Latino Stereotypes in a modern era
“Television is a popular and powerful medium that both imitates and influences culture.” (Pahad et. al). Modern Family, an ABC TV show, that portrays 3 “atypical” families, subliminally contributes to a fixed image of racial/ethnic groups. ABC’s sitcom, evidences use ethnicity based theories of race, to create stereotypical characters and generalizations of different groups of people, that can become memorable to an audience. “The term Latino is operationalized to include all persons of Latin American origin or descent, irrespective of language, race, or culture”. (Hayes, Bautista, Chapas 1987)The only female Latino character, that is essential to Modern Family’s plot, is drawn …show more content…
To treat race as a matter related only and directly to culture, is to undermine the importance of all other variables, such as descent, kinship and ancestry; consequently universalizing a “dominant white culture” (Winant 2014). Sofia Vergara’s character, Gloria Pritchett, plays the stereotypical culprit of the Latino female in a white-dominated nation. Gloria’s character can be contrasted to Julie Bowen’s persona: Claire Dunphy, who often plays Gloria’s antithesis in the TV show. The stereotypes reinforced or highlighted in TV shows, contribute to behaviours in which the rest of the world treat minorities; particularly in countries where multiculturalism has given rise to inequality issues, such as the United States.
Empirical research has consistently demonstrated the influence of exposure to television imagery on viewers ' real-world perceptions regarding racial/ethnic groups in the US. society. (Mastro, Behm-Morawitz 2005) Research has suggested there are four types of Latino stereotypes in the western media: the criminal, the latin lover, the harlot, and the comic/buffoon. (Mastro-Behm-Morawitz 2005). Sofia Vergara’s character, plays a role that oscillates between these representations of a Latino, which generally cannot be escaped by Latina actresses in the …show more content…
Stereotypes persist because “they fulfill important identity needs for the dominant culture”, thereby maintaining the status quo and preserving hegemony (Mastro & Behm-Morawitz 2005). The depiction of this character in particular is based on conceptions of Latinos without the acknowledgement of a systemic oppression of their surroundings. Authors in the industry,, however, support the existing hegemony because it guarantees them a reliable audience, and potential success. “The formulaic sense of the stereotype provides with profitable excesses that ultimately there is no choice but to accept these stereotypes” (Smith 2016). Sofia Vergara’s role is strictly ethnic, given she carries the burden of all the cultural elements and expected affiliations of an entire
“Television is a popular and powerful medium that both imitates and influences culture.” (Pahad et. al). Modern Family, an ABC TV show, that portrays 3 “atypical” families, subliminally contributes to a fixed image of racial/ethnic groups. ABC’s sitcom, evidences use ethnicity based theories of race, to create stereotypical characters and generalizations of different groups of people, that can become memorable to an audience. “The term Latino is operationalized to include all persons of Latin American origin or descent, irrespective of language, race, or culture”. (Hayes, Bautista, Chapas 1987)The only female Latino character, that is essential to Modern Family’s plot, is drawn …show more content…
To treat race as a matter related only and directly to culture, is to undermine the importance of all other variables, such as descent, kinship and ancestry; consequently universalizing a “dominant white culture” (Winant 2014). Sofia Vergara’s character, Gloria Pritchett, plays the stereotypical culprit of the Latino female in a white-dominated nation. Gloria’s character can be contrasted to Julie Bowen’s persona: Claire Dunphy, who often plays Gloria’s antithesis in the TV show. The stereotypes reinforced or highlighted in TV shows, contribute to behaviours in which the rest of the world treat minorities; particularly in countries where multiculturalism has given rise to inequality issues, such as the United States.
Empirical research has consistently demonstrated the influence of exposure to television imagery on viewers ' real-world perceptions regarding racial/ethnic groups in the US. society. (Mastro, Behm-Morawitz 2005) Research has suggested there are four types of Latino stereotypes in the western media: the criminal, the latin lover, the harlot, and the comic/buffoon. (Mastro-Behm-Morawitz 2005). Sofia Vergara’s character, plays a role that oscillates between these representations of a Latino, which generally cannot be escaped by Latina actresses in the …show more content…
Stereotypes persist because “they fulfill important identity needs for the dominant culture”, thereby maintaining the status quo and preserving hegemony (Mastro & Behm-Morawitz 2005). The depiction of this character in particular is based on conceptions of Latinos without the acknowledgement of a systemic oppression of their surroundings. Authors in the industry,, however, support the existing hegemony because it guarantees them a reliable audience, and potential success. “The formulaic sense of the stereotype provides with profitable excesses that ultimately there is no choice but to accept these stereotypes” (Smith 2016). Sofia Vergara’s role is strictly ethnic, given she carries the burden of all the cultural elements and expected affiliations of an entire