Encouraging Hispanic Girls to Grow | Michelle Navarro | TEDxMountainViewCollege
Summary
TLDRThe speaker shares a personal narrative exploring the challenges faced by Hispanic girls in education, influenced by cultural traditions and stereotypes. They recount their mother's and grandmother's experiences with gender roles and the importance of education as a means of breaking generational patterns. The talk highlights the impact of the 'quinceanera' tradition, the high dropout rate among Hispanic girls, and the need for role models to encourage aspirations beyond cultural expectations. The speaker advocates for changing the narrative from 'no, this is not for us' to 'yes, we can', emphasizing the power of mentorship and support.
Takeaways
- 🏠 The speaker's mother and grandmother were from large families in San Antonio, Texas, where the middle daughter traditionally served as the 'Maid of the family', taking on household chores and caring for younger siblings.
- 👩🏫 A local school principal intervened to ensure the speaker's mother received an education, which was not a given in her family's culture, challenging the traditional role of women in her family.
- 📚 The speaker highlights the importance of education and children's rights, as exemplified by her mother's experience and the laws that support access to basic education.
- 🚨 The National Education Association's study revealed that Hispanic girls have the highest dropout rates in high school and college due to cultural stereotypes, family responsibilities, absenteeism, lack of involvement in school activities, and high teen pregnancy rates.
- 🎉 The tradition of 'Quinceañera' or 'Kinetta' is described as a significant coming-of-age event for Hispanic girls, which can lead to financial strain on families and may contribute to early pregnancies.
- 📉 The speaker's personal observations and research indicate that certain cultural archetypes and practices may discourage Hispanic girls from pursuing education and personal growth.
- 🌐 The concept of 'La Kinetta' is compared to debutante balls in wealthy societies, suggesting that the tradition has been adapted and amplified in immigrant communities in the U.S.
- 📚 The speaker's mother, despite being discouraged from reading, found solace in books, particularly 'Cinderella', but was physically punished for reading, which impacted her relationship with literature.
- 💔 The speaker's grandmother's life was marked by illiteracy and adherence to traditional gender roles, which influenced her treatment of the speaker's mother and her views on education.
- 🔑 The speaker's mother broke the cycle of limiting her daughter's education and opportunities, emphasizing the importance of saying 'yes' to education and personal development.
- 🗣️ The speaker calls for a change in conversation from limiting beliefs to supportive and encouraging dialogue, urging others to become role models and mentors for Hispanic girls.
Q & A
What was the sad tradition in the speaker's mother's family?
-The sad tradition was that the middle daughter was designated as the maid of the family, responsible for cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the younger siblings, thus acting as the second mother.
Why was the speaker's grandmother illiterate?
-The speaker's grandmother was illiterate because she was the middle daughter in her family and was kept at home to perform domestic duties, preventing her from attending school.
How did the local elementary school principal change the speaker's mother's life?
-The principal noticed the speaker's mother was absent from school, visited her home, and insisted that the grandmother allow her to attend school, thus giving her the opportunity for education.
What challenges do Hispanic girls face according to the National Education Association's study?
-Hispanic girls face challenges such as high dropout rates, cultural stereotypes reinforcing submissive roles, responsibilities at home leading to absenteeism, lack of involvement in after-school activities, and high teen pregnancy rates.
What is the significance of the 'quinceañera' tradition in Hispanic culture?
-The 'quinceañera' is a celebration of a girl's 15th birthday, symbolizing her transition from childhood to womanhood, often involving a church ceremony, a party, and the presentation of her 'Ultima Mona' doll and first pair of high heels.
Why might the 'quinceañera' contribute to high teen pregnancy rates among Hispanic girls?
-The 'quinceañera' marks a girl's transition to womanhood, which may imply a new freedom and exploration of sexuality, potentially leading to early pregnancies.
What are the four Hispanic archetypes mentioned in the script and how do they impact Hispanic women's lives?
-The archetypes are La Virgen de Guadalupe (the idealized mother figure), La Curandera (the medicine woman or healer), La Llorona (the ghost woman who drowned her children), and La Malinche (the betrayer). They impact Hispanic women by reinforcing mixed messages about their roles, behaviors, and self-worth.
