(Mis)representation of Afro-Latinos in Television
Subject Area
Afro-Hispanic Studies
Abstract
Afro-Latino is a term used to describe people who are of both Latin American and African descent. Celia Cruz and former MLB player, Sammy Sosa, brought the term to attention within the (Afro)Latino community during their prime time. Nowadays, BuzzFeed producer Julissa Calderon and Harvard graduate Gabi Thorne are once again raising awareness for the Afro-Latino community. Despite the recent rise of activism, Afro-Latinos still experience unjust treatment. This research paper investigates how European colonization altered the standard of beauty in Latin America, which lead to inequity of Afro-Latino people whose features strongly reflected those of their African ancestors, and today is one of the reasons why some Afro-Latinos are underrepresented in the media (Jha 2015). Furthermore, I conducted a survey at the university campus. The collected data provides supplemental insight as to how people of different ethnicities view beauty standards and how they perceive Afro-Latinos/as. Theoretically, this paper is supported by Jones (2017) and Rodriguez (2000) and explores representation of Afro-Latinos in television such as the CW series Jane the Virgin and the USA series Queen of the South.
Brief Bio Note
Dominique Lott is a Sophomore majoring in Spanish at The University of South Carolina Beaufort. She is a Spring 2018 President’s List recipient and is active in her community at school and at home. Her research interest stems from personal experiences as well as general curiosity.
Keywords
Afro-Latinos, Television, Representation, Colonization, Beauty Standards, Latin America
Location
Morning Session 1 (PARB 239)
Presentation Year
2019
Start Date
4-11-2019 9:15 AM
Embargo
11-7-2018
Recommended Citation
Lott, Dominique M., "(Mis)representation of Afro-Latinos in Television" (2019). South East Coastal Conference on Languages & Literatures (SECCLL). 3.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/seccll/2019/2019/3
(Mis)representation of Afro-Latinos in Television
Morning Session 1 (PARB 239)
Afro-Latino is a term used to describe people who are of both Latin American and African descent. Celia Cruz and former MLB player, Sammy Sosa, brought the term to attention within the (Afro)Latino community during their prime time. Nowadays, BuzzFeed producer Julissa Calderon and Harvard graduate Gabi Thorne are once again raising awareness for the Afro-Latino community. Despite the recent rise of activism, Afro-Latinos still experience unjust treatment. This research paper investigates how European colonization altered the standard of beauty in Latin America, which lead to inequity of Afro-Latino people whose features strongly reflected those of their African ancestors, and today is one of the reasons why some Afro-Latinos are underrepresented in the media (Jha 2015). Furthermore, I conducted a survey at the university campus. The collected data provides supplemental insight as to how people of different ethnicities view beauty standards and how they perceive Afro-Latinos/as. Theoretically, this paper is supported by Jones (2017) and Rodriguez (2000) and explores representation of Afro-Latinos in television such as the CW series Jane the Virgin and the USA series Queen of the South.
