Latina/Latinx college women: How does Marianismo affect you or has affected your education/career/choices in life?

2 comments

1. It is not something that was pushed on me by family as it would require acknowledging me. I have seen how it has affected my eldest sister though and how she has been conditioned to be a doormat for her husband and how she had to fight tooth and nail to study pediatric medicine. But it also had the opposite effect in many cases back in her teenage years and early twenties.

2. I had to google the term because I thought it was the cult of Maria as in praying to her. Im from Panama, there is sexism here but it seems less obvious than in other countries I have read about. However I still carry the “caregiver burden”. Im the daughter so Im in charge of taking care of my parents just like my mom was in charge of her mom and in laws. No one has ever asked if I want to do so or if Im tired, I have heard my mom lamenting my aunt “doesnt have daughters so no one is going to look after her.” So I chose to stay single because I was afraid of having to be in charge of my in laws and I dont really think anyone would want to be with a person who is already in charge of her parents. So there is that. I could have studied anything and worl anywhere, my parents have always been supportive but I never really made plans because I knew I was supposed to be with them. Im actually studying my second degree but I still have no plans for my future.