El Mundo En Nuestras Manos

A blog inspired by the photo essay "Latinos Break The Mold," originally published by the Huffington Post in October of 2015. For the purpose of educating students about Latinos in the media and the impact of Latino culture in media communications. Created for the purpose of the course Introduction to Media Communications at Emmanuel College by Nicole Bedoya '18. About the Author Nicole Bedoya is currently a sophomore at Emmanuel College hoping to graduate with a major in Economics and a minor in Spanish. She was born to Colombian immigrants and her first language is Spanish. Altough she was born in the United States, she hopes to use her unique Latino upbringing to educate and enlighten others about Latino culture and society. Quotes about being Latino by famous Latinos in the media: "Latinos are a vital but underrepresented force in this country." -Ana Ortiz, Actress "A couple of years after I arrived in Hollywood, everything that was Latino was fashionable, and years after, my thought is that we're not fashionable anymore. We're here to stay."-Antonio Banderas, Actor "The Latina in me is an ember that blazes forever." -Sonia Sotomayor "I don't understand labels. I don't need anybody to tell me I'm Latina or black or anything else. I've played characters that were written for Caucasian females, I just want to be given the same consideration as everybody else, and so far that has been happening." -Zoe Saldaña

[comm-breakthemold-blog]

Latinos in “El Cine”: Who Do Latinos Play and Why?

Colombian born actor John Leguizamo is truly one of a kind. He his often referred to as a “chameleon actor.” Because of this unique talent, Leguizamo is best known for his one-man stage shows. Like me, he was born to Colombian parents, with Colombian roots, in a Colombian household, but he spent his teenage years trying to learn to navigate the streets of Queens, New York. In 1991, he got his first paid gig joining the Off Center Theater, a Manhattan comedy troupe (Biography.com).

Leguizamo got his first big break in film in Casualties of War (1989). Then he got roles in big budget films such as Die Hard II (1990) and Regarding Henry (1991), and an independent film Hanging with the Homeboys (1991). However, his roles in all of these films depicted him as a thug Latino or drug dealer. This frustrated Leguizamo, but it also inspired him to tear down these stereotypes by using live theater to create satirical shows of dramatically exaggerated caricatures of Latino stereotypes.

This lead to his first successful solo comedy show—Mambo Mouth (1991). It ended up winning an Obie Award from the Village Voice, an Outer Critics Circle Award, a Vanguard Award, and a CableACE Award. Needless to say, it made a statement and critics and audiences got the message. The point was to see how absurd these stereotypes seem to Latinos, while at the same time ironically giving others a peek at what it was like to grow up in Queens in the 80′s. Then came other majorly successful shows, such as:

- Spic-O-Rama (1992)

 -Freak (1998)

-Sexaholix...a Love Story, which was based on his sold-out national tour, "John Leguizamo Live!" (2001)

Apart from his satirical comedy work, he continued to act in big budget films but constantly tried to diversify his roles. He played Tybalt in the modernized version of “Romeo & Juliet,” did voice acting for the wildly successful animated film series “Ice Age,” a doctor on “ER”, and even a drag queen in the commercially successful “To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar” (1995).

He intimately disclosed this quote to the Huffington Post during his “Latinos Break The Mold” photo shoot:

“[In my career, because I'm Latino] I had less chances but more work than my white counterparts. I had less offers but constant work. But all the restrictions and limitations made me want to create my own work and I found a huge, loyal following that was starving to hear and see themselves reflected... aching to hear their own stories and their lives put on stage and represented. And the audience has fueled all my work and writing. And to them I owe my success.”

(http://testkitchen.huffingtonpost.com/latinos-break-the-mold/john-leguizamo/)

And he’s right, Leguizamo is just one representative of millions of Latinos who currently make up 17% of the US population and yet have no real representation in media. As I learned in my Introduction to Communications class, even though Latinos are the fastest growing minority in the US and make up a significant portion of the population, in 2013, a Latino did not have a single leading role among the top ten movies and scripted network TV shows in the US. 

Overall, Leguizamo has been a major inspiration for young up and coming Latino actors and actresses; he touches them to not just settle for ANY role—like Gina Rodriguez, for example (see my last blog post). But the real question is, what are the roles that are offered to Latinos in the first place?

