Jessica Alba refuses to 'reinforce any stereotypes about Latin women'

09/02/2010 by Corinne Heller

Jessica Alba plays an Hispanic character for the first time in the upcoming film Machete and the actress, who is half Mexican, says she was reluctant to take on such a part until now because she did not want to reinforce stereotypes.

Alba's character in the action film, which opens on September 3 and also stars Robert De Niro, Michelle Rodriguez, Lindsay Lohan and Cheech Marin, is an immigration and customs enforcement officer. Alba told USA Today she found the role appealing because it was of "an intelligent, fierce, independent woman."

"For me, I never wanted to reinforce any stereotypes about Latin women, and that was why I've shied away from Latin characters I've been offered," Alba, a 29-year-old native of Pomona, California, told the newspaper. "Most of them reinforced the stigmas. The women whom I grew up with are intelligent, strong women, and unless I read a woman being portrayed that way in a film, I didn't want to play it."

Alba did not detail the stereotypes and stigmas in question, but said: "There's enough people that will reinforce those stereotypes, and I didn't need to participate in that. This woman is just as fierce as the men, and so I'm proud to bring that to life and put that imagery in people's heads."

Check out photos of the recent Los Angeles premiere of Machete.