America Ferrera Didn’t Win Oscar but Still Inspires Latinas

There is a motive why we’re nonetheless speaking about America Ferrera’s “Barbie” monologue months after the blockbuster was launched. Whereas presenting the Greatest Supporting Actress award throughout the 2024 Oscars, Rita Moreno gave an emotional speech about Ferrera, who was nominated for her function of Gloria within the pink-filled movie. Whereas Ferrera did not wind up taking house an Oscar — the award as a substitute went to Da’Vine Pleasure Randolph for her function in “The Holdovers” — Moreno’s speech left people within the viewers making an attempt to know why.

“America. Your highly effective Barbie monologue is probably probably the most talked-about second in probably the most talked-about film of the previous yr,” Moreno mentioned. “Your phrases and the eagerness with which you delivered them about probably the most inconceivable requirements females should attempt to dwell as much as galvanized not solely ladies however everybody with a pulse.”

Even the way in which Moreno pronounced “America,” with a Spanish accent and in a sing-song-y voice referencing her iconic function in “West Facet Story,” was highly effective. It made the assertion that girls like Ferrera are simply as American as anybody else residing on this nation.

By now, many individuals have seen Gloria’s impactful speech through which she tells Margot Robbie’s Barbie the reality of what it means to be a girl. She breaks down all of the inconceivable and contradicting expectations which are continually positioned on ladies.

The shifting monologue pulled on the viewers’s coronary heart strings as a result of it put in plain phrases what ladies have needed to endure for hundreds of years and in right now’s nonetheless very patriarchal society. The truth that this speech was delivered by a Latina actress taking part in a Latina character made it resonate that rather more for me. For any lady who holds intersectional identities, society’s inconceivable expectations change into that rather more inconceivable.

As Latinas, we’re informed we should be skinny no matter if we have had youngsters or not and no matter any well being points we’d have. However we additionally have to have huge boobs, an enormous butt, and extensive hips — therefore why cosmetic surgery is so common in our communities. Now we have to be robust however we are also anticipated to be submissive, particularly with our companions. We’re informed we have to lead and carry everybody from our spouses to our youngsters, but when we pour into ourselves, we’re egocentric. We’re presupposed to be stunning and attractive sufficient to make any man lust over us, but when we’re too attractive, we’re sluts and we deserve no matter disrespect males throw at us.

Whereas we nonetheless very a lot dwell in a patriarchal society, I’m proud to be a Latina residing in a time the place we’re lastly inspired to like ourselves and acknowledge that regardless of the unrealistic expectations which are continually positioned on us, we’re actually, sufficient. I’m proud to be residing at a time when ladies are lastly throwing these oppressive expectations out the window and giving much less f*cks about current to please the male gaze. We’re loving ourselves no matter our physique form or measurement. We’re embracing getting old and recognizing our price, even when which means being “boy sober” or refusing to permit the organic clock dictate our lives.

Ferrera ends her highly effective speech saying, “I am simply uninterested in watching myself and each single different lady tie herself into knots so that individuals will like us. And if all of that can also be true for a doll representing ladies, then I do not even know.”

Whereas the patriarchy has continued to exist because the “Barbie” film got here out and since Ferrera’s monologue went viral, I’m happy with the influence it has had on so many women and girls. Generally all it takes is having our experiences defined proper again at us for us to resolve we’re not giving in to the stress.

Ferrera may not have taken house an award Sunday night time, however just like the true artist and changemaker she is, she left a mark with that speech that’s already creating shifts in our tradition. Her efficiency is only one step ahead towards future generations of women and girls not having to expertise the inconceivable expectations which have given us a lot grief for hundreds of years. That is price greater than any Oscar in my ebook.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBqlDWHkdHk

Johanna Ferreira is the content material director for POPSUGAR Juntos. With greater than 10 years of expertise, Johanna focuses on how intersectional identities are a central a part of Latine tradition. Beforehand, she spent shut to a few years because the deputy editor at HipLatina, and he or she has freelanced for quite a few shops together with Refinery29, Oprah journal, Attract, InStyle, and Nicely+Good. She has additionally moderated and spoken on quite a few panels on Latine id. .