What is Machismo in Hispanic/Latinx Communities?

Machismo. You may have heard the term before, but do you know what it really is?

Patriarchy within society has been enforced and common all throughout history and all over the world. As sexism is still a prominent issue and topic of oppression, many marginalized communities deal with sub-levels of this patriarchy within their culture and upbringing, which they continue to enable. Such situations include machismo in Hispanic/Latine households where the idea of being a “man” is defined by strong or aggressive masculine pride and the concept of a “man’s responsibility” to be to provide for, protect, and defend his family.

Examples of this machismo culture can be identified in young boys fighting over a girl at the playground to assert their dominance to grown men using an “over-the-top” personality to make sure those around them are under his control. Machismo acts as the cornerstone of family relationships that enforces gender roles and a patriarchal structure that puts the “man of the house” on top. However, even women within Hispanic/Latine communities contribute to this degrading culture by ingraining the idea (either consciously or subconsciously) that men are superior to women; hence women are placed under the expectation to serve men all throughout their lives.

This enforced expectancy takes a toll on the mental health of Hispanic/Latine women by subjecting them to obey all that a man asks them to do or makes them feel, whether it be their father, grandfather, uncles, brothers, or anyone that is a man. Hispanic/Lantine women are placed into these sexist molds from a young age, where they are taught to cook in the kitchen by the age of ten and serve their brothers/male figures who are sitting on the couch, all the way to adulthood, where wives are left to clean the aftermath of parties while the husbands/male figures enjoy a beer outside with each other. This continuous cycle of adultification that Hispanic/Latine women face in their upbringing seriously affects their mental health by demonstrating to their developing minds that they are less than their male counterparts and that their main worth in life is to marry a man to serve and bear his daughters that are taught the same rules they’re expected to follow for the benefit of the man.

While machismo has been a persevering issue within Hispanic/Latine cultures that’s rooted in dominance, superiority, and the devaluing of women, it is possible to help contribute to the stop of this unjust cycle. Communication and strong voicing can be a key step towards equality within Hispanic/Latine communities where women showcase that they are strong, independent, and capable women who are more than a kitchen servant. As for the benefitted men in Hispanic/Latine communities, it is important to also stand up against these unjustified gender roles for the sake of a better life and view of value for the women in their lives, because that is what helps make a respectable man.

Sources:

“Machismo.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/machismo.

“Use Machismo in a Sentence: Machismo Sentence Examples.” Use Machismo in a Sentence | Machismo Sentence Examples, sentence.yourdictionary.com/machismo.

Sáez, Emara. “Machismo: Toxic Masculinity Within Hispanic Culture.” Achona, achonaonline.com/top-stories/2020/08/machismo-toxic-masculinity-within-hispanic-culture/