The Evolution of Hispanicsstereotypes
The Evolution of the Hispanic Stereotype in Films and Television (1909-1960s) November 18, 2012
“Lucy, I’m Home!” With these words first uttered on October 15, 1951, Americans were introduced to arguably the first Hispanic[1] actor who became both embraced and beloved by the public in what was to become the most watched series in all of television history. Cuban born Desi Arnaz portrayed the character of Ricky Ricardo, the bongo-playing husband from the I Love Lucy[2] show, watched by millions of American viewers in the new medium, television. Arnaz was a TV first in many ways, not the least of which that he was the first Hispanic who was welcomed into the living rooms of millions of American viewers on a weekly basis. Several other Latino actors had preceded Arnaz in the pre-television era and many others would follow, but Arnaz was a first for several other reasons. In the character of Ricky Ricardo, Arnaz presented a new type of Latino to the audience, one who was not only handsome but also smart, funny, stylish, responsible, creative, employed, and most importantly happily married to an American woman, something that, until then, had rarely been seen on the screen.[3] Ricky Ricardo was a departure from the bandidos and gigolos that had been the prevalent portrayal of Hispanics in cinema. This paper examines the evolution of the Latino stereotype as portrayed in both films and television from the silent film era in the 1920s through modern film. It utilizes a selection of motion pictures and television shows as its archival basis[4]. Content, theme, and language analysis was applied to the media evidence. The research demonstrates that the image of Hispanic actors was degrading and prejudicial. It did evolve during the 1940s partly because of World War II, but the gains made in the 1940s were lost by the 1950s. It would not be until the late 1980s and 1990s that a positive image of Hispanic actors would evolve.
“Lucy, I’m Home!” With these words first uttered on October 15, 1951, Americans were introduced to arguably the first Hispanic[1] actor who became both embraced and beloved by the public in what was to become the most watched series in all of television history. Cuban born Desi Arnaz portrayed the character of Ricky Ricardo, the bongo-playing husband from the I Love Lucy[2] show, watched by millions of American viewers in the new medium, television. Arnaz was a TV first in many ways, not the least of which that he was the first Hispanic who was welcomed into the living rooms of millions of American viewers on a weekly basis. Several other Latino actors had preceded Arnaz in the pre-television era and many others would follow, but Arnaz was a first for several other reasons. In the character of Ricky Ricardo, Arnaz presented a new type of Latino to the audience, one who was not only handsome but also smart, funny, stylish, responsible, creative, employed, and most importantly happily married to an American woman, something that, until then, had rarely been seen on the screen.[3] Ricky Ricardo was a departure from the bandidos and gigolos that had been the prevalent portrayal of Hispanics in cinema. This paper examines the evolution of the Latino stereotype as portrayed in both films and television from the silent film era in the 1920s through modern film. It utilizes a selection of motion pictures and television shows as its archival basis[4]. Content, theme, and language analysis was applied to the media evidence. The research demonstrates that the image of Hispanic actors was degrading and prejudicial. It did evolve during the 1940s partly because of World War II, but the gains made in the 1940s were lost by the 1950s. It would not be until the late 1980s and 1990s that a positive image of Hispanic actors would evolve.