How did the speaker's mother break the generational pattern of not valuing education?
-The speaker's mother, after experiencing the lack of education herself, consciously decided to encourage her own children, especially her daughter, to pursue education and various interests, thus breaking the pattern.
What is the speaker's proposed 21st-century definition of 'Malinche'?
-The speaker proposes redefining 'Malinche' as a modern woman who is highly intelligent, fiercely independent, and prioritizes education, while maintaining self-worth and not needing to rely on others.
What message does the speaker have for the audience regarding supporting Hispanic girls?
-The speaker encourages the audience to become role models and mentors for Hispanic girls, to change the conversation from saying 'no' to encouraging and supporting their dreams and aspirations.
Outlines
👩👧👦 Breaking the Cycle of 'Maid of the Family'
The speaker begins with a personal story about her mother, who was one of twelve children in a large family from San Antonio, Texas. A tradition in her family dictated that the middle daughter would be the 'Maid of the family,' responsible for household chores and caring for younger siblings, a role that often precluded formal education. The speaker's grandmother was illiterate due to this tradition. However, a principal's intervention allowed the speaker's mother to attend school, albeit with the condition that she return home immediately after to fulfill her domestic duties. The speaker then connects this personal history to a broader cultural pattern, citing a National Education Association study that shows Hispanic girls have the highest dropout rates in high school and college due to cultural expectations, domestic responsibilities, lack of involvement in school activities, and high teen pregnancy rates. The speaker questions the cultural reinforcement of these behaviors and shares her observations on the impact of the 'quinceañera' tradition on girls' development and education.
🎉 The High Cost of Tradition: Quinceaneras and Cultural Expectations
The speaker delves into the financial and social implications of the 'quinceañera' tradition, a coming-of-age celebration for girls turning fifteen. The elaborate parties, often resembling weddings in cost and extravagance, can lead families into significant debt. The speaker notes a shift in the tradition from its origins among the wealthy to a widespread practice among immigrants, reflecting a 'keeping up with the Joneses' mentality. Additionally, the speaker observes a correlation between quinceañeras and early pregnancies, suggesting that the celebration, which marks a girl's transition to womanhood, may inadvertently encourage sexual exploration. The speaker also references the high rates of teenage pregnancies among Hispanic girls, as reported by the CDC, to underscore the cultural and societal pressures faced by young women.
🌟 Redefining Archetypes: The Influence of Cultural Stories on Hispanic Women
The speaker identifies and discusses four cultural archetypes that influence the lives of Hispanic women: La Virgen de Guadalupe, representing the idealized mother figure; La Curandera, the medicine woman feared and respected for her knowledge; La Llorona, the tragic figure who personifies regret and loss; and La Malinche, the betrayer and translator who is blamed for the fall of the Aztecs. These archetypes, the speaker argues, send mixed messages about the roles and behaviors expected of Hispanic women, promoting obedience, subservience, and traditional gender roles while simultaneously instilling fear and respect for women with knowledge and power. The speaker challenges these stereotypes and calls for a redefinition of what it means to be a 'Malinche' in the modern era, advocating for a new archetype that values intelligence, independence, and education.
📚 The Power of Education and Breaking Generational Patterns
The speaker concludes with a reflection on the transformative power of education, drawing from her mother's experience of being allowed to attend school despite the traditional expectations of her family. Despite the physical punishment her mother faced for reading, she developed a love for books and stories. The speaker's mother, in turn, ensured that her own daughter had access to education and opportunities, breaking the cycle of limiting expectations. The speaker emphasizes the importance of role models and mentorship in empowering Hispanic girls to pursue education and defy cultural norms that may hold them back. She calls for a collective effort to change the narrative from one of limitation to one of possibility, urging the audience to become part of this positive change.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Macho culture
💡Kinetta
💡Archetypes
💡La Malinche
💡La Llorona
💡Generational pattern
💡Cultural stereotypes
💡Educational rights
💡Hispanic dropout rate
💡Role models
💡Self-worth
Highlights
The speaker's mother was one of 12 children, with a tradition of the middle daughter being the 'designated maid' of the family.
