The USC Norman Lear Center is moving forward with a new initiative centered on exploring Latino representation in entertainment, TheWrap has exclusively learned.
The Pa’lante! Latino Representation Initiative will begin with a study that will use quantitative and qualitative research to explore what it means to be Latino on screen. On the quantitative side, the study will investigate how often Latino subcommunities, such as AfroLatinos or Portuguese-speaking Latinos, are represented in the top scripted TV shows during the 2023 to 2024 season. It will also break down the demographics, cultural specificity and stereotypicality of Latino characters. Additionally, a qualitative analysis will focus on the themes and identity-related narratives in Latino-led shows.
This study builds upon previous research garnered by Lear Center studies. For example, the Lear Center recently revealed that race agnostic Asian American characters often come at a tradeoff in terms of cultural specificity in a study that was conducted in partnership with Gold House. Another study with IllumiNative found that series led by Native creators with multiple Native characters had stronger audiences and critical acclaim.
“Despite years of efforts to address the underrepresentation of Latinos in entertainment media, little has shifted,” Soraya Giaccardi, Lear Center senior researcher, said in a statement to press. “Through the Pa’lante! Initiative, we hope to leverage the Lear Center’s wide research and evaluation capacities to get to the heart of the issue and become a resource hub for organizations and creatives working to advance Latino representation.”
Based in the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, the Norman Lear Center is a nonpartisan research and public policy center that studies the social, political, economic and cultural impact of entertainment. The organization’s goal for this study is to identify and address disparities in media representation for Latino talent. The ultimate hope is that this study may open new doors for this underrepresented group in the entertainment industry.
In future phases, the Pa’lante! Latino Representation Initiative may include integrating data on audience and show performance, research on the audience impact of Latino-led stories, interviews with top Latino creatives and decision makers and outreach to the creative community.
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