In the book Latino Images in Film: Stereotypes, Subversion, and Resistance, by Charles Ramírez Berg he argues that six different stereotypical images have been used to define Latinos in U.S. cinema since the first appearance in film in the 1920s: the bandido, the harlot, the male buffoon, the female clown, the Latin lover, and the dark lady. Though resistance to such demeaning depictions seemingly emerged during waves of Chicano filmmaking beginning in the late 1960s, Berg identifies-through analysis of costume, language, and even posture and gesture-attempts by Latino actors from as far back as the 1930s to overturn Hollywood expectations of their roles. In the first part of the book, Berg sets forth his theory of stereotyping, defines the …show more content…
classic stereotypes, and investigates how actors such as Raúl Julia, Rosie Pérez, José Ferrer, Lupe Vélez, and Gilbert Roland have overturned stereotypical roles. In the movie "The Bronze Screen: 100 Years of the Latino Image in Hollywood Cinema" similar themes are examined. It spotlights the impact of a few of the theatre's many transformations. It offers up an essential form of understanding that covers, among other things, the politics behind early infatuation with "Latin lovers," the manipulation of actors to fit stereotypes and the current talent group that's carrying the torch of Dolores Del Rio, Lupe Velez, and Antonio Moreno. Theories explored such as connotative meaning, denotative meaning, and the triangle theory are three of the few methods portrayed in both the film and the book that also connect to current issues and themes today. Berg undergoes the analysis of semiotic theory and more specifically denotative meaning which is a distinguishable factor of stereotyping displayed in the film industry. A denotative sign or meaning is a definitional, literal, obvious or commonsense meaning of a sign. Berg goes on to explain this in the book by stating: From a semiotic perspective, we can say that the cinematic image of el bandido is the signifier, the recognizable part of the sign. At its most basic, most ideologically innocent, denotative level, what it signifies is simply a dark-skinned male with bullet belts adorning his chest and a sombrero on his head. (Berg) A word or an image aren't inherently connected to the mental image of the subject; that relationship is structured through the evolution of language systems about social and individual perception.
This is seen in the film as well because it examines the first images of Latinos on the silver screen in the "greaser" movies of the early 1900s. These films presented Mexican males as villains, banditos and thieves, and Mexican women as wanton sirens with questionable morals. Movie images eventually morphed into a more accepting, but still unrealistic stereotype - the Latin Lover (Racho). The portrayal of these mindless stereotypes lead to a form of denotation all throughout the film industry and pushing those stigmas of Latinos. This form of denotation is seen in society today with shows such as CSI: Miami where, throughout the years, has become more stereotyped in its representations of Latinos. Dian J. Klien is a Visiting professor of Law at the UCLA School of Law in Los Angeles. Her full-time appointment is as an Associate Professor of Law at the University of La Verne Colle of Law. Klien further explains CSI:Miami's ongoing portrayal of Latinos by stating, "Where the first season counterbalanced the bandidos and Latin lovers with a broad array of Latino police officers, as well as professionals with roles outside law and law enforcement, in the more recent seasons only the stereotypes remain (Klein 402). Stereotyping is a result of the ongoing denotative meaning, which has …show more content…
placed Latino actors in a box of false portrayals and stigmas. Along with denotative meaning, there is connotative meaning, which has also contributed to Bergs' triangle theory that is a form of an identification process seen and used in the film industry. Connotative meaning is a cultural, personal, and an ideological association of the sign. Berg further explains this meaning by stating, "But at the connotative level much more is signified. There are a host of meanings that the image has accrued over nearly a century of repeated representations, and it is here that the move stereotype carries most of its informational-and ideological- freight" (Berg). Along with this cognitive meaning follows Bergs' analysis of the triangle theory. This is because a stereotype operates by gathering a specific set of negative traits (signifiers) and assembling them into a particular image (sign), because uses of cognitive meaning are being implemented throughout the film industry. The triangle method applies to social relations. The triangle social group forms a scapegoat by allied other groups, which results in coercion and consent, assimilation, and use of hero or bad guy. The triangle method uses two members who can reduce their anxiety and insecurity by picking a defect third person and position them as deficient (Berg). Again, this is seen in the film as well because it discusses how Hollywood expertly and repeatedly deploys the technique of the dominant narrative, which includes, stereotyping. After years and years of repetitive viewing without questioning, the audience codes the film and thereby completes the stereotyping process (Racho). As a result of this process, Latinos are faced with a constant struggle to advance in the film industry to this day. Brooks Barnes author of After #OscarsSoWhite, Hispanics Seek Their Hollywood Moment of The New York Times explains this by stating: Only one Hispanic man has ever won the best actor Oscar - José Ferrer, for "Cyrano de Bergerac" in 1951 - and no Hispanic woman has ever been named best actress.
