“The first time I became aware of Latino/a labor in American media was when I was in fourth grade,” began Doctor Mari Castañeda, associate professor of communications at the University of Massachusetts: Amherst at her lecture last Tuesday entitled “Waiting for their Close-up: The Political Economy of Latino/a Labor in Hollywood.”
Castañeda is a leading scholar in media studies and is also the upcoming chair of the National Association for Chicana and Chicano Studies (NACCS). As a child Castañeda worked as a live studio audience member and saw first-hand that although Mexican children could labor as audience members, their chances of working in the film industry as an adult were slim.
“They are the people that make Hollywood function in a lot of ways, whether it is making props or making sure that a show achieves its desired effect: whether it is actually funny, sad, or scary,” said first-year Prentiss resident Melissa Romero, “despite their pivotal role behind the scenes they are rarely given any on screen time.”
“Latinos have always had a tenuous and conflicting relationship with Hollywood,” said Castañeda.
Hollywood produces visions of culture and influences and promotes Latino/a stereotypes. The roles Latino/a actors and actresses are cast in play into and reinforce these stereotypes. There is a connection between representation and employment, and Latinos are underrepresented in the media sector despite the fact that they constitute a growing sector of the United States population.
Latinos currently constitute 15 percent of the country’s population, a percentage that is expected to increase to 26 by the year 2050. Yet they comprise only three percent of film character roles.
The increasing buying power of Hispanics, however, has led Hollywood to put greater focus on them as consumers and more television shows and movies are being created to cater to them. Yet, oftentimes, the writers of these shows are not diverse and, as a result, their portrayals of Latino/a culture and lifestyles are inaccurate.
Due to their tenuous relationship with Hollywood, Latino independent media organizations are working together to develop alternative stories about their lives, void of stereotypes and prejudices. There has also been a visible growth of Latino film festivals in the United States.
“This is their way of saying that if they will not represented and employed in Hollywood, then they’ll do it themselves,” said Castañeda.
When asked what they thought of the lecture, many students gave very positive feedback.
“I thought that the subject was interesting to start out with, but it was made so much more engaging due to the speaker’s enthusiasm for it. It was personal for her from the start,” said Rebecca Macfife, a first-year resident of Lyman.
“I also found it surprising that Latinas who can pass as white are fairly successful in their career. Some such actresses are Cameron Diaz and Alexis Bledel,” added Romero.
“We wanted to invite a speaker that would address the realities for United States Latinos/as working in the U.S. entertainment industry, primarily in film and television in Hollywood,” said Assistant Professor of Foreign Languages & Languages/Spanish Nohemy Solórzano-Thompson. “By attending her talk, students will gain a critical perspective on the political economy and realities of U.S. Latinos/as working in Hollywood today.”
