The 1997 film “Selena” by Mexican-American filmmaker Gregory Nava was nominated for inclusion in the National Film Registry by members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, while the group intensified its efforts to eradicate “the continued exclusion of Latinos from the film industry”, said Deputy Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, in a letter to Congress Librarian Dr. Carla Hayden on Friday.
“Selena is an American icon and is very celebrated in the Latin community,” Castro, who is also president of Congressional Hispanic Caucus, told NBC News. “I think part of that statement was not only the success of the film, but also the recent success of the television series.”
The film starring Jennifer Lopez portrays the life, remarkable rise and tragic death of Tejano music legend Selena Quintanilla. The film also addresses important issues of cultural identity and assimilation faced by Mexican-American communities as they navigate their personal connections between two cultures and languages.
“Given its importance as a work in Latin cinema, we believe it deserves to be preserved in the Library of Congress”, says Castro’s letter to Hayden. “We hope you will give Selena careful consideration and we hope to see her included in the titles added to the National Film Registry in 2021.”
Nava, who directed the film, responded to the statement in a statement: “For a long time, the contribution of Latinx filmmakers in the US to the film industry has been neglected and underrepresented. Our community is important and growing and our stories need to be told. I applaud the efforts of Congressional Hispanic Caucus to draw attention to this and honor the achievements of Latinx filmmakers. “
“Latinos have been left out of the representation of American culture in general, and this is an effort to ensure that Latinos are represented in the narration of American culture and in the retelling of American culture, and part of that includes American films,” said Castro.
Even two decades after the release of “Selena”, Latinos continue to be significantly underrepresented in Hollywood films. A recent study by the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative found that 44 of the top 100 films of 2019 did not have Latin characters with lines, a rate that did not differ much from 2018 (47 films) or 2015 (40 films).
Only 4.9 percent of the speaking roles in last year’s top 100 films were for Hispanic actors, although Latinos represent nearly 19 percent of the country’s population. Latinos were the only major racial and ethnic group that was underrepresented in on-screen speaking roles in 2019, according to the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative. Latinos represented only 3.7% of film directors.
Castro said he felt a renewed sense of urgency to tackle what he considers “a key issue for the Latino community”, after the deadliest attack on Latinos in recent U.S. history in 2019.
After hearing that the sniper who killed 23 people at a local Walmart in El Paso, Texas, told authorities he was targeting people of Mexican descent, Castro took an official delegation of members of Congress to Los Angeles to meet with executives from studios and talent agencies, the Screen Actors Guild, the Directors Guild of America and about 40 Latin and Latin actors, directors and producers.
“People have preconceived notions of you based on the group you are part of. And these notions, in many ways, come from American media and entertainment, ”said Castro. “Hollywood is still the leading institution for creating narratives and defining images in the United States and in the American media.”
A recent Nielsen study looking at diversity and inclusion on TV found that the overall representation of Latinos on television was 5.5 percent throughout 2019. “That’s not great,” Stacie de Armas, senior vice president for several consumer initiatives and insights for Nielsen, previously told NBC News. “Latinos have been significantly underrepresented on all platforms, all genders and in total.”
“And yet, the entertainment industry is one that receives huge tax cuts across the country at different levels of government,” said Castro. “You must ask yourself at what point are we subsidizing our own exclusion. And that is where I think the government comes in.”
“There are very progressive individuals in Hollywood who donate to wonderful causes and incredibly progressive candidates, but the system as a whole is not progressive. In fact, it is quite backward and exclusive, ”added Castro. “We are serious about seeing real changes, for our community to be included in this industry that professes to be a very liberal industry.”
During the new year, Congressional Hispanic Caucus is expected to identify more films that “showcase the experience of Latin Americans” that could be included in the National Film Registry in the future. The public can also nominate films for inclusion in the 2021 National Film Registry by visiting the Library of Congress nomination website.
The Library of Congress has already included Latin films like “Sal da Terra”, “I Am Joaquin”, “Zoot Suit”, “El Norte”, “Stand and Deliver” and “Real Women Have Curves” in the National Film Registry. Last month, they included the documentary by German filmmaker Wim Wenders “Buena Vista Social Club”, which accompanies renowned guitarist Ry Cooder and his son, Joachim, on a trip to Havana, Cuba, to bring together some of the biggest stars in pop music Cuban era of the Baptist era.
Although Castro’s term as president of the Caucus Hispanic Congress ends this weekend, he will continue to work on these issues as a member of the caucus and through his own cabinet in Congress, he said. He also hopes to expand his efforts to combat the invisibility of the Latin community in other media industries, such as publishing and news.
“It will be an incredible day when Latin children, but also all Americans, will be able to see the full story of a community that is not only large in this country, but has contributed significantly to its prosperity and success over the generations,” said Castro.
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