Small-screen Hispanic

Picture it: Gary, Ind., 1991. A cute, big-headed seven-year-old Mexican boy sits on the maroon carpet of the living room in his blue pajamas, red cape wrapped around his neck. He's watching "The Geraldo Rivera Show" with his older siblings on the 30-inch wood-paneled television and dreaming of being on it some day (TV, not Geraldo). \nThat boy was me, and that Mr. Rivera was one of only two Latino people I remember seeing on TV. \nTimes haven't changed much. It's a shame because kids look up to people on TV, whether we like it or not. I did. \nToday, some of the Hispanics on TV are Gabrielle from "Desperate Housewives," Rosario the maid from "Will & Grace," Carla from "Scrubs" and George Lopez from "The George Lopez Show." \n"The George Lopez Show" is in its fourth season, and according to www.Hispanicmagazine.com it's the only returning Latino show on network television this season. And by "Latino show" I mean most of the cast is Latino, including the main character. \nOn one episode, Lopez's son needed help dealing with a bully at school, which had nothing to do with him being Hispanic. In another, Lopez is insulted after being offered a job just so the company can fill a racial quota. The show deals with Latino issues sometimes, but it also deals with family issues that go beyond ethnicity. The characters may be Hispanic, but they're also just a regular family with everyday problems. \nIt's definitely better for kids to see a normal Latino family on TV, rather than actors stuck in stereotypical roles, like maids with accents or gardeners who don't speak English. \nBut the bad news is that networks aren't really jumping at the chance to air more Hispanic TV shows. Even though Hispanics are now the No. 1 minority in the country, the number of Latinos in starring roles on TV is not reflective of this trend. \nSure, the number of Latinos on network TV is growing, but most are being cast as background characters or sidekicks. \nWhen networks attempt to cast Hispanics in main roles, the shows usually fail. For example, the albino peacock, NBC, put out Kingpin, a "mini-series about a Mexican drug lord" that was "considered a weekly series possibility." However, low ratings sank the idea, according to www.SignOnSanDiego.com. So the safe route is sidelining Latino actors. \nI call this strategy the "hidden Hispanic."\nThis is when you're watching a show with a mostly white cast and then, for example, a sexy woman comes on as a guest star ... but she doesn't look quite white. Her skin might be pale, but her curves and nose are of the J. Lo variety. This strategy is used when networks throw in a Hispanic character for the sole purpose of pleasing interest groups or today's racial profiling mentality. \nThey get the whitest Latino actor they can find and give no hint of ethnicity on the show. This way, the networks think they're pleasing both the Hispanic audience and the white audience. Look for them next time you're watching your favorite show, and if you think you see one, yell out "hidden Hispanic!" Hurry, though, they're gone as fast as they come. \nThere needs to be more positive Latino programming; sidekick and maid roles are not enough. Latinos are a growing audience for networks, and they're going to have to cater more shows to us if they want to keep their ratings high. \nIt's also important for young kids of any race or ethnicity to see someone they can relate to in any type of media. When little kids see someone of their own race on TV, it sends them a message that they can be big stars, too.