Comments on: Barbara Trujillo Gomez’s Latina Fitness Guide Has Us Wondering: Why Do Some Latinas Believe The Hype Behind Stereotypes?

By: Miss Fruitfly

Miss Fruitfly — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 01:54:47 +0000

Thanks for keeping it real for all the ironing board Latins out there. We weren’t all blessed with JLo’s body.

Plus the title of the book is a pun to a bad joke.

By: annita

annita — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 01:00:00 +0000

ok just a thought…what if a book came out claming to be for “the black body” Would people be offended???

I agree that we have to be realistic about our bodies and the way there built…My friends and I all have very different body shapes and were all latinas, so i dont race in the equation…

By: piruli

piruli — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 18:05:42 +0000

I’m interested in knowing what, exactly, a “Latina” body looks like. Jennifer Lopez? A Peruvian-Japanese woman? A Cuban Chinese? Black Dominican? Fair-skinned Argentine?

By: FannyBrice

FannyBrice — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 17:29:17 +0000

This is the Judith Butler trap. Yes, identity is a cultural phenomenon but bodies are complex objects both cultural AND biological. The problem arises when cultural value is assigned to biological traits. That said, do not tell me there is no such thing as a Latino body just because Xuxa is a blonde. Or that there’s no such a thing as “female genitalia” just because we have Boy George :)

By: ...dijo Alex

...dijo Alex — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 16:49:04 +0000

@ LatinaPride: As perfectly entitled as you are to your opinions, you’re unclear as two a couple point here. I’m not criticizing the book, other than it’s title. I’m critiquing the interview, which is replete with racialized stereotypes I, as the author of this post, am 100% not down with. Why? Because they’re wrong. How do I know this? Because many people, including me, don’t fit them and they are, thus, limiting and reductive, rendering flesh and blood human beings into cartoon caricatures with big asses.

Also, good health does not equal a smaller ass and thinner thighs. You can say you’re glad this book exists because it promotes a healthy diet and active lifestyle, but that’s not something that’s exclusive to Latinos. We’re not built differently from other groups - Our health problems, by and large, are cultural, societal and/or economic. Not biological.

So read the book and enjoy it. Personally, I don’t need a woman who perpetuates stereotypes to tell what it means to be healthy.

By: LatinaPride

LatinaPride — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 15:46:22 +0000

You all obviously have no idea what you are talking about and have not read the book. I did and many people I know and love it. Frankly its about time someone is guiding “latinos” on how to eat so we can stop being the highest minority group with diabetes and other health related issues. You just did what so many other ethnic groups do about latinos “judge a book by its cover” what I think is a great one!

By: Latin_Princess

Latin_Princess — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 01:50:39 +0000

What? Is that book for real? WTF??

Here’s what you need to know - no matter what color/culture you are:
Count your calories, move more and don’t skip your birth control pills.

There. Just saved you $17.95.

By: el smrtmnky

el smrtmnky — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 23:00:55 +0000

that title is the punchline from one of my favorite jokes in spanish.

By: Marco

Marco — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 22:58:45 +0000

Be wary of anything “Latino” that begins with the words “Hola chica!” That’s my rule.

I put that right down.