary works tend to cover all aspects of living in a society and the theme of racism, social segregation and class systems is often written on. For this assignment I have chosen to compare two personal narratives; The Myth of the Latin Women by Judith Cofer and Outcasts in Salt Lake City by James Weldon Johnson. 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Then Staples, talks about how he was discriminated for being a tall, black man that worked as a journalist in a predominantlyRead MoreThe Myth Of The Latin Wom I Just Met A Girl Named Maria820 Words   |  4 PagesThe essay â€Å"The Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria† by Judith Ortiz Cofer is about deprivation that Latin women go through everyday due to stereotypes that society make up. Stereotypes play a big role in the way that individuals are id entified by society. Cofer describes her personal experiences of being a Latin woman, and her struggles that she has to face because of the stereotypes. Cofer tells us of some incidences that happened throughout her life. Like going to London forRead MoreThe Myth Of The Latin Woman918 Words   |  4 Pagesnot be allowed because it causes people to think less of themselves and limit themselves from one s full potential. Having these stereotypes in our minds really limits our thoughts and opinions about certain things or people. Both essayist Judith Ortiz Cofer, and Brent Staples have personally experienced stereotyping and people thinking wrongly of them. In Cofer’s essay â€Å" The Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria† and Staples â€Å"Just Walk on By: Black Men and Public Spaces†, they talkRead MoreComparing Mairs And The Myth Of A Latin Wom I Just Met A Girl Named Maria1328 Words   |  6 Pagesby Nancy Mairs and â€Å" The Myth of a Lat in woman : I Just Met a Girl Named Maria† by Judith Ortiz Cofer, the writers have successfully portrayed the feelings that arise in people’s mind based on the way they are identified. In both the essays, the writers tell us how they have been incorrectly labeled and judged by society based on their social, physical and racial appearance, how they are tired of it and how they have come to accept and make peace with it. Mairs and Cofer both prove their point inRead MoreThe Black Men And Public Space By Brent Staples, The Myth Of A Latin Woman, And Shooting2366 Words   |  10 Pages Just Walk on By, Myth of a Latin Woman, and Shooting an Elephant; Depression from Stereotyping and Prejudice There has been many years of racial stereotypes and wanting to fit into a group. The essays that show this theme are Just Walk on By: Black Men and Public Space by Brent Staples, The Myth of the Latin Woman by Judith Ortiz Cofer, and Shooting an Elephant by George Orwell. Staples shows his audience the struggles he has gone through as a black male. Cofer shows her audience the stereotypesRead MoreThe Importance Of A Good Society Is Not Achieved By Chance Or By Default1446 Words   |  6 PagesDr. King’s message of racial equality resonated with thousands of individuals across a wide range of cultures and beliefs. The values he fought for were not political, religious, ethnic specific values, but they were were universal ones. In the 1950’s, the African American community at large felt betrayed by a government that spoke of unity and equality, but was in practice, prejudiced and discriminatory towards African Americans (King 203). Dr. King’s message was about the irony and hypocrisy of