The Lack of Latinx Representation in Hollywood: Challenges and Progress

The American film industry, commonly referred to as Hollywood, has had a significant influence on the film industry worldwide. According to data from Statista in 2022, the box office across the United States and Canada reached US$7.37 million in that year, compared to $4.48 billion from 2021. Even with this financial growth, the lack of Latinx representation in lead and co-lead roles in the U.S. industry remains a significant issue.

  A study by the University of South California (USC) Annenberg Inclusion Initiative identified that only 4.5% of speaking roles in top-grossing films from 2007 to 2019 were filled by Hispanic/Latinx actors. Additionally, only 3% of top-grossing films from these years had Latino directors. In this same report, only 12 film directors were Latinos, and of those just two were Afro-Latinos. Out of a total of 1,300 films and 1,387 leads/co-leads over the 12 years, only 48 were Hispanic/Latinx, which is just 2.2%. 

  The scarce roles are also a major problem since Latinx stories and experiences are often not accurately portrayed on the big screen, perpetuating harmful stereotypes and misrepresentations. The Latinos have been negatively depicted as aggressive, poor, and lazy characters. Similarly, Latinas are highly sexualized and portrayed as lacking education. America Ferrera, the first and only Latina to win the Emmy in the Lead Actress Prize category, shared in her TED Talk, "My identity is my superpower – not an obstacle,"  how some of the roles offered to her during her career included "gang-bangers girlfriend, the sassy shoplifter, [and] pregnant Chola number two."

   When we talk about the representation of Latinx characters in films and tv shows, we are not only calling attention to the recognition of  works of artists from different backgrounds and phenotypes, but also the consumption of content and how it may influence the self-concept of Latinx children during their adolescence and adult life. 

  In "Television's Impact on Children," researchers from the American Psychological Association and Boston University School of Medicine assert that "television is a major source of information and influence for children's lives … A child will learn and imitate behavior seen on television, even in the absence of any obvious reinforcement." The portrayal of negative stereotypes in the media can set up children for failure from an early age, causing them to develop low-self esteem and poor self-image. Ferrera claims, "Who we see thriving in the world teaches us how to see ourselves, how to think about our own value, how to dream about our futures.”

  However, there have been some positive developments in recent years. Luis Rivera Figueroa, a born and raised Puerto Rican actor in his third year at the Brown/Trinity MFA program in Acting, believes that "the Latinx representation is going up … A big example could be Diego Calva, a born and raised Mexican actor that played in Babylone and also Ana de Armas, a born and raised Cuban that played Blonde." He affirms that "seeing people like you expands the possibilities." 

  Figueroa asserts that representation must not be just for the Latinx community, but also for other ethnicities: "A good example of this is Michelle Yeoh, who won the Oscar this year." Yeoh, a Malaysian actress, was nominated for Best Actress at the 95th Academy Awards for Everything Everywhere All at Once and is the first Asian person to win that award.

  The representation of different figures in television, and in this case, of Latinx actors, makes the community feel encouraged to believe in new possibilities for the future. Figueroa states, "We are doing this, but it is a lot of work, so we must help each other to make it." He believes that the more support given to individuals in the Latinx community, the further together they will go. One way to do this would be for Latinx people to run their own productions and movies, which would allow opportunities for visibility and notoriety within the industry, showing that these works are worth the investment.

  In 2017, Coco, a Pixar Animation Studios movie inspired by the Mexican holiday "Día de Los Muertos," grossed $800.5 million worldwide. In 2021, Encanto, a Walt Disney Animation Studios movie about a Colombian family with magic powers, grossed $258.8 million worldwide. Both films were nominated for and received multiple awards, including the Academy Awards, proving that ethnic films can be extremely successful and that there is a significant audience for them. However, despite showing the Latinx/Hispanic culture, the films are animations and only use the actors' voices, proving that we still have ways to go in regards to media representation. Ethnic pieces and actors are relevant, and for that reason, directors and producers have started to invest in productions starring a diverse cast in lead and/or co-lead roles.
For example, Black Panther was the first film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) with a Black director with a predominantly Black cast, and it reached $1.382 billion worldwide. Additionally , Blue Beetle by the DC Universe, scheduled for August 2023, promises the largest Latinx representation ever seen in the industry with an ethnic cast starring names such as Bruna Marquezine (Brazil) and Belissa Escobedo (Mexico).
The debate over representation has been growing due to racial and ethnic topics reaching the mainstream. It is important that as progress is made, discussions do not cease until there is substantial diversity and inclusion in the industry. The progress made so far should serve as encouragement for additional changes and as a reminder of the importance of activism, ensuring that diversity and representation remain a priority in Hollywood and other environments. Lastly, filmmakers, production companies, and audiences must continue to support and promote underrepresented voices to make sure that the stories and experiences are accurately and respectfully portrayed on the big screen.

‍