People were quick to praise the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (or simply the Academy) for their diversity efforts after they released nominations featuring many female and black nominees. Many felt that this progress was not enough. The Academy failed to include Latinos in their nominations.

#LatinosLeftOut was born as a result of these claims of progress. Although it hasn’t grown into a nationwide movement like some of the other hashtags mentioned, #LatinosLeftOut draws attention to an underrepresented group in American cinema. Hollywood producers, film critics, and others have tried to improve diversity in American movies, but the media’s overwhelming attention on blacks causes a lack of recognition for Latinx people. Latinx film industry professionals, actors, directors, producers and filmmakers are very important. They should have more chances to be recognized on an international scale. Despite not being well-represented in entertainment, the Latinx community is crucial to the industry’s success. According to a study, “Latinos account for 17. According to one study, 8 percent of U.S. citizens are Latinos. They also bought 21 per cent of 2016’s movie tickets. This indicates that they are indeed overrepresented among moviegoers. It seems fair and logical to make films that people can identify with, as they are a large supporter of the entertainment industry. Gina Rodriguez is the Latina star of Jane the Virgin. She believes that more Latinx-led films should be made by movie studios. It would be “not only… integrity” and “not just a business.” This idea puts the responsibility on white executives and not Latinx filmmakers who decide which films are funded. While both contribute to underrepresentation in American film, white executives have the power and ability to change that narrative. Latinx filmmakers, however, are not. White Hollywood executives have the ability to make movies and decide who makes them. This means that they can help minorities obtain employment in the entertainment field.

The Latinx population should rule in a society that values majority rule. This is far from the truth. Latinx directors may not be able to enter the entertainment industry but the barriers that Latinx actors face are equally difficult. Although nearly 18% are Hispanic-American, only 3% occupied speaking roles in top 100 films in 2016. This is a huge gap between the actual representation of major ethnic groups and their population. Although Asian-Americans as well as African-Americans are more often featured in films than white counterparts, their speaking roles are only 13% and 5 percent, respectively. These figures are relatively representative of the U.S. entire population. The American film industry must continue to promote diversity. The Academy needs to make significant improvements in this area before it can be called truly diverse.

In recognition of the Academy’s inadequacy in Latinx speaking actors, there has been a lack of acknowledgment. These awards are very rare for Latinx actors, both in terms of nominations and wins. The honor has been given to Latinx actors for supporting roles, which is almost as rare as Oscar-winning Latinx actors. Penelope Cruz won the 2009 award for Vicky Cristina Barcelona’s supporting role. Even worse, Jose Ferrer has won Best Lead Artist in 1951 as a Latinx, while Penelope Cruz was awarded the award for her supporting role in Vicky Cristina Barcelona. A lack of Latinx award-winning actors is a terrible sign for this large minority. This is especially true in an industry based largely on Los Angeles, where nearly half is Hispanic. It is no surprise that so many Latinx people are looking for roles. These people are often ignored by Hollywood executives, who want to “romantically” find international talent. While this continues to promote diversity, it does not benefit the Latinx community. This is because foreign actors have different experiences than Latinx-Americans. They can also be used to spread unfair stereotypes, which have pervaded American filmmaking for decades.

Latinx people have been portrayed in negative stereotypes since the dawn of silent cinema. These include the “greaser”, which describes “Mexican Bandits and other lazy and untrustworthy Mexican characters”, as well as the “Latin Lover,” that portrays Mexicans being “innately passionate,” and “sexual” beings. Although these stereotypes were protested, white executives created neutral Latinx that were not tied to any country but still offensive. Stereotypes like those shown in these films are no longer prevalent, but their long-standing history has forced us to pay more attention to stories that reflect the Latinx community’s worst traits, such as drug lords. Stereotypes perpetuate inaccurate perceptions of Hispanic culture. To change this perception, Hollywood must make entertainment more accessible for Latinx actors and filmmakers to create accurate representations of America’s Hispanic experience.

Latinx films don’t need to be overwhelmingly about Latinx culture, traditions, or history. This can make it difficult for non-Latinx people to watch. Simply by having more Latinx actors in speaking roles, it will tell the story and show how Latinx people live. Speaking roles allow characters communicate their inner thoughts and can be used to translate Latinx stories into English. This means that movies don’t have to be about Latinx individuals, as most people think, such a poor Mexican village or Latinx activists. Simply changing Latinx actors for more white actors in a romance story would encourage diversity and Latinx awareness. Latinx people, by nature, have different experiences in America than white people.

