I have to admit first and foremost that Modern Family, which airs on ABC, is probably my favorite show. Being an avid fan and owner of most of the seasons on DVD, it is hard for me to make an argument against the show for the flaws it presents in representing marginalized groups. However, it would be against my general beliefs to ignore a misrepresentation and stereotyping of a marginalized group in our society, namely the Latino population. With the exception of Colombian character Gloria and her son Manny, the main cast of Modern Family is entirely Caucasian and heterosexual. While I won't be getting into the fairly stereotypical homosexual representation of couple Cameron and Mitchel, some light must be shed on the representation of Latinos through Gloria's family.
While Gloria is known for making jokes about her "village" from time to time on the show, it wasn't until a particular episode of the show where critics were up in arms about the overly stereotypical role of Latinos that migrate from other countries. The show seems to portray Gloria and especially son Manny as culturally assimilating into US culture-which involves giving up one's original cultural identity and moving into the full participation of a new culture. While this is seen more in Manny, Gloria, her mother, and sister Sonia seem to represent their culture back home in Colombia. Herein lies the problem for viewers of the episode 'Fulgencio' when Jay and Gloria have just had their son.
A Huffington Post article discussed the outrage as critics made statements of anger towards comments made by Sonia about washing clothes in the river, or harvesting vegetables from their garden, very stereotypical images we as Americans may image of less developed countries. Whether or not the writers have intentionally perpetrated "ignorant" stereotypes is a question that may depend of differing perspectives of audience members.
Below is a link to the Huffington Post article which includes video clips from the episode where ethnic stereotypes seem to be perpetuated. Feel free to leave any opinions, comments, or concerns in the comments.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/28/modern-familys-fulgencio-episode-criticized-for-perpetuating-stereotypes-of-latinos_n_2568200.html
I almost chose to write about Gloria from "Modern Family" this week (but I ended up going with a different character). I think you make a good point that the depiction of her Colombian family and talk about her "village" perpetuates stereotypes, but I think her character still demonstrates cultural assimilation. She has moved toward being a part of the dominant culture, although she often does things that remind us of her previous culture. While it perpetuates stereotypes, at least the show doesn't attempt to cover up Gloria's heritage by pretending she has completely assimilated into the dominant culture.
ReplyDeleteI like your efforts towards being unbiased, I know it can be difficult. I agree that the whole "village" idea of immigrants' homeland is a bad stereotype. Many Mexican friends of mine are annoyed by that connotation, having to explain that Mexico is not all dirt roads and villages, only some parts. Good observation.
ReplyDeleteNice article. I've seen a few episodes of Modern Family, and Gloria seemed like a very stereotypical character to me. I will definitely watch more episodes to see her acculturation journey.
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