One’s identity is molded by countless qualities, including but not limited to race, gender, sexuality, religion, and socio-economic status. It is incredibly important to be aware how these qualities intersect, which shape a person's identity. With that said, it is crucial to understand how the identity, experiences, and relationships of LGBTQ Latinos are impacted by their race as well as their sexuality and gender. The attitudes towards and perceptions of LGBTQ Latinos is also shaped by these qualities. Various forms of media, such as films, contribute to the representations (bad or good) of various groups. That is because films can serve as vital rhetorical artifact that can be used “to stimulate sociological thinking,” whether the film’s creators intend for that to happen or not (Valdez and Halley 286).

 

For that reason, it is important to recognize that the representation of LGBTQ Latinos in films is influenced by their portrayals, including misrepresentations that are affected by microaggressions and other forms of discrimination. The marginalization that LGBTQ Latinos experience is unique in the sense that it is complex. Their identity is wrapped around their racial identity as well as their gender identity and sexuality, which exemplifies the importance of understanding intersectionality; so much of any individual’s identity is intertwined with many other parts of their identity. Because of, it is extremely difficult to unravel how microaggressions and other negative treatment targets LGBTQ Latinos.

 

​In terms of this project, it is very important to understand the main methodology and terms being used. To start, critical race theory is a methodology that is used in a variety of fields and by numerous authors in attempts to understand as well as expose how race intersects gender, sexuality, language, class, and more. Critical Race Theory (CRT) also “considers how laws and institutional structures ... can contribute to inequalities” (McCabe 134). It can be argued that CRT’s roots can be founded in the earliest years of American history when slavery began; that is because this theory traces racism through the nation’s legacy of slavery, the Civil Rights Movement, and recent events” (Brizee et al).

 

Many well-known figures have made contributions to critical race theory, including Sojourner Truth and Frederick Douglass (Brizee et al). The version of critical race theory that we are familiar with today originated during the 1970s with contributions from prominent scholars, such as Kimberlé Crenshaw who will be referenced more later in this section. Crenshaw and other prominent CRT scholars attempt to confront the beliefs and practices that enable racism to persist while also challenging these practices in order to seek liberation from systemic racism” as well as explore how race intersects with multiple facets of an individual’s identity, like gender and sexual orientation, in ways that impact that person’s interactions and role in society (Brizee et al).

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In regards to films, critical race theory helps critics examine how the development and attitudes towards characters in a film are impacted by the multiple aspects of their identity. Films focus on the very personal narratives of characters who represent real life groups of individuals, as seen in the case of Diego in Fresas y Chocolate (learn about his narrative in that section). With that said, CRT helps critics discover how a character’s intersectional identity influences how others perceive them (whether that is based on incorrect biases or not), what opportunities or roles the character has within the culture, and more. Including characters’ raw, emotional, and realistic narratives is powerful because it draws a connection to the real lives that the character represents. This resembles a very crucial component of CRT, which allows rhetoricians to examine how race influences society and culture by valuing “narratives, stories, and experiential knowledge of people of color” (McCabe 134).

 

This understanding can assist critics in terms of realizing how media is influenced by real-life situations as well as how films influence audience’s perceptions of real groups of people. Not to mention this is also helps general audience members to connect with a character who represents a real life group; because of this, it is possible that films can be used as rhetorical devices to reveal instances of marginalization and the real struggles of minorities, such as LGBT Latinos. By using the critical race theory in this project, the goal is to exemplify how identity is intersectional and complex through the lens of race and gender. Through this, the project will explore how personal narratives in film help highlight the very real struggles that LGBTQ Latinos endure and how films allow audiences to understand the lives of those around them.

 

Earlier, the term “intersectionality” was mentioned several times, and it is important to define and understand this term. According to authors Lisa Wade and Myra Marx Ferree, intersectionality means that one specific facet of our identity (e.g. race or gender) “is not an isolated social fact about us, but instead intersects with our other identities” (Wade et al). Kimberlé Crenshaw, American civil rights activist and law professor at both Columbia University and UCLA, has written a great deal of scholarship about this concept. In her article “Why Intersectionality Can’t Wait,” Crenshaw claims that “intersectionality is not just about identities but about the institutions that use identity to exclude and privilege” (Crenshaw). What Crenshaw is discussing in this article are social institutions that allow some individuals certain privileges but not all individuals. These social institutions influences everyone daily; it is because of our multifaceted identities that there varying levels of privilege and countless types of discrimination.

