10 Things You Shouldn't Say to a Latina Feminist

10 Things You Shouldn't Say to a Latina Feminist
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By Raquel Reichard for Latina.

From The Bad Dominicana sparking critical conversations on race, gender and class on Twitter and Latina Rebels making us snap and double tap to their chonga feminism on Instagram to conferences like the Roundtable of Latina Feminism and our very own Woman Crush(ing the Patriarchy) Wednesday, it's clear that the mujerista movement is alive and well.

But not everyone is as acquainted with our Latina feminism, and oftentimes those who aren't spew some messed-up, inaccurate or just annoying ishh.

Ahead, some remarks many of us Latina feministas have heard too many times and would like to never come across again:

1. "I get so happy when I see Latinas embracing feminism." "Embracing?" While the term "feminism" was first used in Europe, the practice and ideas tied to the word had long existed among the tribes of our Indigenous and African foremothers. And, contrary to what films like "Iron Jawed Angels" depict, U.S. Latinas have long been a part of the feminist movement here, too. I'm not "embracing" feminism; I am a part of feminism.

2. "Los hombres Latinos sufren discriminación también." And my feminism includes you. But the same systems that oppress you oppress me, too. Where you at?

3. "You being so angry all the time only feeds into the 'feisty Latina' stereotype, so you're actually hurting us, not moving us forward." Riiiiight.

4. "Aren't you a feminista? Why are you listening/watching/reading this?" Because I can enjoy it and think critically about it. It's called media literacy.

5. "So how did you escape the machismo Latino culture?" Would you ask a white woman how she escaped sexist gringo culture, because it's in the U.S. where one in five college women are sexually assaulted, where the ladies still don't get equal pay for equal work, where women make up 50.8 percent of the population but are only 20 percent of Congress, where reproductive rights are being stripped away, where only a third of speaking roles in popular films go to women (and when they do, they're often talking about men), where women are shamed for embracing their sexuality, where ... we'd keep going, but you might get our drift by now.

6. "Pero eres tan bonita." I know. What's your point?

7. "You just need some good dick, mami. I can take care of that." I'm good.

8. "Shhhh. Don't say that. La feminista is here." Don't only stop being a male chauvinist pig when I'm in the room, just stop being sexist, pendejo.

9. "The situation for women here is better than they are in [insert Latin American/Caribbean country here]. You should be grateful." As a transnational, interlocking/intersectional Latina feminist, I am concerned with and try to stay aware of the struggles my hermanas experience abroad, and how the country I live in often contributes to that; however, that doesn't negate the very real barriers and violence we face here, either.

10. "I LOVE Gloria Anzaldúa and Sandra Cisneros." Great! Then why aren't they on your syllabi?

More from Latina:
These Latinas are Crushing the Patriarchy
12 Things Independent Latinas are Tired of Hearing

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