Without knowing it there's a lot of caution surrounding the topic of ethnicity for many people. Journalists aren't exempt from this stereotype. Instead they emphasize how strongly the cautionary tale of discussing race is in today's society. In my hometown diversity is something expected everywhere you go, but after moving to Boston I realized we still have a long way to go when it comes to representing culture. It never really dawned upon me how so many Americans knew so little about the Hispanic community. It wasn't until a classmate of mine asked whether he should refer to Latinos as Hispanic or specifically their country of origin when covering a story that I finally recognized how strongly I felt about my ethnicity.
My family roots are a blend of Colombian, Peruvian, and American which has always been something I'm proud to say. One of my biggest frustrations whenever I tell others I'm from Miami is they automatically stereotype me as Cuban. While I have no negativity toward the Cuban community it would be nice to actually be recognized for my true heritage.
The media has become extremely harsh when discussing certain Latino communities as well, especially those from Mexico at this time. In addition to terrible stereotypes they've also failed to represent smaller communities in the media because they aren't as notable or click worthy destinations the American public would be interested in reading more about. While we've come a long way when it comes to better representation we still have a long way to go.
** Written for my Editing and Web Producing graduate class at Emerson College. **
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