Reel Latinxs: Representation in U.S. Film and TV

Inspired by a lack of Latinx representation in the films and television shows of their youth, Aldama and González decided to do a deep dive, searching for examples in mainstream media both good and bad. The result is this new work published by the University of Arizona Press—a riveting ride through several decades of televisual pop culture.

In Reel Latinxs, the authors argue that the way Latinx people have appeared and are still represented in TV and film narratives is as frustrating as it is illuminating. Stereotypes such as drug lords, petty criminals, buffoons, and sexed-up lovers have filled both small and silver screens—and the minds of the public. Aldama and González blaze new paths through Latinx cultural phenomena that disrupt stereotypes, breathing complexity into real subjectivities and experiences. In this grand sleuthing sweep of representation that continues to shape this country’s social imagination, these two Latinx pop culture authorities call us all to action.