None of that will change this year. When nominations for the 90th Academy Awards are announced on Tuesday morning, almost all of the acting nominees are again expected to be white. In any given film there is a choice between and hero and stereotype. However, the viewer is offered to make a decision each time the archetype is confronted with any character (Berg). This has pushed Latino/a actors and actresses to drive away that stereotype and focus on the hero solely so the stigmas, so portrayed continuously, can be
diminished. In the book Latino Images in Film: Stereotypes, Subversion, Resistance Charles Ramírez Berg develops an innovative theory of stereotyping that accounts for the persistence of images of Latinos in U.S. popular culture. This resonates alongside the film The Bronze Screen: 100 Years of the Latino Image in Hollywood Cinema, which depicts the often-overlooked story of the American motion picture industry and celebrates the contributions of Latinos in Hollywood. Both forums contribute to the discussion of misrepresentation and stereotyping of Latinos in the film industry that have been subjugated to perform in roles that advance and diminish the portrayal of Latinos. To this very day ranging from the Oscars occurrences to a long-standing show of CSI: Miami that still places Latinos under constant pressures to deteriorate their stigmas. Both the film and the book provide hope for the Latino film culture and express sentiments of strong roles arising and more Latinos being incorporated into parts for more than their stereotypes. However, there is still so much work that needs to be done, and it can never stop.
Film Historian Donald Bogle, the author of “Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies, & Bucks: An Interpretive History of Blacks in American Films,” offers compelling and informative examples of various stereotypes of African-Americans performers. He emphasizes on historical characteristics of gifted black actors/entertainers; renovating their roles to disseminate specific representations that are significant to the economics and history of America’s shifting environmental circumstances.
Depiction of Latinos in 20th Century Film Graphs Not Included Over the course of this past century, the depictions of assimilated Latino characters has improved a great deal. Early portrayals of Latino assimilation generally proved to be a montage of unrealistic caricatures which seemed to convey the filmmaker's creativity more so than true representations. This formed the manner in which the American people at large viewed not just Latino characters attempting to assimilate, but also those who were not. As Cine-Aztlan puts it, film "manipulates the human psychology, sociology, religion, and morality of the people, in a word the ideological super-structure of modern capitalist society" (pg.275, Chicanos and Film).
Latinos beyond Reel documentary film presented how US news and entertainment media portray Latinos. Latino American is an ethnic minority group of whom origin was from Latin America or Iberian Peninsula. Latino American is the fastest growing population in the United States. However, media has had negative effects for the Latino community. News media and entertainment had strongly influenced the perception of non-Latino about Latinos. These media portrayal of Latinos had implications for real world perceptions of Latinos.
The Chicano Movement was a time that pressed forth for the equal opportunity of the Latino community and proved to America that Mexican Americans were a force to be reckoned with. In the documentary Latino Americans – Episode 5: Prejudice and Pride, it centralizes on the success of the oppressed community through significant leaders in that period. Union activists César Chavez, along with Dolores Huerta, playwright Luis Valdez, teacher Sal Castro, US Congressman Herman Ballido, and political activist José Ángel Gutiérrez all contributed to egalitarianism of Latinos across the nation. This documentary reflects on the importance of equal prospects within the workplace, the academic setting, and the social and political features in society.
...he ‘Cesar Chavez’ film will, with any luck, influence Hollywood to create more movies that reflect our diverse American stories. Filipino Americans are California’s biggest Asian American group, California’s third largest minority group, and the second biggest Asian ethnicity group in the United States of America. Chicanos/as and Filipinos are the two of the fastest rising ethnic collections in the nation. With more documentaries like ‘Delano Manongs, literature, and more ethnic studies discourse set on the promotion of accurate representation of history that bring the experiences of Filipinos in California’s labor movement to light, an opportunity to erase the history of erasure is presenting itself. In sum, it is imperative that a substantial place for Filipino descendants in US history is not buried or elapsed, especially within a popular form of media like film.
Of course, there were so many stereotyping that appear in the film such as: the Iranian man who is called Osama or ties to terrorist - Black people don’t tip or more Gang bangers have tattoo and sagging pants. More at the beginning of the film, The Asian women who stated that “Mexicans don’t know how to drive they brake to fast”. Don Cheadle who treated his partner as Mexican when she is actually Porto Rican descendant.
