Latino representation in Hollywood "sucks," and if anyone would know, it would be Latina actor Rosie Perez who has been in the business for an impressive 34 years.
While the White Men Can't Jump star acknowledged that it has "gotten better," there is still an "immensely long way to go."
The Do the Right Thing actor recently sat down with Varietyand elaborated on the issue.
"We are the most underrepresented groups outside of Native Americans in the Hollywood system, yet we make up the biggest consumer in the Hollywood system."
"It doesn't make sense. The math doesn't add up."
Perez continued that for as long as she's been in the industry, she's echoed the same words but the narrative doesn't change.
"Things still need to change, so I am not happy."
"I've been in this business for 30 plus years, and I've been asked this question in almost every interview I've ever had, and I keep repeating the same answer over and over and over again."
"It's like wake up, people. Wake up."
You can watch the clip below.
\u201cRosie Perez says Latino representation in Hollywood sucks. "We are the most underrepresented group outside of Native Americans in the Hollywood system, yet we make up the biggest consumer...the math doesn't add up." https://t.co/sSVHVyiFAT\u201d— Variety (@Variety) 1680103200
Viewers thanked Perez for once again speaking out on the subject.
Many also noted representation that reflects Latinos in a non-stereotypical light is severely lacking.
\u201c@Variety @rosieperezbklyn speaking facts! I was just talking about this with my family during the Oscar\u2019s! It\u2019s blatantly painful that we\u2019re not represented! \u2764\ufe0f\u201d— Variety (@Variety) 1680103200
\u201c@Variety It\u2019s because they assume we are represented by telemundo and Univision. Not like we aren\u2019t Americans or should have a huge influence overall. But we are all from hispanica, apparently. It would help if we were allowed to have shows that reflect us overall, not a stereotype\u201d— Variety (@Variety) 1680103200
\u201c@Variety Someone tweeted they are doing research on Black Representation in Daytime Soaps, & it sparked me thinking, not sure about other networks, but with CBS soaps, the demographic to be studied is Latino Representation, but now Rosie helps me recognize the most underrepresented group.\u201d— Variety (@Variety) 1680103200
\u201c@Variety And some people thinks \n\nLatinos = Mexico from Mexico + others Mexicos\n\n\ud83d\ude05\u201d— Variety (@Variety) 1680103200
\u201c@Variety I normally don\u2019t care about representation but when I start speaking Spanish and someone says to me \u2018you\u2019re so white. I thought you were ____\u2019, that\u2019s when I facepalm. Yes representation needs to get better and it starts by we all don\u2019t look like Rosie.\u201d— Variety (@Variety) 1680103200
\u201c@Variety I agree with her, there are so many American born 1st gen Latinas/os yet we aren't represented in American media enough, let me put it into perspective. Only 2 Latinas have ever won an Oscar one in 1961, Rita Moreno, & one in 2021 vs the many Caucasian & AA's who have won oscars.\u201d— Variety (@Variety) 1680103200
\u201c@ByClaytonDavis @vientofuego @Variety @TatianaSiegel27 Love thisssss\u201d— Clayton Davis (@Clayton Davis) 1680105025
\u201c@Variety Latino actors and actresses deserve more respect and opportunities in Hollywood. The Latino community has many talented and respectful people who love their work.\u201d— Variety (@Variety) 1680103801
In the full interview with Variety, Perez acknowledged she is fortunate for her successful career but expressed more needs to be done.
"A few of us have come through, and I'm very grateful for that."
"But it's just not enough."
The Emmy-nominated Flight Attendant star also shared her disappointment many Latino roles are painted by "some executive who knows nothing about who we are as a people."
"And they're like, 'Can you spice it up a little bit?'"
"You want to punch those people in the face. And then if it's too real, they're, 'Could you pull it back, 'cause we don't want the audience to feel offended.'"
"And people are getting sick of it."
Perez is no stranger to controversy surrounding discrimination. But while she refuses to talk about it, there are plenty of people in her corner.
When the interviewer mentioned Perez's exit from The View—which was rumored to be discriminatory—she stiffened:
"I'm not supposed to talk about it."
"Let's just say that what I thought I was there for was supposed to be one kind of a thing, which excited me, and then when I got there, that's not what it was."
Latino leaders had her back, though, and demanded ABC apologize after executives derogatorily commented on Perez's ability to read the teleprompter. Perez didn't get an apology, but ABC exec Barbara Fedida was eventually fired for making racially insensitive remarks toward Robin Roberts.
But Perez was "not going there."
At the beginning of the interview, Perez praised Colin Farrell for his performance in The Banshees of Inisherin for telling a story "specific to his culture."
She said:
"That's what we're asking for as Latinos."
"We want to do things that are specific to our culture, to our story."
