On the television show Modern Family there are three different types of marriages portrayed. This includes gay marriage, a marriage in which there is a big age gap, and an ‘all American’ marriage. In the marriage in which the wife and husband are not close in age there is a mix of cultures. While the husband is an American, the wife (Gloria) is Latina. She is portrayed as loud, temperamental, and sultry—all major stereotypes of Latina women. The show pokes fun of the Latino culture including the beliefs, meals, and family dynamics. As referenced in chapter 4, Gloria is a very involved parent —perhaps a little invasive—and opts to stay at home instead of working. Although family is extremely important to her, familism is not portrayed as she is able to take personal interests and values into consideration. Gloria is bilingual and wishes for her children to learn to speak in her native tongue as well.
On the show The Big Bang Theory, one of the main characters, Rajesh Koothrappali, is Native American. His ethnicity is portrayed in a semi-traditional and comedic way. As referenced in chapter 4, Rajesh’s parents are extremely involved in his care and urge him to find a wife—one that is preferably not American. His parents continue to dress in traditional clothing, and seek to arrange his marriage—a common practice of the Indian society. Although the chapter states that nearly 26% live in poverty, Rajesh’s family is wealthy and have high expectations for both academics and income.
The show Blackish focuses on an African American father raising his family within a predominantly white neighborhood while struggling to stay in tune with his culture. The show takes a humorous approach to describing his efforts of keeping his culture alive within his family. As referenced in chapter 4, the media portrays the family as having strong kinship bonds as well as valuing success in education. The father’s strong work ethics have allowed him to live comfortably within a middle-class neighborhood.
My family and I are very close- knit, just like the families portrayed on the television shows. There is not a dominant sex, so both the men and women share equal authority. Education is extremely important to us as well, although there is not an urgent need to build wealth.
- “Arranged Marriage.” Cultural India. Web. 07 Apr. 2016.
Race and Ethnicity. PDF. - Lombardo, Crystal R. “Typical Stereotypes of Hispanics | NLCATP.org.” NLCATP. Web. 07 Apr. 2016.