According to a study conducted by the Huffington Post, 38 percent of Latina actresses appeared partially or fully naked on screen. This is in comparison to 32 percent of white females, 24 percent of black females and 18 percent of Asian actresses. Why? Because historically, pre-Carmen Miranda, Latinas have been seen as sex symbols. They were seen as oozing sexuality and having poor moral compasses. They look to Latino and Hispanic genes to fuel that stereotype of curvy and voluptuous women. Regardless of talent, it is indisputable that sex sells. However, Latina actresses have much more to offer as artists and as people in general than just being seen as a sex machine or being depicted as a white protagonist’s sexual prey. Latinas, if given the chance, have the capacity to be Academy Award winning ladies.

Take Salma Hayek for example. She not only played the role of Frida Kahlo in the biographical film “Frida,” but she also helped produce the film.

Hayek got the following recognition for the film:

Golden Camera for Best International Actress

Imagen Award for Best Actress – Film

Nominated—Academy Award for Best Actress

Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role

Nominated—Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress

Nominated—Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress

Nominated—Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress

Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama

Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama

Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role

If those awards don’t speak for themselves I don’t know what will. But it takes creativity and diversity to get more Latinas into these roles. 

The Huffington Post also reports:

“Blanca Valdez, who runs a Hispanic casting agency in Los Angeles, said it's difficult for Latinos to audition for roles unless the call specifically asks for ‘diversity’ or ‘multiethnic.’ That often keeps them out [in] secondary roles such as the neighbor, the lawyer, or the bank teller. She said some actors with Hispanic surnames who look white will only put their first name on their casting photographs, just to get a foot in the door.”

No one should feel the need to hide their identity to “get their foot in the door.” And this goes back to the lack of creativity in Hollywood. In 2013, the number of black directors remained low — 6 percent of all directors  — and they were much more likely to use diverse casts. Hispanic directors were not even counted. With primarily white directors, writers, producers, and editors it is hard to get a narrative from another perspective. To get a different narrative overall. 

How does this impact our Hispanic American society? Well, how can young Latino students even be inspired to play leading roles when they are consistently being pushed into the background.

As John Leguizamo tells us in the interview above, the majority of high school drop outs are Latino and Black students. Growing up in underprivileged neighborhoods, it is important to have someone tell you that YOU CAN MAKE IT. More than that, our students, not only Latino students but all students, need to see people who look like them succeeding to know that it is possible. Latinos are extremely underrepresented in history textbooks and as a result, our own Latino society fails to see the accomplishments that they have made as a people throughout history. Without this education, how will we write the new narratives—the narratives that will open more doors to actors and actresses of color—and bring a new wave of creativity into Hollywood. For now, it is up to people like Hayek, Rodriguez, and Leguizamo to break the racial stereotypes and inspire others to work themselves into the foreground of Hollywood films. With movies and entertainment being one of the most representative features of the United States, any reflectionist communications critic can tell you that Hollywood is failing, and failing badly, at representing Latinos and all other minorities. If Latino actors continue to settle for the role of the maid, the sex symbol, the drug dealer, the thug, or the landscaper in Hollywood, we will never advance from those roles in our realities. And like Hayek and Leguizamo, it is important that in the Land of Opportunity,  our youth is aware that where there is a will, there is a way, even if it means creating your OWN opportunities. Creating these works from scratch is the first step in showing massive audiences the brilliant feeling of empathizing with a person different from yourself even if only for a moment.

That is true acting and true artwork.

(America Ferrera, Golden Globe Winning Honduran American Actress)

[comm-breakthemold-blog]

“Jane, The Virgin” or “Juana, La Virgen”: The New “Telenovela”

Gina Rodriguez, or as many may know her, “Jane, The Virgin,” is an American born actress of Puerto Rican descent that was chosen for the Huffington Post’s “Latinos Break The Mold,” essay due to her outstanding career and stance on Latino representation in the United States. Rodriguez won the golden globe for Best Actress in a TV comedy for her role as Jane on “Jane, The Virgin.” In many interviews, she states that she decided to take the role of Jane after she realized that she did not represent the typical “Latina” role of sex symbol  or obedient maid. Rodriguez also responded to critics who said that she is “not latino enough” by stating:

“You want to tell me I'm not Latino enough? Why don't you stop speaking and look in the mirror and speak to yourself, because you're telling me something that you actually probably feel about yourself. Because hurt people hurt people. ... I am as Latina as they come. And I am not defined by anybody's definition of Latina. I don't actually sit in a definition. I walk in my world, happily and confidently.”

