Our biggest, most popular stories exported around the globe—Hollywood movies often erase and fail to show humanizing description of Latinos.
It is no secret that fictional storytelling offers an opportunity to inspire and shape the views of audience. Yet on Monday, a study by the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, found that across 1, 200
of the most popular films released from 2007 to 2018, only 3% of protagonists (主角) were Latinos who made up just 4. 5% of all speaking or named characters in spite of the fact that Latinos account for
18% of the U. S. population and 23% of movie ticket buyers.
The results also show that the description of Latino characters in these films—as criminals, in poverty or without any links to a rich Latino heritage or community—dramatically extends the scope of the problem.
So, what can be done? The process of authentic storytelling starts with storytellers. Hiring more creative Latinos is a significant first step to changing the narratives that have long excluded or stereotyped the community. We also need more Latinos behind the camera. Of those 28 directors interviewed for the study, only 1 was a Latino. We need Latinos from a variety of backgrounds controlling top motion pictures at the same rate of success as movies by their white directors.
Changes behind the camera can change stories from the outdated stereotypes that mirror the dangerous image about Latinos that has ruled our news cycles, presenting instead a picture of this
Vibrant (有活力的) community. This means Latinos as characters working in government, finance, higher education, and leading Fortune 500 companies—in other words, showing the world as it is and offering Latinos what have been awarded to other groups.
It's time for Hollywood to commit to producing movies at studios with Latinos at the center, produced by Latinos and reviewed by and for both Latino and non-Latino global audiences. Netflix and Amazon have already recognized this and are pursuing a strategy that invests in and locates production in Latin America and Spain — with investments in original content across multiple countries.
