“[You should understand] how the Latino community can come into play for what you’ll be doing in your professional careers,” said Balta, former president of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and coordinating producer at ESPN.
Balta talked about self-identification in the Latino community as well as the stereotypical portrayal of Latinos in film and television. He shared results of a survey of non-Latinos that asked how Latinos are perceived in film. The top three roles the surveyed said Latinos held “very often” were criminal, gardener and maid. Balta noted it was very uncommon for the surveyed to see Latinos in positions of authority.
Balta mentioned a few of the most popular Latinos in media history – Ricky Ricardo, Al Pacino in “Scarface,” and Speedy Gonzales – and criticized how all three characters are simply caricatures of Latino stereotypes used for entertainment.
“Media needs to do a better job of being reflective of the whole community,” Balta said.
Media representation of a group, such as Latinos, can affect the way individual members of the group see themselves. Britt Buzan, a sophomore majoring in advertising, said Balta’s lecture opened his eyes to the way culture can impact a person’s identity.
“Cultural identity can be a very large part of how people identify themselves, and it’s important to be aware of how these identities are presented to the masses and that they are accurate and respectful of the people who are being portrayed,” he said.
Balta served as president of NAHJ from 2012 to 2014, which is now forming a chapter at the University of Alabama. Ellisa Bray, a sophomore majoring in journalism and international studies, is serving as interim president of the group. She said if the group can get 10 members and petition the Source and Nationals for membership, the University of Alabama chapter would be the first in the SEC as well as in the state.
Bray said the most important part of the lecture’s message is simply for people to gain cultural awareness of the world around them. She grew up in San Antonio where there is a significant Latino presence, so she said she is working to bring that level of awareness to other places, including The University of Alabama.
“I really think it’s important to have diversity issues – we need to have those talks because it’s so critical, especially when you’re trying to be part of this global economy and a global village, to be able to be culturally aware,” Bray said. “For the University, it’s really, really important that we’re not just having talks about diversity when there’s a scandal.”
