What the TV Media Is Getting Wrong...

     

     Drug cartel members, thugs, “devious” maids who engage in the drama of the households they maintain for a living, and housewives with voluptuous curves, low-cut tops, spicy attitude, and sexy accents that often make them the subject of many jokes – are these the only characters with which the Latino population can identify themselves?

A not so "modern" portrayal of Latinas:

Another "bad" stereotyping of Latinos:

And a certainly "deviously" intentioned image of Latina women:

     In researching many popular, mainstream American television shows, I've found that the answer is, unfortunately, yes. Popular and widely-viewed shows, such as "Breaking Bad," "Devious Maids," and "Modern Family," to name a few, negatively stereotype Latinos. What's worse than the fact that these shows do not portray Latinos in the best light is the fact that these are really the only roles Latinos get on TV. In search of some hope that entertainment hasn't completely failed the Latino population, I came across only two television shows that employed positive Latino/a role models in recurring roles or as their main characters, and neither of these shows are currently playing anymore. 

"The George Lopez Show"

     “The George Lopez Show,” which tells the comical stories of an American family of Mexican and Cuban descent. On the show, Lopez is the manager of an airline parts factory, and, although his cultural heritage is a central theme of the show, he, his family and the experiences they have could be those of any American family. They are, in a word, relatable.

"Ugly Betty"

     The second show I came across is "Ugly Betty," a comedy about a young Latina who works for a fashion publication in New York City. Contrary to the stereotype that defines Latin women as sexy loud-mouths, Betty's nickname stems from the fact that she is quite the opposite, as she wears thick-rimmed glasses, braces, and can at times act introverted. On the show, Betty gains a successful career on account of her intelligence and tenacity, even though she faces hardships in her life along the way, such as her struggle to help her undocumented immigrant father obtain a visa. 

     While the premier of these two shows exhibited the television media's effort to paint a more multifarious depiction of America's Latino population, in truth, these endeavors were short-lived. More importantly, currently there aren't any shows airing that help to at least balance out the bad side-effects of the various shows that are currently on air. 

     By now, you're probably wondering what the effects of all these negative portrayals are. Well studies show that television is a powerful catalyst of American socialization, contributing to our populations knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about the world. The types of portrayals of Latinos currently shown on television reduce the diversity of the Latino population to follies of one-dimensional characters and reflect Latino's motivations, manners, and sense of morality poorly. Research shows that individuals who are receptive to television media are more likely to view Latino's as the lazy, unintelligent, undocumented immigrants they see on screen, and, if they do not see them on screen, then they are more likely to trivialize the importance and contribution that Latino's make in America. 

     What's just as detrimental as non-Latinos stereotyping Latinos is Latinos stereotyping themselves. Studies show that Latino children consume more media than other Americans. They watch about an average of 4.5 hours of TV a day and are more likely to use television to learn about themselves and the world. Additionally, research shows that Latinos admit to believing the portrayals of their cultures on television as realistic.

     Constantly watching stereotypical portrayals of Latinos on television is harmful because it causes the real Latino population's self-esteem to dwindle. This is a diminishment that causes Latinos to believe that Latino's, such as themselves, are neither doctors not lawyers, but merely drug dealers, sex symbols, or maids; it causes them to believe that Latino's such as themselves are not intelligent, ambitious, and driven, but simply stupid, lazy, and loud. There is an undeniable link between television media and Latino's self-conceptions. Their negative or bare presence on the television screen is not only facilitating hate toward Latinos, but it is causing Latinos to believe that they can do no better than embody the portrayed negative characters in their real life. (Source: Rivadeneyra, Rocio, L. Monique Ward, and Maya Gordon. 2007. Distorted Reflections: Media Exposure and Latino Adolescents' Conception of Self. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.)

     To further understand the effect of these negative stereotypes, take a look at and consider the following:

"Latinos Beyond Reel"

Ultimately, the stereotypes portrayed on television of the Latino population are more harmful than entertaining. The drug lords, the undocumented immigrants, and the sexy maids and housewives – these are the characters that often, if not always, make up the media’s scarce portrayal of Latinos; these are the stereotypes that under-represent the Latino population, and, ultimately, these are the ideologies that hinder Latinos from progressing from a barely tolerated inevitability in America to a welcomed and relevant part of America. In "Latinos Beyond Reel," filmmakers Miguel Picker and Chyng Sun explore the ways in which entertainment media portray the Latino population. What they discover is that the media causes misinterpretation and allows for under-representation. They learn that these portrayals of Latinos only propagate hate for the Latino population. The film depicts how harmful these current portrayals are to Latinos and to the nation as a whole. To learn more about this insightful film (where it's screening or to rent or buy it) and the issues it addresses, visit the film's website.