Hombres Y Machos: Masculinity And Latino Culture [Paperback]

Alfredo Mirande (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0813331978 | ISBN-13: 978-0813331973 | Publication Date: May 2, 1997

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 Machos: 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 Mirandé argues 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 population: 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, Mirandé draws 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.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Alfredo Mirandé is professor of sociology and ethnic studies at the University of California at Riverside. He is the author of The Age of Crisis, La Chicana, The Chicano Experience, and Gringo Justice.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Westview Press (May 2, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813331978
• ISBN-13: 978-0813331973
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #338,780 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Macho vs. Hombre: or Will the Real Latino Men Please Stand?, September 12, 1997

By 

[e-mail] (New York/California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hombres Y Machos: Masculinity And Latino Culture (Hardcover)

Doctor Mirande goes boldly where no Chicano has gone before: to provide a positive revisionist analysis of the term "macho." Using anecdotal evidence from his own childhood to flesh out his sociological study, Mirande shows that he is not an apologist, but rather an academic that is interested at finding the truth behind the myths instead of merely buying into them. The results of the studies were surprising, even for him! In the burdgeoning area of men's studies, this text should prove indispensable

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Helped me understand my father, my nephews, myself, my life, July 18, 2003

By 

Andrew Olivo Parodi (Oregon, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Hombres Y Machos: Masculinity And Latino Culture (Paperback)

HOMBRES Y MACHOS has helped me understand my life because my father was Mexican (born in the US of parents born in Mexico), and about half of my family is now of Mexican heritage. I find it interesting that though the Hispanic population is now the largest so-called minority group in the United States, there are so few books available regarding the masculinities of Hispanic culture.

HOMBRES Y MACHOS describes that, contrary to the Anglo-Saxon model of the stoic muscleman, macho Hispanic men are typically colorful, loud, and emotionally expressive. I found this description to be a breath of fresh air because in my late teens I became loosely involved in the movement sometimes known as the men's movement. This movement focuses on combatting the stoic macho male model and introducing men to their emotions. I found this bewildering because, in my experience, the more macho the man the more emotionally expressive (my father, Arthur Olivo, who was very macho, had no shame about dancing, singing, crying, etc.). I came to realize that though I am not biologically Mexican - the father I refer to in this review was technically my step-father - I needed books that addressed the Hispanic male experience because that was also *my* experience.

Finally! HOMBRES Y MACHOS is the book I had been looking for. It helped me understand myself, my life, and it gave me a vocabulary, a framework, within which to perceive my journey. And it helped me understand what is perhaps the most complicated issue of my life: why my Mexican father did not consider me his step-son, but told people I was his biological son. As HOMBRES Y MACHOS details, fatherhood in Mexican culture is far more embracing than what is commonly thought of in Anglo-Saxon culture. According to the author, my father's approach to me as his son has precedent in Mexican culture. Just knowing this fact put a big piece of the puzzle in place.

I am so thankful to Alfredo Mirande for writing HOMBRES Y MACHOS and therefore aiding me in my journey of self-understanding, as well as in understanding the men I have grown up around.

Thank you!

Andrew Parodi

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent and eye opening, January 19, 2001

By 

Robin Orlowski "political activist" (United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hombres Y Machos: Masculinity And Latino Culture (Paperback)

I read this for a sociology class on mexican Americans and could not put it down. Mirande weaves both qualitative and quanitative analysis to examine how Hispanic and Latino men really act.

Too much of the mass media assumes that the lazy, super-macho, virulent and violent Hispanic man is the cultural norm rather than the exception. Mirande shows that subjugation has more often than not introduced those elements into this culture, rather than the other way around. Because family is very important in the Chicano culture, these men are more likely to spend time with their children than Anglo men.

Also interesting was the section on GLBT chicanos and how culture influences acceptance of sexuality. Despite the predominance of catholicism in Latino communities (which usually disapproves of homosexuality)evidence presented in the book suggests that their culture's concept of sexuality is more fluid than the anglo counterpart. Furthermore, the author notes the 'Top' male in lovemaking is generally accepted in society while the passive one is the only person who is not regarded as a real man.