The grandmother, also a middle daughter, was illiterate due to the same tradition, which the speaker's mother was destined to follow.
A principal's intervention allowed the speaker's mother to attend school, breaking the family tradition.
Hispanic girls have the highest dropout rate in high school and college, with cultural stereotypes and responsibilities contributing to this issue.
National Education Association's study reveals reasons for high dropout rates, including macho culture and responsibilities at home.
Absence due to family responsibilities and lack of involvement in after-school activities are identified as factors for dropouts.
High teen pregnancy rates among Hispanic girls are another factor contributing to educational discontinuation.
The speaker observes cultural phenomena such as 'quinceañeras' that may influence early pregnancies and reinforce gender roles.
Quinceañeras are elaborate and costly, with families going into debt to fund the celebrations.
The tradition of quinceañeras is seen as a potential catalyst for early pregnancies due to the transition from girlhood to womanhood.
The speaker introduces 'Hispanic archetypes' that influence cultural expectations and behaviors of Hispanic women.
The Virgin of Guadalupe represents an idealized mother figure, reinforcing the expectation for women to be obedient and subservient.
La Curandera represents a feared and respected figure with secret knowledge, influencing how women are perceived in society.
La Llorona, the story of a woman who drowns her children, is used as a cautionary tale to instill fear and obedience in children.
La Malinche is a figure blamed for the downfall of the Aztecs, symbolizing betrayal and manipulation in society.
The speaker aims to redefine 'Malinche' as a modern, intelligent, and independent woman prioritizing education.
The speaker's mother's love for reading was beaten out of her by the grandmother due to cultural beliefs and responsibilities.
The speaker's mother broke generational patterns by encouraging education and opportunities for her own daughter.
The speaker calls for role models and mentors to change the narrative from 'no' to 'yes, we can' for Hispanic girls.
The speaker emphasizes the importance of asking Hispanic girls about their future aspirations to empower them.
Transcripts
[Music]
[Applause]
good afternoon how's everyone doing
hello so my mother is one of 12 children
that grew up in the bario in San Antonio
Texas 12 children but only nine survived
to adulthood and in my mother's family
there was a very sad tradition that if
you were the middle daughter you were
the designated Maid of the family and
you were kept at home and you helped
cook and clean and take care of the
younger siblings so you were basically
the second mother and when my
grandmother was a young girl she too
came from a large family and she was
also the designated maid and had to stay
home and cook and clean and take care of
the rest of the siblings so my
grandmother never went to school she
actually was illiterate she couldn't
read or write and my mother was destined
for this same fate however it was a
principal at the local elementary school
who noticed that my mother was not there
so she got in her car she came to my
grandmother's house and when she showed
up she noticed that my mother was
actually sweeping up on the front porch
there was a party that they'd had the
night
before my grandmother comes to the door
and the principal points to my mother
and says that child will go to school so
basically the principal had to shame my
grandmother into allowing my mom to be
able to go to school and one of the
reasons why I am so grateful for the
laws of this country is that children
have rights they have the right to a
basic education and so my mother was
allowed to go to school but as soon as
the 3:00 bell rang she had to come
straight home because she still had to
pick up with her chores the cooking the
cleaning and taking care of the younger
siblings my mother learned never to ask
for anything special because whenever
she did my grandmother would simply
say that is not for us our people don't
do that it was always no and so I heard
this story growing up and I began to
wonder well why aren't we encouraging
Hispanic girls to grow what is it about
the culture that keeps reinforcing some
of these
behaviors and then I wondered well is
anybody else noing this same phenomena
and it turns out people have been paying
attention according to the National
Education Association they did a study
on women in education and they noticed
that Hispanic girls have the highest
dropout rate in high school and in
college and they even give reasons as to
why this happens one of the reasons they
give is that um it is a very Macho
culture and so there are these
stereotypes that reinforce that women
are supposed to be submissive
subservient uh be in in motherly type of
roles another thing they noticed is that
a lot of the Hispanic girls often have
to take care of younger siblings I Lings
have to help them get ready for school
and make sure they're fed and dressed if
somebody is sick of course somebody has
to stay home and take care of the sick
