Join the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center for a special research presentation by UCLA Institute of American Cultures visiting researcher and Ford fellow Vanessa Díaz, who will explore the racial politics of representation and division of labor among paparazzi from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, April 18, in Haines Hall, room 144.
In the last fifteen years, the demographics of the Los Angeles paparazzi transitioned from a labor force of predominantly white men to one of predominantly Latino men, including individuals born in the U.S. and Latin America.
Based on extensive fieldwork, Diaz’s presentation illuminates the ways in which an unlikely demographic of cultural producers plays a central role in shaping celebrity culture. Through the lens of these photographers, this talk reconsiders the invisibility of Latino labor, stereotypes around immigration, and the relationship among media, politics and celebrity in the era of the reality star presidency.
Diaz is an anthropologist, journalist and filmmaker. She is an assistant professor of communications at California State University, Fullerton. Currently, Diaz is in residence at UCLA as a visiting researcher at the Chicano research center, as well as a Ford Foundation postdoctoral fellow at the Ralph Bunche Center for African American Studies.
Two paparazzi will join Díaz for the discussion, which will conclude with a reception.
The presentation is free and open to the public. Registration for the event is available online.
