November 13, 2023

Statement from CHC Members on UCLA Hollywood Diversity Report

WASHINGTON — Today, Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Chair Nanette Barragán (CA-44), CHC Vice Chair of Diversity and Inclusion Gabe Vasquez (NM-02), and former CHC Chair Joaquin Castro (TX-20) released the following statement in response to a new study “Hollywood Diversity Report 2023: Exclusivity in Progress” that was released by the Entertainment & Media Research Initiative at the University of California, Los Angeles:

“The report underscores what many advocates within media have been saying for years – diversity is good for business, but Latinos remain vastly underrepresented on screen. Hollywood has a huge cultural impact on how Americans see each other, but it has consistently failed to tell our stories. We hope this report is a reminder to Hollywood and the entertainment industry of their responsibility — and opportunity — to tell stories that resonate with Americans from all walks of life. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus will continue to promote diversity across industries, from media and tech to education and entertainment. While the findings of this study are disappointing, they should be a call to action for Hollywood to make serious and immediate progress to ensure Latino inclusion at every level of the film industry.”

The UCLA study examined diverse casting in 521 live-action, scripted television shows during the 2021-2022 season. Among the shows examined, the study found that Latinos made up 6.1 percent of leads in broadcast shows, 3.6 percent of leads in cable shows, and 4.3 percent of leads in digital shows. In the same shows, the study found Latinos make up 5.7 percent of shared roles in broadcast shows, 4.9 percent of shared roles in cable shows, and 6.7 percent of shared roles in digital shows. Latinos make up approximately 19 percent of the U.S. population. The study also found that during the 2021-22 season, median show ratings among viewers 18-49 and white, Black, Latino, and Asian households peaked for broadcast scripted shows with casts that were 31 – 40 percent minority. Note: Latinos make up approximately 19 percent of the U.S. population.

In 2020, then-chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Joaquin Castro commissioned a two-part study on the underrepresentation of Hispanics in the media and entertainment industry. In the first report, released in 2021, the non-partisan Government Accountability Office found that Hispanics comprised just 12 percent of workers in the media industry, compared with 18 percent of the non-media workforce. The study further found that Hispanics made up 22 percent of the service industry jobs and only four percent of management jobs. In the second report, GAO researchers found that the Hispanic workforce share within the media industry grew just one percent from 2010 to 2019, while Latinos made an average gain of three percent in non-media industries. Under Congressman Castro’s term as chair, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus also led a congressional delegation to Hollywood to discuss issues of representation. CHC has continued the push for increased Latino representation across every sector of our economy and at every level, under former Chairman Dr. Raul Ruiz and current Chairwoman Nanette Barragán.