From Our Sisters’

“We are not an exotic item to collect.”

– Jessica

“Just because we reply to a comment or like your post or comment (on social media) does not mean we want you in our DMs.” – Damaris

❷ “ We come in all colors and nationalities.”

Countries in Latin America have their own governments, flags, regions, and varying cultures. Indigenous nations living all over Latin America have their own tribal languages. What ties most of them together are shared languages derived from Latin like Spanish, Portuguese, and French. Their dialects are as distinct as their populations. Unfortunately, this is not common knowledge in the Muslim community, and fellow worshippers tend to group Latinos into a single category, like Mexican, Spanish, or Puerto Rican. This oversimplification can be very offensive. The only solution is education.

“Latina is not the same as Mexican.”

– Nahara

“Not all Latinas speak Spanish (at all or fluently). We come in all different colors, races, backgrounds, and life experiences.” – Gia ❸ “We do not all look (or act) like J-Lo.”

Many Muslim men who harass Latina sisters are searching for their “J-Lo” (Jennifer Lopez) lookalike. The famous Puerto Rican star is an international sensation known for her acting, dance moves, singing, and voluptuous curves. Similar Latina sex symbols like Salma Hayek, Eva Mendes, Sofia Vergara, and singer Shakira have created unrealistic expectations of Latina women. When Muslim men realize that Latinas do not always fit the mold of the hypersexualized celebrities on television, they run the other way. Unfortunately, however, the damage may have already been done.

“Not all Latinas look the same. I have seen