It’s Time We Own and Embrace The Word “CHINGONA”!
We spent the Afternoon with FemBeat working on an empowering project that focuses on Latinx identity with the term Chingona. (SNEAK PEEK VIDEO)! The term “Chingona” is a controversial word in Latino Communities and was often used in a negative connotation to describe a bossy, stubborn woman. However, The Masculine version of Chingona, “Chingon”, is often used in a positive light to describe a smart, masculine man. Shocker!
Women in all communities face this negative backlash when they are “bossy” or “stubborn”. Assertive women are commonly called “bitchy”, while assertive men are called “confident”. This is the same issue with the word “Chingona”. In response, younger Latinx generations are owning the word and embracing it. Vendors are selling products that say “chingona”, women are wearing shirts that say “chingona”, and leaders are identifying as “chingonas”.
Chingona is no longer a “bad word”! Chingona stands for strong, resilient women determined to achieve and succeed! Sandra Cisneros said it best, “To aspire to be a chingona, you are saying this is my camino, this is my path, and I’m going to follow it!” Here at Hustle for the Cause, we are embracing the word chingona and we launched a festival to celebrate and empower our fellow chingonas! We’ll be launching chingona events and projects throughout the year. Stay Tuned, and make sure to follow our newsletter to get the Chingona news first!