A Statement from Brenda Victoria Castillo, President & CEO of the National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC)
The Academy Awards was a monumental night for Latinx creatives. From Ariana DeBose’s historic best-supporting actress win for her role as Anita in "West Side Story" – becoming the first openly queer Afro-Latina to win an Oscar - to Encanto winning Best Animated Feature Film, to Rosie Perez finally gracing the Oscars stage once again. NHMC was delighted to witness diversity and representation on one of Hollywood’s biggest and most prestigious nights.
But we cannot ignore the fact that Latinos make up a major percentage of the box office moviegoer population, but only three Latinas have been honored with an Oscar for acting in the 94 years of the Academy Awards. Our community deserves recognition for all its creative contributions, not just honored for the same role 60 years later.
The success of these films, both at the box office and during awards season, proves that there is power in telling our stories on an international stage, and we applaud all artists, filmmakers, and everyone who helps bring these stories to life. This is a huge step forward to creating a more diverse and inclusive Hollywood. We congratulate all artists and filmmakers of color who were nominated, honored, and invited to attend the Academy Awards.
We will continue to push the entertainment industry to make greater strides in recognizing and uplifting communities that remain underrepresented and underserved until diversity is the norm in every facet of Hollywood.
Yours in the Movement,
Brenda Victoria Castillo
President & CEO
National Hispanic Media Coalition
