Today in class we started the discussion on stereotypes of the Latino population. Every time we are asked to list the stereotypes of any minority I get a little anxious because I know they are false. I work with 3 Latina women in my office area and they are some of my best friends. It kills me that some people don't know that these stereotypes aren't true. I guess that's the beauty of saying them and clearing the air.
When I got to work today I told my boss (whose parents immigrated from Mexico) about our discussion today. She was excited that at least people were talking about this and trying to understand how we can fix the problem of Latinos being underrepresented in the media. She said that within her community the problem of immigration comes up over and over again. She said that her family has been harassed before and people sometimes just assume they are illegal. We have to be careful of who we call out as being illegal...talk about racial profiling. I really don't think it should matter if you are legal or illegal no one deserves to be harassed for crossing the border. I agree there needs to be some kind of order to the process but there should be some humanity and compassion involved in the process as well.
My boss said that she does notice that Latinos are mostly shown on the news as criminals but she doesn't know exactly what can be done to help the problem. I found a link to a non profit organization that has a really good video on some of their ideas: http://www.nhmc.org/about/
They are the National Hispanic Media Coalition and they suggest working from the top down. They work with the government to help create laws that protect and help the Latino community. They also watch hate speech on the airways and try to be an advocate for them also. It is amazing that they represent so much of the population and somehow they are forgotton in media.
It was interesting to hear the debate about language barriers and T.V interviews. I was thinking about it all day and it made sense to me that if you don't speak English you wouldn't want to do an on camera interview. I really liked one person's point of view that this was why it was important to have diversity in your newsroom. You could have someone translate and reassure the person throughout the interview. Also the excuse of the language barrier sounds like a scapegoat for not reporting Latin American issues. There are a large number of Latinos that speak English so this shouldn't really be an excuse.
I'm not sure that there is one cure all formula to fix the problem but maybe someday in the near future they can be represented fairly and more often.
No, there is not but the key is opening the discussion, clearing the air and stepping out of our comfort zone. One person at a time.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you are saying. The bottom line is, legal or illegal, they are still people and they are still a race. Therefore, it is wrong to make assumptions about an entire race because of one or even a few people. The problem is that they are being misrepresented and are all being stereotyped into illegal criminals. And honestly, most of them speak some if mostly English so I think that saying that they don't is almost an excuse a reporter would use to justify his or her story that is negatively affecting a race as a whole.
ReplyDeleteAndi, your example of working with three Latina women and these women being three of your best friends tell us so much about the positive reinforcement those positive relationships with people who are different than us can have. I think so often, these relationships that are not necessarily sought, but rather are happenstance because of a mutual place of employment, can go a long way in crushing stereotypes. Or even a forced relationship like Mr. Chavez mentioned in class with his white roommate Lance. After accepting their situation, they discovered that they had so many similarities and are great friends to this day. I love these kinds of stories and that story honestly almost brought a tear to my eye. But don’t tell anyone.
ReplyDeleteAfter talking about it class today, I also think a diversity class should be mandatory here at Gaylord. I also think that a semester abroad should at the least be highly encouraged. I know this is expensive, but the experience of living in another country is priceless. I had the wonderful opportunity to live in London in the middle of one of the major middle-eastern areas. The experience of being a minority in our apartment building, at the grocery store and at my various places of employment was exhilarating to me. We made lasting relationships while there. I guess we were just “passing” because when asked we told people were Canadian. The year abroad was probably the best year of my life and I think I am a better person for it, having seen the world from a different perspective.
I also liked the story that was told about the day care center and how the media was able to help out in the Latino community, I also feel that you’re right about many Latinos who do speak English and if a translator is needed than the media should be able to provide one. As far as the immigration statements, I don’t really agree. If you are illegal in this country you are breaking the law and I really don’t feel the need to show them compassion. Now if they are working to get citizenship in our country then that is great, good for them. However, I feel that it is wrong to live in our country illegally, I do not think it is fair to people who work hard to get citizenship in our country. It is cheating the system and that is wrong, that is the issue I have with it. It has been a problem and will continue to be a problem in the future.
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