Let’s create a show about (sexy) Latina maids. How sad that this is the type of project that Eva Longoria has decided to support. (and FYI, in the past I’ve supported Longoria, see here.) She could have thought outside the box and gone past stereotypes. Eva Longoria said in an interview that this is the reality for many Latinas, saying, “aren’t these stories worth telling?”
Well, yes, REAL stories about real hardworking Latina maids or nannies are worth telling: how they work hard to make ends meet, how they probably are working hard to send money back to their countries, how perhaps they are separated from their loved ones (children included!) because they came to the USA in search of better paying jobs, or how they had to drop out of school to help the family financially, or maybe that their maid work is helping them PAY for college. These are REAL stories worth telling, not stories about how they work hard to find dirt on their employers, and connive and conspire behind their backs. Hardworking people don’t have time for that Sh*T. I know—my parents have been nannies and cleaning people— it is honest work, and it is hard work, but I know they did it so I didn’t have to.
We have a Latina on the Supreme Court… can’t we just get some professional Latinas on TV?
Photo credit: Latina Magazine
It is infuriating and disheartening to me that we think this is reality for Latinas… maybe it is for some but not for all. If anything, a little variety would’ve been nice, OK one maid, and other types of women, but NOT all characters that are all maids, couldn’t we have thrown in a professional somewhere? My parents didn’t bust their butts so that I could go to college for people to still think that all Latinas can be are maids— because TV fuels what people think, so this is in a way fueling a stereotype. For people that do not encounter successful Latinos or do not know ANY Latinos, that is what they think… they are all day laborers and maids. I have a master’s degree and I’m in the process of getting a second one. I speak three languages. I own a house. I am raising a multilingual child. I blog and I write for Mamiverse.Thanks to my parents’ hard work, I don’t need to be a maid; actually I can afford to have a cleaning person.
Tanisha Love Ramirez, writing for the Huffington Post, is also disappointed at Eva’s shortsightedness and says “Aren’t Latina teachers’, doctors’, CEOs’ and entrepreneurs’ stories worth telling, as well? Devious Maids marks the first time in American media history that a mainstream series features five Latina main characters — a perfect opportunity to portray diverse characters, who in turn, have diverse careers.”
Exactly. I wouldn’t be annoyed if in a group of friends there had been ONE maid. Or a maid and a nanny—But to have the opportunity to bring a show where Latinas will be in major roles and to create characters that feed the stereotype of the hot Latina maid is just sad. I want to see someone like me… someone struggling with dual identities, with issues about language and culture; someone who loves her big, loud family.
We need less of this …
Photo credit: NYMAG
After the 2012 election, everyone was talking about the Latino vote and what that meant for Obama, (Latinos helped him get elected!) and Romney… today we acknowledge that if Republicans want to get into the White House, they need the Latino vote. Clearly, we have some power, as Voto Latino showed—it helped mobilize people to vote, holding voting registration drives, and mobilizing Latino voters around the country. We Latinos are young (younger than the average population), motivated, and dedicated. We are going to school and getting an education. Last year, Nielsen claimed “Latinos are vital to America’s future.” So how is it that we can’t get past the stereotypes?
more of women like Trina Fresco, college educated, smart and beautiful. Trina is a successful professional, NBCLatino contributor, sits on boards and is mommy to three beautiful children.
Photo credit: cfw.org
Last year, I wrote a post on the 10 Things that TV Networks need to know about Bicultural Latinos… or, “my wish list for a Hispanic TV show.” Guess what the first point was? I kid you not…. “We don’t only want to be depicted as maids or gardeners.” I want to see successful people who are college educated, have careers, owns property, buy Manolos, yes. I want to see Sex and the City version Latina. Is that too much to ask? Fifteen years after Sex and the City first aired, ya es hora.*
*it’s Time!
Would love to hear your comments! (civil of course!) Please tweet me @dianalimongi or leave your comments below!
