A few years ago, if someone had said ‘Latina’ in front of a white person, I am sure the image that would have popped in their mind was a voluptuous, dark-haired Latina with a spitfire tongue.
Stereotypes have the power to influence how the larger society perceives minorities. This is why they are often used as a perfect tool to spread racism. Unfortunately, Hollywood has been a key perpetrator in propagating Latinx stereotypes and forcing the Latino identity into a box.
Let’s view in detail what the common Latino stereotypes have been and how inclusivity has made way for Latinx to score leading roles with distinct identities.
5 Common Latino Stereotypes in Hollywood
Before I begin this section, let me digress a little. Latinos now make up roughly 20% of the total US population and are the largest minority in the US. This is why it is very easy for Latino consumers to find Hispanic support. As an Optimum Internet customer, I can conveniently find customer support in my own language for Optimum Internet en español. However, things were not always this way. Latinos have worked hard to dismantle negative stereotypes over the years.
Let’s explore common Latino stereotypes propagated by Hollywood with some examples:
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Latino Lover
Latino men were often represented as muscular from doing hard work and as very passionate lovers. This stereotype first appeared on screen in the 1920s and forever changed how a muscular Latino man would be perceived.
Example: Antonio Banderas in the Mask of Zorro.
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Domestic Worker or the Help
This stereotype depicts Latino characters only playing the roles of domestic workers, maids, or physical labor jobs. It forced the audience to perceive that the Latinos were incapable of getting an education to secure white-collar jobs.
Example: Jennifer Lopez in Maid in Manhattan and the Latina maid in Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
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Illegal Immigrant
Latinos were depicted as having ‘escaped’ Mexico and other LATAM countries to find better opportunities in the US. This forced people to perceive all Latinos as job stealers and a burden to the system.
Example: The Guatemalan child of Illegal Immigrants in Designated Survivor.
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Spicy Latina
Latinas in movies and shows were usually portrayed as women with a certain seductive appeal with a fierce temper. This encaged all Latinas in a certain image where their actual potential and identity was overshadowed by this stereotype.
Example: Gloria from Modern Family.
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Gang Member
Latinos from a specific age group were usually portrayed as part of gangs or the Cartel. They were shown to be violent and dangerous, which further caused people to treat all Latinos with contempt.
Example: Rio from Good Girls.
These stereotypes enforced a certain perception of Latinos and fueled racism. And it does not end here. For the longest time, Latino actors struggled to be cast in major roles and only got low-paying side roles. Latina artists like America Ferrera often voice their struggles in finding good work in Hollywood.
The Present State of Latin Representation in Hollywood
It took a whole lot of time and protests for the US to see that Latinos deserved respect like any other US citizen. But factors like a quickly-growing Latino population, which made them a key contributor as a consumer and historic legal amendments helped a lot. Moreover, the newer generations, like Millennials, fought for concepts like diversity and inclusivity, which allowed space for Latinx to shine.
The result?
We started seeing more and more Latinx representation in Hollywood. Not only that, but we started seeing more and more Latinx faces in leading roles. Now, almost every show has a Latin American character in a leading role, or as a part of the main cast. We have Gloria from Modern Family, America Ferrera from The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants, and Pedro Pascal in Game of Thrones and The Last of Us. These appearances show that Hollywood has evolved to be more inclusive of Latinx artists.
However, I am going to end this piece by stating the obvious. There is still a lot of room to grow. Most Hollywood movies and TV shows with leading Latinx artists still propagate derogatory stereotypes, under the guise of comedy. Not to forget, the huge wage gap between white and Latinx artists in Hollywood.
But, with the ongoing political shifts and the growing anti-immigrant rhetoric, it is hard to say when these issues will disappear.