The mass media in contemporary society has an important role in shaping people's cultural identity. This project involves a beginning academic anthropologist from Syracuse University, studying the role played by the Latino-oriented advertising industry in the creation of generic ethnic labels to encompass peoples of diverse Latin American heritage in the US. The hypothesis to be tested is that the advertising industry is contributing to a reconceptualization of a common identity which spans race, class and nationality for Hispanics. The research will consist of a twelve month ethnographic study of the New York City Latino-oriented advertising industry, focusing on producers of advertising imagery and consumers, recipients of such messages. The investigator will interview participants about the processes through which Latino identity is conceived, constructed and disseminated. The research is important because it will advance our understanding of processes of commodification and globalization of cultural identity. By illuminating how ethnic differences and similarities are actively marketed in US society, the research will provide valuable information for planners and policy makers concerned about ethnic relations in a multi-ethnic world.
