Jason Ruiz
American Studies
Associate Professor of American Studies, Department Chair
- Narcomedia
- War on Drugs
- Latinx representations in popular culture
- Netflix and streaming television
- U.S. perceptions of Latin America
- Sexuality studies
Ruiz’s Latest News
Ruiz in the News
The Washington Post
Reggaeton often has misogynistic lyrics. A Mexican city is issuing fines.
August 04, 2023
Jason Ruiz, an associate professor of American studies at the University of Notre Dame, drew parallels between the trajectory of reggaeton with that of hip-hop and rap, genres that were also decried as violent in their early stages but that have seen a transformation following the rise of female and queer artists within them.
Newsweek
Is Disney Out of Ideas?
April 09, 2023
Jason Ruiz, associate professor of American Studies at the University of Notre Dame told Newsweek: "Out of ideas? Not sure about that, but Disney has clearly fallen into a rut of remaking their animated hits into live-action movies rather than aiming for originality. Tapping into nostalgia has proven more profitable than originality at the moment."
El Mundo
The return of HBO Max to Amazon: keys to an agreement that can change the history of the platforms (El regreso de HBO Max a Amazon: claves de un acuerdo que puede cambiar la historia de las plataformas)
January 19, 2023
"I think that consolidation is inevitable, unfortunately," says Jason Ruiz to EL MUNDO, an associate professor at the University of Notre Dame and an expert in platforms. "We are seeing it with HBO, which has always been synonymous with quality and it seems that it may stop being so when the only thing that is being sought now is profit and subscribers, not excellence." ("Creo que la consolidación es inevitable, por desgracia", dice Jason Ruiz a EL MUNDO, profesor asociado de la Universidad de Notre Dame y experto en plataformas. "Lo estamos viendo con HBO, que siempre ha sido sinónimo de calidad y parece que puede dejar de serlo cuando lo único que se está buscando ahora es el beneficio y los suscriptores, no la excelencia".)
Newsweek
Why Outcry Against Netflix's 'Blonde,' 'Dahmer' May Be Missing the Point
October 05, 2022
"It's an interesting moment in media right now because viewers seem to have an insatiable appetite for true crime, and movies and series that can claim to be 'based on a true story' at the same time that some are uncomfortable about the exploitation of violence and trauma on a platform such as Netflix," Professor Jason Ruiz of the University of Notre Dame told Newsweek.
The Guardian
The Black mothers finding freedom in mushrooms: ‘They give us our power back’
August 28, 2022
“Drugs have been racialized in the US since the early 20th century. Cocaine was an over-the-counter medicine for 50 or 60 years – then it became racialized when Black people started using it,” said Dr. Jason Ruiz, an American studies associate professor and department chair at the University of Notre Dame.
The New York Times
Pride Celebrations Are Decades Old, but 2021 Will Still Have Some Firsts
June 24, 2021
Jason Ruiz, an associate professor of American studies at the University of Notre Dame, recalled volunteering with the Queer Student Cultural Center as an undergraduate in the 1990s.
The New York Times
Transgender and Nonbinary Teens Share Their Stories in New Book Series
April 27, 2021
“As legislators work on passing laws that attempt to police and punish trans kids, such as the recent spate of scrutiny around trans kids’ participation in sports, it’s crucial that trans kids themselves have a platform,” said Jason Ruiz, an associate professor of American studies at the University of Notre Dame.
The New York Times
‘A Sense of Belonging’ for Hispanic Children, With Puppets
April 06, 2021
“It’s a real opportunity to meet Spanish-speaking kids where they are and to help them build language and reading skills, like ‘Sesame Street’ and ‘Reading Rainbow’ has been doing for decades in English,’’ said Jason Ruiz, an associate professor of American studies at the University of Notre Dame.
The New York Times
End of ‘One Day at a Time’ Removes One of TV’s Few Latino Families
December 10, 2020
“To me, it’s a huge loss,” Jason Ruiz, an associate professor of American studies at the University of Notre Dame, said of the show.