In the article “Chicana/o Family Structure and Gender Personality” there is emphasis placed on the notion that “mothering occurs in a social context” and that mothers reproduce gender identities. As a child you learn what is feminine and what is masculine within the context of your family, particularly from your mother because she is believed to be responsible for the upbringing of children. In the article authors Segura and Pierce explain that while “mothers are directly responsible for teaching their daughters how to be Chicanas”, additionally mothers are teaching Chicano boys that they should identify themselves as “being not female”. At a very early age boys are taught that ideal man is “feo, fuerte y formal”. This bring to mind the image of recently deceased artist Juan Gabriel. In an op-ed piece titled “As a boy, I was taught to ridicule Juan Gabriel. As an adult I revered him” author Arellano speaks of his own experience with gender and group identity. Arellano remembers how growing up phrases like “Juanga” were meant to be derogatory and aimed towards boys who were “perceived to be being gay”. Although being gay is still highly controversial in our culture I would make note of that fact that men like Juan Gabriel who push the boundaries of what it means to be a man are helping spark change in society. With his recent death fans both male and female from across the globe are reaching out to pay respect to an amazing artist, setting aside homophobia. While many are still persecuted for their non-traditional gender identity, Juan Gabriel was openly gay and unapologetic. It is the constant push back on idealized and rigid gender identities that is helping create a more tolerable society.
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-arellano-juan-gabriel-20160829-snap-story.html
The connection of Juan Gabriel to this week’s reading — to Next of Kin is one that deserves a lot of thought. I’m so glad you made the connection and found this. That’s a powerful article. Thank you!
Hi,
I am loving your post!! I love how you connected it to Juan Gabriel because many people do not care about him being gay but he is a great artist and producer. Gender identity will continue to very controversial in today’s society. Due to people not understand and accepting one another. It’s very sad and tragic when individuals get penalized for being gay. This makes them not want to express their true identities.
In understanding the commonality of both the article and the read sheds light on how our culture sees past his gender orientation. As I witness the response of his death by his fans and latino community, many people described how Juan Gabriel’s music influence their family home. One interviewee said she reminisced about her childhood and how her mother would blast Juan Gabriel while she was cleaning the house, coloring her hair, or cooking comida. It demonstrates the connection you made about the influence of the mother in the household.
Hi,
I completely agree with your thoughts about how the mother is the main person involved in teaching the children their gender roles. And being gay is something that is look down upon. I also agree that his recent death brought the Chicano families together and his gender preference was put aside, and he was recognized for what he truly was, a talented artist.