Latina/O Stars in U.S. Eyes

by Beltran, Mary C.

• ISBN13: 9780252076510
• ISBN10: 0252076516
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-08-07
• Publisher: Univ of Illinois Pr
• More Book Details

Summary

This book explores the role film and television stardom has played in establishing, reinforcing, and challenging popular ethnic notions of Latina/os in the United States since the silent film era of the 1920s. Mary Beltrán focuses on key moments in the construction of "Hollywood Latinidad" by analyzing the public images of these stars as promoted by Hollywood film studios, television networks, producers, and the performers themselves. The book critically surveys the careers of such film and television stars as Dolores Del Rio, Desi Arnaz, Rita Moreno, Freddie Prinze, Edward James Olmos, Jessica Alba, and Jennifer Lopez.

Author Biography

Mary C. Beltrßn is an assistant professor of communication arts and Chicana/o and Latina/o studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the coeditor of Mixed Race Hollywood.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. vii
Introduction: Latina and Latino Stars in U.S. Eyes	p. 1
Latin Lovers and American Accents: Dolores Del Rio and Hollywood's Transition to Sound	p. 17
The Good Neighbor on Prime Time: Desi Arnaz and I Love Lucy	p. 40
A Fight for "Dignity and Integrity": Rita Moreno in Hollywood's Postwar Era	p. 62
The Burden of Playing Chico: Freddie Prinze and Latino Stardom in Television's Era of "Relevance"	p. 86
The Face of the "Decade": Edward James Olmos and Latino Films of the 1980s	p. 108
Crossing Over the Latina Body: Jennifer Lopez and the 1990s "Latin Wave"	p. 131
Ethnic Ambiguity in the Era of Dark Angels: Jessica Alba and Mixed Latina/o Trends	p. 154
Notes	p. 173
Index	p. 201
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