The Myth In Latin households, men who have not swept a floor since the Obama administration use the word 'mantenida' like it means something. Mantenida comes from "mantener," to maintain or to support, and it carries a social charge that the English phrase "kept woman" never quite captures. On the surface it describes an economic arrangement. Underneath, it functions as a verdict. A mantenida is not simply financially dependent, she is presumed to be exploiting that dependenc