Stereotypes can usually be found for all types of ethnicities, whether they may be African-Americans, Asians, Native Americans, or Latinos. One could argue that in recent years a lot of the heat has fallen upon the Mexican sub group. These stereotypes vary in media, whether they may be in the news, bulletin boards, or films they all pretty much have the same theme. They all stereotype Latinos.

Mexicans are usually stereotyped as maids, gardeners, janitors, soccer players or boxers, men with big mustaches, gangsters with tattoos, seductress women, etc. to name a few.

These are portrayals that might base some part on actuality, but that does not mean that they always have to be represented this way. We often see Mexicans playing the lower-class citizen role and the negative role. We have to consider what type of impacts might these stereotypes cause to society, and the way Latinos perceive themselves. People are very impressionable, what type of message is the American media trying to portray about other cultures.

How many of you have seen the road sign with an illegal Mexican family crossing the road. It is supposedly meant to warn for the possible crossing of illegal immigrants, but the sign proves to be fairly stereotypical. The sign shows a man, women, and a little girl with a braid on each side of her face, walking in what looks a hurry. I guess that was meant to portray exactly what type of ethnicity they were targeting. If it were meant for another racial group, not Mexican, you might be looking at a little girl with pigtails instead of one with braids. It is little signs like these that make the difference between trying to help, or stereotyping.

Since this stereotyping Latinos phenomenon targets such a large audience, I decided to ask Mexican-Americans what where there view over this matter. Many listed some of the stereotypes I have written above, and many of them express their disapproval of the negative connotation that these stereotypes impose on society.

St. Edward’s University student, Gilberto Martinez, said “By portraying Hispanics as the lower-class of society, I feel that those stereotypes are devaluing the Hispanic ethnicity.”
Another St. Edward’s student, Lupita Hinojosa, said, “It’s very sad to see that my ethnic group is being portrayed as this because I think we have so much potential and I think we are growing.” Not all students felt that the portrayals were negative as is the case with St. Edward’s student, Elvia Valle. Valle said, “Well not all portrayals are negative, there are a lot of positive portrayals…mostly I feel like it depends on what kind of media too.”

As we can see thoughts over this issue vary as much as the stereotypes presented in films. I feel we have to be careful the way American films portray other ethnic groups, for Americans are not the only ones that make movies. Americans might not like the way they are being portrayed in foreign films, if this trend keeps up.