 

For instance, an American man and women might have the same racial identity, but do not have all of the same privileges because in the United States, there numerous ways in which women are discriminated against (e.g. wage gap, sexual harrassment, etc.). In a journal article titled “Mapping the Margins,” she describes how many people experience violence and life in general based on multiple aspects of their identity simultaneously (Crenshaw 1242). For example, African-American women are discriminated against in ways that target their racial identity and gender identity. The reason for this is because there are gender expectations and norms that society has created; there are ideas of what a stereotypical African-American looks like, acts like, etc. When African-American woman​ does not ascribe to this rigid gender institution, then they are targeted for it.

 

"Microaggressions" are a form of discrimination that are not always as obvious; microaggressions are internalized prejudices that are expressed subtly. According to psychiatrist Chester Pierce, “microaggressions are subtle insults (verbal, nonverbal, and/or visual) directed toward people of color, often automatically or unconsciously” (Solóranzo et al 60).  An example of microaggressions is the idea that Latinas are sometimes perceived as “available to men’s sexual advances” so they might be called “Hot Tamales” or “exotic, sexual, and available” (McCabe 140). Films are powerful rhetorical artifacts—and they are arguably easily overlooked—because films can either challenge these biases and prejudices … or films can reinforce already existing hierarchical powers. Microaggressions manifest in racial or gendered ways, which influence how minority groups, including LGBTQ Latinos. Critical race theory can be used to examine how race and gender influence microaggressions, perceptions, and representations of LGBTQ Latinos.

 

The fourth and final term used in this project is “marginalization.” According to Jane Jensen, marginalization is not “simply one thing, not just one status” (Jensen). Jensen claims that a marginalized group is characterized by “lack of knowledge, political rights and capacity, recognition and power,” and a lack of economic resources (Jensen). Marginalization is incredibly important to this topic because LGBTQ Latinos experience it in a multitude of ways; the marginalization that influences LGBTQ Latinos is difficult to dissect. That is because much of the marginalization that they face cannot be completely separated from other forms.

 

For instance, imagine a LGBTQ Latino. As a member of the LGBTQ community, this individual experiences marginalization based on this identity. Furthermore, this individual experiences marginalization based on their identity as Latina. This individual’s identity is intersected, meaning that the struggles they experience are based on their intersectional identity. For this reason, this project analyzes the Latino films, Fresas y Chocolate and Cuatro Lunas, using the critical race theory in order to demonstrate how films highlight the marginalization that LGBTQ Latinos endure.

 

Additionally, it is important to understand the influence that films have on reality and why critical race theory and microaggression are being used to analyze these two specific LGBTQ Latino films. Although both films are fictional, each one can still stimulate critical thinking. Fictional or not, films can shape an audience’s perception of a person or group that is highlighted in the film. A film might be watched for enjoyment, but like sociology professors Avelardo Valdez and Jeffrey A. Halley have noted films can serve as significant sociological and rhetorical artifacts because for this very reason. According to Valdez and Halley, films can be “used as a vehicle for extracting sociological themes or sociological content” whether or not directors intend for their work to do so (Valdez and Halley 286). These themes are reflected in Fresas y Chocolate and Cuatro Lunas, which we will explain in more detail in their specific sections.

 

Although “cinema is not a straightforward representation of reality,” films serve as an incredibly powerful tool that not only tells history but also impacts how current events are recorded and leaves a remarkable affect an audience’s understanding of various groups and individuals (Valdez and Halley 286). This project explores how films serve as rhetorical artifacts because they depict characters that resemble real-life individuals. The characters of Fresas y Chocolate and Cuatro Lunas serve as representations of people who endure struggles and discrimination based on their race and sexual orientation. Critical race theory is used in this project to exemplify how the identity of these characters is woven by all the different aspects as well as how their experiences affect their lives and relationships. This project will emphasize how the marginalization that LGBTQ Latinos endure is not only fabricated by outsiders but also by members of their community.