Latino

Media 10

Latino American Representations

March 7, 2016

Hola como esta usted clases

Me llamo Profesor Coleman

o   Sent email regarding Ethnic Notions and yet another new due date which is next week

o   See e-companion on first Reflection Paper

o   Collect Color Adjustment Focus Questions

o   Tell Me Something I Do Not Know

o   Finish last 40 minutes of Ethnic Notions

o   Film: Big Steps and Small Strides (African Americans)

o   Next week will discuss group projects and guidelines

o   Clip 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gs2tdjzla8Y(Difference between Hispanics and Latinos)

o   Discuss Latino American Representations in the Media

Latino Americans and Media Representations

Ethnicity-a socially defined category of people who identify which wach other based on common social, cultural ancestral, or national experience.

LATINOS

o   In America far too often Latino culture is defined primarily through the use of Spanish, however, not all Latinos speak Spanish and for those who do, dialects and regional differences contribute to where their ancestry are connected. In our country, particularly the American southwest, far too often we simply think Mexican when we hear a Spanish speaking person. Further aiding into the perception that Spanish people are all from Mexico and ignoring the wide range of histories, cultures, and traditions.

o   Hispanic—a native of Spain residing in the United States is a Hispanic. Professor Coleman will say Mexicans are Hispanic based on historical facts. This can be traced back to 1565 when immigrants from Spain founded St. Augustine, Florida. The term Hispanic does not define a race of people but a culture of individuals from various Spanish origins or territory once ruled by Spain. It’s based on many different figures i.e. food, religion, language, clothing, and tradition.

o   Latino—persons or communities of Latin American origin. However there is a significant overlap between the groups or terms.

o   While both “Latino” and “Hispanic” are generally acceptable, some people have a strong preference. We should respect those preferences as much as possible in referring to individuals and groups; reporters and editors should routinely ask.

o   Mexicans speak Spanish because Mexico was under the control of Spanish people for at least 300 hundred years. Just like Americans speak English and not American although in the U.S. we have a different dialect than England and besides American is not recognized as an official language. More importantly, understand that Hispanic/Latino communities have many dialects. A person from Puerto Rico will have a different dialect than someone from Cuba or Mexico. But language is a major unifying factor in connecting Latino and Hispanic communities.

o   After years of fighting to get freedom from Spain and declaring its independence in 1810, 30 years later, the Mexican American War began ending two years later with Mexico giving much of its land to the U.S. (Texas, California, New Mexico, Arizona, and Nevada). And twenty years after that, France invaded Mexico. In America as late as the 1940’s, Mexican Americans were denied the right to live in many southwest cities and were required to attend segregated schools.

o   The Racial stereotypes of Hispanic Americans find its beginning during the American-Mexican War that took place in the mid-19th century. Americans believed that the entirety of North America belonged to them, and that the Mexicans were undeserving of the land that they occupied. So after attempts of buying the land failed, President James K Polk declared war on Mexico.  Eventually the United States won the war, which led to the creation of many new states, California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Texas.  Due to the fallout of the American-Mexican War, many Mexicans were displaced, but a lot of them were exploited for cheap labor. Due to the Mexican-American War, the first stereotypes were introduced, such as Mexicans are only good for cheap labor.

o   During the California Gold Rush, as many as 25,000 Mexicans arrived in California. Many of these Mexicans were experienced miners and had great success mining gold in California. Some Whites believed their success was a threat and began intimidating Mexican miners with violence. Between 1848 and 1860, at least 163 Mexicans were lynched in California alone. This event led to mass spreading of stereotypes concerning Hispanics

MEDIA

o   One of the earliest and most common stereotypes for representing Latinos/Hispanics in the US was the so-called greaser, an oily, dark skinned, always in a mustache, bandit who could be found causing chaos in early silent films. TONY THE GREASER, BRONCHO BILLY and the GREASER, THE GREASER’S REVENGE are examples. This stereotype was violent, cruel, and mean. Later a milder Greaser stereotype surfaced; a shiftless and lazy, content to lay in the sun under his sombrero all day while others worked much like how African Americans were called coons.

o   In 1922 Hollywood was depicting Latinos/Hispanics in such a negative way that Mexico banned any Hollywood film that depicted Latinos in a bad way. Hollywood toned it down a bit in order to save revenue from Mexico and other Latin countries.

o   During the 1920’s another stereotype began to surface and that’s the LATIN LOVER, a more sexual and sensual male and female began to dominate Latin depictions which implied that Latinos are more emotional and hot-bloodied than anyone else. The Latin lover was allowed to fall in love with whites while the greaser was considered taboo and inappropriate. You must also understand that Greasers tend to be dark skinned (rejected) while Latin Lovers (accepted) were generally lighter skinned. Light skin was more accepted much like how African Americans were depicted with being dark as ugly and light skinned as attractive.

o   The media has had a long history of stereotyping Hispanics. They were usually stereotyped as thugs, gangbangers, servants, laborers, childish/immature, stupid/naive, and aggressive. In the early days of movies, Hispanics were usually portrayed as villains opposed to a white hero. In these movies, Hispanics were always very dark skinned, with a huge sombrero, and a thick Mexican accent, this stereotype of Hispanics would stick for a long time. Even kids were bombarded with this image especially

 

in cartoons such as Speedy Gonzalez, which was shown on television in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, Speedy Gonzalez always portrayed the negative stereotypes previously mentioned. There was also slowpoke Rodriguez who was the lazy and drunk sidekick of Speedy, who was even more offensive to the Hispanics. In the modern media of today, Hispanics are mostly stereotyped as ether gangsters, maids, or laborers, that are usually illegal immigrates.

Clip 3: Latinos in the Media http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDGRAiuOGUA

Common stereotypes of Hispanics and Latinos

o   In LA, they are all Mexican. (ignoring all the other countries in the world)

o   “Wetbacks” (racial slur referencing illegal Mexicans who swam across the Rio Grande River into Texas)

o   All are in America illegally

o   Live in run-down and dirty homes

o   Their cars are always over-packed; filled to capacity plus more

o   Too flirtatious and freaky; too much public displays of affection

o   Promiscuous

o   Always having babies, especially teen girls

o   Drop-outs, gangsters, criminals, thieves, gunman, and drug traffickers

o   They are taking over everything, jobs and communities

o   Devoted Catholics  (no other religion applies)

o   Great dancers

o   Can’t read or speak English

GOOD NEIGHBOR POLICY

o   A series of federal initiatives and programs to recognize and celebrate US ties with Latin American nations and to mend relationships with those countries.

o   In President Franklin Roosevelt’s inaugural address in 1933, he promised to improve relations with Latin America by stating, “In the field of world policy, I dedicate this nation to the policy of the good neighbor — the neighbor who resolutely respects himself and, because he does so, respects the rights of others.”

o   The chief principal of the policy was based on non-interference and non-intervention, in the external or domestic affairs of neighboring countries.

During the 1960’s Civil Rights Movement (largely about stopping the discrimination toward African Americans) The Nosotros media watchdog group dedicated to improving Latin images in the media also started.

o   The Chicano Movement which promoted Chicano cultural pride also started during the civil rights movement. Prior to the 1960s, however, Latinos lacked influence in the national political arena. That changed when the Mexican American Political Association worked to President John F. Kennedy in 1960, establishing Latinos as a significant voting bloc.

Film 1: Latinos Beyond Reel: Challenging the Media Stereotype (https://vimeo.com/119880329)

Film 2: The Bronze Screen: 100 Years of the Latino Image in Hollywood (DVD) Will screen on March 14, 2016