In the videos this week, particularly Journey to Banana Land, what really stood out to me was this constant distinction of ‘us’ and ‘them’. The narrative of Journey to Banana land is similar to that of a tour guide giving a tour of the Latin Americas, specifically referring to the process in which bananas are first planted to when they are found in the typical American household. However, throughout the entire video, I noticed that the voiceover constantly compared Latin Americans and their values/way of life to that of Americans – pointing out similarities and differences. I think that although the video was informative and interesting, the way in which it portrayed Latin America as a whole was not truly representative of the immense culture and all the other things that the people of Latin America have to offer. Rather, it seemed to almost view the Latin American people as inferior, speaking of them in a condescending manner as well as through generalizations (such as “the people here are very polite”).
Although there were definitely some positive portrayals of Latin America in the videos, they were done in a way that framed Latin America as an exotic other. The idea of excitement, of foreignness, etc. prominently played on common stereotypes of Latin America. That is not to say that stereotypes have absolutely no merit and should always be rejected, but I think that it is important to never take them at face value because they are rarely fully representative of what they are trying render. I also think the point that Dawson brought up in the text about stereotypes being a basis for identity interesting as he argues that stereotypes “provide symbols that members may rally around in order to feel a sense of belonging”. This was a fascinating point for me, because in today’s modern perspective, the notion of stereotypes tend to generate a negative connotation – yet as Dawson points out, they can also be valuable within certain contexts.
The document From the Noble Savage to the Third World discussed the role of popular media in perpetuating stereotypes of both the United States and Latin America, primarily using Disney productions as examples. Disney’s portrayals of interactions between Americans and the indigenous peoples of Latin America, particularly in the arguably unfair bartering system that benefitted the Americans isn’t necessarily inaccurate even if it leaves out details. What I do find concerning about its entertainment value however, is the caricature that is created, one that arguably favours the Western perspective – in its seemingly innocuous humour, its narrative preserves many of the ideas of ethnocentrism and Western superiority.
A question that I have for this week’s discussion is why there is a conflictual feeling in regards to the success of Latin Americans within Western media (e.g. the admiration and backlash of Carmen Miranda by the Latin American people).
Thank you for reading!
To try and answer your question, my guess is that the conflictual feeling Latin Americans had when Carmen Miranda, for example, became successful in Western media is the feeling of being ‘left-behind’ – she had been very successful in Brazil, and instead of staying in Rio and bringing value to its cultural scene, she moved to the US. I feel like there might also have been a sense of resentment that Brazilian/Latin American culture needed North American validation in order to be considered of value.
I believe that there is a conflictual feeling in regards to the success of Latin Americans within Western media, because the citizens of Latin America had a hostile image of US, despite its richness in culture. I feel like Latin American people saw those successful latino/a stars as people who gave in or conceded to the American culture.