“You are so exotic,” a guy at the University of Oregon told me just moments after we met. Dressed up and intended as a compliment, this comment is afflicted with stereotypes and misconceptions. One of the most enduring tropes around Latin women in U.S. culture is Tropicalism, which erases ethnic specificity and replaces it with a generic image of bright colors, rhythmic music, brown skin and curvy hips. As soon as I introduce myself as Peruvian and Latin American, strangers begin to depict me as “exotic” and rob me of my individuality.
One thing I’ve noticed since I moved to Oregon last September is that many people at UO lack any cultural awareness, the ability to recognize the nuances of one’s own and other cultures. People simply haven’t been exposed to other cultures enough to have developed the experiential skills necessary to appreciate and understand different ethnicities, races and religions.
It is no secret that Oregon is not the most diverse place in the U.S. Home to more than 4 million people, 75% identify as White and only 13.4% as Hispanic or Latino, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. It is also home to Portland, ranked by WalletHub in 2019 as one of the least diverse cities in the U.S. For some, this does not pose a problem. But for members of minority groups, it affects how their culture and identity are perceived. A lack of representation creates a society that is inadvertently culturally blind.
UO is no exception to the shortfall of diversity. According to the Office of Institutional Research, 60% of all UO students identify as White, while only 12.6% identify as Hispanic or Latino. There are immense efforts by the UO administration to create an inclusive institution, such as their commitment to the “Inclusion, Diversity, Evaluation, Achievement, Leadership” act which is intended to enhance global perspectives. However, a lack of exposure to cultural diversity fosters an absence of cultural awareness among students.
Consequently, some UO students think it’s okay to call others “exotic.” Unfortunately, I do not feel associated with tropical birds or foreign fruits. I am most definitely not an imported good meant for your consumption. Calling me exotic downgrades my existence to an object. It is a “compliment” that sexualizes and objectifies non-eurocentric beauty, ignoring and denying the existence of any other value.
The content our society views on screen contributes tremendously to these attitudes. In a study published by the USC Annenberg School of Communications and Journalism, researchers found that Latinxs occupied only 3% of roles from the 100 top-grossing films of 2016. One-fourth of the women cast in these roles were either nude or wearing “sexy attire.” For decades, the media has depicted stereotypical representations of the Latin communities, sexualizing and objectifying women. Too often, the content that these industries distribute remains the only form of representation some individuals see of Hispanic and Latino culture. This affects how the entire community is perceived.
It is easy to believe these stereotypes when you have never been exposed to the diversity of Latin culture.
In order to increase cultural awareness, people must put themselves in situations where they can interact with others who are racially, ethnically and culturally different from themselves. One can have unknowingly have internalized many biases and stereotypes that our society enforces. Get to know and understand a person rather than relying on those distorted ideas. After all, cultural awareness consists of interacting with people without your preconceived ideas of them.
So, let beauty exist on its own terms, unrelated to ethnicity, color or race.
Don’t call me exotic.