Hispanic Influencers: Are They More Harmful Than Good?

By: Yessenia Arevalo

Screenshot of a TikTok by user @cupidomalo

Imagine you decide to click the post button on TikTok, and overnight, you gain thousands of followers who are dedicated to watching your every move. This is a phenomenon that current influencers have experienced. Through the growth of short-term media content, influencers have been gaining prominence in mainstream media at fast-paced rates. 

The ability to gain a following has become easier, causing Hispanic influencers to be put under a microscope regarding the “image” they have given the community—an image that is less than ideal.

Salem Tovar, a YouTuber with 837K subscribers, dives into this topic. She begins her video, titled “The Hispanic Influencer Community Is Becoming Toxic…”, by referencing the opinions of other content creators, in which the main consensus is that many of the popular Hispanic influencers engage in drama and fights rather than using their platform to spread awareness of current issues plaguing the Hispanic community. 

Throughout her video, she references influencers who fall under the umbrella of a Hispanic influencer. She focuses on influencers who have been gaining recent prominence, such as a young girl named Juju. In a podcast that sparked debate over the image Hispanic influencers give the community, Juju talks about her experience of not finishing high school. She tells the interviewer the methods she used to skip, and the effect this had on her father.

Additionally, many of these creators have promoted unhealthy habits to younger generations through their careless actions and unfiltered takes. 

The main argument is that this gives a negative image of the Hispanic community as a whole. While it may not be the intention of these influencers to represent a whole community, the actions that they partake in often fuel ongoing stereotypes about the Hispanic community. These stereotypes may include being aggressive, toxic, and uneducated. 

The Hispanic influencers who are in the limelight all fall into the same form of content. This collective content fuels the previously discussed topic of stereotypes. Furthermore, Tovar believes the beauty and intricacies behind Hispanic culture go unappreciated as a result of this collective content.

As a young teenager on social media, I have seen and heard many examples of Hispanic influencers succeeding and accomplishing their goals. However, the main influencers, such as Juju, Wendy Ortiz, and Dkane, who have garnered the most attention, have outshone the accomplishments of our community. I believe it is important to provide a light of guidance and perseverance for younger generations who are in a tough spot and feel as though they cannot succeed. 

I have felt saddened to see the stereotypes that have been perpetuated about the Hispanic community. These stereotypes are often hurtful and are not applicable to the overall population. Additionally, these stereotypes, such as being lazy, have fueled ongoing racism towards Hispanics. This same racism has become so normalized over the years as a result of President Donald Trump's new immigration policies. 

In no way are current Hispanic influencers representative of an entire community. However, as individuals with a massive following, the messages they send tend to be viewed as an example of the larger majority. While we in no way can control what others choose and do not choose to post, we must consider how audiences interpret and apply our content.