Hijas Americanas: Beauty, Body Image, and Growing Up Latina (Paperback)

by Rosie Molinary (Author)
Key Phrases: Puerto Rican, United States, New York City (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Young Latinas grow up dealing with two, often conflicting, sets of expectations about how they should look, how they should act and how they should dream, points out Molinary, a poet, teacher and first-generation Latina born to Puerto-Rican parents, in this study. Drawing on the responses of more than 500 women who answered an extensive survey, Molinary lays out the most pressing tensions and obstacles for Latinas around issues like body image, religion and sexuality. In chapters titled Turning Gringa and How Latina Are You? she weaves together her own stories with the anecdotes of her survey respondents. The extensive quoting of other Latinas imbues the book with an honesty that will likely be appreciated by young readers. However, Molinary often overuses these voices, which drown the narrative structure. At its best, the book is a pastiche of honest and emotional insights that come together to reveal a shared experience. At its worst, it comes off like a sloppily prepared sociological report, with little storytelling finesse. Though more suited to skimming than reading straight through, the book is likely to be a source of comfort for many young Latinas. (June)
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From Booklist
Growing up in two cultures, children are usually the ones "who bring America home" while their parents "just want the guest to go away." Molinary was the only Puerto Rican girl in her South Carolina high school, and her lively, honest narrative captures the immigrant conflicts of trying to fit in at home and feeling a stranger outside. She combines her personal experience with commentary drawn from more than 80 Latinas she interviewed and more than 5,000 who answered her Web-based questionnaire. They talk frankly about prejudice, family tensions, body image, skin color, sexuality, faith, social norms, and much more. Throughout, the young women are candid about ignorance from all sides, and they are fiercely critical both of the stereotype that Latinas are all "Mexican and illegal" and of the exotic, sexy roles Latinas play on television. Rooted in clear details, the strong, upbeat message celebrates the traditional and the contemporary sides of today's Latinas. A final section includes the survey, interview questions, and an up-to-date bibliography and a resource guide. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: Seal Press; annotated edition edition (April 19, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580051898
• ISBN-13: 978-1580051897
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #107,590 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hijas Americanas, April 16, 2008

By	sayock - See all my reviews

**Long Review** (for a condensed version, skip down)
I would have to part from the majority of the reviews here, especially the ones that suggest this book applies universally to women. While there are elements of the book that the majority of women can relate to, it is clear to me from the larger messages that Molinary's attempting to get across that 1) the point is not all women are essentially the same with basically similar experiences when you get down to it, and 2) while some of these issues share a level of commonality, Latinas are affected much more deeply not only by these common growing pains but by their intersection with identities and issues unique to Latinas. People mention the common topics discussed by Molinary but fail to point out the discussions about the unique ways in which Latino parents often inadvertently add pressures to finding one's Latinidad by either wanting their kids to fit into the mainstream more--thus stripping them of the right to speak Spanish at home and visit Spanish-speaking nations or become close to the homeland of their parents--or constantly reminding their kids that they aren't white...which I sense from several stories that reminding Latinas that they aren't white is almost the same as telling them they aren't really American. Most also fail to mention the struggles Latinas obviously face balancing their parents' views and pressures with social pressures experienced from white media and white peers. These issues are far from what the average white American female experiences or even has any clue about.

And as a black female reading this book, I often found I couldn't relate to the feelings, concerns and pressures of the Latinas interviewed, as well as Molinary. However, you don't have to be able to relate to enjoy this book. Quite the contrary, reading this book makes you aware of diverse experiences happening in the US, and that's valuable. Since other reviews attempt to essentialize women and tell you what they could relate to, I will elaborate on what I couldn't relate to:

There is an extreme emphasis on the Latinas' relationship to authentic American identity, as well as comparisons to whiteness and/or the longing to be white or actually feeling white in some ways. I have read several books about what Asian Americans experience growing up in the US, and it's amazing how similar the experiences and mindsets of these two groups are. The emphasis on and struggle with American identity (i.e. wanting to be perceived as American and/or just as American as white Americans, and being hurt/angry when they're not) and seeming idealization of whiteness are two of the things I never understood about Asian American (and Latino) stories. In other words, I don't understand why it's so horrible to not fit American ideals or why it's so personally important to almost every voice in these stories to do so, on one hand (on the other hand, this is basically what Asians and Latinos come to America to do, i.e. achieve the American Dream, which basically must be done through assimilation).

