| This thesis explores Latinas' relationship to food as depicted in four contemporary American films: Tortilla Soup (2001), Woman on Top (2000), What's Cooking? (2000), and East Side Sushi (2014). In these films, food shapes the depictions of Latinas and illustrates how filmmakers overly rely on common tropes, and how food provides another layer to these deeply rooted stereotypes of Latinas. Yet, food also intersects with the politics of gender and Latinidad to both reinforce and challenge Latina stereotypes. These filmic representations illustrate how difficult it is for some filmmakers to move away from stereotypical Latina tropes, and to develop more complex character depictions. From the spicy Latina to the feminist Latina heroine, filmmakers are creating some new and multi-dimensional Latinas, and food is a key element to such depictions. While we continue to see films that perpetuate stereotypical portrayals of Latinas today, there are Latina characters that defy those representations as well. At the same time, these films show how it may be difficult to create Latina characters without using some form or shape of gender or racial stereotypes, but it is possible to present diverse depictions as well. The dominant film industry continues to perpetuate stereotypical images of Latinas, but there are also filmmakers that are looking to change the dominant narrative. We have come a long way from food being used as a prop on Carmen Miranda's head to food helping to guide Latina heroines through their journeys of self-discovery. |
