Chicano Men

I had not realized that so many different “rules” and “norms” exist between being homosexual in European-American culture and Mexican/ Latin American culture. One of the most interesting differences is how the reputation or classification of a homosexual is normally formed in either culture. In American culture, one adult homosexual act or acknowledgement threatens a man’s gender identity as a heterosexual. In contrast, in Latino culture, a man’s heterosexual identity is not threatened by a homosexual act as long as he plays the role of the dominant male in the relationship. However, when the man plays the effeminate submissive role in the relationship, he is seen as having betrayed the man’s prescribed gender and sexual role.

It is interesting how American culture is so critical of one singular act when Latino culture does not seem to care about the occurrence of the act itself; they care more about the nature of the act. It appears as though American culture places more value on the reputation of the heterosexual man, as if it is something to be protected, for just one transgression will lead to the loss of a man’s status as a heterosexual. Latino culture, on the other hand, does not seem to be too concerned with the status of heterosexual versus homosexual. The categorization within homosexual is more of a focus. This difference is interesting because, based on the described limited level of freedom for Latino homosexuals due to family importance, homosexuality seems to be more widely accepted in American culture. For homosexuals in Latino culture, not being able to express themselves publicly could lead to the problem of not having its own cultural identity.