The Teenage Latina Genius on Television: Netflix’s Ashley Garcia

Diana Leon-Boys, Claudia Bucciferro

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

This article examines a recent mediated version of Latina girlhood, the teenage science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) genius, through an analysis of a Netflix original series:  Ashley Garcia: Genius in Love  (2020). The series offers a representation of girlhood that does not fully align with either the “at-risk” or the “can-do” girls that have appeared previously on television. By conducting a qualitative analysis that highlights key episodes, we interrogate the layered representation of Latina girlhood offered in the show, focusing on two aspects: how the title character, Ashley, appears as a particular embodiment of a contemporary Latina teenager, and how she is narratively positioned in the story line. Our findings suggest that the series showcases a complex albeit ambiguous and ambivalent representation of Latina girlhood. This portrayal is exaggerated and fantastic and ultimately falls back on common tropes found in teen-oriented television.
Original languageAmerican English
JournalWomen's Studies in Communication
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 3 2023

Keywords

  • Feminist Scholarship
  • Latina girl
  • Media Studies
  • Qualitative Methods
  • Television

Disciplines

  • Arts and Humanities

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