Carlos E. Cortés

In the 1952 western classic High Noon, Helen Ramirez, mistress to many and con-
science to all in the film's small frontier town, lit up the screen with her strength, in-
telligence, and articulateness. As brilliantly portrayed by Mexican actress Katy Ju-
rado, Ramirez established what may be the high water mark of screen portrayals of
Chicanas (Mexican-American women). While it would be stretching the point to say
that it has been all downhill since then, the history of screen Chicanas has seldom
risen beyond a low-level roller coaster. Even within the larger context of women in
films--not itself a consistently elevating story--Chicanas generally have fared less
well than their Anglo or even their Black sisters. ¹

In the following pages I will briefly trace the historical development of the Chi-
cana screen image. However, before embarking on this historical excursion, I need to
address a few of the analytical issues involved in assessing ethnic media depictions in
general and Chicana images in particular.

The process of filmic image creation involves three basic components--filmmaking,
film content, and film impact. Considered within an educational framework, filmmak-
ers function as teachers (intentionally or unintentionally), films serve as their resulting
textbooks (effective or ineffective), and viewers are the learners (consciously or subcon-
sciously). Filmmakers create films with Chicana, Mexicana, and Hispana characters.
The films present these images to viewers, whether or not the filmmakers intended to
contribute to the creation of a Chicana image. While not always consciously, some
viewers will learn about Chicanas from those so-called entertainment films, and this
learning may help create, reinforce, weaken, or eradicate their images of the Chicana.

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