Oscar nominations celebrated for Latino representation

The Motion Picture Academy received a round of applause for Latino representation at this year’s Oscar nominations.

In a statement, the National Hispanic Media Coalition President and CEO Brenda Victoria Castillo hailed the slate of acting nominees, including trans Spanish actress Karla Sofía Gascón (Emilia Pérez), Brazilian actress Fernanda Torres (I’m Still Here), Zoe Saldaña (whose parents are of Dominican and Puerto Rican heritage, Emilia Pérez), Monica Barbaro (who is a quarter Mexican, for A Complete Unknown), and Sing Sing star Colman Domingo “for making history as the first Afro-Latino to be nominated two times for Best Actor in a Leading Role.” [Ariana Grande, nominated for Wicked, identifies as Italian American despite her Latina-sounding surname.]

Castillo also offered congratulations to Pablo Helman for his Oscar-nominated visual effects work on Wicked and Adrian Quesada for his Best Original Song nomination for the tune “Like a Bird” in Sing Sing.

“Now more than ever,” Castillo continued, “it is of utmost importance that the Latino community, and the diversity within it, is accurately represented across all forms of media – from series to films, from short-form videos all the way to the social posts on TikTok, because the way we are represented in the media is how we are treated in political discourse.” It’s also important to call attention to the performers of color in the nominations given the #OscarsSoWhite controversy of a decade ago.

“NHMC remains steadfast in its commitment to ensuring accurate Latino representation across all forms of media,” Castillo added. “We recognize that cultural shifts move faster than policy changes, and by consistently highlighting diversity within entertainment, we drive the change that policy will one day follow. We urge the entertainment industry to continue celebrating and highlighting diversity, ensuring our stories continue to be told accurately.”