'Devious Maids' Lifetime Show Sparks Criticism Over Depiction of Latinas
ABC is coming under fire an upcoming show called "Devious Maids" that features five Latino maids, with critics arguing that the show furthers stereotypes and casts Latinas in a hyper-sexualized light.
The new television series is produced by actress Eva Longoria and revolves around the story of five Latino housekeepers and their interactions with their wealthy Beverly Hills employers.
The new Lifetime show is being criticized for portraying Hispanics in demeaning and stereotypical roles while also being accused of being "degrading" towards Latino women.
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"'There probably wasn't a Latina in the country who didn't initially roll her eyes of 'oh great, here we go again. Another Latina character that's a maid,"' Damarys Ocana, executive editor of Latina magazine, told ABC News
Actress Eva Longoria, who is also an executive producer, quickly responded to the criticism in a blog titled "There's No Such Thing As A Wasted Opportunity."
"The only way to break a stereotype is to not ignore it," Longoria wrote in the blog. "The stereotype we are grappling with here is that as Latinas, all we are is maids. And yet, this is a show that deconstructs the stereotype by showing us that maids are so much more."
Dominican-born actress Dania Ramirez's character plays a Mexican immigrant who had to leave her child behind to work in the U.S. after her husband dies.
Ramirez that that show is an opportunity to put a real face on immigration.
"That immigrant story is something I really related to," Ramirez told the Huffington Post. "My parents moved to the States when I was six months old and they worked really, really hard for us."
Ramirez will be joined by co-stars Ana Ortiz, Roselyn Sánchez, Edy Ganem, and Judy Reyes when "Devious Maids" premieres Sunday, June 23 at 10 p.m.
