Graduation Year

2024

Document Type

Open Access Senior Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Anthropology

Reader 1

Professor Gabriela Morales

Reader 2

Professor Carla Macal

Terms of Use & License Information

Terms of Use for work posted in Scholarship@Claremont.

Rights Information

© 2024 Anaís Martínez Castañeda

Abstract

This thesis delves into the experiences of young Latinx women, exploring how they internalize societal messages propagated through social media that equate whiteness with wellness and beauty standards. Conversations with young LatinX women reveal that performances of whiteness intertwine with dietary practices and notions of thinness, influencing their perceptions and behaviors. This internalization leads to harmful tendencies of body surveillance and diet restriction in an attempt to conform to dominant social media norms. Furthermore, this messaging can result in the rejection of ethnic foods and adversely impact their overall well-being. However, amidst these challenges, participants reevaluated their internalized beliefs and practices to reconnect with their ethnic foods and the cultural relationships they foster. In doing so, they seek to carve out spaces of belonging. This exploration reveals that food is not merely a simple conduit for connection; it serves as a complex site where oppression and resistance intersect.

Download

Share

COinS