Valdivia

Girl Culture
An Encyclopedia
Volume'l
Edited by
Claudia A. Mitchell'
:
and
Jacqueline Reid-Walsh
GREEN\UrOOD PRESS
Westport, Connecticut . London
Library of Congress Cataloging.in-publication Data
Girl culture : an encyclopedia / edited by claudia A. Mitchell and
Jacqueline Reid.walsh.
p.cm.
I,
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN: 978-0-313-33908-0 (set : alk. paper)
ISBN:978-0-313-33909-7 (vol. 1 : alk. paper)
ISBN: 978-0-3 L3-3391C-3 (voL. Z : alk. paper)
1' Girls-United States-Social conditions-Encyclopedias.
-s,o^cia]
HQ798.G523
:
girls-United States-
2008
305.235'2097303-4cZZ
l
2. Teenage
c1nlitions-Encvclopedias. I. Mitchel, craudia. II. Reid.\raisi]lr-.lu"rir,",
1951ZOO7O4O5|?
British Library Cataloguing in publication Data is available.
Copyright O 2008 by Claudia A. Mitchell and
Jacqueline Reid.Walsh
rights reserved. No portion of this book may be
reproduced, by any process or technique, without the
express writren consenr of the publisher.
A11
,
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: ZOO7O4O517
ISBN: 978-0-313-33908-0 (Ser)
978-0-313-33909-2 (Vot. i)
978-0-3 13-33910-3 (Voi. Z)
First published in 2008
Greenwood Press, 88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06gg1
An imprint of Greenwood Publhhing G.orrp, Inc.
www.greenwood.com
Printed in the United States of America
The paper used in this book complies with the
Permanenr Paper Standard issued by the National
Information Srandards Organization (Z3g.4g_lgg4).
10987654321
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Latina Presence in Poplar Culture
An animated Lara Croft is shown in Dev Varma's 2001 film Lara Crolt: Lethal and
Loaded. (Courtesy of Photofest.)
postmodem analysis, machinima (cinematic storytelling leveraging the capabilities of a
gume's rendering engine), advertisements, music videos, and much, much more. She has
b...r o.r the cover of over 200 magazines, including Newsweek, Time' arrdRollingStone.
She appeared on tour with U2 in 1998. The flrst movie based on her, I-ara Croft: Tomb
Raidei, was directed by Simon \7est and released in 2001. In 2003 a second frlm, I'ora
CroftTomb Raider: Cradle of Life, directed by Jan de Bont, was released. In 2006 she placed
thirteenth on Forbes's "Fictional Fifteen" list. Countless fan Web sites around the globe
are dedicated to her. In May 2007, a tenth-anniversary edition of the originalTomb Raider
entry, entitle d Lcua Croft: Tomb Raidzr Anniuersary , was released.
Further Reading
Kennedy, Heler. Lma Croft: Feminist lcon or Cyberbimbo? [Online February 2007]. Game SruJie.,
The Intemational Joumal of Computer Game Research Web site http://*-urt.gamesrudies-.-rq
020Z/kennedy/.
D.rs-l S.rrrEn
LATINA PRESENCE IN POPULAR CULIIIRE. "Latina- is a term u-.ed to
describe women in the United States who are originallr- trom l-atin -{menca or rrho are
descendents of Latin Americans' A Latina presence in p'opular culrure can be traced to
the early days of Hollywood film, though most research and recorded histon' of Latinas in
popular culture tends to be very recent. Latina stars in contemF\orary popular culture
385
l.i6
Latina Presence in Popular Culture
include singers Shakira and Selena Quintanilla-P6rez and actresses Jennifer Lopez, Salma
Hayek, Michelle Rodriguez, and Penelope Cruz. Wliile Cruz is in fact Spanish and claims no
Latin American roots, she is nevertheless often placed within the category of Latina
celebritles in American popular culture.
The cultural category "Latina" has been used extensively only since the mid- to late
twentieth century. The term, along with its male countelpart, "Latino," were formally
acknowledged in the 2000 U.S. Census, which showed that Latinas and Latinos consrituted the largest minority group in the United States. Previous notions of the North
American experience as strictly "black and white" largely ignored the history and presence of any other ethnicities, including Native Americans, Asian Americans, and those
who until recently were called Hispanics. Under the umbrella term "Hispanic"
fel1
nation-speciflc categories such as Mexican Americans (whose members were also referred
to as Chicanas and Chicanos), Puerto Ricans (or Boricuans), and Cuban Americans.
Together these three nationalities were the focus of discussions and theories of Hispanic
ethnicity until the umbrella category of Latina/o was formulated. \7hi1e Latina/o refers to
an individual, the term "Latinidad" identilies the situation or condition of being Latina/o.
