Kristin C. Moran Knihy

Focusing on the portrayal of Latina/o youth in mainstream media, this book explores how demographic shifts influence media representation and its effects on identity. Through in-depth family interviews, it reveals the media consumption habits of young individuals and how these shape their daily lives. The critique highlights how mainstream media often simplifies and commercializes Latina/o identity, limiting youth agency. Respondents express their hybrid identities, reflecting their bicultural experiences and challenging the confines of traditional representations.

In light of current and projected demographic changes in the U.S., this book examines the attention paid to Latina/o youth from mainstream media conglomerates and the subsequent impact of this attention. In-depth interviews conducted within a family setting provide a rare glimpse into respondents’ media consumption patterns and process of reception, and explain the ways in which the media are woven into their daily lives. The book critiques the tendency of mainstream media to reify and contain a Latina/o identity that is then sold back to youth in ways that limit Latino/a agency. Throughout the interviews, young people articulate a hybrid identity highlighting their bicultural experiences. Listening to Latina/o Youth ultimately recommends opening up the possibilities of representation to encourage the acceptance of new voices that challenge the current modes of media production.