The Different Aspects of Culture
J.C. Casquejo
Real Women Have Curves
The movie “Real Women Have Curves,” by Patricia Cardoso addresses the different aspects of culture. In the movie, Ana Garcia is caught in between two very different cultures. With the two cultures at different ends of the spectrum, and the inner turmoil that goes along with it; Ana must figure out how to navigate both cultures without losing the bonds that she has with her family.
The film begins by drawing the line between the two different cultures. With Ana getting ready for her last day of school, she was reminded by her ailing mother that women should prepare breakfast for the men. Ana ignores her mother’s wishes, and goes about her morning. Even though Ana lives in an “old school” household, it was apparent to me that she has mostly adopted the mainstream culture that she’s exposed to outside her home.
The director did a wonderful job in showing ethnocentrism in both cultures. Ana is exposed to both her family’s traditional Latino culture, as well as the culture she’s familiar with outside of home; yet she shows her ethnocentrism towards her family’s “old school” ways. For example, she criticized the sweatshop conditions that her sister and mother work in. Ana’s mother and Estella were raised in a culture where toil and hard labor was the norm. Ana was also quick to judge of her mother’s beliefs in beauty, marriage, and sex.
Señora Garcia is also a great example of ethnocentrism. Unlike Ana, Señora Garcia was raised in one culture her whole life, and is firm on her beliefs. She imposes on the ideas to Ana that a woman’s role is to be submissive, conservative, and take care of homely affairs. She also made it clear to Ana that her role as a mother gives her the right to decide which man is right for her daughter for a possible suitor. Their differences in culture and the constant arguments that take between them shows their ethnocentricity towards each other.
Señora Garcia’s cultural norm was
Real Women Have Curves
The movie “Real Women Have Curves,” by Patricia Cardoso addresses the different aspects of culture. In the movie, Ana Garcia is caught in between two very different cultures. With the two cultures at different ends of the spectrum, and the inner turmoil that goes along with it; Ana must figure out how to navigate both cultures without losing the bonds that she has with her family.
The film begins by drawing the line between the two different cultures. With Ana getting ready for her last day of school, she was reminded by her ailing mother that women should prepare breakfast for the men. Ana ignores her mother’s wishes, and goes about her morning. Even though Ana lives in an “old school” household, it was apparent to me that she has mostly adopted the mainstream culture that she’s exposed to outside her home.
The director did a wonderful job in showing ethnocentrism in both cultures. Ana is exposed to both her family’s traditional Latino culture, as well as the culture she’s familiar with outside of home; yet she shows her ethnocentrism towards her family’s “old school” ways. For example, she criticized the sweatshop conditions that her sister and mother work in. Ana’s mother and Estella were raised in a culture where toil and hard labor was the norm. Ana was also quick to judge of her mother’s beliefs in beauty, marriage, and sex.
Señora Garcia is also a great example of ethnocentrism. Unlike Ana, Señora Garcia was raised in one culture her whole life, and is firm on her beliefs. She imposes on the ideas to Ana that a woman’s role is to be submissive, conservative, and take care of homely affairs. She also made it clear to Ana that her role as a mother gives her the right to decide which man is right for her daughter for a possible suitor. Their differences in culture and the constant arguments that take between them shows their ethnocentricity towards each other.
Señora Garcia’s cultural norm was