Many U.S. Latina/os prefer these terms to the designation "Latin American," especially if
they were born and raised in the United States or consume media from both the U.S. and
Latin American cultures. Moteover, while Latina/o and Latinidad are unifying categories
that reach across ethnic and national groups, many women who identify themselves as
Latinas also remain strongly identilied with their specific national origins.
Representations of Latinalos in Popular Cutture. Representations of Latinidad in
popular culture usually center on women and the femaie body. In contemporary American
media, Latinas are generally given much greater attention than Latinos, and their sex
appeal is often flaunted. Recent studies of fllm, literature, and performance have explored
the intersecting themes of gender, ethnicity, and nationality in relation to the recently
constructed category of Latina. However, to understand these intersections, it is necessary
to iirst understand the dominant representations of Latinida.l in popular culture.
Latina/os enter poplrlar cukure through film, television, music, magazines, rhe Inrerner,
video games, toys, and news. Two competing narratives, or representations, of Latinidad
have been identified to describe their ro1es. The older one, u'hich is now being displaced, is
the Mexican narrative. This narrative shows 1arge, u'orking-class families with limited
upward mobility that are primarily Spanish speaking and govemed by patriarchal srruc.
tures u,here "dad is boss." In television and hlm depictions, the music in the background
is oiten traditional Mexican music like ranchera or mariachi, and the colors of sets and
backgrounds tend to be the brou'ns and oranges of traditional Mexican architecture. In
this narrative, it seems as though the characters cannot or simply refuse to assimilate into
American culture, and are seen to be Iirmly stuck in their own traditions.
The second representatlon of Latina/os in popular culture is the tropical narrative.
While the majority of Latinaios in the United States continue to be of Mexican origin,
the tropical narrative generally characterizes Latina/os who are of Caribbean descent. It
has largely displaced the Mexican narrative in popular culture and characterizes Latina/os
as an upwardly mobile part of the middle class. They tend to have smaller families, who
may speak "Spanglish" (a mixrure of Spanish and Enghsh) or are tluenr in English. The
colors used in background settings tend to be bright, tropical greens, yellows, and pinks,
:n.l the accompanying music tends to be Caribbean, includin,u sa1sa, mambo, merengue,
:r-1. more recently, reggae. 'lThereas in Mexican representations Latina/os are seen as
Latina Pre'enc. rn Pipuier Culture
:.rpetually foreign, those in the tropical representarion rend ro join rhc .:r.-...-..,,:
-r:,:
i the "melting pot."
The children's cartoon character Dora the Explorer is a good examFli .'. -: ,:.:,:
:haracter who embodies elements of both Mexican and tropical represenrarions. r-:. ::.:
:elevision show, Dora discusses Mayan-looking pyramids, clearly exhibiting a tamrrr:-:.--,
'.',ith Mexican history and architecture; but her surroundings tend to suggesr troprc...
:hemes and include palm trees, lush forests, and mambo music.
A third, and increasingly popular, representation of Latina/os in popular culture
.rtends both of the traditional narratives and can be called a "hybrid" narrative. 1r
:ncludes elements of stereotypical narratives combined with more fluid and contemporary
,leas of ethnicity, origin, and cultural integration. Hybrid representations of Latina/os in
;opular culture seek to appeal to a wide range of audiences without alienating any of
:hem, especially the white audience. A fitting example is the 2004 hit movie Spanglish, a
:omantic comedy-drama in which a Mexican woman is forced to contend with (and even:ually bridge) gaps with the white American family that employs her. Interestingly, like
Penelope Cruz, the actress who played Flor in Spangllsh (Paz Vega) is not Mexican, as she
rs often assumed to be, but Spanish.
Contemporary Latinas inFilm. The issues that confront Latinas on h1m traditionallv
.enter on barriers related to cultural integration, assin-Lilation, fovert\'. anJ the Jtrrr.resti.ation of female workers. Latinas in such roles also ten.l t.. pr..r'iJe a 1.\'e inre re.r t.)r a
male protagonist; examples include not onlv Pa: \'ega in Sp;rngli-.h. but als.. JsnniGr L.F.rnMaidinManhattan (2002), Salma Havek in Fools Ru-.,h In (199;). anJ Penelope Cru: in
Woman onTop (2000). However, these Latina stars have not onlv risen to tame tion'r their
roles in romantic comedies and lighthearted "chick flicks"; thev have also gained enormous credibility for undertaking very serious or diflicult roles. Examples include Salma
Hayek's portrayal of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo in Frida (2002); Michelle Rodriguez's role
as a tough, complex Latina boxer in Girlfight (2000); Penelope Cruz's Oscar-nominated
role in Voluer (2006); and Jennifer Lopez's breakout role as singing sensation and title
character of Selenn (1997).
