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Sofía Vergara, Rita Moreno, Dascha Polanco, Jennifer López. 
Sofía Vergara, Rita Moreno, Dascha Polanco, Jennifer López. 

Latinxs according to Hollywood: Narcos, hitmen and salsa teachers

Whether dreams or nightmares, Hollywood's factory fits perfectly into what the master of screenwriters, Robert's McKee, called: "Persona is destiny."

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That's to say, every Latino character in the movies has the same personality and a similar destiny. 

French people, who are more sophisticated, call it "cliché." For the Latinx community, it is a considerable obstacle to play in a leveled field that makes visible their rich and diverse culture.

Because Latinxs have barely been accurately represented in mainstream cinema or television.

Once series such as Narcos have succeeded, nazis, communists, or even jihadists are no longer the main focus of the cinephile hatred of an entire country. 

A new kind of Latino villain has been born: The Narco.

Narcos, the popcorn enemies

In the last Sylvester Stallone's film, Last Blood, John Rambo has to face a dangerous Mexican cartel, and nobody escaped unscathed. Bam! Because Rambo –in fact, his greek surname in the novel was "Rampo"- is full of revenge, not justice. 

While there are Latinx actors such as Puerto Rican Benicio del Toro, who has played other "slightly" different characters on screen –a detective chasing cartels, a thief, a hitman– It is almost the same thing: you will hardly find an actor who has not been a victim of the stereotypes. 

And, what if they have a "legal" and "honest" job? I mean, gardeners, cleaning staff..., maybe some salsa teacher, haven't you, Mrs. J.Lo?

Maids and sexy "mamas"

In an interview, Dominican actress Dasha Polanco, known for the series "Orange Is the New Black," where she plays a young prisoner, denounced that many actresses are considered "too Latina" for Hollywood. They are casting, she said, "Latino fakes."

Though Polanco was referring to the stereotype of a skinny Latino woman in the movies, some critical voices warn about a whitewashing process in the industry. 

Think about the Spanish actress Penelope Cruz, playing a Cuban spy in this movie about Cuban without any Cuban, Wasp Network.

What kind of characters are then left for Latino women?

Dasha Polanco is a prisoner, yes. Rita Moreno played a native American woman, then an Arab woman, and, in the end, she played what she is… a Latino woman. 

Zoe Saldaña is, maybe, one good example of someone who has run away from the stereotype, having played interesting characters in science fiction series and movies.

For the rest, just a name: Sofia Vergara.

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