Latinos: What it means to be a stereotype in The united States

Something I wrote for Latin Magazine a few years back. still holds true.


I pray that these concepts find you in open heart position.



I have long held what would be considered "controversial" views about so-called "Latin music" as presented by major labels, and "Latin cinema" as shot by American and European directors. I was rather offended by "the mambo kings" use of almost everybody but an actual Cuban for almost every "Cuban role" in the film. there are many other examples of this in the industry. from badly color co-ordinated "vatos" in many crime films, to swarthy "Latin lover" types ( usually played by Italians or Greeks) to "hot mamacita" type Latina female stereotypes, widely used in music.

both the music and the film industries and television have shown in vivid color ( or lack of it) the thing they are not ready to face.

Latin "COOL". a more urban, hip, mezclado, club-hopping new Latin type that actually represents us. very few exceptions the this stereotype in the music industry at present.



in the late 50's and early 60's dick Gregory had this same problem in the stand up comedy business and stated that we was told that combining topical humor and sexual humor in the same breath were forbidden. he was told that as a "black performer" he had to avoid being thought of as a sex symbol to non-whites. this is an early examples of white America's (and now also black America's) need to keep a tight grip on how other races are perceived. nowhere is this more obvious than in prime-time television. only older, goofy, Freddie Prinz, or Paul Rodriguez/Cheech Marin types are allowed in comedy. nothing too cool is allowed. another glaring example of this is seen in the fact that while Latina women are featured in many roles, ( this was the case in early black roles in television) the only mainstream popular Latin males with the obvious sex appeal both have Anglo surnames. and in our case, Spanish television is in no rush to challenge these stereotypes. the one exception to this is John Leguizamo. on the other hand he too, when appearing in many films plays a latter day Cantinflas, mimicking almost every latino sterotype known. in "Empire" the film about warring heroin dealers in NY, he defied this and came across as sexy, cool, and had a very urban sensibility. but here again, we are talking about a movie where the "protagonist" get killed in the last frames, in a "crime doesn't pay" ending. I won't even go into the Chicano VS Mexicano debate, or the Puerto Rican east coast, VS the Raza west coast debate. even among Latinos there is debate as to what represents us and how. all of these elements were present in the entertainment industry's coming to terms with black male sexuality. except that in our case, for many people, Latino, Anglo, and black, "Latino" means "Spanish" complete with language. many Latinos in the US don't even relate with the people who are trotted out before the camera to "represent" us.

once again there are exceptions in independent film, that defy the classical two-dimensional "Latin" stereotypes.

so, is the industry that now courts us really ready for the diversity of Latin culture? time will tell. something we could all get behind would be a Latin version of BET, but in English. now BET is well known for their use of stereotypes among their own people, but there are some examples of the acceptance of really complex roles. as new black cinema rose to power with such movies as 'soul food" "boys in the hood" and "Maclom X' a new generation of producers rose above the two-dimensional ceiling, while still remaining true to black culture. as this occurred, BET began showing more and more complexity in it's choice of programs and lead male roles.



In the music industry the example is much the same. only when Berry Gordy Formed Motown, and Thom Bell (the legendary producer who wrote most of the hits for the spinners, the ojay's, the, stylistics and others) began producing, did a more complex, deeper vision of R&B appear.

both Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye fought their record companies for control of their musical future and when they won, they both released albums ("music of my mind" by Stevie, and "what's goin on" by Marvin) that entirely changed how people heard and understood black music.

to this day, Latin musical artists are expected to pander to old, tired, Mambo, Mariachi, and Spanish-only releases, and rare is it that you see a Latin musician who is pushing the envelope, getting exposure in mainstream music.



we could certainly use some of that.

consider a program about a latin family, one that didn't rely on jokes about food, or pander to what amounts to latin versions of "Amos n' Andy" complete withh Mambo/mariachi dancing (shuffling) lovable losers who lack sexual dark energy that makes lead male roles in american cinema so attractive.
The character played on the George Lopez Show is a perfect example of a loser, ball-less, sneaky, and a LOT like Jimmie Walker's stereotype on the old TV show "good times"
Is this the latino I want kids seeing? FUCK NO.


it's time. and we're ready. unfortunately, modern black cinema too, seems to be in no rush to smash Latino stereotypes. Nearly Every time I see a Latino in a mainstream black-produced movie, we are portrayed much as black were in early cinema. makes me angry and sad.

Imagine a Latino-Based record company encouraging artists to smash boundaries the way Stevie and Marvin did. Latinos raised in the United States, on hip-hop, techno, and nu soul certainly appear ready for it. the fact that we as Latinos buy so much non-Latino Music stands as testimony that we are ready for something new.

the question remains. who's first?



lately, I was saddened to see that even modern Hip-hop seemed to be afraid of strong latin men.

in one of Jay Z's video's, there are many Latinas, scantly clad and doing bootylicious dancing, while the only latin male that appears in the entire video is a LEAF BLOWER, watching the party from outside while Jay Z, and his buddies party with the Latinas inside, over bottles of crystal.

much of hip-hop too, would like to write darker sexual Latin vibe out of the script.


funny in light of that fact that Latinos, Primarily Puerto Ricans and Dominicans in New York, were the co-parents and co-creators of hip-hop, and that Latin music loops and percussion as well as slang is used extensively throughout hip-hop.

then you have the whole Miami vibe, that would completely ignore the presence of Black Cubans in favor of "gallego" white Cubans. (Cubans who look more like me.) this was the case in the "Latin Grammies" (largely sponsored by Gloria and Emilio Esteban, whose old school Latin racism is well known in Miami and abroad) where Puerto Rican Artists were snubbed in an attempt to completely re-write the history of modern salsa music. here, even among our "own" we have division and racism. I wont even go into the rampant nationalism among us in our "Latin" culture.

so the question is, what defines "Latino" in the entertainment industry? will there ever be the Latin counterpart to say, a Bjork? or a Latina pop vocalist allowed the vision and creative freedom of Madonna? are we always going to have barely talented hot mamas getting all the air play because they can shake their asses? A Latino lead male cast in a part that Leonardo Dicaprio might take?

a Latino Forrest Whittiker? a Latina Halle Berry?

answer: as in the example of black entertainment, it appears to be entirely up to us.
On the horizon, all English metropolitan, hip, urban Latino movie/music/culture productions for us, that actually represent us.
It's time.



I wish you peace.

Ache!

Piero Amadeo Infante, 2003