(https://www.colorlines.com/articles/gina-rodriguez-critics-i-am-latina-they-come)

By taking the role of Jane, a good and centered Americanized Latina in the USA, Rodriguez truly does practice what she preaches. “Jane, The Virgin,” however, was always meant for a Latina actress as it is based off the early 2000′s Venezuelan telenovela “Juana, La Virgen.” In many way though, the two shows are different. These differences are important because they are symbolic of the representation of Latino culture in American society and the perception with which audiences view the show.

For starters, one of the major differences is that Jane is 23 while Juana is 17. I think that writers decided on this age change because of the stigma that the US has against teen pregnancy. While in Latin America, the population is not advocating for young pregnancy, it seems to be more of a social norm than it is in the United States. Additionally, the “father” of both Juana and Jane’s baby is older than 23. I believe that this is also a result of the social stigma around men dating minors in the United States. Another major difference is the tone of the show. “Juana, La Virgen” is far darker and suspenseful. It follows the traditional telenovela model of drama and cliffhangers. On the other hand, “Jane, The Virgin”’s cinematography is much more colorful and bubbly. It seems that the CW is a satirization of the Latin American telenovela. There is latin music that is played in the background, and guitar strums everytime something romantic is going to happen and various scenes where Jane’s grandmother only speaks in Spanish. Half of the episodes are occupied by recaps of the previous episodes in order to keep up with the twists and turns of the previous episodes. It is also narrated by an outside third party, and each episode is named after a chapter. The esthetics of the show make it appear more like modern fairy tale than a suspenseful drama as “Juana, La Virgen” originally was. Both an operational and systemic difference of the two shows are the way in which they are aired. “Jane, The Virgin” is a TV series, with new episodes that premiere once a week throughout the season. On the other hand, telenovelas premiere a new episode once a day five days a week, consecutively for up to two years. Thus, the plot lines develop much more slowly. This is representative of the lack of patience of American audiences, they prefer a much more fast paced show, and will stop watching if a plot line is dragged out for too long. 

Differences in culture make it hard for telenovelas to invade American primetime slots, but “Jane, The Virgin” is a step in the right direction. This isn’t the first time that we see Latin American telenovelas being turned into successful American TV shows. Prior to “Jane, The Virgin” there was Colombia’s “Betty, La Fea,” that went on to become the popular ABC show “Ugly Betty.’ 

But of the two, “Jane, The Virgin” is much more faithful to its original storyline although both shows maintain the same overall themes. One day, we may live in an America that airs new episodes five nights a week, but then how would they sell it the rights to old seasons to companies such as Netflix and Cable TV networks. Where would be the money in that? Until Hollywood gets over its capitalistic values and teaches its audiences to be patient, they will never truly enjoy the genius that is the “Telenovela” or NOVEL ON TELEVISION. But, hopefully we will get there some day...

[comm-breakthemold-blog]

Latinos and Social Media: “You Know You’re Latino When...”

When most people hear the word Latina, they start to conjure up the image of the stereotypical hispanic caricature of a woman. A woman with long chocolate locks down to her waist, wide hips, and voluptuous breasts, They think of last names such as Fernandez and Gonzalez, and words in broken English spilling out of plump red lips. But stereotypes are simply stereotypes for a reason. Enter, Johanna Hausmann for example. Her red hair and slim and slender figure is far from what most people are used to seeing when they think of a Latina. Her very Jewish last name and perfect English also tend to confuse people when pinning an ethnicity to her physical appearance. The Venezuelan comedian is most famous for her work writing, producing, and often staring in many webisodes for Univision’s English speaking web platform TheFlama.com, including her own webseries “Joanna Rants.” Moreover, a lot of her work from TheFlama has gained her recognition in many blogs and media outlets such as The Huffington Post, BuzzFeed, CNN en Español, and many more. Her videos have gone viral all across the US and Latin America, reaching all together over four million hits. Needless to say, Hausmann is a comedic powerhouse. 

