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read the blog below, it is very informative and so true. blog courtesy of wise latinas linked group. (LINK is below)

Feeding into Stereotypes: ABC's New Show on Latina Maids



Photo of Telenovela Cast

 Just when you thought you’ve seen everything on television that stereotypes Latinas; here comes another TV show that is going to top the list. ABC is coming out with Devious Maids.

Now take a wild guess on who gets to play the maids? Well of course---Latinas.

Oh and they’re not going to be working in some kind of Midwest, middle class town. It has to be Beverly Hills.

According to a report in Deadline.com:

"Desperate Housewives creator Marc Cherry has set up a new hour long soap at ABC. Titled Devious Maids, it is an adaptation of the Mexican telenovela The Disorderly Maids Of The Neighborhood. "

Cherry is the same guy who wrote the interesting role of “Gabby” for Eva Longoria on Desperate Housewives. Maybe that makes him think he’s got the inside take on Latinas. I don’t know. But he’ll be writing the scripts for Devious Maids and ABC will produce the show.

The actresses who land the roles for the show will be playing housekeepers: Silvia, Maribel, Adela, Guillermina and Carmela.

I’m just bothered that they have to be housekeepers. Why not Latina attorneys? How about Latina surgeons, reporters or school teachers? They can be funny too.

Latinas Don't Get the Main Parts

Other than The George Lopez Show; when have Latinos been the major players in a television show? Sure they’re included in a cast of major players like in Desperate Housewives, Modern Family, Law and Order and a few others shows. But this time Latinas will be the main characters, and I think it’s important to put them in a good light.

How much do you bet that Cherry will have some or all of them with accents, speaking Spanglish or having at least one do the rapid “Spanish chatter” that is so cliche on television.

I hope if he has a writing team that at least a few are Latinas. Maybe they can try to keep it real. It’s scary to think  just one white guy is writing the script.

The Shows Name Sets the Tone

I also have a problem with the name of the show “Devious Maids.” OK it’s bad enough that ABC and Cherry are making the characters Latina housekeepers on national television; but now they’re labeled “devious.”

Webster Dictionary defines devious as deceptive and cunning. So these maids are already being characterized “shady” just by the name of the show.

Big Hit or Big Flop

Every network is looking for the next big hit show. Cherry is too after stepping down from his leadership role at Desperate Housewives. He’s got a good track record at ABC, so the network probably gave him the green light to do what he wants.

The show isn't out yet, but the name and storyline have set the tone. Cheap shot! Sure it’s comedy or maybe dramedy (drama + comedy) and we’re supposed to laugh about it.

Isn’t ABC or Cherry reading the news? There is an attack on Latino immigrants in the U.S. Many are in the housekeeping industry. Latina maids themselves are underpaid, over worked and at times abused. That’s not funny.

What Latinas Are Saying

Many Latinas on Facebook are already disgusted and disappointed with ABC. Here are just a few comments on our Wise Latinas Linked page:

Karen HP-- "Of course they have to be maids. I don’t like this stereotype."

Felicia A.-- "ABC should be slapped!"

Annette M.-- "Are you kidding!"

Karen S.-- "Don’t like it".

Sandra G.-- "Maids???!!! Seriously? Can’t we ever get past this?"

Orietta R.-- “Why not have an ensemble including a doctor, a lawyer/judge, teacher,mom, etc…"

Liz C.--“This only enforces the stereotypes Latinas have had in film & TV…..Marc Cherry cannot make money based on the negative portrayal of Latinas."

Not Off Our Brown Backs

Cherry and ABC could have asked members of Wise Latinas Linked what they thought of show’s concept and title. I’m sure many of us would have given them our honest opinions and even suggestions.

Marc Cherry and ABC, shame on you for taking the easy way out to make money off our brown backs! Now go back and make us Latinas proud!

Comments and questions can be directed to http://abc.go.com/site/contact-us

Rebecca Aguilar is the founder of Wise Latinas Linked; a social networking group on Facebook and Linkedin.

Señorita Representación

The big buzz on the lips of women activists and on the painted fingertips of empowered business women is the new documentary called Miss Representation directed by Jennifer Siebal Newsom. Check out Miss Representation here. And that's has me thinking about what role is being played in the lives Latinas? Who is aspiring them to achieve more? Do more with their lives? Not anyone I see on day-to-day magazines! It is important to have these figures in our lives because they plant the seeds of inspiration.