Latinx actors don’t receive the recognition they deserve in the entertainment industry because they aren’t given the chance. However, Hollywood is already trying to change the reality. Christy Haubegger (Agent at Creative Artists Agency, CAA) is the founder and CEO of Latina Magazine. She dedicates her free time to helping young people of colour get into this highly competitive industry. Haubegger aims to help minority youth realize their Hollywood dreams. While busy Hollywood executives can’t all dedicate their time to helping minority youth, it is possible to learn from Haugger about how to address the problem of underrepresentation. Even if they are unable to give their time, executives can make it easier for people to get into the entertainment industry. Open auditions are a common feature in film productions. Talent agencies and production companies might consider creating an open application to make their executive hiring process more inclusive. While this is not a panacea for Hollywood nepotism, it might offer opportunities for certain minorities not available otherwise.

Some argue that #LatinosLeftOut is invalid since Latinos are fairly represented in the American entertainment industry. These people argue that the Oscars actually do justice to diversity. They refer to the successes of Shape of Water, directed by Guillermo del Toro in Mexico, and Chile’s A Fantastic Woman which tells the story of a transgender girl. These films were both great examples for Latinx projects and earned respect, but they were the only Latinx filmmakers to nominate them. The Academy has nominated dozens more films, but this shows how little they have done to diversify the entertainment industry. Del Toro’s film also features Latinx characters. The same holds true for Oscar-winning films Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity as Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s Birdman (Carroll) and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s Birdman (Carroll). Latinx filmmakers don’t have to tell stories only about Latinx culture. However, the overwhelming enthusiasm in support of a film about white characters highlights the lackluster diversity that is America’s critically-acclaimed films.

These films lack diversity because the directors did not hire American Latinx people to “highly placed” as producers or other such positions. In Hollywood, Latinx directors are often overlooked and do little to increase diversity. These instances of Latinx filmmakers who succeed are more rare than they should be. It is not a sign of progress in Latinx representation that a Latinx movie is nominated in the foreign-film category. However, this film will always have Latinx actors. Although it is an honor to nominate a film of Hispanic origin, it does not affect the inclusion and recognition of Hispanic American professionals. Although the Academy’s responsibility to promote diversity in film is not solely theirs, they are a key institution many respect as the ones who choose which films should be recognized. They are responsible for changing culture to include Latinx communities in the elite entertainment industry. They often choose to hinder diversity and do the opposite.

Whitewashing is an act of replacing a traditional person of color with a white character or actor. It can take on many forms. The whitewashing Latinx characters has been a Hollywood problem for decades. This is evident in movies like Argo and The Magnificent Seven. This is evident in Catherine Zeta-Jones playing Griselda Blanco, a role she played in the biographical TV movie Cocaine Godmother. This casting caused outrage as the Colombian drug lord was played by an African-American woman. This is one reason Latinx actors are underrepresented in the entertainment business. White actors are often given roles that are about Latinx people, even if they can play them better. Zeta Jones defends her controversial role with multiple explanations. She explains that Zeta was selected for her talent through screen-testing with six Hispanic females. Her cross-cultural portrayal is also compared to “against kind[casting]” other actors do in other films. But, she is not understanding the issue. What she actually compares to is the effect of a well-known comedian playing a serious part or an example of dissonant cast that does no deal with one’s deep-rooted identity characteristics. This ignorance contributes towards the problem of underrepresentation as white actors do not realize the harm they are doing to Latinx communities and to diversity in the entertainment business. Another issue is the intersectionality of Latinx and white underrepresentation. Some have called #LatinosLeftOut unnecessary while others call it exclusionary. The issue, like many others, tends not to be about the members of the group who are white or have light skins and doesn’t give people of colour the right to the same voice. A survey of 1500 U.S. Hispanics showed that 24% thought they were “Afro-Latino.” A quarter of Hispanics identify with Caribbean or African roots. But, Americans see Hispanics differently than celebrities like Sofia Vergara and Jennifer Lopez. Afro-Latinx Hispanics often portray light-skinned Hispanics. Therefore, Americans tend to overlook the Afro-Latinx population. Exclusion is the primary problem facing Afro-Latinx communities, much like the issue of Latinxs being underrepresented in film. Afro-Latinos will be better understood by Americans if they have more access to the film industry. Afro-Hispanics will be more visible, which can help them gain greater acceptance and respect.

It is possible to hope that Hollywood will see more of the rapid changes sparked by #OscarsSoWhite 2016 and other similar initiatives. Although Hollywood diversification is a difficult task that requires a lot of effort, the small changes made in the entertainment sector can lead to a completely different experience for Latinx audiences. Stories that are told should be based on their real experiences, and not the stereotypes that have been perpetuated for decades. It is possible to make more films about Latinos and increase their visibility. Latinx people of any color should be able see someone who looks and acts just like them in the future.