Understanding Machismo: Roots, Violence, & Resistance

Machismo is a term that been increasingly discussed in Latin American spaces. Modernly, machismo refers to sexism and the prevalence of hegemonic masculinity in Latin American societies. Machismo has cited as a factor in the heightened rates of gender-based violence in Latin America, which includes domestic violence, rape, and femicide. In this context, femicide describes a type of homicide that is motivated by gender discrimination. Western scholars in the twentieth century had considered machismo to be inherent to Latin American culture, which perpetuated the illusion that Latin Americans were violent and uncivilized. However, this paper aims to assess the history of colonialism and imperialism in instilling machismo across Latin America, and its lasting effects on Latin American communities. Additionally, this paper aims to assess and incorporate ideas from Latin American feminist theory and social movements to pose decolonial solutions to combat machismo. Separating machismo as an inherent aspect of Latin American culture, and rather, recognizing the sexism that is embedded as a result of colonial patriarchal systems, is essential in moving Latin American feminist studies forward. This paper aims to affirm that race, gender, nationality, among other aspects of one’s identity, are social constructs and used to oppress and justify the oppression of Latin Americans. Furthermore, this paper will assess the detrimental impacts long-lasting colonial violence has had on the Latin American community.