I think the biggest challenging facing any girl today is the lack of power and knowledge combined in smart and intellectual women. Not that they don't exist, they do, but the fact that they are not celebrated or acknowledged. For Latinas, it is the lack of good YOUNG Latina role models that encourage them to believe in their dreams and, most importantly, believe in themselves.

Latinitas Magazine is the magazine to represent these young girls because unfortunately the big-named magazines like Seventeen Magazine doesn't do that. Neither does LATINA Magazine. Yes, I said it and there is a reason for it! Latinitas is a magazine that actually represents young Latina girls, allowing them to explore the world around them through media and technology. As a Latina, myself, I feel disappointed reading a magazine like LATINA. Why? Because they are a well-established magazine that has the power to give vital information to members of Latina society and make them aspire to be more. And what do they do what that power?? They glorify celebrities who are not important figures in life. Yes, they have money, and we live in a world where power is money, but I don't think some random Latina celebrity needs to be on the cover and littered through every page of that magazine.

Recently, LATINA, featured a list of the top 15 Latina women. Among the list were Gloria Estefan (given), Shakira, Selena Gomez, and some no-named La La Anthony. For the basketball fans, she is the WIFE of Carmelo Anthony. Why is she featured on that list?? Did they run out of Latina celebrities and picked her? A basketball wife, really? Some accomplishment. Who wants to aspire to be that? Why not put Sonia Sotomayor on that list or Consuelo Kickbush? Oh, right, they don't matter to LATINA Magazine. It's about celebrities, not real life people who work hard for what they've done. Imagine what that instills in young girls reading that magazine.

I also found it quite humorous that in their latest issue they list the 70 reasons to love being a Latino.5 of 70 reasons actually pertain to real Latinos changing the lives of people. FIVE, not to mention they were pushed into the corners of the page layout that no one reads or will likely skim over. FIVE! Because the reason to love being Latino is that "Our Divorcees Are Hot!". Which is so much more important. Yeah right! That's not something to be proud of.

The most compelling issue for any girl is the issue of low self-esteem. I know it sounds shallow at first, but when you really think about low self-esteem and the possibility of have a great future together with low self-esteem, it does not work. Self-esteem is the start to any dream, career, or goal in someone's life. I believe that if I continue working with a magazine like Latinitas, whose mission is to inspire young girls through media and technology, we can encourage good self-esteem which will transfer to young girls making better choices for themselves. I currently, live in San Antonio, Texas, the top rated city for teen pregnancy and obesity. Not really good trademarks but low-esteem is the bottom trigger to these "side effects." Without good self-esteem, it's easy to see no future for the youth. But inspiring them to be more, dream more, that would be solution to the issue at hand. Good self-esteem equals good future.

Latinitas Magazine has and will always be my passion. I am extremely blessed to discover this passion a lot sooner than my peers. I have always been fired up about organizations, people, or even movies that promote good self-esteem and the achievement of future generations. Maybe, because it helps the little girl inside of me grow and allow me to be comfortable with myself. Latinitas has struck this chord and if I could strike more chords with other girls? Then that is the career worth living for. I am graduating with a Masters in Media Studies and plan to use my journalism and PR skills to relay this message till the moon falls out of the sky.

More on Sonia!

I love Sonia! Her words are always motivating and inspiring!

A Wise Latina: Sonia Sotomayor

Name: Sonia Sotomayor

Age: 57

Birthday: June 25, 1954

Hometown: South Bronx, New York

Siblings: Younger brother, Juan Sotomayor (physician)

High School: Graduated from Blessed Sacrament and Cardinal Spellman High School as Valedictorian.

Colleges: Her influence to attend Princeton University came from her High School Debate Coach, Ken Moy, alumni. She won a scholarship to attend. She graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa as proof that she continued to excel in college. She received the highest honor Princeton awards as being the co-recipient of the M. Taylor Pyne Prize as an undergraduate. She then attended Yale Law School.

Home-life: She and her younger brother were raised by her widowed mother. Her mother was a nurse who instilled, at a young age, the importance and value of obtaining a good education. Her mother, like many Latinas, would work six days a week to help meet the needs of her two children. She sacrificed a lot for them, but in the end, their education was well strived for. They attended private high schools and went onto prestigious colleges. Her younger brother is now a physician and she, a nominee of the Supreme Court system. She is the first Hispanic to be elevated the high court system. Being a Latina woman makes the idea of "dreams come true" a reality.

