By Eliana Solis
Red, white, and green,
The bright and vibrant colors
These are the colors of pride
These are the colors of strength
These are the colors running through my blood
Y con orgullo I stand by their side
Red, white and green however
Can also be dark and gray
For these colors possess a certain duality
One I am not proud to claim
These colors keep my aunts in the kitchen
to cook to clean and to care for mis primos
The same colors that permit my uncles to sit,
to sit and to eat and to drink
These colors allow la familia to judge
What I eat what I drink and all in between
Y tu novio, I hear as mi tia reminds me
To get a man I need to learn to cook and to clean
The white is waved high in the air as a flag
I show to my elders granting permission to nag
To strip me of my confidence because I'm too fat or too thin
To belittle my accomplishments simply because I'm not their kin
Constantly pointing out all that is wrong with me
But somehow they deserve my respect, because you see
They are my elders, and I must do what I am told
Calmate mija, now serve your dad, his dinner’s getting cold
The red is the anger that all men must hold
Because the man of the house stands firm, heart cold
To work for 12 hours every day and sometimes night
Must be taxing on a man, however no tear in sight
To cry as a Mexican man is not allowed
Because all machismo men must stand their ground
Only little girls cry, stand up straight mijito
If you're sad or your hurt, don't let anyone know
The green is the envy that the women possess
Envy of the men who are free from all the stress
From the cooking and the cleaning and everything in between
And to do it alone, with husbands working all day, nowhere to be seen
Mija wash the dishes, don't wear that it’s too revealing
Your ama would be disappointed, wear something more concealing
Red, white, and green, the very colors that stand tall
As a Mexican I am proud of, but as a woman, make me feel small
So alongside so many others, as a Latina I make a vow
To bring new light to these beautiful colors, and this change starts now
Eliana Solis created this poem in response to the Fall 2022 WGSS 205 assignment to challenge an ideology promoted by the patriarchal culture industry.
Protest street art photo by MarÃa Fuentes on Unsplash.