Sirena Selena & Transpopulations

1. Sirena Selena & Transpopulations Morgan Radin Johanna Ynoa 4/9/13

2. Sirena Selena • The first chapter is meant to discourage Sirena from falling in love. It Discusses Margot who is a part time worker on the streets. She runs into an officer, and has a relationship with him without even knowing his name. He stops showing up, she becomes devastated because she loves him. • Martha and Contreras are going back and forth in trying to sign Sirena. Martha wants an answer Contreras stalls. • Hugo tells Contreras to take Martha our to dinner for other hotel owners, Contreras does so. • Hugo asks Sirena over his house to perform a show for his guests. • Solange becomes uncomfortable having Sirena at her house and argues with Hugo • Her issues with Sirena bring back insecurities for Solange, as well as thoughts of her childhood. They had problems with money. • Solange is truly only married to Hugo because of his money and her social status.

3. Sirena Selena Part 2 • There is a chapter discussing Solange’s marriage to Hugo. During the first year and a half she basically maintained a virgin. After complaining he finally slept with her. • After Solange had his two children Hugo loses interest in her. Not that he was ever completely interested. • During Sirena’s rehearsal in the house Hugo is always watching or listening to her sing. Solange makes a point of stating that she is the Seniora of the house making Sirena feel beneath her. • After Sirena’s confrontation with Solange she is determined to seduce Hugo • Leocadio is only mentioned in two chapters. The first he is sleeping the second we hear his conversations with Migueles • It turns out that Migueles is having relations with the clients in the hotel that he works in for large tips or gifts. • Migueles makes a point in stating what it is to be a man, he may be over compensating for what he does in the hotel.

4. Transpopulations • Discussed the term transpopulations and how this affects the trans community, differs for Latino/a people, and involves the whole queer spectrum. • Defined ‘trans’ as “In this essay, ‘trans’ is a category that encompasses many terms used to describe living, dressing, or identifying- or some or all of these- as a member of a gender with which a person was not assigned at birth.” (230) • Provided a rich outline of how the history of Latin America has affected our current experience and the trans community. • In depth explanation of how queer communities migrate nationally and form together in cities. • Very rich examination of how FTM trans people are not visible in research and representations of the trans community, whereas MTF are the focus. • The HIV/AIDS community within both the Latina/o and trans groups

5. Representation Page 237 “I now turn to a discussion of the trends and gaps in the literature through a set of four categories: 1. work that focuses exclusively on the lives and social worlds of latina/o trans people themselves 2. approaches that include trans people within a larger project of LGBT history or the history of sexuality 3. descriptions of Latina/o trans people (usually MTF) in HIV surveillance and prevention as well as other health policy issues; and 4. ethnographic, oral history, and cultural studies approaches to queer Latinidad, which includes trans-Latina/os in accounts of queer communities.”