Introduction
The Latino culture has had a complex and unsteady history within the medium of film. A pre-existing bias strongly influenced the image of Latino people in Hollywood and how they were consequently portrayed in movies. They were typecast as antagonists, people without morals who were ready to kill, rape, and steal (“The bronze screen”, 2020). Further down the line, Latinas were given roles of lovers and then dim-witted aristocrats. Later, the Latino characters were given more heroic but still roguish roles. The image of Latino people underwent various changes, and depending on the public perception or the source, they were described in the documentary as heroic, unique, dangerous, greasy, or beautiful.
Discussion
The Latino community has made many positive strides in American media. Most of these changes concerned Latinos’ need to defend their identities and promote their culture, ridding its image of stereotypes. An example of this is the creation of documentaries portraying real events of Latino lives or media that showcases Latino culture more accurately (“The bronze screen”, 2020). This paved the way for the authentic depiction of various ethnicities in American media, showing that there was no need to hide or change their native identities. The most interesting part of the documentary was the idea of filming Spanish versions of English movies that were filmed during the day. It was fascinating to find out about the Latino people’s strive to create better pictures than the English counterparts.
Conclusion
In conclusion, an authentic image of Latino people in American media was a subject of a long and tremendous struggle. This struggle was rooted in an unfair bias that affected the community for many years, including typecasting, downgrades, and changes in their identity. However, the end result allowed for people of other nationalities to be able to voice their problems and be comfortable with their identities.
Reference
Xisanism. (2020). The Bronze Screen [Video]. YouTube. Web.