However, it is not just her satire and her wit that capture the attention of so many viewers, but more so, the context of Joanna’s material. Her most popular videos have titles such as “5 Misconceptions About Latinos,”  “Signs You’re Venezuelan,” and “Things White Latinos Are Tired of Hearing.” Generally, her work revolves around using her humor to educate the Anglo-Saxon majority about what it is like to live as a Latina in the USA and still have American culture become a huge part of one’s identity. Essentially, in a few minutes she manages to sum up what most Latinos living in the USA are often thinking. 

Through the internet and thanks to social media, Hausmann has created a huge following. Without a doubt, a following she definitely deserves. Most importantly, there is need for Latino empowerment now more than ever. After hearing Republican candidate Donald Trump consistently bash both women and Latinos throughout his campaign, more and more Latinos are coming together to speak up and end the deep systemic racism that exists within the American society. It seems that for a long time, the Latino community refused to speak up in the face of discrimination as a means of becoming a part of US culture, but now as the youngest and fastest growing minority population in the country, they are banding together to end the misconceptions and educate others about what it is to be Latino.

Thanks to social media, it is easier than ever to reach a massive community or population for relatively little to no cost. Joanna is not the only Latina to be gaining attention for her work. Puerto Rican and Dominican comedian LeJuan James, who makes hilarious short video clips for platforms such as Vine, Instagram, and Facebook, is known for reenacting and making light of daily scenes from a Latino home. He has also gained recognition from several media outlets such as Buzzfeed, and has recently started working with companies such as AT&TLatino and the Hispanic TV network Univision. James has over 1.1 million followers on Instagram alone. His channel and works are important because they are a window into the common Hispanic household. Moreover, many of the scenes are things most Latinos can identify with. Although Latinos come from over 20 different countries, they can all identify to waking up to a house full of music and running from mom’s chancleta. Thus, channels like James’s unite and band together the 54 million Latinos in the USA together, even if it is just through humorous day to day situations and dialogue.  He helps to form an identity, other than the systemic racist stereotypes, that all Latinos can identify with.

Although comedy seems to be becoming a major trend and a great tool in educating others about the Latino culture, other social media gurus have taken more serious routes. Yovanna, or as many Youtubers know her, BLatina360, has a few less followers than Hausmann and James, but still thousands of hits and subscribers. Her channel is based around topics such as afrolatino culture, health, beauty, sex and spirituality.  Through her discussions,  she educates many on what it is like to be both Black and Latina—the experiences are not separate, but rather one. She gives advice to young afrolatinos in her vlogs about how to cope with both sets of misconceptions and microagressions, and even racism within the minority groups themselves.

Another take on the afrolatino experience is that of microblogger Zahira Kelly or @bad_dominicana on twitter. With over 23 thousand followers on Twitter and hundreds of followers on her advice column, Kelly has a lot to say and she will be heard. She is a little more controversial than the other vloggers on this post, and while I would not say that the other social media gurus are diplomatic or politically correct, Kelly truly has zero filter with what she has to say. Her focus is not just about the Latina experience but the experience of being a milenial woman in general. Because of her urban lexicon and controversial tweets, she appeals to a younger audience. Although some of her tweets read much like this one—”& dont #NotAllMen me. fucking actions speak louder than words. go NOT be that. fuck out my face.”—she still manages to create an empowering movement and voice on the internet that still stays true to post-feminista ideals (that women have the right to do as they please). Along with this, she also draws portraits of afrolatinas that have gained much praise from her followers and various sales on the internet.

Below are examples of some of the art that she draws and sells on the internet depicting afrolatina women and glorifying both their unique bodies, looks, and personalties. 

You might be asking yourself “Why are these people important anyway?” Well, they are individuals who have taken the time to reach out through the internet, who were not hired by mass media corporations, and who probably started without even the intent of making a profit, but who wanted to have a voice. They are Latinos, that whether born stateside or abroad, were tired of having the masses speak for them or let stereotypes and misconceptions just pass them by. Whether it be through the use of comedy or art, they are breaking the mold. They are leaders that through actions and not words have shown that when you do what you love most you can go far. Most importantly, they showcase how social media is revolutionizing the communications world and how Latinos are taking full advantage of all this new world has to offer.