Blog Post #2

There is no argument in saying that Latino actors have made many amazing films; however, sometimes they are not represented or portrayed in the best way. It seems that Hollywood loves Latinos as janitors and maids. Jennifer Lopez, although born in New York, she is daughter of Puerto Rican immigrants and has made a career for herself with many different roles in movies. One such role, is the one she played in the movie "Maid in Manhattan". Lopez plays the role of a maid in a luxurious hotel, along with other Latino actresses. 

These kind of movies make it seem as if Latino women are only capable of working as a maid or just being good for cleaning, when obviously that is not the case. As a Latino woman myself, I do not feel like we are only good for cleaning and I feel like we have broken that stereotype by showing what we are capable of. 

Another stereotype seen in many movies, is that of all Latinos being thugs, drug dealers, and part of gangs. The 1961 film“West Side Story” centered on the rivalry between a Caucasian gang and a Puerto Rican one. The gangster stereotype aimed at Latinos is particularly harmful, as it gives the public the idea that Hispanics are a bunch of law-breakers. Accordingly, they should be feared, avoided and certainly not treated as equals. While some Latinos find themselves entangled in the criminal justice system, the majority of Hispanics aren’t criminals. Both of these representations are not completely accurate, and I would challenge them both.