And I don't understand why American identity is always conflated with whiteness by Asians and Latinos in their stories, and yet they still believe that they should be included in such an identity--what about blacks...or, when an Asian is speaking, what about blacks and Latinos...or, when a Latino voice is speaking, what about blacks and Asians? My point is not to say the Latinas in this book are not truly American, just that I don't understand why they cared so deeply if other people didn't see them that way since, obviously, blacks are also often kept out of authentic American identity and we seem to care far less than Asians and Latinos do.

Like many other books about the cultural experiences of a particular group growing up, these issues are left unexplained and unexamined, but are simply mentioned or indirectly brought to the surface through individual stories. Thus, this book does more than tell the experience of Latinas growing up in the US or reveal how women are basically the same--it also speaks volumes about the racial thoughts and relationships between Latinas and people of other races/backgrounds in the US. The one notable difference between Latinas and Asians is that many of the Latinas expressed that, despite the sometimes seemingly lopsided focus on whites among the Latina participants and Molinary, they feel a great affinity towards other racial minorities in the US (Asian American stories stick almost exclusively to whites and Asians).

Another issue that comes up time and time again throughout this book that I don't relate to is the importance of beauty to Latinas, even with my being a female. The discussion in the chapter "How Latina Are You" regarding how different skin shades among Latinas can affect their interactions with each other and the rest of the US does match the black experience somewhat. But comparing oneself as a Latina to white standards of beauty--and in many cases while simultaneously comparing oneself as a Latina to the Latino standards of beauty--don't match the black experience, I don't feel, since I don't believe black women compare themselves to/feel the need to fit white standards anywhere near as much as other groups (or, at least, I haven't).

**Short Review**
My point is this: I would say that this is a good, educational read. I don't think this book is as tedious or bothersome to read as a couple others have indicated, even though her writing style is repetitive. Her writing style lends the book to a very easy-to-understand read, with nothing interfering with the stories and the voices of each Latina participant. However, you're not going to get anything out of this book if you're missing the bigger points of the stories, i.e. you're not going to come away fully understanding the Latina struggle in the US and how that differs from--and is even impacted by--the identities of other groups in the US. If you read this book, which I do suggest, pay attention to what is both experienced by you as someone from your particular background AND what is NOT experienced by you because you're from your particular background. That is where the richness of and the true learning from this book lie.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible Book!, June 6, 2007

By	Jennifer Kinney (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is one of those books that you won't soon forget! Molinary gives moving, funny, and thoughtful anecdotes of her life blended with stories and experiences of other latinas in the US. I wish it had been available when I was a young girl, but I can still take away so much from it as a 33 year-old woman. I could not put it down and read it in two days! Thanks to the author for putting so much time and research into crafting a book that could help millions of woman see themselves for the beautiful "hijas" they are. This is a timely, empowering read!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Eye-opening, June 24, 2007

By	Joanna Avant (Decatur, GA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've attended countless diversity trainings and Masters-level classes on cultural issues. I've even completed a week-long seminar that certified me to interpret scores on the Intercultural Development Inventory and administer cultural sensitivity trainings. Molinary has, in 300 pages, taught me more than any of these experiences. By allowing these women to tell their stories to a faceless audience, she has given non-Latinas, like me, a unique opportunity to delve into their lives and gain as deep an understanding of their experiences as possible. It's also a great read! Educational AND entertaining?? That's what I said.