2018 marks the 6th consecutive year that no Latino actor has been nominated for an acting Academy Award

Protests at the Oscars have been poking at the issues regarding Latino representation in films.

Protest Outside the Oscars

 

Problem = Diversity of Movie Studio Executives

  • Latinos Make up 18% of the United States Population
  • Only 3.1% of Latinos are in speaking roles in Hollywoo
  • People of Hispanic origin make up the nation’s largest ethnic or racial minority

Hollywood film studios lack Hispanics behind and in front of the camera and the protesters believe with more Latinos in film studios, this would work to increase Latino representation in the film industry. This would also limit the number of actors who are typecast to stereotypical roles.

Diversity in Hollywood is not just a “black and white issue”

Media Outlets have viewed diversity in Hollywood as a binary issue between blacks and whites, but have left out the fact that Latinos have been highly underrepresented. Latinos were not represented in the 2018 Oscars which means that Latino talent in the film industry is not being appreciated.

Type Cast & Discriminated

Marissa Herrera, a producer and third-generation Mexican-American, said at the rally that she has faced discrimination as she sought work in the entertainment industry. She said she has been told to change her last name to get work. When she’s tried out for work, she said she was told to speak with an accent.

 

The Solution

According to Jillian Baez, an assistant professor of media culture at The City University of New York, “This won’t change until we can look at who’s behind the camera and see Latinos writing, directing, producing and working in positions of creative power.” Ultimately, that is what these protests hope to accomplish