Jesse Medina
The Paw Print
A platica on machismo was held on Tuesday, November 9 at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church. The event was co-sponsored by SASO or the Sexual Assault Services Organization.
A Platica is defined as a feminine noun which means to talk, or lecture. The topic of this platica was Machismo in our culture. Machismo is a noun which means masculine. A good example of this would be the stereotypical man portrayed watching football and swigging beer. This stereotype is not to be taken lightly as it often times can result in negatively affecting the people and loved ones around said person.
The evening began with Tu Casa representative Carmen Murillo and Olivia De Pablo from Sexual Assault Services Organization giving an opening talk on their respective organizations and the services that they provide. This was followed by a definition of machismo and what it means to be a man culturally and personally. The discussion was done in both English and Spanish allowing for the message to reach a broader audience. For those who didn’t understand Spanish translating devices were provided. The discussion was initially intended to be primarily in Spanish but was changed to accommodate the non-Spanish speaking audience members.
The audience was then asked to introduce themselves and where they were from originally. They were then asked to tell what they missed most from their place or origin. When this activity was complete statistics of abuse towards women was read off and discussed.
Machismo and its intricacies were discussed next. Being macho or machismo is primarily a state of mind. “The macho man is actually the man who is comfortable with himself and his emotions,” according to Carmen Murillo. He provides and takes care of his woman, his children, and his friends. He is not controlling or abusive. The machismo man on the other hand is the opposite of the macho man. He is uncomfortable in his own skin. He is physically and psychologically abusive. He believes that showing emotion is showing weakness. The machismo man will not let his wife work, or even wear make-up for fear that she is trying to attract another guy. Machismo is a cultural phenomenon that is common in Latin American countries. In these countries Machismo has existed for hundreds of years. That’s not to say that it only exists in those countries as I really can be found anywhere. As was mentioned earlier media and advertising completely buy into the machismo man image to sell products. It is as prevalant in the United States as anywhere in the world. The image of the man “ruling the house” is everywhere in society. The woman cooks and cleans while the man is the breadwinner. Next time you are watching a football game look for the machismo man in the commercials.
What was noted is that the abuse that women endure from being victims of machismo is not always physical but often times psychological. Sometimes the psychological damage can be more severe than any physical abuse. The meeting convened with peoples thoughts on the subject of machismo.
Anyone wishing to contact Tu Casa can reach them at (719) 589-2465. Sexual Assault Services Organization can be reached at (970) 259-3074.
What’s Been Said…