TALKIN SEX CHICANAS AND MEXICANAS Theorize about Silences

TALKIN’ SEX: CHICANAS AND MEXICANAS Theorize about Silences and Sexual Pleasures Patricia Zavella COMO AGUA PARA CHOCOLATE (Like water for chocolate) (1989) LAURA ESQUIVEL

BEFORE WE START… … I WOULD LIKE YOU TO THINK ABOUT THE ARTICLE WE READ TITLED, “TALKIN’ SEX: CHICANAS AND MEXICANAS” AND START TO MAKE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THIS ARTICLE AND THE MOVIE, “LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE” FOCUSING ON THE IDEAS ARE REPRESENTED BY THE CHARACTERS IN THE MOVIE.

THE PROJECT / INTERVIEWS (1983) Ø Ø 17 women: 6 born in Mexico/11 Chicanas Meanings of silence and pleasure Tension in taking about sex Contradictions: acquiescence/ contestation Ø Language used and body language

PROJECT (2) Ø Feminists critiqued the Mexican culture: §Virgin-whore (Guadalupe vs. Melinche) §Repressing women’s sexual desires §Catholic Church role (marriage) §Practices to control women’s bodies (clothing) By whom? And how?

PROJECT (3) §Women breaking the silence Consequences? “escándalo” (scandal) §Chicana lesbian theorists and creative writers (resistance to silencing) §Metaphors: “juego and fuego” (play and fire) §Meanings of silence and pleasures

HISTORY OF SEXUALITY AND MARITAL RELATIONS § First half of the 20 th C: taboo topics § 1930 s and 1940 s: - The notions of virile macho men and selfsacrificing women were constructed in popular culture. - Female chastity prior to marriage § Ritual ‘Robbing’ (kidnapping) -

HISTORY (2) 1950 s: - Urbanization - Feminization of labor force - Increasing migration to USA - Expansion of popular culture - Sexual liberation of women Late 20 th C: - Much regional variation in sexual practices - Globalization

INTERESTING FACTS (SURVEY) 1. First had sexual intercourse by age 15 - 83% young men - 13% women (? ? ) 2. Use of condoms 3. Freedom of being openly affectionate with lover 4. Catholic Church influenced both Mexicans and Chicanas (different ways regarding abortion and contraception) 5. “The New Mestiza” by Gloria Anzaldúa (La Frontera: more than a geographic division)

INTERESTING FACTS (2) 6. Mothers warned about men not about lesbianism 7. Differences between Mexicans and Chicanas regarding silence sexuality/shocking experiences/ sex education… 8. Sanctions for sexual experimentation - Cochina /dirty - Grosera / crude

INTERESTING FACTS (3) 9. Abuse (context of denial) 10. Masturbation (a bad thing) 11. Menstruation 12. Homosexuality (no education) 13. Virginity (body= map) 14. Chicanas (temptations offered by USA popular culture and the pressure of peers) 15. Reputation

INTERESTING FACTS (4) 16. Women body (fat) Rosaura 17. Quinceañera - Patriarcal control over women’s sexuality - Similar to weddings - Virgen de Guadalupe - Ethnic identity - Celebration of purity - Expression of sexual pleasure

LIST OF PROTAGONISTS • Write whatever comes to your mind for each character that is related to the article “Talkin’ Sex”. • It can be one word, a sentence, an image, an idea…

VAGINA MONOLOGUES “DIFFERENT TYPES OF MOANS” http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=aps. KJ 1 H 1 gy g

TYPES OF MOANS!!! • Clit moan • Vagina moan • Combo clit and vagina moan • Almost moan • Right on it moan • Elegant moan • Grace Slick moan • 40 year old moan • Jewish moan • African-American • Irish moan • • • Mountain moan Baby moan Doggy moan Inhibited militant bisexual moan machine moan Torture Zen moan Diva moan College moan and Surprise triple orgasms

BIBLIOGRAPHY Aldama, Frederick Luis. Brown on Brown. : Chicano/a representations of gender sexuality and ethnicity. First edition. University of Texas. 2005. Print González, Juan. Harvest of Empire: A History of Latinos in America. Revised edition. González, Sylvia A. La Chicana: Guadalupe or Malinche. Comparative Perspectives of Third World Women: The impact of race, sex and class. 1980. Pp 229 -250. Print Snook, Margaret L. Elena Poniatowska’s “La piel del cielo”: Mexican History Written on the Female Body. American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese. Bridgewater State College. Hispania Vol. 89, No 2, pp 259 -267. Print Winn, Peter. Americas: The Changing Face of Latin American and the Caribbean. Third edition. University of California Press. 2006 Print