Raquel Reichard

Bio

Raquel is a Latina feminist and journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, Cosmopolitan and many other publications. She's a grad student at NYU, studying race, gender and new media.
9 Things Latinos Are Tired of Explaining to Everyone Else
By Raquel Reichard
Illegal, criminal, threatening, family-oriented, hard-working, patriotic — these are the contradictory words used to describe Latinos. They demonstrate an inconsistency we Latinos know all too well. Even as marketing industries popularize our music,…
7 Ways the Media's Depiction of Eating Disorders Failed Me As a Woman of Color
By Raquel Reichard
When I was in elementary school, I started dieting. I'd drink my mother's protein shakes and eat off-brand, low-fat frozen entrees. In seventh grade, I decided I just wouldn't eat at all.  It worked for a while, but by high school I realized I could…
The Horrifying Truth of Life in Solitary Confinement, From People Who Lived It
By Raquel Reichard
After attempting suicide in 2005, Henry* was taken out of the general prison population and placed into solitary confinement. While there, he felt like the world was crushing in on him. He began hallucinating, and talking to people who weren't…
The Horrifying Women's Rights Injustice That Modern Feminism Forgot
By Raquel Reichard
Recent legislation regarding the forced sterilizations performed on incarcerated women in California prisons evokes a muted time in U.S. history when sexist, racist, classist and ableist eugenics policies were orchestrated by the state. But while…
8 Lies We Need to Stop Spreading About Teen Pregnancy
By Raquel Reichard
Cristina DeJesus was 16 when she first saw a plus sign on her pregnancy test stick. Like most new mothers-to-be, she rushed to the hospital anytime she experienced unusual vaginal bleeding. Once in a nurse's care, however, her experiences changed…
7 Lies We Have to Stop Telling About Latina Women in America
By Raquel Reichard
Once Latinos became the largest ethnic minority group in the U.S., contrasting characterizations of Latinas became popular myths. Just as with other identity groups, these myths are more often than not perpetuated by the media, helped along by…