The media is meant to reflect our collective experience as a society. Media is meant to inform, to entertain, to teach, and to enlighten. Throughout history, however, women have had their position compromised by racist and sexist standards in the media. The White, male point of view overpowers this industry. Latina women, thus, face unique challenges and are often portrayed unfairly without sensitivity to the nuances of their gender or of their culture.

One example of the flawed representation of Latinas in the media is a Burger King advertisement featuring Colombian actress Sofia Vergara. Vergara is hypersexualized for the purpose of promoting the fast food chain’s new salad (Ruiz, 2012). Her accent and her body are placed on the spotlight as ‘sexy lures’ for a mob of men looking to buy a salad. The sensual undertones of the commercial contribute to the ‘spicy Latina’ stereotype in which women of this ethnicity are considered exotic sexual objects for the male gaze.

 

 

Sofia Vergara has had several other controversial media appearances, including a Pepsi commercial, but she is perhaps best known for her role as Gloria in ABC’s show Modern Family. Gloria is portrayed as a rich white man’s ‘trophy wife’ who parades around in high heels and sexually revealing clothing while speaking in a heavy accent.

The representation of Latinas in the media exemplifies the feminist intersection of ethnicity and gender. In Vergara’s case, she is painted as a submissive ‘naughty girl’ whose existence revolves around pleasing men- the sexist component of the equation- as well as a fascinating, foreign being- the racist part of the equation. Further, her character seems to depend on White, capitalist, male-dominant culture for self-sufficiency and self-realization.

 

 

 

When Latinxs in are not sex symbols in media, they are often service-based workers such as maids, nannies, and domestic help who are submissive and of lower income. Often, a white savior enters the scene to ameliorate their situation. Jennifer Lopez’s role of Marisa in the movie Maid in Manhattan is essentially one of a ‘damsel in distress’ who falls in love with an affluent, Caucasian man who promises to care for her for the rest of their lives. Much like Gloria’s character in Modern Family, Marisa appears to be dependent on White, masculine American culture for success.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stereotypes about Latinas in the media inevitably lead to self-imposed standards among women of this ethnicity to dress in a revealing way, to be seductive and alluring. These standards can place Latinas at higher risk of sexual assault or abuse, relationship violence, substance abuse, and unsafe sex practices (American Psychological Association, 2011; Raiford et al., 2007). By reducing their character to ‘sex symbol’ or ‘serviceperson,’ the male-run media glosses over the joy and richness of Latino culture, as well as the strengths held by women in the community.

The narrow portrayals of Latinas in media also omit the diversity of gender, race, sexuality, and religion within the Latinx community. Mainstream media neglects to tell the story of Afro-Latinx people, Indigenous Latinx people, gender fluid and gender nonconforming Latinx individuals, among many other stories that are obscured my generalizations and stereotypes.

Empowerment and visibility for all Latinx people is possible if the media is redefined. Latinx individuals participating in the #VogueChallenge featured in the magazine EMPERIFOLLÁ showcase what Latinx media could look like if it was to shed its White, heteronormative standards (Sola-Santiago, 2020).

The focus, then, is on diversifying the stories told about Latinx people. It is clear that Latinx beauty, style, and culture extends beyond the narrow definition crafted by society. Revamping the media industry can reshape Latina’s identity and empower them to step fully into their unique role.

 

References

American Psychological Association. (2011). Sexualization of Girls. https://www.apa.org/pi/women/programs/girls

Eddie Ruiz. (2012, June 20). Sofia Vergara BURGER KING Commercial [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKeuNOzWemM

Raiford, J. L., Wingood, G. M., & DiClemente, R. J. (2007). Prevalence, incidence, and predictors of dating violence: A longitudinal study of African American female adolescents. Journal of Women’s Health, 16(6), 822-832. doi: https://doi.org/10.1089/jwh.2006.0002

Sola-Santiago, F. (2020, June 17). This Is What Latinx Media Could Actually Look Like. Emperifollá. https://emperifolla.com/2020/06/17/latinx-media-voguechallenge/