Assignment Instructions:
Please write a one-page essay interpreting the elements in the video-montage Gringo
in Maņanaland using Keller's Hispanics and U.S. Film, chs. 1-4. Please also
write at least a second commentary later responding to the statements posted by other
students.
Date: Sun, Sep 13, 1998 (21:57)
From: Shakira Ramos (sramos)
Gary D. Keller in Hispanics and United States Film writes,
"... one important adjustment was caused by the burgeoning travel-tourism, exotic,
and anthropological films, which developed a more objective view of other cultures within
the constraints of films that were primarily romantic, escapist travelogues to foreign
lands" (31). The film The Gringo in Maņanaland is a great example of how
Latin America is portrayed through film, as an exotic, adventurous and as a tourist
attraction. The different movies clips in The Gringo in Maņanaland, help create
new ideas and stereotypes towards Latinos in Latin America. An exotic atmosphere is
created and presented through the beautiful Latina women seen in the films and through the
presentation of fruits especially bananas. Anglos are praised and are the ones who benefit
the most from Latin America.
From the beginning Latin America is viewed as a land of opportunities for
Anglos to make money and for adventures. It is seen as a "Paradiso". The Latinos
are portrayed as uneducated, primitive and underdeveloped people; thus making them more
vulnerable to Anglos demands and exploitations. An example of how Latinos are portrayed as
ignorant is in the clip of the film The Americano (1916) when the question
"Where's the US?" is asked and they respond, "Too far from Brooklyn!".
Since the Latinos are viewed as uneducated and do not know better is seems as though it is
the Anglos duty to educate them. In the clip Naked Jungle (1954) , it seems as if
the Anglo women, who is admired by the Native Indians, would be doing the family of the
young child a favor by taking him, implying that she would be able to give him things his
family cannot give him.
Due to the fact that Latin America is seen as a place for adventure
and opportunities it seems like the Anglos do not care for the people or for the beauty of
the country instead they care for what the people can do for them and what the land can
offer them like bananas and coffee. In Weekend in Havana (1941), the women is a
great example of one who does not care but only wants to enjoy herself while in Cuba. When
her husband is showing her the tourist attractions, she seems bored and ask to be
entertained. The Latinos become objects of entertainment and servitude for the Anglos. In
the clips the servants are typically Latinos, who are obedient to their masters and speak
with thick accents.
Fruits and women become sexual objects creating an exotic
atmosphere. The women in the films are the typical cantina girls that Keller describe as
"Dancing, or possibly singing, certainly behaving in an alluring fashion is the
essential trait of the cantina girl" (40). It is the beautiful women who are seen
picking the bananas and coffee beans that attract more Anglo males to Latin America. The
women in the film are portrayed as if they are enjoying themselves because they are
singing and dancing while working. Bananas and other fruits become as a male in one of the
clips describe as a "Garden of Eden".
Paradise, Adventure and Ambition are the key words used in the film to
create an image of Latin America. An image created through the used of cantina girls,
uncivilized people like the Native Indians, fruits especially bananas, through trades and
through the domination of Anglos over the Latinos. The film can be seen as a travel video
for Latin America which hides the reality of the country and only shows what the people,
who can afford to travel, want to see.
Date: Tue, Sep 15, 1998 (10:13)
From: Shakira Ramos (sramos)
It is evident that we all agree that the media falsely portrays Latinos. Alain's essay brings up an interesting
point on how European colonies imposed their beliefs and cultures on others with the idea
that they were uncivilized and savage. Clara-
you stress an interesting point of view on how Latinos are seen more like entertainers and
not as individuals as Davina mentioned.
It is up to the younger generations to prove these stereotypes wrong so that we Latinos
are not depicted in the same way in the future.
Date: Wed, Sep 16, 1998 (22:45)
From: Shakira Ramos (sramos)
Music and dance can play an important part in expressing ourselves.
Each individual has their own way to express themselves through dance and music. On the
other hand, early cinema felt that each member of the same race would act, look, and think
the same. Lester D. Friedman writes in the article "Celluloid Palimpsests: An
overview of Ethnicity and the American Film", "Hollywood films assign easily
recognizable signs (e.g, speech, dress, food choices, and mannerisms) which were taken
together function as overt codes that apparently signify divergent ethnic cultures"
(Friedman, 22). Friedman states that each race is related and grouped together according
to the signs stated above. When asked to associate something with Latinos many respond
beautiful women who are always dancing and moving their body in a sexual manner. Dancing
and singing is also associated with African- Americans. Therefore, early cinema did not do
a good job in expressing individuality , but instead in creating stereotypes for different
ethnic groups.
An issue presented in both Gringo in Maņanaland and Birth
of A Nation is how the Latinos and African American are shown having "fun"
by dancing and singing while working. Due to the impression that they like working and do
not mind, the Anglos used as an excuse to control and use them. It is also evident that in
the early cinema, it was the Anglos who played the role of the African American, Latinos
and Indians. In Birth of a Nation, Anglos put on dark makeup to represent blacks
and acted as they though blacks acted and tried to represent the race as one. Anglos who
portray Latinos are to speak with a heavy accent and for women they are taught to move
their bodies. In the article, "Ethnicities-in-Relation: Toward a Multicultural
Reading of American Cinema", Ella Shohat writes, "... the music suddenly shifts
to Latin rhythms, subliminally authorizing Euro-American characters to move their bodies
more sensually" (Shohat, 224). The most famous type of Latina was the cantina girl
who danced and sang as traits. Therefore, for the Anglo women to portray and make the
movie real they had to try to move like the Latinas.
It was through Carmen Miranda's role as the Queen of bananas that
the stereotypical belief of how every Latina supposedly acted and looked like, originated
from. "... whereas the Latin American characters perform "unserious,"
"excessive" numbers involving swaying hips, exaggerated facial expressions,
caricaturally sexy costumes, and "think-big" props embodied by Carmen
Miranda" (Shohat, 236). The quotation describes how Latinas were and are still
depicted as. Again, this is not true for all the Latinas because they are all individuals
with their own style and looks but Hollywood always continues to look for more Latinas
that can fill Carmen Miranda's shoes.
The Birth of a Nation is a very powerful movie were there is
all forms of racism shown towards blacks. Hollywood is know for its bias and stereotypical
views. Friedman writes, "... by extension all other forms of racism , remains one
problem that will not vanish if we simply ignore it" (Friedman, 26). It is up to
Latinos, African-Americans and other groups to prove to Hollywood that we are not one but
individuals with different lifestyle and way of expressing ourselves than what is
portrayed in movies.
