Abstract
The Other in mainstream U.S. society—in this case, the Latino Other—faces oppressive forces in the journey to find belonging. Latinos are marked by stereotypes, regardless of whether such stereotypes have a factual foundation. Latinas specifically are labeled as submissive servants, maids, or nannies. On the other end of the spectrum, Latinas are exotic and enticing sexual beings that must satisfy white men’s fetishes and lechery. Through this thesis, I will explore what Latina women face as an Other that is paradoxically both rejected and desired and evokes aversion as well as awe. In this creative thesis, in creative nonfiction, poetry, and oral history interviews with Latinas in my life, I will survey and expose stereotypes of Latinas, with the goal of uplifting the voices of such women of color and helping bridge the gap of understanding between the “average American” and their “Othered” Latino neighbors. If the non-Latino American public becomes educated on topics such as xenophobia and anti-Latino discrimination, they may do their part to create a community that is more inclusive and welcomes the ethnic diversity that has always been present in America.
Thesis Completion
2022
Semester
Spring
Thesis Chair/Advisor
Milanes, Cecilia Rodriguez
Degree
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
College
College of Arts and Humanities
Department
English
Degree Program
Creative Writing
Language
English
Access Status
Open Access
Release Date
5-1-2022
Recommended Citation
Lopez, Nina M., "The Spicy Girls: Writings on the Lived Experiences of Latinas as the Exotic "Other."" (2022). Honors Undergraduate Theses. 1166.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/honorstheses/1166