Lack of Latino representation in media remains 'troubling' despite dramatic population growth, study shows

The Latino population in the U.S. has dramatically increased within the past decade, now making up nearly 20% of the country's population and 25% of those under 18. But while the community grows in size and subsequently contributes to the economy, one aspect continues to lack behind— representation.

The Latino Donor Collaborative, a non-profit Latino advocacy organization, recently published a new study, looking at the presence and involvement of Latinos in media across the U.S. They found that while Latinos are avid consumers of different forms of media, they don't always have the option to see people that look like them on a screen.

According to the study, titled "LDC U.S. Latinos in Media Report," the group accounts for 24% of movie ticket sales, 29% of daily mobile TV viewers, and 24% of streaming users.

Their influence in the entertainment industry is also underscored by their presence in record-breaking blockbusters such as "Inside Out 2," which grossed $600 million domestically with 40% Latino viewership, and "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," which earned $575 million domestically with a 41% Latino audience.

But despite their participation in the industry as consumers, it is not necessarily being reflected behind the screen.

The LDC study divided shows analyzed between "unscripted," which are less expensive to produce, allowing companies to sell advertising slots without the investment required for other shows, and "scripted" shows, which include leads, co-leads, and engaged ensemble cast, as well as directed episodes and showrunners.

"Scripted" shows currently make up 31% of media across broadcast, cable and streaming. Latino made up 9.8% of the main cast in these shows across all positions, well below their 20% share of the U.S. population. Latino actors held lead roles in only 11 of the 198 scripted shows analyzed (5.5%).

The situation gets worse when looking at "unscripted" shows, which the organization cataloged as "troubling."

The study shows that Latino participation in host/presenter/narrator positions was only 5% with an underrepresentation of -75%. While Black/African American, Other, and White communities were represented above their percentages in the population.

Latinos were similarly underrepresented among judges/experts and participants/contributors, at 6% and 5% respectively. The only groups with significant on-camera participation were Black/African American and White. Behind the camera, Latino-directed episodes accounted for only 4% of the 2,146 total episodes of unscripted shows, highlighting a serious lack of integration.

LDC recommends media industry leaders to address this underrepresentation. Not doing so "not only hurts their domestic bottom line but also impacts their global approaches," as well as losing viewers to "more inclusive platforms like TikTok and YouTube."

Among the non-profit's top recommendations are boosting Latino on-screen presence, analyzing group representation individually, avoiding broad terms like "BIPOC" or "POC", and including Latino leaders in C-Suite as well as giving them authority to develop authentic content.