child so that leads to lots of
absenteeism in school which then leads
for them to drop out and not finish they
also noticed that many Hispanic girls do
not get involved in after school
activities and they don't get involved
in sports so there's no real connection
to the school and then the fourth thing
they noticed is a very high team
pregnancy rate and the girls are coming
to High School pregnant and the high
schools are just kind of forcing them
out the door so they're not continuing
on uh further in their
education well okay that answered some
of my questions but then I still
wondered is there something else so what
I want to share with you are some of my
observations some things that I've
noticed that might also be contributing
to why the girls are not encouraged to
grow one of the things I noticed is the
concept of the kinetta some of you may
know what this is um the best way to
describe it is it's like a big sweet
party um but this happens when you turn
15 uh it's a big elaborate avenge
there's usually some kind of mass or
some kind of church ceremony uh if you
don't have that then you at least Vite
invite the local priest to at least
bless the event um after the ceremony
you have your big party and you have 14
of your closest friends that are part of
your um attendance and uh you are
presented with your Ultima Mona the last
doll that you will have as a child and
usually there is a father daughter dance
and he will present his daughter with
her first pair of high heels symbolizing
that she is now no longer a child she is
now a
woman and so if you'll see in some of
these images here this is from one of
the local magazines here in Dallas that
you can pick up at any Hispanic grocery
store traditionally these used to be all
white dresses but now they're becoming
much more elaborate colorful all kinds
of themes well Julia
Alvarez uh who is one of my favorite
authors wrote a non-fiction work about
this phenomena of kinettes they are just
increasing each year and what she did is
she followed around several families and
how they went through this process of
having a kenetta and she too noticed
some in interesting phenomena one of the
things she noticed is that a ketta today
Rivals the cost of an average wedding
that families go deep into debt just to
pay for the kinetta they're taking out
second mortgages on their homes they ask
every family member to contrib something
in some way shape or form some family
start saving as early as the moment that
the child is born so they're spending
all of this money the other thing that
she noticed is that she would ask the mo
the grandmothers and the mothers she
would ask them okay well tell me about
your ketta was it this elaborate what
was your dress like how was your party
and the majority of the time they would
look at her and say no no I never had a
Ki the town that I grew up in only the
wealthy families had a kinetta so so
there's this interesting phenomena of
immigrants coming to this country
bringing a tradition with them that
they' never even participated in but in
many Latin American countries katas are
done in the
wealthiest societies these are like
coming out parties like catian so what
we're seeing is kind of this keeping up
with the Joneses kind of phenomena
you've come to this country you've
started from nothing and you have built
something significant of course you want
to shower your daughter you want to give
her everything the best of everything
well the other thing that she also
noticed is that um soon after a
kinetta I wouldn't say every girl but a
large percentage of the girls after the
ketta are getting pregnant well think
about what this message implies to girls
you've just been told that you are no
longer a little girl you are now a woman
you've basically just had your wedding
and of course as a woman you're going to
experiment with your body you're going
to uh explore your sexuality and so
there are some interesting numbers that
are coming across according to the CDC
this is um teen pregnancy rates even
though they have been on the decline
Hispanic girls still make up the highest
percentage of teenage pregnancies and in
2012 they did a study and out of a
thousand births
46.3% of those girls that got pregnant
were Hispanic out of the same group 20.5
of the girls that got pregnant were
white but the pregn prancies in the
ketta still don't explain everything so
I contined to investigate further and
what I came up with are what I call
Hispanic archetypes these are
characteristics which are still kind of
embedded culturally within that we're
still very much um being affected by so
I want to share four of these archetypes
with you the first archetype is Lain the
Guadalupe now I'm sure you have seen
this image before it's very iconic I
find it everywhere it's on t-shirts it's
on cowboy boots I've seen it on tattoos
you see it on the back of pickup trucks
um it's the story of the Virgin Mary
appearing to WAN Diego in
1531 and when she spoke to him she spoke
to him in his traditional nawat language
even the Catholic Church recognizes this
as a legitimate event uh W dieo is the
only indigenous Indian to be canonized
as a saint but think about the social
