For Latin American women, the ideology of machismo has often meant oppression and second-class status.
Many accept the authority of men as an inescapable part of life, whether it is legitimate or not. Latinas in the United States have greater freedom than in their home countries to earn a living and be respected as equals of men.
Some reject the idea of machismo altogether, believing that men and women alike should strive toward the same ideal of being human.
