Joeli Valerio
FIQWS
Professor Ewan
04/26/2019
Latinos should have better representation in the media rather than being tags
When, I was a child what was important in my youth was television. The shows I watched were full of caucasian kids and stereotypical Spanish terms. Novelas apparently represents how value the Hispanic culture. However, what I see is a beautiful poor skinny girl with blonde hair, green eyes, and light skinned that meets the rich man of her dreams they fall in love and chaos occurs. It never struck how unrepresented I was, and the more I searched for shows with girls of my skin color, curly hair,with acne and that talk Spanish I was shocked and disappointed that there are none. The United States is a country which is a melting pot full of cultures and many of those cultures are not represented properly. That is why in the film and TV industry should increase latino representation with fewer stereotypes and more pride of the cultures.
Latinos are normally stereotyped in four ways: The Latin Lover, the seductive latina, the maid, or the machinist. The seductive Latina is the stereotype often seen in many films, television series and telenovelas. In film and TV, “most female characters are… hypersexualized like…Sofia Vergara in Modern Family, who exudes the spicy Latina trope.” This explains high percentage that Latinas have in a recent study according to Sabrina Vourvoulias in The Boston Banner which states that, “a recent study from the Annenberg School for Com- munication and Journalism of the University of Southern Califor- nia…One of the findings in a study on race and ethnicity in 600 popular films conducted by Stacey Smith, Katherine Pieper and Mark Choueiti is that while Latinas were more more likely to be featured in popular films than any other race or ethnicity, no other race/ethnic- ity is more sexualized.” Therefore, “His- panic females (37.5 percent) were more likely than females from all other races to be shown partially or fully naked on screen.” This gives young Latinas that live in the United States a type of behavior they should act like in order to succeed in the media industry. This stereotype is endless in film and TV but novelas which should bring pride as well have these stereotypes inputted. According to Marisa Trevino, she explains that, “the worst offender when it comes to promoting archaic depictions of Latinas as dim-witted, over-sexed bombshells can be found on Spanish-language television.” This stereotype will only seek the continuation of type casting and since, “ sex sells, and Latinas have always been very much a part of that equation” the winners will be the film productions getting all the profits. When will there be a film with Latina women without, “showing exposed skin between the mid chest and upper thigh region”?
Moreover, the more unrepresented latino children are in TV and film increases insecurities about their ethnicity. Linda Rivas a writer for the Unwire discusses in the article, “Column: Beauty doesn’t discriminate, you shouldn’t either” how she was affected by the beauty standards on how you are supposed to look like to be a beautiful Latina. Rivas explains, “I would watch TV with my mother, and all I would see were thin, tall, colored-eyed, white women, especially in the telenovelas my grandmother loved to watch. All I would see would be the white faces of the main characters fit to perfection with the Spanish conquistadors while the darker, indigenous actors would be given the roles of maids.” Me being a curly haired tan skinned girl as well made me feel as if I am supposed to look like those novela protagonists making me feel not represented. Aswell movies full of blonde girls and a waitress being Latina, I felt sad on how low Hispanics were represented. Riva adds on stating how she, “would skip meals, bandage my waist while I slept and tape the tip of my nose to the center of my forehead right between my eyebrows because I was hoping it would make my nose permanently more narrow and pointy, more Caucasian-like. I wanted to be pretty.” This shows that a “lack of representation in the media increases beauty complexes — if you don’t see anyone representative of you who is considered beautiful, then you assume you must not be beautiful.” This lack of representation in Film and TV causes a child’s self esteem to lower and that they need to adjust themselves, n’t what has to be done. It cannot be shunned away how “Caucasian-led TV and film industries failing to provide representation that is not a Latina or black woman with Caucasian features.” That is why according to the Unwire article, “Opinion / Latinos need to be represented more in media.” states that, “children aren’t only exposed to media with positive role models but role models who look and have the same cultureas they do. This would allow them to see people like themselves succeeding. Unfortunately, Latino children don’t see that since Latinos are either cast as the bad guy or not at all.” This bad . Many Actors in the media change there Latino last name in order to be more recognized in the American industry which shows the effects of the media. Examples can be: Rita Hayworth (Margarita Carmen Cansino), Charlie Sheen (Carlos Estevez), or Ritchie Valens named (Richard Steven Valenzuela). In order to represent the Hispanic cultures we need to stop this bad representation and be prideful of where we come from in the big screen.
