Hispanics and Latinos remain underrepresented in film, a trend that has carried for 16 years, according to a new report from the University of Southern California. Even when movies did feature Hispanic or Latino characters, they were usually stereotyped as immigrant or as having low income.
The latest study from the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative examined 1,600 of the top-grossing films released between 2007 and 2022 and more than 62,000 speaking characters, as well as 13,000 directors, producers and casting directors.
In the 16 years examined, only 75 (4.4%) actors in lead or co-lead roles were Hispanic or Latino; only five were Hispanic/Latina actors 45 years or older, and three of those roles were played by Jennifer Lopez. Less than 1% of all lead/co-lead roles since 2007 went to Afro-Latino actors, while 2.6% of all lead actors were US-born Latinos. There was not one year examined in which all film distributors released at least one movie with a Hispanic or Latino lead/co-lead.
“There is a clear and persistent lack of stories that center on Hispanic/Latino actors and the Hispanic/Latino experience,” said Ariana Case, the study’s lead author. “Despite the profusion of talent from this community, there is a clear reluctance on the part of the entertainment industry to develop and distribute these stories.”
Of the seven biggest distributors, four had fewer than 10 films with a Hispanic of Latino lead during that timeframe. Warner Brothers had the worst record of the major studios, according to the study, with just three movies featuring a Hispanic/Latino lead or co-lead role in the 16-year span.
The study also found that when Hispanic/Latino characters were represented on-screen, depictions were often rife with stereotypes. Nearly a quarter (24.4%) of Hispanic/Latino leads were depicted as immigrants, and the same percentage shown as low income. More than half (57.8%) were depicted as criminals, and nearly half (46.2%) as violent criminals. Forty per cent were portrayed as angry or temperamental, and 31.1% were sexualized.
Afro-Latinos were particularly underrepresented. The study found that across the 100 top movies of 2022, just one protagonist – Nathalie Emmanuel in The Invitation – was portrayed by an Afro-Latina, and only eight Afro-Latino actors were cast in lead/co-lead roles between 2007 and 2016, representing less than 1% of all lead roles.
The same held true for intersectionality for Hispanic/Latino characters. The study revealed that more than 95% of movies from between 2014 and 2022 were missing LGBTQ+ Hispanic/Latino characters, and only 1.8% of Hispanic/Latino characters in 2022 were shown with a disability.
“Hispanic/Latinos are not a monolithic community, but film offers a very narrow picture that does little to communicate how diverse this group is,” said Case. “There is almost no representation of the array of communities that encompass this ethnic group. Few women, few LGBTQ+ Hispanic/Latinos and very few Hispanic/Latinos with disabilities are shown in film.”
Hispanic and Latinos remain underrepresented behind the camera, as well. Across 16 years and 1,600 movies, less than 5% of directors were Hispanic or Latino, and only five of those 82 were women. The majority of Hispanic/Latino directors (69.5%) were born outside the US. And across the same time period, 3.1% of “produced by” credits went to Hispanic or Latinos; women represented 21.8% of those credits and less than 1% of producers overall.
The study offered roadmaps for change, including expanded casting lists, searches and expectations; supporting grants for Hispanic/Latino creatives behind and in front of the camera; and creating tax incentives for productions hiring Hispanic/Latino individuals above the line.
