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Critical Analysis Outline
The Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria
Detailed Outline I. Introduction the author portrays people’s negative attitude toward cultural differences. “Mixed cultural signals have perpetuated certain stereotypes…” (626). I agree with the author, there are many people who are prejudice or stereotypical toward Latin Americans. Many innuendos are that I am a “sexual firebrand…,” such as “Hot Tamale…”
A. The author Judith Ortiz Cofer’s purpose seems to be about making people aware that not everyone in an ethnic group is alike.
B. The author’s goal of this essay is to show the ethnic differences and to make people aware how they are disrespectful of other cultures. II. Body A. According to the author stereotypes about Latin Americans are that…
1. Most people are wrong when judging others.
2. Stereotypes portray a negative attitude toward cultures/ethnicities.
3. Urban territories are usually the ones subjected to stereotyping. B. I see the authors view point that most microcosms of the Latin culture are that…
1. One major microcosm is that every Latin girl has a “Quincenera”.
2. Most Latin Americans are not as highly educated as other ethnicities or cultures, and they are the ones that are likely to be hired to do jobs others don’t like to do such as wash dishes, clean houses, work in the fields, etc.
3. “… Many Latin women working at menial jobs who must put up with stereotypes about our ethnic group, such as “they make good domestics.” C. According to the author the most common innuendos of Latin Americans are...
1. When people of another ethnic group are talking they refer to Latin Americans as “beaner, sizzling, hot tamale, etc.”
2. People assume that most Latin American women work as maids or house-keepers. III. Conclusion
Much of the information I have gleaned from this, is that I am nothing like a typical Latin woman. One example of this is, in my possession I have no ornate dresses. “You can leave the

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