ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book describes the question of Latinidad and its status as one of the foundational conceptual components of Latina/o Media Studies. It traces how technological innovation and simultaneous population shifts have heralded subsequent transformations in the realm of transnational communication and information. The book examines how Latin American immigrants in global cities have been witness to and participated in major changes in their own communicative practices. It demonstrates in the first systematic mapping of various media outlets across the “New Latino South,” regional-level analyses must also play a key role in how Latina/o Media Studies researchers conceptualize Latina/o-centered media activity. The book identifies a general lack of specificity regarding the ethnic backgrounds of Latina/o characters, an onscreen preference for white or light-skinned Latinas/os, and the tendency for Latina/o characters to possess accents, among other key results.
