In The Community
For Latinos, this influence has often been one-sided, with popular media frequently portraying this community within a narrow and mostly negative scope. The rise of narco dramas, as exemplified by shows like “Griselda,” “Narcos,” “El Chapo,” and “Queen of the South,” among others, has raised significant concerns about the way Latinos are represented in popular culture. For Latinos, this influence has often been one-sided, with popular media frequently portraying us within a narrow scope. The rise of narco dramas that often glorify drug cartels, as exemplified by shows like "Narcos," "Breaking Bad," "El Chapo," and "Queen of the South," has raised significant concerns about the way Latinos are represented in popular culture.
Narcos: Mexico (2018)www.imdb.com
While these kinds of narratives do portray one very small aspect of reality, they do so at the expense of other dominant aspects of Latino culture. Instead of getting far more interesting, multi-faceted, and complex stories that highlight the Latino community, the public is stuck with stories emphasizing violence, crime, and lawlessness.
The Rise of Narco Culture in Media
Since the release of "Narcos" on Netflix in 2015, the world has seen a rise in narco-related dramas. These series, while dramatic and engaging, often focus on the most dangerous elements of Latino societies, presenting a skewed perception of Latin America as a haven for crime and corruption. Such depictions have a tangible impact on public perception, reinforcing harmful stereotypes and feeding into prejudices against Latinos.
The portrayal of Latino characters, specifically males, in these series, predominantly centers around the 'macho' narco, exhibiting hyper-masculinity and often engaging in violent, criminal behavior. This representation reinforces the stereotype of the violent, dangerous Latino man, contributing to a distorted view that alienates and stigmatizes Latino communities.
Narcos (2015)www.imdb.com
This skewed representation in popular media has contributed to the shaping of the Latino image in the global psyche, often leading to harmful consequences. For example, research has shown that such portrayals can influence policies, such as immigration laws, where Latino immigrants are more likely to be seen as a threat. Who can forget when former Rep. Steve King (R) argued during his opposition to the DREAM Act and said about undocumented immigrants, "For everyone who's a valedictorian, there's another 100 out there that weigh 130 pounds, and they’ve got calves the size of cantaloupes because they're hauling 75 pounds of marijuana across the desert."
The Role of Latina Women in Narco Dramas
Interestingly, narco dramas also present an intriguing portrayal of Latina women. Shows like “Queen of the South,” and “Griselda” depict Latina women as powerful figures within the narco world as well. They are shown as strong, intelligent, and fiercely independent, often rising to leadership positions in a male-dominated world, and even surpassing their male counterparts.
While this portrayal, in some ways, challenges traditional gender roles and norms, it also raises concerns because it adds to the limitation of how diverse communities are portrayed in the media. With shows about Latino criminals constantly at the forefront, it often feels like the only portrayal of Latinidad most of the world is exposed to is crime-ridden and violent.
Griselda (2024)www.imdb.com
Additionally, the representation of Latina women as sensual femme fatales plays into another harmful stereotype of hyper-sexualization. While these characters are often portrayed as empowered, their sexualization can limit their representation to their physical attributes and appeal, thereby reducing the complexity of their characters.
The feminist argument is also often employed to defend putting women in these roles by declaring them powerful and independent. However, these harmful narco roles actually undermine what true feminism actually is. What feminism is not, is violent, greedy, and power-hungry. An empowered female character isn’t a feminist when all they have done is put a woman in a role defined by toxic masculinity.
While crime dramas with Latino figures can serve as a way to explore positive characteristics like resilience, grit, passion, and a desire for a better life, the fact that these human endeavors and attributes are explored in the context of crime and drugs, muddies the waters. We continue to await a time when Hollywood dares to explore the Latino experience outside of that context and a time when people will demand an expansive view of Latino culture being placed in front of them.
Toward a More Balanced Representation
It continues to be clear that a more balanced portrayal of Latinos in the media is not only necessary but also long overdue. Latinos are doctors, teachers, entrepreneurs, artists, scientists, and so much more. These narratives deserve to be told and celebrated. Shows like "The Lincoln Lawyer," "On My Block," and "Gentefied," among others, have made strides in showcasing the multi-dimensional nature of Latino lives, highlighting the richness of their culture, struggles, and triumphs.
American Latinos are more than the roles that have been scripted by white studio executives and showrunners. It’s not the first time, or the last time, that the harm these stereotypes cause will be called out, but what is clear, is that the calls to tell authentic and accurate Latino stories continue to get louder.