Jennifer LopeT: The Making of a Latina Icon. Lopez's break into the mainstream
resulted from the death of Mexican American singer Selena, who rose to prominence in
American popular culture only after being murdered by one of her fans. Exploring the
Selena spectacle, Deborah Paredez (2002) argues that her death and subsequent stardom
represented the coming of age of the Latina/o population as a demographlc. The tragedy
of Selena's death and the rallying of the Latina/o community around her also advanced
Latina/os as a political entity in the United States. Although Selena represents the Merican
narrative and Lopez's Puerto Rican roots place her in the realm of the tropical, Lope:'s role
as Selena speaks to common histories and experiences of oppression shareJ bv Latir-r ,. .
in the United States.
The Jennifer l-opezPhenomenon. Todal', Jennifer Lope: is arguablr' the n,. .: :-::r-,. t.
Latina in popular American culture. As a wa,v of understanJinq L.rpe:'s ::(-:.. ... r: :.-c :
stardom,anumberofscholarshavestudiedthe"bootiep.,litrcs"tharacc-.r.::,'.:h.:epresentation of this most popular Latina. In a nou'p.-.pu1ari:ej e:::r..' ir--'--.=j -i:-:,rler\
LLrpe :'s trtte oiir-ir i he: . ','''n backside
ryomen
as a way of reclaiming the beauty of Latina
rn the Unitei S:-rr... Sle reads Lopez
against a history of marginalized Latina and African American \\'.rn.n. rracing Lopez's
Butt," Frances Negr6n-Muntaner (2004) interprets
politics back to the Hottentot Venus-the nineteenth-centun' Slrurh -\tiican woman
387
i88
Latina Presence in Popular Culture
who was paraded around Europe and North America by colonial scientists as a freak of
nature because of her large buttocks. Lopez's pride in her body is often understood as a
message
of self-acceptance and a celebration of shapely, voluptuous bodies.
Latinas on Teleaision On U.S. television, the most prominent contemporary Latina
is the character of Betty Suarez on the prime-time comedy/drama Ugly Berty. Betty is
played by actress America Ferrera, who captured both the Golden Globe and the Screen
Actor's Guild (SAG) awards as Best Actress in a Television Series in 2007. These distincrions point to Ferrera's talent and popularity, at least within the television industry, for her
portrayal of a smart, ugly Latina duckling in the mostly white world of high fashion.
The television show is also noteworthy for Salma Hayek's segue into a production role.
Hayek has created a production company calledVentanazul as a way to develop projects
about Latina/os and to hire and promote Latina/o actors. Her goal is to counteract stereotypes and the lack of depth surrounding Latina issues in popuiar culture, particularly lilm.
Similarly, Jennifer Lopez has begun to co-produce films about Latina/os and Latin American
themes with her husband, Marc Anthony. Both star in their biography of famous Puerto
Rican salsa singer Hector Lavoe, released in late summer 2007 . Hayek's and Lopez's decisions to move from center stage to production-and their efforts to represent Latinidad
through their work-can be read as attempts to assert more creative control over the representations of Latina/os in mainstream American media.
Latinas in Other Areas of Popular Culture. A signiflcant body of research also exists
on Latinas in popular music, including artists like Xuxa, Shakira, Paulina Rubio, and Ivy
Queen. Of these artists, oniy Colombian-born Shakira has succeeded in crossing over into
the mainstream English-language markets, and from there to the rvider global marketplace. Shakira's career has soared in American popular culture, despite her lack of pro6ciency in English; some have suggested that her pop sound, sex appeal, and youthful
appearance are key factors in her ability to translate success from a primarily Latin American audience to a mainstream American audience.
Magazines focusing on Latinas in the United States, such as Latina and Quince Girl,
explore issues not only of fashion, but also of cultural integration, assimilation, and
Girl, which discusses the coming-of-age ceiebration
(Quinceaffera) of girls from some Latin American countries, is available both in print
and online, and capitalizes on the dresses and party accessories associated with the
Quinceaflera. The Quince Grrl Web site offers T-shirts with the slogans "Yo! Quince
Girll" and "Caliente [hot] Quince Girl," both drawing on language that implies urban
Spanglish sensibilities. The fact that there are magazines aimed at the Quinceaflera
marker alone documents the presence and purchasing power of the young Latina population in the United States.
