Page 20 - Latinas Powering Forward Whitepaper

Latinas Powering Forward

Lack of Representation in Media

Latina representation in U.S. traditional media is still
lacking. The percentage of top-grossing films with major
Latina characters reached 7% in 2017 only to decrease
to 4% in 2018. Across the 1,200 most popular films
29
between 2007 and 2018, only 3% featured a Hispanic
lead or co-lead and about half of those were Latinas.
Latinas hold even fewer positions behind the scenes
with less than 1% working as directors and producers on
those same 1,200 popular films. This is an opportunity
for Latinas to take on traditionally male-dominated
positions in film and lead, meaningful societal
conversations started through media. 30

On the other hand, some areas show signs of change.
There have been many new critically acclaimed Latino
TV shows and movies, although many produced abroad,
bringing newfound activity and excitement to Latino
content. Prominent representatives of Latina talent
such as Jennifer López, Selena Gómez, Sofía Vergara,
Gloria Estefan, Shakira, Salma Hayek, América Ferrera,
Eva Longoria and others have paved the road for the
next generations of Latinas. This creative space only
begins to chip away at the large deficits in Latino media
representation, but it gets credit for depicting much
needed diversity in Hispanic and Latina storytelling.

29 It’s a Man’s (Celluloid) World: Portrayals of Female Characters in the Top Grossing Films of 2018. Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film,
San Diego State University, 2018.
30 Latinos in Film: Erasure On Screen & Behind the Camera Across 1,200 Popular Movies. USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, National Association of
Latino Independent Producers, Wise Entertainment, 2019.

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