Stereotyping of Latina Women in the United States Research Paper

Stereotyping of Latina Women in the United States - Research Paper Example But some sections of society seem to be purposely promoting the stereotypical images of some races for conveniences of a certain kind. One of these sections is the entertainment media industry and their convenience in this regard is the ease in selling their product. While there are a few common tendencies of the TV and film industry of stereotyping groups of people, like African Americans and chopper riders, this paper sheds light on the entertainment media’s love affair with certain portrayals of Latino women. It traces the origins of the practice of stereotyping Latinas on TV and film, investigates its immersion in modern society, calculates its impact on the lives of its affectees and alludes to the solution of the problem. Stereotypes It was Gary D. Keller (2) who, in 1994, first drew a detailed picture of the problem, characterising the three principle types of stereotypes that are promulgated by the mainstream TV and film media. These include the image of a sexually att ractive, flamboyant middle-aged woman; the ill-fated, subservient, selfless single woman and the deceptive and cunning beauty that stabs its admirers in the back for vested interests. The portrayal of Latino women as sexual objects is the most common stereotype of Latinas in the TV and film industry. ... It is also common for producers to cast Latinas as poor housewives sacrificing their joys for the well being of their family’s interrelations or as housekeepers showing utter selflessness and subservience to their masters. In a recent study (Rivadeneyra, 393), seven groups of thirty seven students in total were shown montages of different TV shows and movies casting Latino actresses. In their observations, two of the seven groups noted that that it is rare to see Latinos playing positive roles on television: â€Å"They always portray them as the lower class or as the maids or whatever. You never see a CEO of a company being Hispanic or whatever like in a regular TV show.† These trends of stereotyping of Latinas are not fading away yet. Just this year a new show called "Devious Maids" (Shearmur), produced in the famous ABC studios aired, depicting the story of five Latino maids. The show seems to combine two popular stereotypes of Latino women and proves that there still is great market demand for such portrayals of Latino women. Origins and Causes The portrayal of a certain group of people on camera cannot have much bearing on the group’s place in the real world. How then, does this stereotyping of Latinas by the TV and film industry translate to the great inaccuracy in perception of Latinas in American society? In her critical analysis of this issue’s manifestation in the popular TV series Desperate Housewives, Debra Merskin (133) answers this question: â€Å"It is through the repetition of these Latina stereotypes in mass media, both on and off screen that solidifies these stereotypes of Latina women in society.† It is evidently well qualified to say that