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Film Review-Real Women Have Curves- “Shooting the Patriarchy”

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Upon watching the film Real Women Have Curves (Cardoso, 2002), I captured the interlocking systems of oppression (sexism and classism) that many Chicanas are subjected to in relation to the Chicana/o Family Structure and dominant society. The film cast characters that fulfill the stereotypical Chicana/o family structure with the Male at the center of “la familia,” and Chicanas relegated to domesticity and menial occupations, something that Rodriguez discusses when he touches on Hollywood’s portrayal of Chicana/os in films. However, in this film, the producer decided to show Anna, the youngest daughter of the two, challenging and “Shooting the Patriarchy” that Rodriguez talks about in his book Next of Kin: The Family in Chicano/a Cultural Politics. In short, Anna does not intend on fulfilling constructed traditional female gender roles that reinforce this idea of patriarchy. My film review will focus on three segments of the film that capture Chicanas multi-faceted challenges directly associated with sexism, classism, and sexuality.

The first segment of the film that I will focus on is sexism and female gender roles and expectations. The beginning of the film captures Anna’s mom lying in bed sick. Anna’s mom expects her to miss the last day of school because she needs to attend to her duties, which consist of “cooking breakfast for the males.” Because Anna is the daughter, a female, she is expected to take on the role of her mother. Here, we capture the sexist ideologies that relegate women to domesticity- a role that Chicanas/Mexicans are expected to take on in the Chicana/o family. However, Anna challenges the patriarchal sexist ideology and stands up to her mother. Here, the producer of the film captures the negotiation process that Chicanas go though when challenging traditional gender roles that reinforce patriarchy. In a typical Chicana/o/Mexicana/o family structure, young adolescent girls find it difficult to stand up to “la familia” so they reinforce the expected sociocultural values and traditions. But, not Anna, she reflects a strong willed Chicana who crosses borders stepping into territories that “la familia” would never expect.

The next segment of the film that I will focus on is Anna’s constant negotiation to survive her family’s class position. In the film, Anna is expected to “work” to help “la familia” instead of pursuing her college education. Anna works without pay, even realizing Bloomingdales exploitation of their labor. Here, Anna challenges the capitalistic structure of our society by confronting the people who contract their work. Anna, who is expected to be passive and docile due to her gender (female), takes agency, crossing borders that some Chicanas would never imagine crossing. She speaks up to a person in a position of power addressing the exploitation happening in the factory-something Chicanas are not expected to do. Her sister, Estella, on the other hand, plays the submissive role, something Chicanas are suppose to do, especially when it comes to challenging their bosses in the workplace. Anna’s heavy conscious does not allow her to ignore the injustices happening and seeks socioeconomic justice for the family and workers at the factory. Like Rodriguez, in Chapter 2 of Next of Kin: The Family in Chicano, Anna “Shoots the Patriarchy” challenging the classism, and the capitalistic nature of our society.

The last segment of the film that I focus on reveals Anna embracing the “brown body” and her sexuality, something Chicanas are forbidden to do. She takes agency over her life when it comes to her sexuality crossing borders that she is not suppose to. She challenges the sociocultural traditions and the notion that young Chicanas must be virgins until they marry. She even dates a White boy, something that is not widely accepted in Chicana/o families. So, we also the intersection of race that plays out in the film. But, in the midst of taking agency over her sexuality, her mother condemns her and calls her a “puta,” even slapping her across the face.

Through these different segments of the film, we capture the interlocking systems of oppression rooted in patriarchy that Anna encounters in relation to the Chicana/o family and dominant society. However, the filmmakers change the trajectory, and end the film with Anna putting herself first, not fulfilling stereotypical gender roles that she is expected to fulfill in the Chicana/o family structure. Anna aspires to pursue her college education at Columbia, one of the top universities in the nation, she does not let the patriarchal structure of “la famlia” and society dictate her destiny- she “Shoots the Patriarch”-Pow Pow, another Chicana off to college!!!!!!!!!

One thing I liked about the film is that it captures so many different layers of the Chicana experience, both the tradional aspects of what Chicanas are suppose to aspire to, and the more contemporary Chicana who challenges the gender expectations and patriarchy. It’s evident that the film industry has made progress, creating spaces for Chicana filmmakers (this film was created by women of color), something that wasn’t widely accepted when Noriega wrote his piece on “Imagined Borders: Locating Chicano Cinema in America/America.” In that chapter, Noriega maps out the origins of Chicano media, which definitely, in the beginning, was very gendered. We have made some progress, YAAAAAYYYYY- “Shoot the Patriarchy,” for the gazaliionth time LOL

Deconstructing Chicano Literature: The “patriarchy and machismo” is REALLLLL!

