Vocabulary 1
I managed my version of an English smile: no show of teeth, no extreme contortions of the facial muscles—I was at this time of my life practicing reserve and cool.
the action of twisting or bending violently and unnaturally into a different shape or form, or the shape or form into which something is twisted or bent:
But I remember a comment my friend (an Italian-American) made in later years that coalesced my impressions of that day.
If two or more things coalesce, they come or grow together to form one thing or system
He began to shout-sing a ditty to the tune of “La Bamba”—except the lyrics were about a girl named Maria whose exploits all rhymed with her name and gonorrhea.
a disease of the sexual organs
María, the housemaid or countergirl, is now indelibly etched into the national psyche.
to delineate or impress clearly
Oh, that British control, how I coveted it.
strongly desired by many
The way our teachers and classmates looked at us that day in school was just a taste of the culture clash that awaited us in the real world, where prospective employers and men on the street would often misinterpret our tight skirts and jingling bracelets as a come-on.
possible
I knew that this same man—probably a corporate executive, well educated, even worldly by most standards—would not have been likely to regale a white woman with a dirty song in public.
to entertain someone with stories or jokes
This media-engendered image of the Latina in the United States has been documented by feminist Hispanic scholars, who claim that such portrayals are partially responsible for the denial of opportunities for upward mobility among Latinas in the professions.
to cause to exist or to develop
Our family lived in a large urban center in New Jersey during the sixties, where life was designed as a microcosm of my parents’ casas on the island.
a small place, society, or situation that has the same characteristics as something much larger
In their special vocabulary, advertisers have designated “sizzling” and “smoldering” as the adjectives of choice for describing not only the foods but also the women of Latin America.
to burn slowly with smoke but without flames
This was not true for my parents, nor is it true for the many Latin women working at menial jobs who must put up with stereotypes about our ethnic group such as: “They make good domestics.”
someone paid to do work, such as cleaning and cooking, in someone else's house
…and that the result is, most times, a feeling of satisfaction at having won a convert when I see the cold, appraising eyes warm to my words, the body language change, the smile that indicates that I have opened some avenue for communication.
to examine someone or something in order to judge his, her, or its qualities, success, or needs
It quickly became obvious that to the barrio girls, “dressing up” sometimes meant wearing ornate jewelry and clothing that would be more appropriate (by mainstream standards) for the company Christmas party than as daily office attire.
having a lot of complicated decoration
Most important of all, on the island, women perhaps felt freer to dress and move more provocatively, since, in most cases, they were protected by the traditions, mores, and laws of a Spanish / Catholic system of morality and machismo whose main rule was: You may look at my sister, but if you touch her I will kill you.
in a way that is intended to cause lustful desire
The myth of the Hispanic menial has been sustained by the same media phenomenon that made “Mammy” from Gone with the Wind Americas idea of the black woman for generations…
of or relating to servants: lowly
That day I read to that woman and her lowered eyes told me that she was embarrassed at her little faux pas, and when I willed her to look up at me, it was my victory, and she graciously allowed me to punish her with my full attention.
words or behavior that are a social mistake or not polite:
I knew how to dress for Sunday mass, and I knew what dresses to wear for parties at my relatives’ homes. Though I do not recall the precise details of my Career Day outfit, it must have been a composite of the above choices.
something that is made of various different parts
This is what I have gleaned from my discussions as an adult with older Puerto Rican women.
to collect information in small amounts and often with difficulty
María, the housemaid or countergirl, is now indelibly etched into the national psyche.
in a way that is impossible to remove by washing or in any other way
In it, Latin women pray “in Spanish to an Anglo God / with a Jewish heritage,” and they are “fervently hoping / that if not omnipotent, / at least He be bilingual.”
in a way that shows that your beliefs are strong and sincerely felt