Overview
- The report released June 17, 2026 reviewed 201 characters across 80 episodes of 62 scripted series that aired from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2025 and found Latine characters made up 23% of on‑screen immigrants.
- Roughly one in four immigrant characters were shown in criminalized storylines such as drug dealing, smuggling, or human trafficking, a pattern the authors say reinforces negative stereotypes.
- Streaming platforms accounted for 57% of immigrant characters in the sample compared with 38% on broadcast and 6% on cable, shifting where immigrant stories now appear.
- Representation depended heavily on a handful of shows — notably the FBI franchise and Netflix’s Mo — and the report notes that removing those titles would cut measured Latine representation further, making totals vulnerable as series end.
- Define American called for sustained, nuanced storytelling and industry change while right‑leaning outlets criticized the study’s language and framing, illustrating the immediate cultural and partisan debate over how immigrant representation is counted and discussed.