As a young Latina child, I consumed many films and games that shaped my interests and formed the person I am today. However, among the hundreds of media I enjoyed, I can never recall seeing someone from my ethnic background who stood out. Sure, some characters were Latinos, but they were either subjugated to the sideline or were the villains of the story. It’s not like it’s a bad thing since they can sometimes be unique and exciting to see. The fact is, nothing has changed since I was a kid.

The Drought of Latino Representation

On September 27th, 2023, The Hollywood Reporter’s Christy Piña released an article showcasing the declining rate of Latinos in the TV and film industry. Piña revealed that in 2021, combining the leads, co-leads, showrunners, and directors, about 11.7% were Latinos. Then, in 2022, it dropped to 8.1% and 12.5% in 2023. Last year, it may have had a comeback, although the Latino population jumped from 62.6 million in 2021 to 65 million in 2023. Our people have grown but never expanded in film and television. The video game industry, on the other hand, is fairing better but has some rough upbringings.

In an article by NBC News’ Edwin Flores, Flores talks with Danny Peña, a Latino working within the gaming sphere. Peña is the founder of Gamertag Radio, a podcast covering video games, but when starting out in 2005, Peña felt like he stood out. Peña expressed that being the only Latino made him feel like an outcast. He told Flores, “I felt discouraged because I felt like I was the only person there…I felt like I had to work 100 times more than anybody else.” However, Flores seems to be a little less alone today, as 8.1% of game developers are Latinos as of 2021.

Why Representation Matters

Nonetheless, the overarching issue that is still present today is the growing lack of representation of Latinos across all mediums. Today, there are a few characters of my ethnicity that I can name from memory, let alone how many were in films, TV shows, and games as of this year. It’s disheartening to see all forms of entertainment I love not have characters that look and sound like me. You may question why does this all matter? Why does the representation of an ethnicity that covers millions upon millions of people? The reason is quite simple. It’s just nice to see people learn about us and our culture.

When I was young and experienced seeing a Mexican character, it felt refreshing to see someone from a similar background. It’s great to hear someone speak the language I use to communicate with my friends and family. It’s incredible to control or watch a lead character like me. It inspires me to see my people represented and motivate others to learn about our culture, language, and foods.

Reasons Behind Dwindling Latinos In Art Workspaces

Despite that, why aren’t there plenty of Latinos roaming around the media world? If anyone can make Latino characters, we can. So why aren’t we? Based on my experience and opinion, I believe it’s due to the households we come from. There’s a significant push, whether intentional or not, for kids to get jobs that guarantee a large sum of money to provide for the family—positions like in the medical field, construction sites, or engineering. Generally, working in the art industry is a huge risk with little chance of stable financial success.

Video games are already looked down upon by plenty of Latino parents who see it as a distraction. Films, although enjoyed by most Latinos, aren’t as supportive when their kid’s dream is to make a movie. Many parents don’t understand why their kids choose a risky career path that supposedly hinders productive work. That needs to change when it comes to the next generation of artists who are old enough to have dreams and desires they want to achieve. Therefore, future storytellers can feel inspired to tell tales of our culture and represent the community. Yet, that’s all we can do for the foreseeable future.

A Desire For Change

Representation in all forms of entertainment is essential to the industry. It showcases a background unfamiliar to the average audience member. It makes people from that ethnicity or race feel seen and proud to see something from their culture and childhood be recognized. Despite that, there still needs to be more progression.

We are still behind in terms of representation, whether it be job positions or characters. There are millions upon millions of Latinos from different nationalities with their distinctive foods, myths, history, and landmarks. Nonetheless, very few are in the creative field of entertainment. We are still hoping to continue to grow inside the industry by allowing Latinos to create and represent us as a whole.

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Works Cited
Flores, Edwin. “These Latino gamers are blazing a path for the next generation of game designers.” NBC News, 4 July 2022, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/latino-gamers-are-blazing-path-generation-game-designers-rcna35939. Accessed 26 August 2024.
Piña, Christy, and Erin Lassner. “Latinos in Media Report Shows Decrease in Representation.” The Hollywood Reporter, 27 September 2023, https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/latinos-in-media-report-2023-decrease-representation-1235598748/. Accessed 26 August 2024.
Pineda, Jaime. “Hispanic (Mis)Representation (or lack thereof) in Gaming History.” Medium, 1 February 2019, https://medium.com/@jaapined/hispanic-mis-representation-or-lack-thereof-in-gaming-history-307f154deba9. Accessed 26 August 2024.
United States Census. “Hispanic Heritage Month 2022.” U.S. Census Bureau, 8 September 2022, https://www.census.gov/newsroom/facts-for-features/2022/hispanic-heritage-month.html. Accessed 26 August 2024.
United States Census. “New Estimates Highlight Differences in Growth Between the U.S. Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Populations.” U.S. Census Bureau, 27 June 2024, https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2024/population-estimates-characteristics.html. Accessed 26 August 2024.
“Video Game Developer Demographics and Statistics [2024]: Number Of Video Game Developers In The US.” Zippia, https://www.zippia.com/video-game-developer-jobs/demographics/. Accessed 27 August 2024.