When asked about a Hispanic woman, an average American citizen is likely to get an image of a sexually attractive young female who is a criminal’s girlfriend or a housemaid in her forties. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie notes that single stories have a considerable effect on people who miscomprehend and who are miscomprehended (TED, 2009). Importantly, the single-story related to Hispanic females refers to the representatives of the entire continent since people pay little attention to the origin of the Latino population (Turner et al., 2018). Be it a Cuban, Mexican, or Peruvian girl; she will be regarded as a Hispanic female characterized by the features mentioned above. The single-story of Latina women unveils numerous instances of social inequality in terms of gender, ethnicity, and social class.
The background for the current stereotypes has been set in previous decades. Bivins (2015) states that media images of this population contributed significantly to the creation and establishment of the existing stereotypes. In the second part of the twentieth century, during the second and third waves of immigration, the majority of Hispanic immigrants did not have substantial savings and were often blue-collar workers.
Therefore, they had to take up low-paid jobs, but thousands of people, especially those related to the first wave of immigration, have become successful in American society. For instance, Sofia Vergara, a Colombian-American actress, who created a very stereotypical character in a famous TV series, is a successful businesswoman in real life (Bivins, 2015). The success stories remain shadowed by the stereotypical representations of Latina females available from films, print sources, and advertising.
When considering the reasons behind the emergence of such stereotypes, it is possible to refer to interactionism. According to this theoretical framework, the interactions between the dominant group and minorities result in the development of bias and stereotypes (Segre, 2015). For instance, Blumer identified the central role of media in the creation of stereotypes. Films and advertisements promulgate the image of a Hispanic woman as a sexually attractive toy or low-paid worker.
Without direct contact between the two groups, specific stereotypes become stronger. The rise of stereotypical vision is facilitated by the misrepresentation and low representation of the target population in the media (Bivins, 2015). In simple terms, the stories about Hispanic females are rather scarce in the American media landscape, and the ones that exist misrepresent the group in question.
These stereotypes have a substantial impact on U.S. society and the relations between Hispanic females and other groups in the country. Moreover, the single-story under consideration affects the way Latina women see themselves (Fassiotto et al., 2016). Denner, Laursen, Dickson, and Hartl (2016) note that Hispanic mothers are affected by stereotypes, which influences their childrearing practices because women tend to pay less attention to girls’ mathematics skills.
All these perceptions and behaviors contribute to the social inequality because Latina women have lower access to education and employment opportunities. Low expectations result in certain behavioral patterns that make social injustice more pronounced when it comes to Hispanic females. A low percentage of Latina women among business leadership can be seen as an illustration of the institutionalization of the single-story under discussion.
It is necessary to note that many Hispanic women find strength and courage to resist and break through the boundaries set by the stereotypes. Although this population has numerous concerns regarding potential threats linked to the existing stereotypes, they still pursue academic careers as well as concentrate on professional development in other spheres (Fassiotto et al., 2016). Irrespective of their fears and bias they face, Latina women try to achieve the highest professional goals. As mentioned above, various success stories exist and serve as inspirational guidelines for younger generations.
By sharing such accounts, it is also possible to minimize the negative effects of the stereotypes. Instead of seeing an average Latina girl, a female of a certain ethnicity and cultural background will appear. Instead of perceiving a Hispanic woman as a potential housemaid, a person can think of the myriad of professional paths the female can choose. The one-sided depiction of the target population can acquire new shades and facets, which will make the interactions among different groups more effective. People will find more points to share and build on, which will contribute to the development of American society.
The current prevalence of bias and stereotypes regarding Hispanic women may seem well-established and impossible to change. Nevertheless, the situation can be transformed if certain steps are undertaken on diverse levels. On the societal level, it is critical to make sure that the media coverage will be adequate. Films, television, literature, and advertisements should provide various stories describing the diversity that is a characteristic feature of the population under analysis (Bivins, 2015).
In addition to this multisided representation, the American educational system should be involved in the process (Fassiotto et al., 2016). It is essential to eliminate or, at least, raise people’s awareness of the most common stereotypes. Educators should show the negative effects of prejudice and ways to resist it. Importantly, parents should be trained as well because they tend to be a potent source of the adoption of stereotypes.
On the individual level, it is also important to address the problem. Everyone has to spot the instances of stereotyping in all aspects of their lives. It is important to make oneself decipher every single story and turn it into a part of a larger and multifaceted account. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie states that she had a very narrow view of Mexicans before she got to know those people (TED, 2009). Therefore, individuals should broaden their horizons and try to learn more about different groups, especially those who may be depicted in a very specific (single-sided) manner.
On balance, single stories are still a part of American society, although a considerable effort is made to eliminate them. One of the brightest examples of such stories is the representation of Hispanic women in American society or rather the prevalence of stereotypes related to this population. Latina women are often depicted as sexually attractive objects of desire or low-paid workers with limited abilities. This single story is widespread in the United States due to the inadequate representation of this group in the media. However, the situation can be altered if addressed on several levels.
Media coverage should be reconsidered, and the diversity of the target population should be displayed. The educational system can become another pillar of the transformations because people’s prejudice will be eliminated from a young age. Finally, every person should pay more attention to the way different groups are depicted because misrepresentation affects their worldview and harms the way different populations interact.
References
Bivins, T. (2015). Stereotyping in advertising: We are not the people in those pictures. In M. Duffy & E. Thorson (Eds.), Persuasion ethics today (pp. 65-78). New York, NY: Routledge.
Denner, J., Laursen, B., Dickson, D., & Hartl, A. (2016). Latino children’s math confidence: The role of mothers’ gender stereotypes and involvement across the transition to middle school. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 38(4), 513-529. Web.
Fassiotto, M., Hamel, E. O., Ku, M., Correll, S., Grewal, D., & Lavori, P., … Valantine, H. (2016). Women in academic medicine: Measuring stereotype threat among junior faculty. Journal of Women’s Health, 25(3), 292-298. Web.
Segre, S. (2016). Contemporary sociological thinkers and theories. New York, NY: Routledge.
TED. (2009). The danger of a single story | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Web.
Turner, C. S., Cosmé, P. X., Dinehart, L., Martí, R., McDonald, D., Ramirez, M., … Zamora, J. (2018). Hispanic-serving institution scholars and administrators on improving Latina/Latino/Latinx/Hispanic teacher pipelines: Critical junctures along career pathways. Association of Mexican American Educators Journal, 11(3), 251-275. Web.