Vergüenza directly translates to shame in English, refers to the cultural and social phenomena that shapes, and often constricts Chicana/o and Latina/o lives to a more conservative, traditional mold. The role of vergüenza not only helps mold lives to a traditional mold, but serves primarily to maintain traditional gender roles, and reinforcing familial relations and expectations. Chicana/o scholars were important to theorizing and documenting verguenza, which has contributed to the fields of mental health and sociology. Vergüenza acts as both an external and internal regulator, based on what people think, and living up to those expectations, as well as on an “internalized set of beliefs about what constitutes proper behavior and norms.” A primary factor in vergüenza is the opinion and expectations of others, this comes from different communities one identifies themselves in, including family, friends, neighborhood, as well as their religious affiliations.
Women and Vergüenza
Typically, discussions surrounding vergüenza only focus and interpret vergüenza through a male perspective, but although often ignored, women are just as, and arguably even more so, affected by vergüenza and rigid expectations that follow them. Women are placed under unnatural man made scrutinized dilemmas placed dab in the middle of their minds from birth. To strut their hips in a manner that is opposite of carrying vergüenza is to disapprove and dismantle traditions built years in the making which Chicano and Chicana cultures push away. Women of all races face battles of oppressive constant slaps of the wrist for being considered a whore—puta. Forgetting to carry humility—vergüenza, can and has led to men hitting women and even men. Extreme cases and causes define vergüenza as a natural trait women need to and should carry around. For women vergüenza, and their general standing in their community, is almost entirely dependent on their being controlled or protected by the men in their lives, be it husbands, fathers or other patriarchal figures, as well as the man's social status rather than her own. When a woman's reputation is not dependent on their patriarch's social status, it is dependent on how well an individual can adhere to the social expectations from their family, friends, and their community. Thus, stripping women of their autonomy and pushing women to be more reserved and passive, as is expected of traditional cultural mold. Andando con vergüenza then becomes a priority. These images of passivity are further reinforced not only by the community around them, but also through literature and religious beliefs.
Expectations From the Community 'Chismes', or gossip, typically holds a negative connotation, but across transnational communities it can be seen as something positive; gossip is often used, as direct communication between families and communities is scarce, as a means to bring a community together and share information with one another. Gossip is also a negative and oppressive force within communities; it can be used to target, criticize and ostracize those who do not follow a community's standards or expectations. Gossip not only serves as a way to bring people together, but also as a reference to teach oneself how to act appropriately in a given community in order to save face from criticism—hearing how others are ostracized for differing from a community sets an example of what is not acceptable and should be avoided.
Accusations of Women's Fidelity Women in transnational communities—whether they are the ones staying behind as their husband migrates or they themselves are migrating to the United States—are also often targeted by the larger community through gossip and local criticism. When men migrate to the U.S., their wives not only have to worry about their partners potentially abandoning them, but also be careful that they are not accused of cheating while their husbands are away; some women going as far as avoiding going to social events or town festivities to avoid accusations. These accusations not only come from the woman's community out of criticism for joining social events rather than mourning the absence of their husbands, but also from the husband himself. Migrant husbands—out of paranoia and stress while they are away—can be the root of an accusation against his wife's fidelity. This can lead to her being isolated or expelled from her community, as well as losing the remittance he sends her, which is often her only source of income. Even women in the United States will be under the watchful eye of the community around her, as well as back home, in regards to her fidelity to her husband, as their reputation also crosses borders. If a couple migrates together, separates, and forms a new relationship the man will often be unquestioned, but the woman, and her new relationship, will be targeted by her community and questioned whether her new relationship will interfere with her family obligations. Men can often, but not always, escape any criticism or gossip regarding their infidelity, because of their social status, their continued financial support to a family, or because they are men and it is expected of them to act on physical urges. More often than not, when a husband abroad is unfaithful, women are still to blame—be it the wife for staying behind and not being there to satisfy his urges, or the other woman whom he had an affair with. The other woman are often blamed because they “should [have known] who they are getting involved with and not believe everything he says.”
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