"Puertorriqueñas Rencorosas y Mejicanas Sufridas": Gendered Ethnic Identity Formation in Chicago's Latino Communities

Abstract

Este artículo argumenta que, a pesar de los distintos intentos institucionales por forjar una identidad latina, las mujeres puertorriqueñas y mejicanas adoptan frecuentemente una identidad nacional para configurar nociones dicótomas del "ser" y el "otro," basadas en valores culturales "patentes," que son a su vez, utilizados para explicar el éxito o el fracaso de éstas en el ámbito laboral, familiar o comunitario. Basado en una investigación etnográfica entre un grupo de puertorriqueñas en Chicago, este artículo presenta los distintos modos en que las puertorriqueñas y las mejicanas se comprenden unas a otras. Aunque por lo general estas representaciones est´n basadas en construcciones estereotipadas de lo que corresponde ser una "buena" mejicana o puertorriqueña, muchas mujeres se hacen de estos estereotipos y los transforman en virtudes culturales que las permiten distinguirse del "otro". Este artículo investiga estas construcciones de identidad étnica y de género, y examina cómo el grupo generacional, la política comunitaria local, los cambios en la economía politica local y nacional y la ideología familiar dan forma a la identidad de género entre las mejicanas y puertorriqueñas en Chicago.

MexiRicans: Interethnic Language and Identity

“…12 The participants also cited stereotypes that MX men were machistas and the women were very submissive. Such discourses of citizenship and legality were principal findings in the analyses of DeGenova & RamosZayas (2003) as well as among high school students in Ghosh Johnson (2005), and similar gender-based discourses were reported by both DeGenova & RamosZayas (2003) and by Pérez (2003), who wrote extensively on PR women's criticisms of MX women's submissiveness. On the positive side, MXs were cited as being hardworking.…”

“…Sometimes the father prepared the food from his ethnic background, but usually he or one of his family members had taught the mother how to do so. This echoes findings about the importance of food preparation among the PR women studied by Pérez (2003), which led her to claim that "the work of ethnic identity formation in families often rests on women's shoulders" (p. 112). Even a G3:2 participant whose mother "doesn't make that much Spanish food" was familiar with many MX foods such as pozole, arrachera, and tamales, and he could describe but not name the PR foods alcapurrias and rellenos de papa.…”

“…There may be gender interpretations similar to those explored by DeGenova & Ramos-Zayas (2003): If MX women are more traditional and seek to maintain linguistic and cultural "Mexicanness" in their families, it would be less likely that they would marry exogenously, particularly a PR man who, in the MX women's eyes, is more likely to abandon his family. However, Pérez's (2003) work suggests that, given the assertive and self-sufficient character of the PR women in her study, they would not want to marry MX men who, in their eyes, were more "machista." Although it was only a slight majority of the mothers in our study that were PR, romantic unions between MX and PR individuals are an interesting area for future research.…”

“…Although Latino populations in other cities like New York (40% PR), Los Angeles (65% MX) and Miami (60% Cuban) are very heterogeneous and are becoming even more so due to new patterns of immigration, Chicago is the only large city where, for over 50 years and thus several generations, "Mexicans and Puerto Ricans live together, work together, and marry each other" (Pérez, 2003), giving rise to a relatively large number of MexiRican progeny.…”

“…Focusing on gendered experiences, Pérez (2003) examined how MX and PR women in Chicago accepted and promoted racializations to distinguish themselves from each other. In that study, PR women accused MX women of being sufridas (long-suffering), yet the MX women considered patience and forgiveness their virtues.…”