When It Comes to Latino Voices in Media, Casting Matters

In response to the announcement that James Franco has been cast to play Cuban revolutionary and political leader Fidel Castro, and the ensuing conversation about Latino representation in Hollywood, Voto Latino President Maria Teresa Kumar issued the following statement.

“After so many years of conversation about the importance of Latino representation in film and television, this decision is a sign of how far we still have left to go. Far too often, Latino experiences are ignored entirely; so it raises flags that when our stories finally do get told, there are missed opportunities for representation. There’s no shortage of brilliant Latino actors who are ready to lead a major Hollywood production, but again and again they’re passed over. Casting Latinos for Latino roles is not only an important piece of addressing the gap in representation, but doing so results in a richer understanding of the complicated communities they are being hired to represent.

“Voto Latino was founded on the premise that Latino voices matter. That’s true at the ballot box and that’s true at the cinema. Our stories are powerful, and we deserve the chance to tell them ourselves.”

Voto Latino also released an “Our Stories, Our Voices” petition calling on producers to cast Latino actors to play Latino roles.

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Voto Latino is a grassroots political organization focused on educating and empowering a new generation of Latinx voters, as well as creating a more robust and inclusive democracy. Through innovative digital campaigns, culturally relevant programs and authentic voices, we shepherd the Latinx community towards the full realization of its political power.