Latino portrayals in the media of theatre and movies have had negative affects for the Latino community but there are roles that are slowly becoming positive for their community. Not only have Latinos been portrayed negatively through stereotypes but they have also been ignored from American Media. When Latinos are actually present in different forms of media a very consistent type of Latino is portrayed. The words Hispanic and Latino already come with an image of that specific person who has dark features and an accent. When it comes to stereotyping Latinos in the media whether it be Hollywood or Broadway they tend to translate everything negatively through the roles they play. The audiences’ lack of understanding different Latino cultures allows the media to manipulate and reinforce myths on Latino communities. Rita Moreno from the film West Side Story had to overcome many stereotypes in order to achieve her fame. "Before 'West Side Story,' I was always offered the stereotypical Latina roles. The Conchitas and Lolita’s in westerns. I was always barefoot. It was humiliating, embarrassing stuff. But I did it because there was nothing else. After 'West Side Story,' it was pretty much the same thing. A lot of gang stories”
Andre, Judith. “Stereotypes: Conceptual and Normative Considerations.” Multicultural Film: An Anthology. Spring/Summer 2014. Eds. Kathryn Karrh Cashin and Lauren Martilli. Boston, MA: Pearson, 2013.
Thompson, Nicole A. "Mo' Latinos, Same Problems: Negative Portrayal of Latinos Continue in the Media, Despite More Latino Talent on the Screen."Latin Post RSS. N.p., 11 Nov. 2013. Web. 12 May 2014.
Woll, Allen L and Randall M Miller. Ethnic and Racial Images in American Film and Television: Historical Essays and Bibliography. n.d. Print.
In today’s society, pre-existing assumptions and stereotypes of other ethnicities and individuals play a large part in the way we see others. This social construct of stereotypes has placed restrictions on many people’s lives which ultimately limits them from achieving certain goals. In this sense, stereotypes misrepresent and restrict people of colour to gain casting within the Hollywood film industry. The issue of how casting actors to certain roles and how these actors are forced to submit and represent these false stereotypes is one worthy of discussion. White Chicks (2004), directed by Keenan Wayans, illustrates this issue through the performance of Latrell, performed by Terry Crews, and his performance of the hyper-sexualised “buck” will be a prime example in this essay to discuss the racial politics and stereotypes in Hollywood casting.
...g place for a long time now; blacks have went from not being banned from certain stages to dominating theater with actors and actresses such as Halle Berry and Denzel Washington. In modern day film, African-Americans have prevailed over all of the negative setbacks, and as the old Negro spiritual says, "We shall continue to overcome."
I gave several examples where Asian Americans were used to play very simple characters. These roles were defined by stereotypes that exist in America. I also researched instances on counter actions taken by Asian Americans to protest against these negative images. My research also has examples of Asians that have succeeded in breaking through the racial barriers in the media.
The number of Asian American communities is growing in the U.S. population, however, these groups of people are often marginalized and misrepresented in mainstream media. In today’s mainstream media, there is a visible lack of Asian American representation on film. Asian actors, when given roles in film and television, are rarely cast for central roles and form about only 3% of prime-time characters (Ramasubramanian, 2011). Not only is the number for casting Asian and Asian Americans low, the roles of these characters are often portrayed in the stereotypical ideology which has been present for decades. But why are Asians portrayed the way they are? Why has Hollywood maintained its representational practices when it comes to the portraying Asians? Why do these portrayals persist in the presence of a growing Asian population and racial diversity? What is the significance of the Asian American segment for Hollywood? To what extent does the consideration of the Asian American market influence the way Hollywood portray Asians? These are the questions that surface when watching films, and in the lens of an Asian American, many Asians and Asian American do not fit the mold created by Hollywood. First, I will introduce the range of common film representation of Asians. This literature review will focus on the negative and positive light of Asian representation , the structure of Hollywood film industry and its effect on representing Asian race, the social acceptance of Asian stereotypes, and Asian American’s social identity theories.
To help me understand and analyze a different culture, I watched the film Selena. The film tells the life story of the famous singer Selena Quintanilla-Pérez. Not only does it just tell personal stories from her life, it also gives insight to the Mexican-American culture. Her whole life she lived in the United States, specifically in Texas, but was Hispanic and because of that both her and her family faced more struggles than white singers on the climb to her success. Even though the film is a story about a specific person, it brought understanding into the culture in which she lived. Keeping in mind that these ideas that I drew about the Mexican-American culture is very broad and do not apply to every single person in the culture, there were very obvious differences in their culture and the one that I belong. Mexican-American culture identifies with their family rather than individualized or spiritual identities and the culture has gone through significant changes because of discrimination and the changing demographics of the United States.