I grew up in NYC and went to a predominantly LatinX H.S. in downtown Manhattan. I live in The Bronx and had a lot of Latin (Dominican in particular) friends over the years. NYC is a showbiz town so I grew up with a lot of kids that were into theater and drama. Albeit successful, LatinX kids that I heard about like 20 years ago, doing indie projects are still not where I’d expect them to be in a Hollywood. Victor Razuk is someone who’s name I’ve been hearing that long, who’s just now breaking into more mainstream roles. Concurrently you have the likes of Timothee Chamalet who’s much younger but a city kid nonetheless who attended my elementary school that shot out from the gate! It’s hard not to notice these things. The LatinX community is underrepresented in Hollywood and doesnt have as solid of a community that drives change. The roles aren’t there and neither is the level of advocacy. I understand that frustration.
But this sour response given by Dascha Polanco and John Leguizamo to a joyous historic of Black excellence doesn’t sit well with me.
Even though Dascha is nowapologizing— I believe this issue is being brought up because this is how the majority of LatinX Hollywood and even much of the community at large feels. It’s been brimming beneath the surface for a minute now. That’s kind of the problem.
The shade of lipstick hasn’t been checked. Gina Rodriguez voiced this a couple years back after Black Panther’s success and she got dragged! So, let me hold up a mirror because we are back here again!
I believe that the colorist hierarchy within the Latino community has skewed a general perception of where they stand in America. I’m sorry if that sounds harsh but that’s the only way I know how to put. When we talk about leveraging power in a country with generations of systemic racism these observations need to be made.
It’s interesting because hip hop and the baller world readily embraces Latin women but White America and LatinX representation in politics and old institutions and spaces of power, function differently.
From the outside looking in the LatinX communities in America are fractured. They function on their own social hierarchy based on skin tone and class. You have a huge portion of the Latino population that supports the Trump administration inspite of his very flagrant disrespect and policy choices towards the community.
Latino men fall below Black women on the national pay scale. There is disunity and anti Blackness that carries forth on top of the already racist systems.
Becayse of the long-standing othering that the Latin community has created to approximate whiteness they are left somewhat on an island. Am I being unfair in pointing this out?
African Americans built America and everything they have has been long earned. The work towards equality is a tough, ongoing devastating struggle and journey that many people lost their lives for. It’s freedom as a whole that was the fight. Expressing disappointment at not being right on par in this extremely racist country speaks to their own beliefs— not necessarily America’s!
This was not an appropriate reaction to this historic Emmy moment. It was rather disappointing and ineffective. All it does is create more division. You can come together to fortify your community without this.
I hope moving forward...... at the very least more tact will be employed.
we want everyone to win and be happy for our wins. Bridging together communities and people of color in Hollywood should be more of the general goal.
What are your thoughts?
