USC Annenberg Study Finds Persistent Underrepresentation and Stereotyping of Hispanic/Latino Community in Hollywood Films

Persistent Stereotyping Often Portrays Latino Community as Criminals, Occasionally Foreign; Major Film Distributors Inconsistent in Releasing Movies with Latino Leads Amid Low Behind-the-Scenes Representation

• USC Annenberg's Inclusion Initiative study reveals persistent underrepresentation and stereotyping of the Hispanic/Latino community in Hollywood, finding only 10 lead or co-lead roles across the top 100 earning movies of 2022 went to Hispanic/Latino actors.
• Despite the fact that Latinos make up 19.1% of the total U.S. population as of 2022, only 4.4% of all speaking characters across studied films were Hispanic/Latino, exhibiting the stark discrepancy between nation's demographic and representations in Hollywood.
• Movies with Hispanic/Latino leads receive significantly fewer resources for production and marketing, yet there was no difference in 2022 box office performance between films with Hispanic/Latino leads and those without, highlighting an opportunity for more equitable allocation of resources.
• Behind the scenes, less than 5% of all directors across 1,600 movies from 2007 to 2022 were Hispanic/Latino, with a mere 1% of all top-grossing film directors during the same period being Hispanic/Latinas - again reflecting the systemic underrepresentation.
• The study reveals that more than half of the top-billed Hispanic/Latino characters were depicted as criminals, often clichéd as violent, temperamental, and foreign, reinforcing outdated stereotypes. This underlines the need for more diverse and accurate portrayals of Hispanic/Latino community in Hollywood films.

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