Growing Up Latina in America
Lizbeth Arce Writing Hot and Cool Media
Tom O’Connor
05 May 2012
Growing Up Latina in America (Cultural Differences as a Basis for Diverging Ideals of Physical Beauty)
The Latino culture is one that values food for more than what it simply is. Food is something that brings families together, provides warmth and joy, and sustains life. It is no wonder why Latina immigrants and Latinas growing up in America have such a difficult time adjusting to the American culture. In America thinness is portrayed as the ideal body type. For Latinas, food is essentially turned into an object of turmoil in the conscious mind (of Latinas) due to the different ideals of two different cultures. Once a Latina has become accustomed to the American values of physical beauty, the ideal body image of voluptuous and full figured turns into waiflike and slim figured. Acculturation is the process by which someone absorbs the culture of a new society and may or may not reject the norms of their culture of origin. The Latinas that are the most accultured in America feel that thinness is the ideal figure. Latinas that relate more to their Latino culture feel that a more full body is the ideal body type (Lopez). Anderson and Becker state that, “[d]egree of exposure to or adoption of Western ideals may influence an individual’s Body image.” As such, conflict between cultural values of physical appearance causes self-esteem to decrease in Latina Women. This is a problem that mostly begins to affect young Latinas growing up in America. Acculturation is a leading factor that pressures Latinas compromising their ideals on beauty. The big issue is that Latinas are losing their culture and losing their unique beauty ideals due to the new American ideals of what beauty should be. Latino and American cultures are very different from each other. The Latino culture celebrates food and fosters closeness. Whenever there is a special occasion to celebrate Latinos hold grand parties in which
Tom O’Connor
05 May 2012
Growing Up Latina in America (Cultural Differences as a Basis for Diverging Ideals of Physical Beauty)
The Latino culture is one that values food for more than what it simply is. Food is something that brings families together, provides warmth and joy, and sustains life. It is no wonder why Latina immigrants and Latinas growing up in America have such a difficult time adjusting to the American culture. In America thinness is portrayed as the ideal body type. For Latinas, food is essentially turned into an object of turmoil in the conscious mind (of Latinas) due to the different ideals of two different cultures. Once a Latina has become accustomed to the American values of physical beauty, the ideal body image of voluptuous and full figured turns into waiflike and slim figured. Acculturation is the process by which someone absorbs the culture of a new society and may or may not reject the norms of their culture of origin. The Latinas that are the most accultured in America feel that thinness is the ideal figure. Latinas that relate more to their Latino culture feel that a more full body is the ideal body type (Lopez). Anderson and Becker state that, “[d]egree of exposure to or adoption of Western ideals may influence an individual’s Body image.” As such, conflict between cultural values of physical appearance causes self-esteem to decrease in Latina Women. This is a problem that mostly begins to affect young Latinas growing up in America. Acculturation is a leading factor that pressures Latinas compromising their ideals on beauty. The big issue is that Latinas are losing their culture and losing their unique beauty ideals due to the new American ideals of what beauty should be. Latino and American cultures are very different from each other. The Latino culture celebrates food and fosters closeness. Whenever there is a special occasion to celebrate Latinos hold grand parties in which