NOW EN ESPAÑOL | KLRN Staff Review

NOW EN ESPAÑOL tells the story of five hard-working women who dub “Desperate Housewives” for Spanish language audiences in the United States. Each of the women featured in the documentary are also trying to make a name for themselves while juggling life and its many setbacks.

“If there’s one thing we’ve learned is that if you want to be a leading lady you’ve better keep your sense of humor,” says Marabina Jaimes, who is the Spanish narrator of Desperate Housewives, and one of the women profiled in the documentary.

NOW EN ESPAÑOL is an interesting view of those chasing the Hollywood dream of becoming an actor. The women featured in the documentary try to break stereotypes, and avoid roles that are not true representations of their culture.

To watch NOW EN ESPAÑOL, visit our video player.

Our friends at the San Antonio Public Library helped compile a list of reading materials related to the issues discussed in the film. Check out these books, and see if they’re available at your local library:

Dangerous Curves: Latina Bodies in the Media
Isabel Molina-Guzmán
"With images of Jennifer Lopez’s butt and America Ferrera’s smile saturating national and global culture, Latina bodies have become an ubiquitous presence…Isabel Molina-Guzmán maps the ways in which the Latina body is gendered, sexualized, and racialized within the United States media using a series of fascinating case studies…Dangerous Curves carves out a mediated terrain where these racially ambiguous but ethnically marked feminine bodies sell everything from haute couture to tabloids…" – Amazon

From Bananas to Buttocks: the Latina Body in Popular Film and Culture
University of Texas Press
“From the exuberant excesses of Carmen Miranda in the "tutti frutti hat" to the curvaceous posterior of Jennifer Lopez, the Latina body has long been a signifier of Latina/o identity in U.S. popular culture. But how does this stereotype of the exotic, erotic Latina "bombshell" relate, if at all, to real Latina women who represent a wide spectrum of ethnicities, national origins, cultures, and physical appearances?...In this broadly interdisciplinary book, experts from the fields of Latina/o studies, media studies, communication, comparative literature, women's studies, and sociology come together to offer the first wide-ranging look at the construction and representation of Latina identity in U.S. popular culture.” – Publisher

A Latina in the Land of Hollywood and Other Essays on Media Culture
Angharad N. Valdivia
“From ads for Victoria's Secret to the character roles of Rosie Perez, the mass media have been defining race and femininity. In this diverse set of essays, Angharad N. Valdivia breaks theoretical and methodological boundaries by exploring the relationship of the media to various audiences. Throughout A Latina in the Land of Hollywood we are challenged to think differently about the media messages we often unconsciously consume, such as the popular representations of certain Latina cultural icons.” – Publisher

Chicana (w)rites: On Word and Film
Third Woman Press
“Since 1982 Maria Herrera-Sobek and Helena Maria Viramontes have been instrumental in bringing together the most salient artists, filmmakers, poets, novelists, as well as literary and film critics in the field of Chicana Studies at the University of California at Irvine. The present volume weaves together, through original work and critique, the cultural production of some of the most important Chicana writers and filmmakers of our time.” – Publisher

Hybrid Cultures: Strategies for Entering and Leaving Modernity
Néstor García Canclini
"When it was originally published, Hybrid Cultures was foundational to Latin American cultural studies. This now-classic work features a new introduction in which Nestor Garcia Canclini calls for a cultural politics to contain the damaging effects of globalization and responds to relevant theoretical developments over the past decade…Hybrid Cultures at once clarifies the development of democratic institutions in Latin America and reveals that the most destructive ideological trends are still going strong." – Amazon.

8 ways to say "I love my life!"
Arte Público Press
“With a foreword by acclaimed musician Vikki Carr, 8 Ways to Say I Love My Life and Mean It! contains chapters by women from a variety of professional backgrounds. Contributors include Latin Heat president Bel Hernandez Castillo and playwright and author of Real Women Have Curves, Josefina Lopez. Performed as monologues in 2009 in Los Angeles, the sold-out, ten-run show received a rave review in the Los Angeles Times and an Imagen Award, which recognizes positive portrayals of Latinos in the media. Designed to help women believe in the power of self-love and inner strength, this book will appeal to all women who seek a path to fulfillment.” – Publisher

America Latina
Fabienne Rousso-Lenoir
"The cultural essence of Latin America is captured, with all of its brilliant diversity, in this compelling portrait of its various regions and people. More than 20 different countries make up Latin America today, and each has its own distinct and special nature. From the Pampas to the Amazon, from the Incas to El Che, from the Virgin of Guadalupe to Evita to the Buena Vista Social Club, this insightful book portrays the qualities and images that have contributed to the mysterious allure of America Latina throughout history. Drawing on the worlds of art, music, dance, literature, and film, the book explores the complex and intriguing nautre of this fascinating and intriguing mix of cultures." – Amazon.

Latinos and American Popular Culture
Praeger
"This book offers a complete overview of the contributions of U.S. Latinos to American popular culture and examines the emergence of the U.S. Latino identity"-- Provided by publisher.

Encyclopedia of Latino Culture: From Calaveras to Quinceañeras
Greenwood
“The entries in this three-volume set provide accessible, in-depth information on a wide range of topics, covering cultural traditions including food; art, film, music, and literature; secular and religious celebrations; and religious beliefs and practices. Readers will gain an appreciation for the historical, regional, and ethnic/racial diversity within specific Latina/o traditions. Accompanying sidebars and "spotlight" biographies serve to highlight specific cultural differences and key individuals.” – Publisher