Graduation Date
5-2016
Document Type
Senior Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Humanities and Cultural Studies
Department or Program Chair
Chase B. Clow, PhD
First Reader
Joshua Horowitz, PhD
Abstract
People exist with their own religions, cultures, and practices, which illustrate the ingenuity of humanity. Yet, because of major events that altered the fate of the Americas, a certain societal structure was created to maintain power. Due to colonization, the prolonged exposure to numerous cultures, and the continuation of oppressive systems, people have been forced to band together based on similar characteristics, be it race, gender, or sexual orientation, creating divisions within society. It is because of such colonial mentality, subliminal and apparent, political and cultural movements, such as Feminism and intersectionality, have been created to combat the harmful effects of postcolonial issues and practices. Even though colonization from European governments of the Americas has long ended, the effects of it still remain in contemporary culture. Some of these effects, such as identity conflict with American normative values, are revealed by a focus analysis of Latino men in the United States. Intersectional feminism, which takes into account how different identities and realities intersect, can help Latino men understand their role in a society that uses racism, homophobia, and misogyny to degrade and dehumanize many individuals of the United States. Latino men may gain new strength to combat harmful colonial mentalities, or decolonize, through a theoretical understanding of intersectional feminism.
Included in
Chicana/o Studies Commons, Latin American History Commons, Latin American Studies Commons, Latina/o Studies Commons, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Studies Commons, Other Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons, Race and Ethnicity Commons, Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons