Under the guise of Latinidad: Latinx ambiguity and ethno-racial identifications in Switched at Birth

Abstract

This article examines the performance of Latinidad in the television show Switched at Birth (2011–2017) by excavating how Latinidad is used as a mask-like prop that characters can easily put on or discard depending on their ethno-racial and economic contexts. By connecting media, Latinx, and performance studies, this article demonstrates how popular television series exploit Latinx identities and render them commodities that are easily consumable by the presumed white viewer. Through an analysis of the show’s two teenaged “Latinx” characters—Bay Kennish and Daphne Vasquez—this study focuses on how one can presumably become and unbecome Latinx if one happens to fit a certain idealized image of Latinidad. In examining the policing and erasing of Latinx identity in the show, this article contributes to the growing field of Latinx pop culture studies by illustrating how shows like Switched at Birth fail to provide a sense of cultural belonging for Latinx audiences.