Reel Negotiations: Shifting the Role of the Media's Relationship with Latinas/os

The study of Latina/os living in the United States is a complex endeavor because U.S. Latina/os lead complicated lives, punctuated by a plethora of issues, experiences, and realities that are difficult to quantify in a way... [ view full abstract ]

The study of Latina/os living in the United States is a complex endeavor because U.S. Latina/os lead complicated lives, punctuated by a plethora of issues, experiences, and realities that are difficult to quantify in a way that does justice to that complexity. From immigration experiences and labor issues to identity politics and ethnic integration, the study of US Latina/os requires a carefully defined and delineated engagement of intersectional and interdisciplinary studies that recognize the complexity and multifaceted reality of being a Latina/o in the United States. Countless studies of Latina/os engage the complexity by straddling various disciplinary lines – for this paper, I draw upon media studies and the conceptions of Latino religion and culture to illustrate how working in an (un)disciplinary space creates opportunities for scholars to investigate issues affecting the Latino community and create new perceptions of Latina/os in the United States.

The paper will begin by relying on socio-scientific data illustrating that Latina/os are disproportionately affected by social issues related to sexuality and gender. Latinas are the highest in unwed teenage pregnancy while LGBTQ Latina/os are among the highest in mental health issues and sexual risky behavior. In order to find the root of these issues, I turn to cultural and religious studies to explore the imaginary present in the Latino community that allows for these issues to take root. However, the problem is not simply rooted in the Latino community, but these negative images are also dissipated in U.S. based media, which propagate static and flat stereotypes that limit how Latina/os are perceived. This paper will delve into the images present in mainstream media that paints a negative image of Latina/os. Using an interdisciplinary model, I will illustrate how the problems stated above are complex and multilayered, requiring a complex and multilayered solution. The media, which is part of the problem, is also of the solution. The paper will culminate with an analysis of how Chicana Feminist artists created a space for art forms to push the boundaries of religious icons and cultural notions that limit gender and sexuality among Latina/os. These bold examples of revolutionary art form set a good example for how film and television media can also create new conceptions of culture. Shows like Jane the Virgin push back on standard stereotypes of Latina/os and create a broader space for Latina/os to exist beyond the bounds of what is generally assumed. This paper illustrates the power of working in an (un)disciplinary space.