So, now the question is, what can we do to help this problem? On this page, we will discuss possible solutions to Latinos lacking representation on television and being stereotyped most times. This is an important issue to bring up because of the way your children are being negatively affected. If not you, who? If not now, when?
Latinos Behind the Camera
Studies found that 3% of the 1,200 casting directors observed were Latino. That’s only about 36 Latino casting directors. Why does this matter? Well, with input from a Latino himself, this usually allows fellow casting directors an insight on what a Latino actor brings to the table. Additionally, it was proven that having Latinos behind the camera is associated with more Latinos on screen [2]. It may be more difficult for a Latino to be hired as a director, but when they are, you’re almost always guaranteed a jump in representation for Latinos. This may also increase the accuracy of the film itself. In Coco, one producer was actually part Hispanic. However, when directors/producers of any race take the time to fully understand Latin culture, it is usually beautifully captured on screen.
Fight the Stereotypes
Stereotypes of Latinos will most likely cause the most harm to your child’s development. The box that Latinos are put in in Hollywood can lead to Latino youth to be discouraged from pursuing certain jobs, pursuing a higher education, or it can even encourage bad behavior. However, by showing them films or any television in which a Latino (or multiple) are among the main characters, you can fight some stereotypes. This media might be difficult to find, though. In a qualitative analysis of the 200 top fictional films from 2017 and 2018, Coco was the only film in which all 5 top billed slots were Latino actors [1]. To be “top billed” means to have your name before anyone else’s in the credits or theatrical bill. They are in the most prominent position in a list of actors [3]. Although it sounds out of the box for the top five billed actors to be Latino, it is constantly done by Caucasians in hundreds of films in America, so it can be done by any other race. Why isn’t it happening? As mentioned previously, getting Latinos behind the screen seems to be the way to solve at least part of the problem
[1] Smith, Stacy L., et al. National Association of Latino Independent Producers, Aug. 2019, http://assets.uscannenberg.org/docs/aii-study-latinos-in-film-2019.pdf.
[2] Holson, Laura M. “Latinos Are Underrepresented in Hollywood, Study Finds.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 26 Aug. 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/26/movies/latinos-hollywood-underrepresented.html.
[3]“Top Billing.” Dictionary.com. Web. 3 December 2019.
The Impact of Coco on Latino Youth 