Movements and Awareness

In Latin America, there have been multiple movements geared towards Latinas. Most of these movements are directed towards political issues, but they have a variety of reasons. These issues also vary from country to country. Here are a few of the events that occurred in different a few South American countries:

Argentina: On April 1977, fourteen women gathered outside the Plaza de Mayo in Argentina wanting to find out more information on the disappearances of their loved ones. This day marked the beginning of what since 1979 is an organization committed to the search of missing children, Las Madres de Plaza de Mayo. This group protested at the same location every Thursday and brought awareness to the Argentinean public of what the government was trying to hide. Still to this day, these women are active in Argentine politics.

Chile: In 1982, the Movimiento de Mujeres Pobladoras (MOMUPO) was created to coordinate and unite the 50,000 people the belonged to 494 grassroot women's group. The "slum dwellers" in Chile were being affected greatly by the lack of work and terrible living standards.

Uruguay: In 1984, the Women's Commission was created within Uruguay's national trade union confederation by female banking employees. "The unions became a battleground for the women's movement which grew up during the dictatorship partly due to the huge increase in women in paid work that has taken place in Uruguay" in the 1970s and 1980s.¹³

Click Here for a list of all the women groups formed in Latin American between the years of 1970 and 1986.

In the United States, there have not been many Latina movements. This can be due to immigration, language barrier, and the feel that they are just not necessary. Actual movements are a very radical way of trying to get something done. However, this does not mean that there are certain things that need to get mentioned and make people aware of. Here are some of the ways Latina awareness is promoted in the United States:

Latino Flavored Productions, Inc. produces two shows that are geared towards awareness. SOUL Latina, a theatrical comedy, " is a comedic journey of monologues and sketches that explores the soul of being Latina." It can be seen as the Latina comedic version of The Vagina Monologues . The other show they produce is YO SOY LATINA!™ . "The 6 Latina characters of YO SOY LATINA!™ offer something for every Latina and all women who have felt that they could never measure up to the finely-airbrushed images that the media offers them. Their stories are as diverse as their racial makeup."¹⁴

Currently some Latina entertainers are standing up to making people aware that the stereotypical Latina is not the only type of Latina out there. They are doing this by demanding to play in different roles than what everyone is used to seeing. "'I am reading some scripts and am reviewing proposals for TV projects,' she explains. 'But I want to be sure about the next project for Thalía as an actress, and not to just do a crazy, stupid Latina role with a red dress, just talking about sex. Unfortunately, that's all too often how Latinas are portrayed in films. So, when I have a great part that will put me on a higher artistic level,' she adds confidently, 'I will take it.'"¹⁵