While Hollywood has had a number of other ongoing issues, USC’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative released a new study on the industry. Covering films from 2007 to 2022, the study found that Hispanic and Latino involvement, in front of and behind the camera, has not improved in the 16 years, and even prominent roles are still left to stereotyping.
As Deadline reports in their full breakdown, the study looked at the 1,600 highest-grossing films from 2007 to 2022, featuring more than 62,000 speaking character roles. The study discovered that there wasn’t a single year where all film distributors released at least one movie with a lead or co-lead that was Hispanic or Latino.
When represented, 24.4% of those getting top billing were shown as immigrants, and another 24.4% shown as low income. 57.8% were depicted as criminals, with even half of that, 46.2%, being violent criminals. 40% were shown as temperamental, and 31.1% were sexualized.
The study also shows that Afro-Latinos are getting similar treatment, with just one movie from 2022 having an Afro-Latino role, that being Nathalie Emmanuel in The Invitation.
Only eight Afro-Latino actors were cast in leading or co-leading roles across the time span studied, representing just 1% of leading or co-leading roles.
“There is a clear and persistent lack of stories that center on Hispanic/Latino actors and the Hispanic/Latino experience,” the study’s lead author, Ariana Case, said, “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.”
Looking behind the camera, 2022 saw only four male Hispanic/Latino directors, representing 3.5% of directors in the year. Across the sixteen-year timeframe, less than 5% of the directors were Hispanic/Latino, and only five out of that group were women. Only 1% of all of all top-grossing films from 2007 to 2022 were helmed by Hispanic/Latino directors.
Within sixteen years, 3.1% of all “produced by” credits went to Hispanic/Latino producers.
This study was completed by Case, Dr. Katherine Pieper, and Dr. Stacy L. Smith, with help from Zoily Mercado, Karla Hernandez, and Samuel Wheeler.
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