What are the writing challenges for Latinas
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What are some of the obstacles that make writing a challenge for you as a Latina? Conversely, what are some of the unique perspectives we can offer? How did you overcome obstacles, persevere? What were the results? What have you written lately?
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  • I'm writing a how-to book for parents. I want to write a memoir but right now it's too unbelievable for me. I'll post a new question that will make what I mean more comprehensible. e
  • Emiliana, I feel you. Now, what pains me, as I sit down to write and do everything but is the way that one 'success' was pitted against the other. Just the other day, I 'realized' I 'could' have it all. Something we're told we cant have--as a young academe almost finished with her PhD, folks are rootin for me. Still, I am taking a break to pursue my true love, and that's an effort, even for me. So few of us make it this far in terms of grad school and yet, I'm willing to take a risky year to give another dream a shot? I hope more folks participate in this discussion, because it is an important. What kind of how to book r u trying to write? Emiliana Martín said:
    For me, it's all that paternalistic BS I was raised under. Women always give in to the men. They are second-class citizens. Women are inferior to men. Women can't survive without a man. Women aren't as smart as a man. Women (and children) should be seen, not heard. Women belong barefoot, pregnant and in the kitchen with dinner ready when he comes home. Women are for men to control.

    It's very difficult to crawl out from underneath the female inferiority veil. I doubt myself constantly. What a woman thinks is not as important as what a man thinks so I have to articulate better than a man. My reasoning must be near-perfect whereas men's flaws are embraced.

    I'm trying to write a "how to" manual and every time I sit at my computer I find something else to do, i.e., surf the web, read e-mail, pay bills, etc. When I finally get to writing, all of the cultural ghosts appear and suddenly, I have writer's bloc. Other times, I'm flooded with so many ideas, I can't type. All of that negativity about me, my skin color, ethnicity, gender come to the fore when I sit down to write. I can still hear my paternal abuelita say, "You'll never be successful because your skin is too dark." I heard that at age 13. This woman didn't approve of my parent's marriage because my mother was black Puerto Rican and her son was white Puerto Rican. Even though I have experienced much professional career success, I still fight with Whelita's remark.

    I've overcome obstacles through shear willpower. I am a survivor. I refuse to roll over and die or get trampled. I am talented and I'm out to prove it. I have something to offer. Too many times I've seen a man's effort backfire only to see a woman clean it up and take no credit for it. I simply refuse suppress most of my opinions and believe I have something to contribute. To the guys I say, "Be afraid, be very afraid."

    In short, Latinas have so much more to overcome than the white feminist stereotype. We have to overcome our own culture's attitudes. It's our burden to bear and overcome. That's no easy task.

  • For me, it's all that paternalistic BS I was raised under. Women always give in to the men. They are second-class citizens. Women are inferior to men. Women can't survive without a man. Women aren't as smart as a man. Women (and children) should be seen, not heard. Women belong barefoot, pregnant and in the kitchen with dinner ready when he comes home. Women are for men to control. It's very difficult to crawl out from underneath the female inferiority veil. I doubt myself constantly. What a woman thinks is not as important as what a man thinks so I have to articulate better than a man. My reasoning must be near-perfect whereas men's flaws are embraced. I'm trying to write a "how to" manual and every time I sit at my computer I find something else to do, i.e., surf the web, read e-mail, pay bills, etc. When I finally get to writing, all of the cultural ghosts appear and suddenly, I have writer's bloc. Other times, I'm flooded with so many ideas, I can't type. All of that negativity about me, my skin color, ethnicity, gender come to the fore when I sit down to write. I can still hear my paternal abuelita say, "You'll never be successful because your skin is too dark." I heard that at age 13. This woman didn't approve of my parent's marriage because my mother was black Puerto Rican and her son was white Puerto Rican. Even though I have experienced much professional career success, I still fight with Whelita's remark. I've overcome obstacles through shear willpower. I am a survivor. I refuse to roll over and die or get trampled. I am talented and I'm out to prove it. I have something to offer. Too many times I've seen a man's effort backfire only to see a woman clean it up and take no credit for it. I simply refuse suppress most of my opinions and believe I have something to contribute. To the guys I say, "Be afraid, be very afraid." In short, Latinas have so much more to overcome than the white feminist stereotype. We have to overcome our own culture's attitudes. It's our burden to bear and overcome. That's no easy task. Erika said:
    These are important questions. Venue. Publisher. Audience. Venue i.e. niche of our writing. The coming of age tale, as we have seen for some Latino writers is embedded in various forms of politics in both our communities, if we're focusing solely on ethnic communities. Audience--tales are universal, yet unique....
  • These are important questions. Venue. Publisher. Audience. Venue i.e. niche of our writing. The coming of age tale, as we have seen for some Latino writers is embedded in various forms of politics in both our communities, if we're focusing solely on ethnic communities. Audience--tales are universal, yet unique....