"Bien Cuidada"

I was very intrigued after reading the “I’m not fat, I’m Latina” article by Christy Haubegger. The concept of a woman being described as “bien cuidada”, meaning well cared for, baffled my mind. Yes, I understand that Latino women tend to be curvier and that their culture accepts them for that, but I had not realized there was even a legitimate term used to describe these Latina, curvy women. Being white, I feel as though a white woman is not as accepted for being curvy, whereas, a Latina woman would almost be expected to be curvy. I liked how Haubegger said, “It’s the curvier bodies like mine that turn heads.” This quote almost shocked me, because it seems like white girls tend to get more attention for being thin, and a white girl can be curvy, but not too curvy or she will no longer be considered to be attractive.
The concept of there being a greater “cultural acceptance” of being overweight within Hispanic communities wasn’t as big of a shock to me as I had imagined. When I thought about it, it really made a lot of sense. Different cultures are more or less accepting of particular things, such as appearances and actions, compared to other cultures. In the Hispanic culture, curviness is embraced.
Haubegger also linked the curviness and being technically “overweight” to food and what exactly is consumed among the particular culture. The wording of, “You feed people you care for, and so if you’re well cared for, bien cuidada, you have been well fed” was kind of a stretch for me. Yes, I understand what Haubegger is saying, that it is a part of the Latino culture, but I feel as though caring for people can be shown in a different way, rather than through the use of the foods particular to the culture. I wouldn’t really be as affected by the idea of this statement had the issue of food leading to being overweight not been such a huge factor. I value my health, and I believe that if you care about someone, you should want them to live a healthy life, and it seems as though being well fed by being “bien cuidada” may be the most accepted in the Latino culture, but in the scheme of things, it is harming your physical well being.
Even though I disagree with the basis of caring for people by making sure they are “bien cuidada,” I am pleased to hear that the Latino culture is more accepting of body shapes than other cultures. It really is a shame that in 2010, discrimination seems to exist even based upon peoples’ weight and body shape. It is sad that people do not always accept others as they should, and it sometimes it seems as if people cannot put themselves in another person’s shoes, and see life from that person’s perspective. I feel as though in order to really try to understand someone, you need to look at life from their point of view, and unless this happens, inequality will continue to exist, whether it is based upon race, age, class, gender, or even weight.