September 16, 2024

ICYMI: Congressman Joaquin Castro and National Latino-Serving Organizations Announce Newly-Formed Latino Representation in Gaming Coalition

Group seeks more transparency, greater representation in industry and content, and inclusive and inviting environment for Latinos

View Full Recording of the Press Conference

WASHINGTON – On Thursday, September 12, 2024, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20) joined the National Media Coalition, the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, MANA, Latinx in Gaming, the Hispanic Association for Corporate Responsibility and the Latino Corporate Directors Association to announce the formation of the Latino Representation in Gaming Coalition (LRGC) at the National Press Club in Washington, DC before an audience of Latino leadership, Capitol Hill Staff, video gaming representatives, and press.  

Congressman Joaquin Castro Speaks

Congressman Castro Speaks at the National Press Club to Launch the Latino Representation in Gaming Coalition

LRGC’s purpose is to push for more:

  • Transparency
  • Greater Latino representation in the industry and leadership
  • Better representative content including narratives and depiction of Latino characters
  • Development of and greater representation of Latino creators and developers
  • Programmatic pipelines
  • Inclusive, inviting environments for Latinos interested in the industry

“When I was growing up, I was often glued to the television, and I went to the movies as often as I could. I loved classics like The Breakfast Club or Family Ties, even though the faces and names I saw on screen rarely matched the world around me on the Westside of San Antonio. Today, video games are playing as large a role as the media I grew up with,” said Congressman Joaquin Castro, who has led efforts to improve Latino representation in Hollywood and publishing. “As a Congressman, I’ve worked to improve Latino representation across all sectors of American entertainment, including television and publishing. Latino gamers dominate the video game market and prop up the industry’s profits, and we deserve to see our stories and voices fully represented."

The video gaming industry is the largest in the entertainment sector, yet Latino representation remains disproportionately low vs Latino video gaming consumers, users, and overall population.

“As a Native woman, as a Latina, as someone who watched my Native and Latino son grow up playing games, this coalition is personal for me,” said Brenda Victoria Castillo, President and CEO of the National Hispanic Media Coalition. “Games are everywhere these days, and we’re also plugged into the world of gaming through our phones. With Latine individuals playing video games more than any other group, it has never been more important to have the games we play reflect the positive stories and portrayals our communities want to tell. The Coalition is dedicated to fighting for positive representation in all entertainment mediums – from the movie screen to the video game monitor – and we will work to ensure the industry sees us, hears us and respects our power.”

  • Approximately 72 percent of U.S. Hispanics aged 13 and older self-identify as gamers
  • Latinos are 32 percent more likely than other populations to consider gaming their main source of entertainment
  • Recent research showed nearly 80 percent of Latinx adults in the US are likely to play video games vs 62 percent of Whites
  • Yet, according to a 15-year-old-study from USC (the Coalition will call for updated research) only three percent of video gaming characters were Latino
  • A recent student found that Hispanics account for 8.1 percent of video game developers compared to 70 percent for Whites

“This lack of representation in video gaming impacts game development, marketing, content creation including how Latinos are depicted in stories, decision making, and corporate leadership,” added the Hispanic Heritage Foundation’s Antonio Tijerino, who helped found the Coalition. “The $180 billion video gaming industry – which according to SuperData Research is calculated to be up to eight times bigger than the movie industry – needs to do better but we are optimistic in light of an IGDA survey from last year that found that 87 percent of game developers said ‘diversity in game content’ is ‘very or somewhat important,’ which means there is energy to improve.  HHF created a series of Latino-themed Minecraft games that not only have been very successful on their EDU platform but were developed by a team exclusively of Latinos, so we are focused on what’s possible.  The Coalition is here to help.” 

For more information on the Latino Representation in Gaming Coalition please contact Randy Abreu at rabreu@nhmc.org and for media inquiries coordinate with Nicolas Peña at Nicolas@hispanicheritage.org.