Girl culture media aimed at Latinas also seeps into other areas of the economy, such as
roys and clorhing. American Girl is a line of expensive dolls created in 1986. Their marketing strategy attempted to document U.S. history by creating ethnically diverse dolls with
detailed background histories. The stories of these doils were intended to combine aspirations of upward mobility with a suitable children's play environment that would exceed the
gender relations. Quince
mass
culture appeal of Barbie. As the number of American Girls expanded and the market-
ing strategy proved to be profitable, ownership of the companv t,as transferred from
a
smaller company called Pleasant to industry juggernaut and Barbie owner Mattel.
Among the popular American Girl dolls are Joselina-the Nerr,Mexican who wishes to
\e .f the old ways of her deceased mother-and, mc,re recentl-r, a character named Marisol.
l.l::is.,l u,as the focus of much controversy u'hen she s'as released, because her background
Latina Presence in Popular Culture
story indicates that she wanted to move away from her run.down urban Chicago neishborhood to seek a better 1ife. This offended many inner-city parents, particularlr. Latina rs
Marisol was taken off the market, but the controversy remains fresh in the minds of manr.
Latina/o activists. Despite the Marisol debate, the phenomenal success of the American
Girl dolls demonstrates the appeal (particulariy for parents) of dolls that have educational
as well as entertainment value. Given the high prices of American Girls, it is also clear that
parents are willing to spend increasing amounts of money on such products,
\ff/hereas American Girl dolls target
an older and more affluent girl audience, Dora
the Explorer offers a Latina doll to younger, less affluent girls. American Girl merchandise includes items such as books, videos, and clothing (for both the dolls and their own.
ers), but Dora appears as a doll; on sheers, blankets, and backpacks; and in her own
television show. The incorporation of Latina dolls into mainstream girl culture indicates
that the young female market is indeed interested in Latina dolls and related products.
Also relevant are the new doll sensations known as Bratz, whose popularity now chal.
lenges the status of Barbie. Bratz dolls draw on markers of ethnicity that blur the lines
between stereotypically white, Latinaf o, Asian, and African American traits. The only
explicit marker of identity for Bratz dolls is their urban setring and Hip Hop sense of
style. The combination of light brown or olive skin tones, slightly almond-shaped eyes,
and an urban sensibility usually results in an ambiguously Latina 1ook. Arguahlr', then,
the Bratz dolls add an additional, though vague, Latina represenrarion to the realm of
popular girl culture.
Latina presence in popular culture can also be seen in ne*'s programs and other areas
such as public health and immigration campaigns. For insrance, Victoria Rui: (2002)
points out that, from medical literature to freeway signs, there seems to be a public fear of
the fertility of Latina women, based perhaps on the Mexican narrative implying that
Latina/o families are very large. Ruby Thpia (2005) extended this analysis to a study of
teenage pregnancy campaigns, in which the ostensibly pregnant body was understood to
belong to a Latina girl.
While the strong Latina presence in popular culture has clearly nor meant that Latinas
have escaped stereotyped narratives of ethnic identity, it has posed a challenge to American
popular culture, which until recently saw itself in terms only of black and white. In
girl culture, this has meant [hat movies, television, books, toys, and magazines are begin.
ning to incorporate Latinas into the increasingly diverse mix of girls that embodies the
American experience.
Further Reading
Aparicio, Frances. (1999). "The Blackness of Sugar: Celia Cruz and the Performance
(tans)Nationalism." CuLunal
,-.i
223*236.
Baez, Jillian, and Aisha Durham. (2007). "A Thil of Tho \women: Exploring the cont.rur. ir }:ference in Popular Culture." In S. Springgay and D. Freedman, eds. czrnicril,m ;:-j :L: C:,-::,.;,
Studies 13, no. 2,
Body. New York: Peter Lang.
Beltran, Mary. (2005). "Dolores Del Rio, the First'Latino Invasicrn,'anJ H..llr-*.-*-j'. T::r-r:r:i--:-r ttr
Sound." Aztlin : The I ournal of Chicu'to Studies 30, no. 1, 5 5 -66.
Harewood, Susan J., and Angharad N. Valdivia. (2005). "Erpl..rine D.ra: Re--l1f.-liel Lldniddd
on the lil/eb." In Sharon. R. Mazzarella, ed. Girl Wrdz \tr'eb: Girlr. ric In;a:.:::.
rie -\egorianon
of ldentity. New York: Perer Lang, pp. 85-104.
Molina Guzmiin, Isabel, and Angharad N. Valdivia. (2004). "BraLn, Brow. anJ B.-nn.: LatLna Iconicity
in U.S. Popular Culture." C ommunicatton Reuiew 7, no. 2, 2 05 -l l 1.
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389