Almaguer

In his essay, Almaguer's argument about why Latinos don't come out as much as Americans and those in western cultures do made me really think about what defines homosexuality and why homosexuals come out. Latino culture revolves more around family and what is best for the family as a whole. When one member of a family takes an action, a large part of their decision to do it is based on how it will affect their family. Latinos often take actions that will benefit their family as a whole. Americans, on the other hand, although there are plenty of exceptions (as with Latinos), usually act for themselves. Many of their decisions are based on how their own life and future will be affected. Although effects on their family are also considered, individual consequences usually play a larger role in decisions. This idea plays a large role in Latinos' decisions to come out and declare themselves as "homosexual". As Almaguer says, it takes more for Latinos to actually consider themselves as homosexual because their definition of love and methods of expressing it are more exaggerated than that of Americans.