"Once I focused on becoming a lawyer, I never deviated from that goal."

Inspiration: Not surprisingly Sotomayor was well educated, even at a young age. After the death of her father at age nine, she submersed herself into the adventures of Nancy Drew. There is a forced to be reckoned with, by reading, she obtained knowledge and gave her the idea of becoming a lawyer because she wanted to help people. "I noticed that [defense

attorney] Perry Mason was involved in a lot of the same kinds of investigative work that I had been fascinated with reading Nancy Drew, so I decided to become a lawyer," Sotomayor told the American Bar Association publication in 2000. "Once I focused on becoming a lawyer, I never deviated from that goal."

What could possibly make a Latina women classified to take such a prominent title? Maybe it was her background of being raised by a single mother with her younger brother, or having been instilled with the knowledge that education is a well -treasured value, or with her intellectual background of attending prestigious schools; that made her qualified to be appointed as part of the Supreme Court system. Her intellect, humility, judge of character, determination, strength of mind and heart, and persona give her qualities that make her an inspiring role model. Forget the celebrities who only come on the media for the gossip and juicy stories they bring, Sonia Sotomayor is here gaining attention from the media because she will continue to mark history before our very eyes. A WISE LATINA INDEED!

A World of Connections

"To be BEAUTIFUL means to be yourself. You don't need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself." –Thich Nhat Hanh

Lately I've realize that the more you start to accept yourself, the more you recognize yourself in others, therefore connecting you to the world.


Accept yourself, accept the world.


I'm not saying to take a blind eye to the bad that does exist in the world but at least you will begin to feel this exclusive and distinctive connection you haven't felt before because you were blindsided by your own insecurities that didn't allow you to see the full picture.


The full picture… is beautiful! We live in a world of people, nature, life, and it is blooming around us as if we lived in a constant Spring season. Yes, there IS a downfall in every person's life, because quite frankly that is life. If we learn to cherish the moments that matter most in our life, we will have a fruitful and fulfilling life.


Only recently, on bus adventures have I found myself more open to the world around me. I watch the people waiting and riding the bus. For the most part everyone is to themselves. On a couple of occasions I will get smiles from someone other than the bus driver. But even those connections mean so much, especially if you are having a bad day. The people that ride the bus have been marked down as the "uncivil" and "poor" people by people who have never rode a bus in their life. I used to be one of those people but now I have come to understand those people that ride the bus.


You see, I realized that there is no 'type' of people that ride the bus, they are just…people. Humans. People like you and me.


Mothers, grandmothers, lawyers, doctors, nurses, husbands, students; everyone rides the bus. The bus is not just subjected to the "lower case".


Accept yourself, see the world differently.

