Part 1: Summary The main points discussed in Judith Ortiz Cofer’s essay “The Myth of the Latin Woman: I Just Met a Girl Named Maria” are the myths and hardships Latin women have endured due to their portrayal in the media. Cofer gives two good examples of these hardships. An incident while in London of a man singing “Maria” to her from a movie called West Side Story while on a public bus, and an intoxicated man in a hotel lobby with his daughter singing a crude and dirty version of “La Bamba”. She grew up in New Jersey but had to keep her traditions of style that came from her home land of Puerto Rico. One of the myths addressed is that Latin women are more sexually advanced than Caucasian women the same age. This way of thinking comes from the body hugging skirts and dresses Latinas wear. These are customs and traditions handed down through female family members born in Puerto Rico where this is the normal style for women. Here in America, these styles are seen as mature and revealing so Caucasians interpret this to mean that Latin Women are sexually mature as well. Movies have portrayed Latinas as only good at housekeeping and babysitting. That is because these jobs are all that is available to uneducated Latinas who speak very little English. Latin women have come a long way in overcoming these myths but there is still more barriers to break down. In conclusion, Cofer hopes to change the perceptions of a Latina from easy and good at domestic help to educated and respectful.
Part II: Reaction This story was enlightening because it helped shed some light on the myths my mother and aunts had to endure growing up. I laughed when I
