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by Michelle Herrera Mulligan (Author), Robyn Moreno (Author)
A collection of essays from some of the best writers in America, about what it means to be a fully functional, and sometimes fully dysfunctional, 21st-century, born-in-the-USA Latina
Tired of the trite cultural clichés by which the media has defined Latinas, the editors of this collection of personal essays by both established and emerging authors, have gathered them with the intention of representing their varied experiences, through hilarious anecdotes from each of their colorful lives. While there is no one Latina identity, the editors believe that by offering a glimpse into these writers' dynamic lives, they will facilitate a better understanding of their unique challenges and their dreams, and most important, their oftentimes shared histories.
The contributors to this collection mirror the compassionate pleas Latinas usually reserve for each other over conversations in dark bars and late night gatherings. "Do they have to think that just because I'm a Latina that I can speak Spanish, curl my hair, paint my toe nails, and dance a rumba--all at the same time?" This, along with other interesting questions, results in a spectacular line up that has Latinas musing on their battling the world, the men that have done them wrong, and of course the mothers who, more often than not, just never understood that their daughters were more Americanas than not.
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Why, in the minds of most Americans, are Latinas still thought of as maids, seductresses, and booty-shaking salsa divas?
Never has the concept of Latina identity been more relevant. Also, never has there been a new generation of Latinas so ready to say what they mean and even criticize the Latina generation that preceded them. Until now.
In Border-Line Personalities, twenty writers share their poignant and wickedly funny stories about fighting with their mothers, struggling with speaking Spanish, and dealing with the men who've done them wrong, among a myriad of other topics. In the end, each essay encompasses a different point of view, lending credence to the theory that no one can label any one item, idea, or person more Latina than the other.
Questions posed to Latinas of all ages in Border-Line Personalities:
- Why do many of us often feel more American than Latina?
- How important is Spanish, really?
- Do we all really fit under one cultural umbrella?
- When thinking about having children, do we really have to consider being stay-at-home moms as most of us were raised to believe was law, or can Latinas even consider the possibility of raising children while working?
- What do we do when we fall in love with someone (male or female) outside our culture?
Number of Pages: 336Dimensions: 0.9 x 7.9 x 5.3 INPublication Date: July 06, 2004