implications of the Virgin of Guadalupe
this is the ultimate mother figure she
is put on this pedestal and we are
telling the girls that they need to be
like the Virgin Mary they need to be
idealized mothers and good girls and and
preserve this this idea they're also
within that they need to be obedient
subservient they need to obey they need
to do as they're told and in the case of
my grandmother that certainly was the
case it was the local priest that told
her you need to have as many children as
possible and any extra money you have
you have to give to the church and then
she also passed down this idea to my
mother my mother is the one that
explained to me that there were only two
ways out of my grandmother's house
either in a coffin or in a wedding dress
and that was
it the second archetype I want to share
with you is the story of lauranda now
this she is often seen uh in images and
in stories and in society she tends to
be kind of on the outskirts of society
this tends to be an older woman she's
often seen as kind of the Medicine Woman
the Healer uh sometimes she's called a
or a witch you go see her when you have
an ailment of some kind when you don't
feel very well you have to understand in
the bario you do not go to the hospital
unless you are bleeding out or you're on
your deathbed everything else you go to
the C Etta for she can she can remove
fevers she can remove sickness you also
go see here to get the evil eye removed
the Mal the Oho someone might put a
curse on you so you need to go see her
and my grandmother very much believed in
the quetta and would often go see her to
have this evil eye removed but again
think about the social implications of
the kuranda um this is a woman that you
know even though she's on the margins of
society she is greatly feared and
respected remember you don't want to you
don't want to upset this woman she will
she might put a curse on you okay she
has secret knowledge of herbs and magic
and knowledge uh and so you have to
tread lightly around the
cetta the third archetype is the story
of ladona now this is a story that is
often told to children at bedtime so
while American children get the stories
of Peter Pan and Cinderella Hispanic
children get ladona uh there are many
different versions of this story I'm
going to share with you the the version
that I'm familiar with it's the story of
a woman who's married and has two young
children but she falls in love with
another man and that man convinces her
to run off with him so she abandons her
first husband she goes off with this man
and takes her kids with her while
invariably the man grows tired he ends
up also leaving Lon leaving her with
nothing just her and her kids and she is
so angry and she feels so betrayed and
she's so hurt she takes her two children
she goes to the nearby River and she
drowns her two kids yes this is a
bedtime
story and when she realizes what she's
done in her in her grief in her sorrow
at that moment she literally turns into
a ghost and she's known to haunt bodies
of water going up and down Rivers
searching for her lost children
children well you tell this story to
Children before they go to bed you tell
them if you don't behave if you don't
fall asleep laon is going to see you in
the window she's going to think you're
her lost children and she's going to
steal you from us good
night I mean yeah that's a lot to take
as a child but think about the social
implications of ladona you don't want to
be the lady that forever laments things
you don't want to be the Martyr you
don't want to be forever sad there's
also that reinforcement of that negative
the last one I want to share with you is
the story of lalin now this is a true
event in 1519 Cortez showed up and
encountered the Aztec and when he when
he meets monuma the leader as and this
is a very Mexican thing to do uh
whenever you invite someone to your home
of course you give them a gift and so
montazuma gives Cortez a bunch of women
as a gift just like when you go to the
Playboy mansion and Hugh hefter says
here have a bunch of Playboy bunnies on
me
enjoy and so
lalin known as Donya Marina at the time
she was a captured Indian princess she
was part of that group of women that was
given to Cortez's gift but unlike the
other women she actually had a gift for
languages she spoke many of the
different Indian dialects of the local
tribes and so she quickly learned
Spanish and so she ends up becoming the
translator between Cortez and monuma
well invariably her and Cortez become
lovers and at night when they're having
their pillow talk she's telling him the
secrets of the Aztec culture she's
telling him the stories of the Gods and
the goddesses and unfortunately Mexican
history is not very kind to lalin in
fact she's kind of blamed for the
downfall of the Aztecs because she dared
to speak the secrets she dared to give a
little bit of knowledge that Gabe Cortez
just enough to find a way into the
culture and ultimately destroy it at one
point Cortez even pretends to be a God
that has returned uh and so she she's
blamed for all of that it was my father
that explained to me that um you never
want to call a woman in today's society
a
Malin that is an insult what you're