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This goes to show how much responsibility the media and toy industries have in showing the actual diversity of our world. One part of this is making sure young Latina girls are represented properly, something they often miss out on in mainstream stories.
Imagine a young Latina girl seeing a character or doll that looks and talks like her and reflects her culture. It might seem small, but this representation can have a huge impact on her self-image. It shows her that she matters, that she's valued, and that she truly belongs in this world.
A historical reference underlining this concept comes from the 1940s. Psychologists Kenneth and Mamie Clark devised a series of experiments known as "the doll tests" to investigate the psychological impacts of segregation on African-American children. The Clarks' experimental design, using dolls identical but for color, highlighted how children's racial perceptions are shaped.
Their conclusions, drawn from children preferring the white doll and assigning positive attributes to it, are stark – prejudice, discrimination, and segregation led to feelings of inferiority and damaged self-esteem amongst African-American children.
Clark Doll experimentswww.youtube.com
The narratives children encounter matter. Seeing characters that resemble them overcome adversities, achieve great things, and be celebrated gives them tangible role models. A young Latina girl can dream bigger and aim higher when she sees a Latina scientist, artist, astronaut, or entrepreneur in a book, on a television screen, or in a movie.
Needless to say, diverse representation should not be a sporadic token. It needs to be genuine and thorough. Latina characters should not be relegated to the margins but should take center stage across various genres – fantasy to science fiction, romance to adventure. These characters should be layered and complex, with stories that transcend their cultural identities.
If we take a closer look at industry giants like Mattel's Barbie and American Girl, they talk a big game about being committed to diversity and inclusion. But the real question is, how far does that commitment really go?
In 1980, Mattel introduced three versions of Barbie—white, Black, and Hispanic—but the differences were only skin deep, as they all bore mostly the same face mold and body shape.
According to El País, the first Latina Barbie doll, Barbie's "best friend" Teresa, was launched in 1988. But her Latina identity was never explicitly confirmed, her features designed to be ambiguous. Only in 1999 was it established that her last name was Rivera, lending some credence to her still-very-ambiguous Latina identity.
And oddly enough, consistency hasn't been a strong point for the character, as Teresa's eye color, skin color, and even cultural background have constantly fluctuated, making her more of a wildcard than a genuine representation of a Latina.
And while today's "Barbies of the World" line celebrates various Latine cultures, they are often limited and overpriced, meant for collectors rather than children.
A similar pattern is visible in the American Girl doll line. Though it boasts a range of cultures today, one major criticism of the doll line, particularly concerning their representation of historically marginalized cultures, is that these dolls are not easily accessible to the communities they are meant to depict. In fact, American Girl dolls are notoriously priced well beyond the reach of what most American families would intend to spend on a children's toy, if they can even be called that.
As seen with Barbie's bestie Teresa, Latina dolls are often given secondary roles, usually introduced as just friends or companions to the main white dolls. Even today, despite having their own unique names, Latina dolls still often get stuck being the "other" dolls, rarely taking on the role of the main character.
The importance of diverse representation extends beyond skin color. It's about the narratives constructed around these dolls and their unique worlds.
Authentic representation of diverse cultures in media and toys plays a crucial role in shaping children's understanding of our world's cultural differences. This inclusivity empowers young girls, giving them a sense of visibility and acceptance while fostering empathy and understanding in others.
Accurate representation becomes a means of transmitting cultural values, history, and traditions. When girls see their heritage portrayed authentically, it instills pride in their identity and offers an opportunity for others to learn and appreciate different cultures.
Yet, the journey to genuine representation is far from over, despite increasing awareness of its importance. Purpose Toys' Latinistas doll line is a step in the right direction as it seeks to pay homage to Latine culture by showcasing a range of diverse characteristics such as hair textures, skin tones, makeup styles, and fashion choices (those iconic hoops included!)
However, there's still much ground to cover, especially when portraying a wider variety of body shapes, fashion use, and facial features, which the Latinista dolls fall short on.
Courtesy of Purpose Toys
Ensuring that dolls reflect the diversity of real individuals from different backgrounds will be crucial in fostering a sense of belonging and validation among children who play with them. While progress has been made, toy manufacturers need to continue pushing boundaries and exploring ways to be more inclusive.
Representation of young Latina girls in media and toys goes beyond mere fairness; it’s a powerful tool to nurture self-esteem, inspire ambition, promote inclusivity, and foster cultural understanding.
