There are more than 56 million Latinos in the U.S. That means this group makes up 17.6% of the total population. Itโs also one of the countryโs fastest-growing demographics. In our latest Diverse Intelligence Series report on Latinx* consumers, Descubrimiento Digital: The Online Lives of Latinx Consumers, Latinos strongly expressed a desire to see themselves reflected moreโand more accuratelyโin film and TV.
But itโs not just consumers who want greater representation. Itโs a sentiment thatโs gaining prominence across the U.S. media landscape. And Nielsen knows that proper representation of the Latinx community is crucial to accurately reflect the communityโs influence on mainstream culture. For additional perspective on the topic, we recently asked four accomplished Latinos in media to share their thoughts on why representation matters, and we will be sharing their videos throughout Hispanic Heritage Month and the balance of the year on our dedicated hub for data, insights and engagement with the Latinx community:
- Univisionโs Ilia Calderon, the first Afro-Latina to anchor a news desk on a major network in the U.S.
- Carlos Ponce, a Puerto Rican actor, singer, composer and Telemundo television personality
- Pamela Silva Conde, a Peruvian Emmy award-winning journalist and co-anchor of weekday news magazine, “Primer Impactoโ
- Angela Sustaita-Ruiz, Mexican American co-founder and partner of Hispanicize Media Group, a multi-platform media company that specializes in programming for multicultural Millennials and Generation Z consumers
โAs the Hispanic community continues to flourish in the U.S., itโs more important than ever to acknowledge and understand their impact on American mainstream culture, media and the economy,โ said Andrew McCaskill, Nielsenโs SVP Global Communications and Multicultural Marketing. โThe video series aims to give voice to that while also showcasing diversity within the Latinx community. Weโre sharing the videos over the course of a few months because itโs important to engage multicultural consumers 365 days a yearโand not just during heritage, history and pride months.”
These four videos will contribute to the industry dialogue about diversity, representation and the future of Hollywood in an increasingly multicultural consumer landscape. In looking at the composition of the actors across TV and film in the U.S., Latinx actors make up only 5.8% of speaking roles.
*Nielsen uses the term Latinx to connote unspecified gender. The decision is a nod toward greater inclusion of women, LGBT+ and non-binary Hispanics and the growing popularity of the term in social media and academic writing.