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machismo

Richard Basham uses an Anthropological lens when examining this idea of “Machismo” that we continue to come across in our readings. In Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies, Basham defines Machismo as “…loosely translated as “the cult of the male…characterized by sexual prowess, zest for action; including verbal action, daring, and, above all, absolute confidence” (127). This definition, at least in my perspective, really connects to the poem of I am Joaquin and Plan Espiritual de Aztlan, as both literary works, are “…characterized by sexual prowess, zest for action; including verbal action, daring, and, above all, absolute confidence” (127). For example, in Plan Espiritual  de Aztlan, there is a part that states,

“…Brotherhood unites us, and love for our brothers makes us a people whose time has come and who struggles against the foreigner “gabacho” who exploits our riches and destroys our culture. With our heart in our hands and our hands in the soil, we declare the independence of our mestizo nation. We are a bronze people with a bronze culture. Before the world, before all of North America, before all our brothers in the bronze continent we are a nation, we are a union of free pueblos, we are Aztlán.”
At the core of this quote, it is male centered expressing the very characteristics that Basham discusses in his article on “Machismo”. First, we see “the cult of the male” when the plan refers to “brotherhood-.” Nowhere in the plan does it express sisters or sisterhood, it is gendered, very male dominated, rooted in this concept of heteropatriarchal that Richard Rodriguez, author of Next of Kin: The Family in Chicana/o Cultural Politics (2009) refers to in his book. Second, the plan is quite “daring.” Third, there is “verbal action” in the plan. Machismo, which informs gender and sexual inequalities in Chicana/o culture, is explicit in this plan. Not only does the Plan Espiritual de Atzlan present “machismo” characteristics outlined by Basham, but I am Joaquin does too. For example, the poem states, “…I look at myself, I watch my brothers. I shed tears of sorrow…” Again, the poem embraces a “cult of the males,” it goes on to mention Pancho Villa, Zapata, Miguel Hidalgo, among other male influences not acknowledging female influences that also deserve recognition who have impacted Chicana/o history. All in all, we capture some of the first works that paved a path for the Chicana/o Movement and Chicana/o Studies-works that are very gendered rooted in patriarchy.

Basham, Richard. “Machismo.” Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies 1.2 (1976): 126-43. Web.

Week 2 Assignment: 1st readers Blog-Francisca Chavez

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Upon reading the introduction in the Next Of Kin, I wanted to pick your brain about the social construction of “la familia” and/or family to make sure that we all know who falls outside the regulatory borders…So tell me, what kind of families do not meet the traditional social construction of family???? What type of families are perceived as inferior in the Chicana/o Community???? Also, based on the reading, the Next of Kin, thus far, in the intro, what seems to inform this idea la familia???? Do you agree that “close connections of the structure of the nation informs the structure of the family?” What does the author Frantz Fanon mean by this when referenced on page 4 of the text???

And, since I am a single mother, I found Garcia’s views on the family interesting. On page 5 of the text he asserts that single parent families are inferior due to the lack of a male being at the center. What do you all think about that???? Are single parent families really deficient because there is no male in the home??? Is this assertion reinforcing this idea of patriarchy??? Is this a sexist ideal???? Is this a very narrow perception of the family???? Is the family Static????

Okay, moving on to the interviews about Perspectives  — I absolutely loved how poetry, corridos, and comedy in the Chicana/o community/family has been passed down and used to inform the public about issues facing brown communities-really making the personal political. How do you all feel about this idea of story telling/folklore being used to express the daily struggles of Chicana/os and/or people of color period, as evidenced in the corrido that Juan Felipe sings to raise awareness about police brutality in the black community. Or, how the comedian feminist scholar Laureate shows how racism plays out, touching on the everyday racist microagressions that people of color face simply due to their race/ethnicity???? All in all, I love how Laureate’s mother shaped her social justice activism without even knowing it; this signifies how strong of an impact family values have on the individual. Both Juan and Laureate learned at a very young age how to negotiate their  identity, becoming prominent voices from the margins for the Chicana/o community.

Franny’s Bio

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Hello Professor and Classmates,

My name is Francisca Chavez, a 39-year-old proud single parent of a beautiful 13-year-old girl, Maddy. I’m a “Super Senior” double majoring in Sociology and Chican@ studies with a minor in Political Science. I am currently enrolled in 12 units at CSUDH; this is my final semester, bittersweet. With that being said, I will leave CSUDH with a double B.A. in Sociology and Chican@ and a minor in Political Science. At present, I am looking into graduate school, however, undecided on Social Work (geriatrics), Education (Academic Advisor), or Non profit sector (Programs for underserved youth). I want to spend the rest of my life being a voice for those sitting on the margins of society. I am very passionate about giving back to lower socioeconomic communities, and improving the lives of others. I am all about social justice and equality.

Some of my accomplishments include being on the dean’s list every semester since community college. I graduated from Los Angeles Harbor College in 2012 receiving my Associates of Arts Degree in Liberal Arts and Social Sciences: Social and Behavioral Sciences. I have been the recipient of two scholarships (Osher Scholarship and Anne Peters Memorial Scholarship), inducted in both the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society and Alpha Kappa Delta Sociology International Honor Society. I’ve also been honored numerous certificates acknowledging my leadership in the community (parent volunteer, homeless shelter volunteer, and advocacy associated with social problems).

In my spare time, I love mentoring and tutoring. But, most of all, I love spending time with my daughter and family. Other hobbies include jogging, hiking, reading, dining out, going to the movies, and traveling. My advice to all of you working on your degree is to take your education very serious, absorb all the knowledge passed on from professors. WE ARE PAYING FOR IT, so stay engaged. Also, set short and long-term goals so you know exactly where you are going, you don’t want to waste time. You have to execute a plan, and go after it with all you have-DON’T EVER GIVE UP- YOU CAN DO IT! GOOD LUCK ALL-WISHING EVERYONE A SEMSETER FULL OF KNOWLEDGE, which ultimately gives you power in our society.