by: Ana Montano
If you recall, a couple of years ago, actress Jessica Alba went off in Para Todos magazine about how it would be “insincere” to label her as a Latin actress. She was quoted as saying:
“Alba is my last name and I’m proud of that. But that’s it. My grandparents were born in California, the same as my parents, and though I may be proud of my last name, I’m American.
Throughout my whole life, I’ve never felt connected to one particular race or heritage, nor did I feel accepted by any. If you break it down, I’m less Latina than Cameron Diaz, whose father is Cuban. But people don’t call her Latina because she’s blonde.”
In an interview with USA Today, she backtracked on her previous statement by saying:
“For me, I never wanted to reinforce any stereotypes about Latin women, and that was why I’ve shied away from Latin characters I’ve been offered. Most of them reinforced the stigmas.
The women whom I grew up with are intelligent, strong women, and unless I read a woman being portrayed that way in a film, I didn’t want to play it.”
First of all, que paquete! I wouldn’t buy that if you threw in a free toaster. But more importantly, does she think she’s been playing a white woman in every movie?
That would be like Denzel Washington saying he doesn’t want to portray African Americans because he doesn’t want to reinforce black stereotypes. Girl, you’re Hispanic, and you look it (no matter how blonde you dye your hair). And don’t be so uppity about your roles, sweetheart, you were in The Love Guru.
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