Hombres Y Machos: Masculinity And Latino Culture

by Alfredo Mirande

Although patriarchy, machismo, and excessive masculine displays are assumed to be prevalent among Latinos in general and Mexicans in particular, little is known about Latino men or macho masculinity. Hombres y Masculinity and Latino Culture fills an important void by providing an integrated view of Latino men, masculinity, and fatherhood?in the process refuting many common myths and misconceptions.Examining how Latino men view themselves, Alfredo Mirand rgues that prevailing conceptions of men, masculinity, and gender are inadequate because they are based not on universal norms but on limited and culturally specific conceptions. Findings are presented from in-depth personal interviews with Latino men (specifically, fathers with at least one child between the ages of four and eighteen living at home) from four geographical regions and from a broad cross-section of the Latino working and middle class, foreign-born and native-born. Topics range from views on machos and machismo to beliefs regarding masculinity and fatherhood. In addition to reporting research findings and placing them within a historical context, Mirand raws important insights from his own life.Hombres y Machos calls for the development of Chicano/Latino men's studies and will be a significant and provocative addition to the growing literature on gender, masculinity, and race. It will appeal to the general reader and is bound to be an important supplementary text for courses in ethnic studies, women's studies, men's studies, family studies, sociology, psychology, social work, and law.

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mirande reports on his sociological study about what it means to be "macho" and what it means to be "a real man" for a sample of Mexican men living in California and Texas. He concludes that masculinity is NOT a universal trait and that the concept of masculinity varies by context. So, his point is that there are, in fact, MANY masculinities in any given culture -- in this case, Latino culture. He also explores the various positive and negative perceptions of "macho".

There are some problems with this study, and I would like to see the research done again but with more open-ended questions, interviews with men AND women, interviews conducted BY men and women.... etc. But, overall, I feel that Mirande accomplished a lot in this study of really beginning to understand the complexities of "machismo" and masculinity (and, consequently, femininity, although he doesn't get into this at all).

I definitely recommend this book to anyone who knows a man ("un hombre"). :) Therefore.... everyone. It's a good start for important conversations.

[Rhina Luu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting read on masculinity and the differentiation between "machismo" and "macho". Definitely makes me ponder about masculinity within my culture and American culture.