Women/Violence in Latin American Literature and Film, Portfoilio

  Throughout this course I was able to explore a wide range of topics that were nothing short of devastating as a woman myself. The topics related to gender, violence, resistance, and representation across Latin America. One that stood out to me due to growing up in California and having access to this knowledge, was Frida Kahlo. I specifically remember learning about her but what spoke to me truly was when I visited San Francisco for a family vacation and that was the trip that I learned about Frida Kahlo’s work and her legacy, her life, and tragedy. It changed how I viewed being a woman at a young age and how much you speak with no words through art. Coming back to that topic in this class felt like coming to a full circle and I really enjoyed that time in the class. The number of films we had access to paint the picture about women’s rights, femicide, violence, etc. I did my research project on Femicide, and it was probably one of my favorite research projects I have done in my ...

  After watching the movie and doing my own search, I am nothing short of disappointed that these conditions are so normalized. How harm has been normalized by global supply chains, how persistent and strong these women workers are. The movie specifically highlights on the women in Tijuana maquiladoras, through personal footage and video diaries. This gives the movie more depth and more truth, there is no Hollywood dramatization, it’s the ugly truth. Women workers are hired in large numbers, and they are viewed as less than, docile, not as expensive has men workers. They receive low pay, sexual harassment, and limited access to labor protections. Laws that were created and should be put in place but are not because they are women. Not only does this type of work bring that list of problems but health problems soon follow. There have been higher rates of miscarriages, low birth weight, occupational illnesses, that are linked to chemical exposure and the unsafe and unjust work cond...

In my own opinion, Enriquez's collection is framed in the horror genre because it is nothing short from the truth. It isn't your typical supernatural horror of the unknown, but of some may call it body horror. Real social events are depicted, and I think it's important that light is shown on the ugly truth. Because oppression is ugly. Horror allowed the author to not shy away from harsh things, about misogyny, neglect, poverty, femicide. Horror allowed her to make what is usually hidden, visible. I think if I were to write on this topic my own personal trauma would be a mixture of horror myself, and nonfiction. I would blatantly share the facts and the harsh reality, like what Enriquez did, because history is horrifying in some lights. Maria would be the character I choose because she was a woman who resisted and stood up to her beliefs. She used herself as a political statement to get her word out there. People don’t realize what is going on behind their rose-tinted gl...