My Issue with Media

Ok..so as I was going through my daily routine of browsing news, which also includes a couple of magazines, I came up with the new cover of Esquire for it's April issue. I have to say I have an issue with this cover, not only this cover but how media sexualizes Latin celebrities.

I don't watch "Dancing with the Stars,"and the Latin actor that is making a buzz in William Levy. I mean don't get me wrong Sophia Vergara and William Levy are BEAUTIFUL humans that got gifted with wonderful appearance genes.

Let's start with my analysis of this cover. I know it's Esquire and it's set audience is men. But she's Latin and we all know one of the stereotypes that Latinos have is that we're beautiful, especially women, and the we possess these wonderful voluptuous bodies.

Sophia does, but here is where I have the problem. Not only is she "hot," but the word SEX appears in bold in a huge font size.

I just feel she's putting more into the Latino stereotype than it already is. I don't think there was a need to put the word for her to sell SEX since she already sells it for obvious reasons. She's just feeding more into the Latino stereotype.

Another Latino feeding media with stereotypes is Cuban actor William Levy, which got his stardom appearing in Mexican telenovelas, but the actor now wants to make in a breakthrough through U.S. mainstream media.

The way he's approaching it is by doing "Dancing with the Stars" and taking off his shirt. We all know and see he's gorgeous, but does he have to strip to show his abs to while dancing salsa?

There's just more in being a Latino. It's just showing the world that we can dance and be sexy. We need to stop these stereotypes but celebrities are the ones that just continue to feed mainstream with these ideas.

Hopefully, there's other people Latinos that can show the world that those stereotypes are just not what everyone is and represent Latinos in worthy way.

Tribute to a Childhood Idol

"Anything for Salinas..." was a memorable quote from, "Selena," the motion picture. When I was a four-year-old I would have the done the same thing...anything for Selena.


A lot of Latinas my age, know of who I'm talking about and was too their childhood idol.

My childhood idol

As a child I grew up hearing her music and from what I remember she was my favorite singer long before all the Britney's, Beyonce's, Christina's came along.


I want to tribute my childhood idol and forever idol, Selena, which March 31st marked her 17th death anniversary. A true artist taken away from the world at a young age.


Selena Quintanilla, also known just as Selena was a famous Mexican-American singer/songwriter from the early 90s. She was named "The Queen of Tejano music" and topped the latin charts. Songs like "Amor Prohibido" and "No Me Queda Mas" immortalized her.


Selena was born in Lake Jackson, Texas, in April 16, 1971. Her family relocated in Houston where her career came to a start.


Her career soared to the top and was very successful. But her career came to an end when she was murdered at the young age of 23. She was assassinated by her club president, Yolanda Saldivar.

Yes, this is me! Dixy performing to Selena. 

I'm not going to continue and talk about her bio but rather than tell you about how Selena made a huge impact on me as a child. 


As a little girl I always wanted to be like her. I knew every song in the cassette my mom had bought me. I would play it over and over again. I would sing along to her songs and danced in my room pretending I was giving a concert.


Ever since then, my mom saw some potential in me and would register me in talent competitions. I remember loving it, especially because I got to sing to Selena songs. I was never shy and loved performing in front of people. My mom would even make me outfits that matched the Selena song. As you can imagine, this was a dream was a dream come true. I got to be just like Selena! Needless to say, I was pretty good at entertaining people while imitating Selena. In a child pageant (not like the ones here in the U.S.)  I even won "the talent" trophy.


The song that will always remind me of Selena is "Techno Cumbia," which gave me the winning trophy. The picture above is the outfit my mom made me when I was competing. The outfit is just like the girl who is dancing in the "Techno Cumbia" video. I loved singing that song. 


Her music was what I grew up with and her Tejana influence forever changed my world. My childhood memories are all full of Selena and I think she's was a worthy role model to me. I want to thank Selena for always filling my childhood memories with happiness and laughter.


Forever Selena!


Dixy

Texas honors Tejano culture

Texas now has a part of history that was never recognized. But it will now be out in the front of the capitol for all to see and learn about Tejano culture.

The completed Tejano monument. From tejanomonument.com

On Thursday was the unveiling of the Tejano Monument at the Texas State Capitol. It represents the Tejano culture that once prevailed and still prevails here in Texas. According to writer Cindy Casares from News Taco, "after 500 years, Texans of Hispanic ancestry are officially recognized by the state of Texas." 


I didn't go to the unveiling due to conflicting scheduling and still haven't seen the monument. But I did attend the conference the day after the unveiling, in which several people who have specialized in Tejano culture gave lecture lessons about important issues. 


I had the opportunity to sit in a lecture session called, "Tejanos under the Mexican Flag, 1821 a 1836," given by Dr. Andres Tijerina. 


Dr. Tijerina talked about the importance of having such culture represented.


"We need to let people know the capitol belongs to us," said Tijerina. "Tejano history is important."


I was amazed and also surprised about history that I never had been taught to me. Dr. Tijerina said he wanted to study Tejano history because no one talked about Texas when it was from Mexico.


The lecture focused on the Mexican influence that was in everything that Anglo ranchers did. The professor of Austin Community College mentioned how Anglo ranchers would have never survived in Texas if it wasn't for what the Mexicans that lived here taught them. 


I also didn't understand what a being a Tejano meant. But as I talked to one of classmates who considers herself a Tejana, I understood that Tejanos are proud of their roots of being Mexican but also are proud of being from Texas. Texans who have family since Texas was even part of the United States. 


It's good to see the representation of what had been silent for a long time.