Free Essay: Latinos on Television and in Movies

Latinos are underrepresented on television and movies in Hollywood. There have been progressive attempts and efforts to increase inclusivity in Hollywood, but the representation of Latinos is still low. Shows such as "George Lopez" and "Ugly Betty" which aired on ABC in the early 2000s, set up a strong precedent for U.S Latinos shows (Acevedo). However, there has been a decline in the production of quality shows built around Latino representation. Hispanic producers are skeptical of the perception of progress towards inclusivity. Besides, the portrait of Latinos follows the typical Hollywood cliche that is not true to life. The representation of Latinos in Hollywood shows is still woefully low. A recent study by The Annenberg Inclusion Initiative underscores the claim of non-inclusivity in Hollywood (Laura). The study reviewed 100 top-grossing films from 2007 to 2018 and found out that Latinos appeared in lead or co-lead roles in only three percent of the shows (2). The underrepresentation of Latinos in the top-grossing films during the 12-year period extended to other roles such as producers, casting executives, and directors. The study further found out that Latino actors were woefully underrepresented in speaking roles reviewed by the researchers (3). The results, project an underwhelming representation of Latinos considering the significant population of Hispanic people in the United States.

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The portrait of Latinos on television and movies is not authentic and accurate as it follows the typical Hollywood cliche. Latinos are often cast in characters and roles that play into unfounded stereotypes. The quality of roles available for Hispanic actors is founded on typical cliches as they are portrayed primarily as criminals, hyper-sexualized beings, in law enforcement and usually in low-wage work (Acevedo). In particular, more than a third of Hispanic TV characters and roles are linked to law enforcement, with about two-thirds of maid roles being played by Latinas.

The market for films with Latino characters remains mostly untapped in the United States. Latinos are among the most avid moviegoers in America, yet their representations on television and movies remain alarmingly low. Several factors are contributing to the underrepresentation of Latinos in films. The writers' room predominantly lacks diversity, and therefore the words and the images that are produced tend to be primarily reserved for white characters. It is critical to have diverse writers so as to achieve inclusivity in the media representation of minority characters.

Conclusion

In summary, culture is consumed through television, and thus there is a need for an authentic and accurate representation of minority characters. The quality of roles should be standardized and equalized to ensure the portrait of Latinos is true to life. There needs to be progressive growth in inclusivity for Latinos on television and in movies to prevent disenfranchising the Hispanic audience.

Works Cited

Acevedo, Nicole. (2019). "TV Shows Struggle to Reflect U.S. Latino Presence. Will It Get Better?" NBCNews.com, NBC Universal News Group, 8 Oct. 2019, www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/producers-latino-themed-tv-shows-fight-stay-n989561.

Laura. (2019). "Latinos Are Underrepresented in Hollywood, Study Finds." The New York Times, The New York Times, 26 Aug. 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/08/26/movies/latinos-hollywood-underrepresented.html.