Stereotyping Yourself

As Megs and I pulled onto a dust-storm laden freeway, curious to cross the Texas/New Mexico border and see what was in store for us next, we continued to discuss Enrique, my El Paso date with more hands than an octopus as my mother would say. I hated to admit it, but I felt like Enrique fell right into the “Latin Lover” stereotype his stature and accent would lead any woman-on-the-street to think he’d be.

I mentioned this timidly to Megan, loathing the fact that I was even bringing it up because I would hate to be stereotyped myself, and thus typecasting someone else isn’t fun and dandy for me. Megan, in her Megs way, said “Yep. In fact, I kind of think he was hoping you’d see him that way, as it gave him more leeway to act like you’d assume he might. He could get away with it in a way other guys without that look would never be able to.”

How is that girl so smart? It made perfect sense. An awkward, Anglo-Saxon-like male who reached out and touched me within a few minutes was usually brandished as a manchild in my eyes, or at least as someone I didn’t view as having respect for me. But a Latin man was more likely to get a pass.

Is this a thing? Are some men (and women) aware enough of how they come across to others that they play into it? Am I naive for thinking otherwise? And I have to wonder…what did Enrique think was going to happen between us by doing all the touching?

Hm.

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