The Spicy Latina: Harmful Stereotype Portrayed in the Media

By Carelyn Tiburcio on August 6, 2016

The spicy Latina is portrayed as a woman with curves in all the right places, the perfect shade of tan skin, and dark, thick hair. She wears tight clothes that highlight her bosom and bottom. Her sexy sway just happens to attract every man that passes by. Her voice is loud and and she speaks broken English. But be careful with her! Mess with the spicy Latina and you’ll most likely get dramatically slapped across the face.

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If this sounds familiar, you’ve probably seen a Hollywood film with a Latina character. This is how Latinas are seen in American films and TV shows.  In reality, Latinas are nowhere near their Hollywood counterparts. In fact, this stereotype gets to the point where it gets offensive.

After watching an episode of Modern Family and seeing Glorida, I decided to do some research on this whole Spicy Latino concept. Where did it start and why is it still prevalent in Hollywood? I stumbled across a YouTube video by Stuff Mom Never Told You called “Stereotypology: Spicy Latinas.” In this video, Cristen Conger explains the origins of The Spicy Latina. She explains how this all began with Anti-Mexican sentiment in the United States around the mid 19th century. Hispanic women were seen as tempting and deceiving people. When the Good Neighbor policy came into the picture, Latina actresses were displayed as exotic and fun. They were all the same with their dark hair, broken English, and tight clothing.

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These stereotypes still remain in the Hollywood industry. Salma Hayek, Sofia Vergara, and Roselyn Sanchez play characters that are sassy, quick-paced and ‘muy caliente!’ These actresses, along with others, are extremely beautiful and sexy. So what’s wrong with that exactly?

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Well, stereotypes aren’t good, period. They generalize certain people and this creates others to assume that a specific group of people act a certain way. The Spicy Latina stereotype just devalues Hispanic women.

Being a Latina in America just puts me in a position where I am expected to be loud and seductive. I have actually had people judge my dancing.

“But you’re, Latina! You’re supposed to know how to dance Salsa!”

No, I am not! In fact, I, along with many other Latinas have no resemblance to the “spicy Latinas” in movies and shows. Maybe Hollywood should stop stereotyping and portray more realistic roles for their characters.

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