However many according to Valerie Menard “Latinas seem much less affected by this stereotype than by one that portrays them as passive and gullible.” Thus, Latinas are beginning to not care that they are being the described as the, “a Spicy Chicken Sandwich!” Many seem to find it accepting since, “Hispanic culture has endured stereotypical cinematic portrayal in American film since the 1930s” With Latinas not caring about a certain stereotype film companies will take advantage of the profits and keep on typecasting us. The more we allow Latinas and Latinos to be seen as fools, exotic objects, drug dealers, or machinist, these stereotypes would be offensive anymore. Yet, we wonder, “Why wasn’t the saintly single mother and love interest to Ryan Gosling in “Drive” portrayed by a Latina actress, as originally intended in the script, but instead given to British ingenue Carey Mulligan ?” Look at the word saintly it’s very apparent in the sentence wonder why, Latinas aren’t seen as saintly single mother better yet gold diggers seductive single mothers. Our culture, hardwork and true lifestyle should be embraced and not a tag that has been in the industry for 89 years.
In conclusion, in the film and tv industry there should be increased of latino representation with fewer stereotypes and more pride of the cultures. The stereotypical exotic latina with the red dress should not be the tag Latina women are given making us feel discouraged. The Youth being affected by the beauty standards, aswell a drug dealer being the representation of Latinos making the youth discouraged or influence that this is what you have to follow. Latinos are one of the biggest minorities in the united states. Why can’t we seen big on the screen like we are seen in the population. When I go to times square with my family I see a variety of ethnicities walking. I would like to see this variety on tv and film represented properly and not just a all caucasian cast we want reality.
Work Cited
Felix, Liz. “Latina Representation on TV: We’re More Than Just a Spicy Chicken Sandwich!” La Prensa San Diego, 21 March 2014, https://search-proquest-com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/docview/1511436657/abstract/ABF9774862AC4B55PQ/1?accountid=996. Accessed 26 Apr. 2019
Miranda, Janet. “Lack of Latino representation distorts culture through whitewashing.” The Daily Cougar: University of Houston, Tuesday 27 March 2018, https://advance-lexis-com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/api/documentcollection=news&id=urn:contentItem:5RYR-NDF1-JBSN-31YK-00000-00&context=1516831. Accessed 26 Apr. 2019.
O’Dell Megan. “Combating media stereotypes in Latin American culture.” UWIRE Text, 2 Oct. 2013, http://go.galegroup.com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/ps/i.do&id=GALE|A344501244&v=2.1&u=cuny_ccny&it=r&p=STND&sw=w. Accessed 26 Apr. 2019.
Polio, Joseline. “Opinion / Latinos need to be represented more in media.” UWIRE Text, 11 April. 2018, http://link.galegroup.com.ccnyproxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/apps/doc/A534231063/STND? u=cuny_ccny&sid=STND&xid=01f7ecd6. Accessed 26 Apr. 2019.
Ramos, Jonathan. “Latinos spend most at cinema, but least represented on screens.” UWIRE Text, 3 Dec. 2013, http://link.galegroup.com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/apps/doc/A351492804/STND?u=cuny_ccny&sid=STND&xid=a171470d. Accessed 28 Apr. 2019.
Riva, Linda. “Column: Beauty doesn’t discriminate, you shouldn’t either.” UWIRE Text, 7 Apr. 2017, http://uwire.com/?s=UWIRE+Text&x=26&y=14&=Go. Accessed 26 Apr. 2019.
Trevino, Marisa. “Latino women suffer from stereotyping.” The Record (Bergen County, NJ), 24 Jan. 2005 http://bi.galegroup.com.ccnyproxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/global/article/GALE%7CA1275 49832/37693e6a5b60641d224c6a2b63eec4b2?u=cuny_ccny. Accessed 26 Apr. 2019.
Valerie, Menard. “Luscious Latinas: The pros and cons of an evolving stereotype.” Hispanic Publishing Corporation, May 1997,
https://search-proquest-com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/docview/237027974/fulltext/EEB7183354F64FC2PQ/1?accountid=9967. Accessed 26 Apr. 2019.
Vourvoulias, Sabrina. “Hollywood typecasting limits Latinas to sexualized roles.” The Bay State Banner, 21 Aug. 2014, https://search-proquest-com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/docview/1558538322?accou ntid=9967. Accessed 26 Apr. 2019.
