The bandido, the harlot, the male buffoon, the female clown, the Latin lover, and the dark lady—these have been the defining, and demeaning, images of Latinos in U.S. cinema for more than a century. In this book, Charles Ramírez Berg develops an innovative theory of stereotyping that accounts for the persistence of such images in U.S. popular culture. He also explores how Latino actors and filmmakers have actively subverted and resisted such stereotyping. In the first part of the book, Berg sets forth his theory of stereotyping, defines the classic stereotypes, and investigates how actors such as Raúl Julia, Rosie Pérez, José Ferrer, Lupe Vélez, and Gilbert Roland have subverted stereotypical roles. In the second part, he analyzes Hollywood's portrayal of Latinos in three genres: social problem films, John Ford westerns, and science fiction films. In the concluding section, Berg looks at Latino self-representation and anti-stereotyping in Mexican American border documentaries and in the feature films of Robert Rodríguez. He also presents an exclusive interview in which Rodríguez talks about his entire career, from Bedhead to Spy Kids, and comments on the role of a Latino filmmaker in Hollywood and how he tries to subvert the system.

This book brings together a selection of the most analytically sophisticated writing on how Latinos have been portrayed in movies, television, and other U.S. media since the early years of the twentieth century and how images have changed over time in response to social and political change.

As the number of Latinos in the United States has been growing, making them the largest ethnic minority at the beginning of the twenty-first century, their presence in film has been increasing as well. Some Hispanic actors, like Antonio Banderas, Jennifer Lopez or Salma Hayek, have even become major stars. And Latinos have gained importance not only as actors on screen, but also behind the scenes as directors, producers and screenwriters. Has this growing influence changed their representation in Hollywood film? After a brief historical overview of the dominant images of Hispanics in American film, the author focuses on movies made since the 1980s. She explores contemporary Latino images in Hollywood film and compares them to past images, while also looking for new representations. To what extent are traditional depictions like the Latin lover, the bandit, the spitfire or the gangster still continued today? Which new representations have the Latinos in the movie industry contributed to balance the often stereotypical images of major Hollywood productions? The book is intended for people in film, media or ethnic studies and for film fans interested in Latino actors and movies.