The Parasite Within

For those days that you can't get you out of your head. Those blue, blue days. Because truth is, they will get to you every now and then, especially when you are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel of good self-esteem. But that is okay!! They happen to the best of us.
Recently, I noticed a pattern. On the bad days, on top of having the bad day, I will start to feel bad over stuff that didn't even happen that day and I just soak it in. I'm not saying it's a good thing, because it is not a good habit to have.
But just think, recall those moments, those days, when you feel something churning inside you? That's what I call, a parasite from within. Those days the parasite brings everything just underneath the surface of your skin. And you can't help but just itch and scratch at such an irritating rash. Those are the days that you can find any kind words to sooth away the pain of your itch and you can't help but to scratch it…further and further until you find yourself bleeding…..again.
For me, those days that I let the parasite eat at the beauty within and I become so sick. It disgusts me that I will actually continue to rewind the words of another in the back of my mind like a silent movie. Why? WHY?! Why do I LET people get the best of me? It is so ridiculous that I allow myself to fall back into these miserable depths. I actually don't know any other way to describe this strong distaste I have for the parasite inside of me. It latches on to a bad day, and just makes it worse by supplying every thought or word said to me as a bad thing. Ugh! Can you say delusional!?
Whatever, I'm taking a step away from that. So here is my letter to that parasite! Pass the "wordly" antibiotics please!
Well now the time has come, it's a like a graduation. I'm growing and am learning to say goodbye. BON VOYAGE! You little negative parasite! You have been eating away at me for far too long! Who cares if you aren't perfect Roxxi? WHO CARES if you have flaws? WE ALL DO. And it never fails, you stupid parasite always come back in a form of a critique, negative comment, or something just plain stupid. Whatever that has been said, has been said. So be gone! Insecurities won't get you very far, and you have beauty in-and-out working for you, never against you. Parasite, poison that seeps in deep; it is your time to be terminated, diluted.
Now to me, Roxxi, there's nothing wrong with you! Be strong, confident, and yourself because no matter what, it doesn't matter what anyone says. Point is, you already have it in you. You just need to let it speak for yourself. You can't keep yourself from making decisions…from living. You will only set yourself up for failure the more you let yourself sink into the sinkhole of bad self-esteem. That parasite will suck you in like a black hole, if, and only if, YOU LET IT SUCK YOU IN YOURSELF!!
Eleanor Roosevelt once said "No one can make you inferior without your consent." Take that thought even further, and tell yourself that YOU cannot make yourself inferior without your consent. Next time, catch yourself before you say something bad. Or if you do, think to yourself "am I really making myself feel bad about myself?" And when the point comes when you actually ask yourself, you will realize how ridiculous you sound.
Ridiculous right? Soon your blue day will turn into gold. Don't let anyone steal your gleam of the glitter you already have.
Song of those bad days? Try Jennifer Love Hewitt's "Hey Everybody". Its catchy tune will have you smiling in no time. J

Got Self-Esteem? Day 2

Okay now that we have been shyly gazing at our mirrors, it is time to move on to the next step because it is going to take time to bring out that girl you see in the mirror. So I urge you to write a love letter to yourself, as a friend. Pretend you are your own friend for the night. And YOU need a pick me up! What are you going to say?

Here's a draft of what you could write.

Dear Roxxi,

Don't you dare let anyone bring you down. You are on the path to recovery and need all the assurance you can get. Listening to them only brings you back further from the girl you want to be. I know you can be her. You have it in you. Your smile,
your eyes,
the way you light up when you're happy is all the proof you need.
Don't let anyone take that away from you my queen. Think of Esther (check the movie One Night With The King), her poise and beauty come from within. Look inside and find it. You are beautiful, smart, and caring. If you ever feel like you are not good enough, look inside and see that you are perfect just the way you are. No more hating on yourself now. God made you you because He loves you and that's proof enough right there that you are worth every penny in the world. So who says you aren't pretty, perfect, or worth it? Who cares?! Point is you are those thing and more!

<3 always me

Got Self-Esteem? Day 1

So recently I have been thinking about my future and how I can almost touch it with my fingertips, I can sense the opportunities ahead of me already.


I am so blessed.


I want be a human as I can when I get the job I want. And by human, I mean, I want to be an observer and learn about people and different cultures. That's the secret to living a good and prosperous life. By understanding the world around you become to feel little in the sense that you realize you are a part of something big and wonderful. In order for me to become an observer of the world, I must first observe myself and who I am before placing any personating opinion out there for people to read, more dangerously, for it to live on its own.


I need to repair this broken mirror in front of me so I can get a better look at the girl who shattered its pieces because she LET someone tell her "who she is."


I am a girl with low self-esteem, there I ADMIT IT. I think what hurts worse is the blow I get when I imagine myself as I should be, the real me. That girl would laugh at me and pat my back with a reassuring smile. That girl is bold,beautiful, confident,
courageous, and boy is she smart! The kind of girl that leaves an impression in the room when she walks out.


After picking up some shattered pieces I can see that girl. I just need time to repair these self-inflicted wounds so that I can understand who I am about to become and wear it confidently with a wink and a smile.


I believe the first step to any girl, who wants to find themselves, is to look in the mirror.
Search deep for that girl inside you.
You know who you want to be.
Put those shattered pieces of glass together that YOU knocked down because you accepted the insults from other people. Once you set that goal of who you want to be…the pieces will be easier to put together.

Got Self-Esteem?

According to the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty (Unilever) "Beyond Stereotypes: Rebuilding the Foundation of Beauty Beliefs" (2006) and "Real Truth About Beauty" (2005) global studies:

92% of teen girls would like to change something about the way they look, with body weight-ranking the highest.