telling her is you're a betrayer you're
a manipulator you tell secrets you
spread lies you're up to no good this is
the Girl by the way in high school that
stole your boyfriend you know this girl
right or you've seen her in the clubs
she takes your man yes you don't ever
want to be a
Malin so think about those four
archetypes and can you understand how as
Hispanic women we are getting so many
mixed messages we're told on the one
hand to be idealized mothers and pure
and virginal but be obedient and Obey
but don't have too much knowledge and
don't share too many Secrets uh and
don't betray people that's a lot of
different things that we're having to
face so I've decided that I am going to
reclaim the word Malin we need a 21st
century definition of this word and so
to me a modern day Malin is a woman who
is highly intelligent fiercely
independent uh and puts education ahead
of anything else and yes we still have
the ability to steal your man but we
won't because we know better and we have
a better sense of self-worth we don't
need your
man so I also thought about how those
four archetypes affected my grandmother
and my
mother remember I told you how my mother
was finally allowed to go to school and
so when she went she learned how to read
and oh my goodness she discovered the
love of books she loves stories she
could Escape her reality in fact her
favorite story was
Cinderella and the the thing she loved
to do the most was to come home find a
little corner in the house and just sit
there quietly and read with her
book and every
time that my grandmother caught my
mother reading
she would beat her and I don't mean
smacking her across the face I mean that
my grandmother would take this thick
heavy belt and would just beat the
living tar out of her just for the
simple Act of reading what kind of
parent does that why would you take that
one little Joy from this
child it took me a long time to
understand and to forgive my grand
mother for that but you have to look at
it from her
perspective my grandmother was
illiterate she couldn't read or right
and in my grandmother's World there is
no time to read a book there is cooking
to do there is ironing to finish there's
chores to do we've got to make the
tortillas because when Grandpa comes
home at 5:00 dinner better be on the
table ready to
go and as I grew up I kept trying to
bring my mother back to books I kept
trying to encourage her to read and
every time I tried she would just look
at me and shake her head and said no
they literally beat out the love of
learning from me and to this day my
mother does not read books for
pleasure but despite all that happened
to my mother she is a very smart woman
and when she got married and had her own
children especially when she had a
daughter she looked at me and she said I
am not going to do to my daughter what
was done to me and in that one moment of
Consciousness she forever broke a
generational pattern and changed the
trajectory of my life so I grew up in a
household where I was encouraged to have
an education I was I remember I was
never denied the right to have a book I
was always told yes to
books yes to dance lessons yes to piano
lessons violin lessons marching band
anything having to do with education it
was yes the only time she ever said no
to me was when I started
dating but then I don't blame her
because she was fearful that I would put
boys ahead of my education she wanted me
to finish my house High School degree
she wanted me to go into college so that
I understand it took some time but now I
understand well so this is an image of
my parents this is their wedding day in
1960 this is both sets of grandparents
my maternal grandmother is on the far
right and if you'll notice around her
eyes there's always this ttin of sadness
it's a happy occasion and she has this
sadness and I've noticed in just about
every photograph I have of my
grandmother there's always that
sadness we have to learn to change this
conversation for our girls we have to
stop telling them
no that is not for us our people don't
do that our people don't go to college
our people don't read books we have to
become tangible Role Models I bet that
there is somebody where you work or
where you go to school or some place
where that you encounter there is a
Hispanic girl that is in desperate need
of a mentor someone to just give them
encouragement someone to see them as a
person it's just the simple Act of
asking them tell me your future story
where do you see yourself 10 years from
now help me change the conversation of
no
no
to yes we can everybody say this phrase
with
me okay I didn't really hear you say one
more
time okay one more time with
conviction thank you so
[Applause]
much
Weitere ähnliche Videos ansehen
What stands in the way of women being equal to men? BBC News
Afternoon of Conversation: The Other Wes More: One Name, Two Fates: Wes Moore
Vivek Oberoi: from a “victim” to “hero”
Education System v. Cultural Competence | Gracia Bareti | TEDxDirigo
NOT HISPANIC AND NOT LATINO! Truth of Identity From Truth of History part 3
Glennon Doyle presenting a live session About Boys and Men of present time
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)