In, “Making Masculinity: Negotiations of Gender Representation Among Latino Gay Men,” Ocampo (2012) discusses the many ways in which masculinity plays a role in the context of gay Latino men. He suggests that Latino men are often disadvantaged and lacking in some social capital and therefore have to make up for it in other ways. To be more specific, Latino men are disadvantaged in society because of their race and because of their economic status. Ocampo (2012) suggests that rather than finding alternative ways to achieve higher social status, like getting a better education or job, they compensate by using masculinity as their social capital. He examines how gay Latino men perform masculinity because they are disadvantaged by their sexuality along with the other factors that heterosexual Latino men face as well.
By drawing upon the experiences of gay Latino immigrants, Ocampo (2012) suggests that masculinity dominates and shapes many aspects of people’s lives. What makes the difference is the social pressures faced on these groups. Those who do not have to deal with any pressure from society often possess hegemonic masculinity. However, those who do have to face these social pressures do not possess hegemonic masculinity because their version of masculinity might be stigmatized because of their race, sexual identity, or gender presentation. For gay Latino men, they create their version of hegemonic masculinity by finding some sort of balance between the mainstream of the United States values and the values of their immigrant family. Ocampo (2012) points out that although there have been many studies on masculinities, gay white men and even men of color, there has not been as much research on gay racial minorities. He attributes this to the fact that gay people of color have been largely excluded from the mainstream social movements which have generally be run by white men. |
His research looks at representations of masculinities amongst gay Latino men. Being that men of color, both gay and straight, lack both economic and racial privileges, they find ways to use masculinity as a form of cultural and social capital. They do not aim to reach the same goals that their white counterparts do. Instead of aiming for goals that include higher education and middle-class occupations, they strive to elevate their capital by dressing in expensive clothing, being promiscuous, and earning money through illegal acts (Ocampo, 2012, p. 450).
For gay Latino men, there are a number of factors that influence their lives and the amount of capital they have access to. Factors like nativity, generational status, class, race, and religion all work together to create different masculinities in this community (Ocampo, 2012, p. 453) . Ocampo's research is made up of 7 months of ethnographic research of US-born Latino gay men. He found that these men paid close attention to their presentation of self in order to display their masculinity. This meant that they focused on how they dressed, spoke, and the social setting that they attended. Grooming patterns also played a role in how they presented their masculinity, and the people they were attracted to. |
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