Only 2% of women describe themselves as “beautiful”.

These next blogs are going to challenge those girls who lack a certain something of themselves, change their opinion, and help them grow into the beautiful girl they are.

First step!

Take a second and right down the first five adjectives that come to your mind that describe you. Have a negative opinions about yourself? Or did you right down something somebody else told you? If so, the next couple blog posts will pertain to you.

Second step!

Get into the mood and start singing these songs to yourself in the mirror.

Who Says You Aren't Beautiful?
and...
Remember that YOU are exceptional

Keep reading for more!

Bullying: Its Stops Here

October marks the month for the awareness of anti-bullying. And as the advertising and stories surface to stand against bullying, Latinitas Magazine, too, will take a stand.
In the halls of any school in America, you will find the issue of bullying. However academically challenging the school may be, bullying is an issue and it must be dealt with.
Two weeks ago, Anderson Cooper conducted a special report on his study, "Bullying: It Stops Here." In his research, bullying has been exposed in the limelight. Bullying is no longer the issue to be thrown under the table or considered a rite of passage. With new technological advances, bullying goes further than just school grounds making it impossible for the victim to "get over". Bullying can lead to acts of depression and cause obsessive thoughts and behavior of self-esteem issues, eat disorders, and even resulting in suicide. Robert Faris, a sociologist at UC Davis, coins the term "social combat" as reason to why so many kids are bullied. The race to climb the social ladder is the consequence of bullying. In his study he found that 56% of kids are aggressors, victims or both.
Most shockingly, 81% of these bullying incidents, which are in fact witnessed by bystanders, are never reported. And 74% of kids do not want to tell their parents for fear that their parents will not take it seriously.
Of course, it is no surprise that Lifetime is one of the voices standing against bullying. In the new Lifetime Original movie, Girl Fight, bullying is brought to the front in a true story when a girl is brutally beaten up by a group of girls so they can get their 15minutes of fame by posting a video of the beating online. Their mistake was filming the video in the first place as it gave the police enough evidence to prosecute them.
This story, unfortunately, is not new news. You can YouTube the words "girl fight" right now, and find videos posted online of girls fighting or being beaten up. To kids, it is entertainment, just as bullying is entertainment for the aggressors.
Why is this issue so important to Latinitas Magazine? Since Latinitas targets young girls who are going through this issue, we want to let them know that you are not alone. Latinas girls are more likely to suffer from depression and commit suicide. In fact, in the fastest growing minority, 1 in 6 Latina girls will attempt suicide. That's why Latinitas is a magazine focused on inspiring and motivating young girls to learn more, achieve more, and aspire more. The more confidence we instill in a young girl, the more likely she will take a stand against issues in her life, whether it be bullying, SAT tests, or getting into college for the first-time; Latinitas is there supporting these young girls every day.
For those young Latinitas, Latinitas Magazine encourages you to take a stand. Believe in your future. If you see someone being bullied, stand up against them with your friends. The aggressors will back down in a group of people. Take a stand online by signing the "Bullying: It Stops Here" Campaign on Facebook. Take another stand online and report any misconduct or bullying you see on social networking sites. You can even report videos on YouTube.
Our society thrives on negativity. We have become leaches to the bad, the corrupt, and the just plain wrong. Why don't we turn this contagious behavior and turn it into something positive? Positivity can thrive just the same way. Remember, we make up a society, so that means we are in control.

There's A Monster Inside of Me

I need to write a novel to let it out.

This roaring monster inside of me.

It seeks, no, it yearns mournfully to get out

This raging monster inside of me.

To see what its become, for it has no mirror

This roaring monster inside of me.

To find its place in the world, to be its own

This raging monster inside of me

I need to write a novel to let it out

but this monster cannot be written.

I am Roxxi, it is time to hear me roar. I've been trapted in a ribbed cage for so long that I have actually developed my own mind and sense of wonder. My human, the one who keeps me caged, is at a point in her life where she feels like there's nothing left to fight for her life. Point is, I am sick and tired of my human keeping her lips shut. She won't stand up for herself, her opinions. I don't even know her anymore. She isn't the little girl I once knew. The one I used to play and dance with.

Now it is my turn to speak.

You aren't stopping me. Keeping me back. Nailing me to cross. No, it is my time. You can sit and listen. Watch me rise like a skyscraper