As the Hollywood strike crosses over the 100-day mark, Latine creatives are standing up to ensure the entertainment industry is listening to them from the picket lines and understand that authentic representation matters in film and TV.
On Thursday, over 20 Latine advocacy groups united to release an open letter that demanded Hollywood studios keep them in mind when meeting with leadership from the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) and Writers Guild of America (WGA) to work out a deal.
“Stories are more than entertainment,” the letter reads. “They are a powerful tool for social change that fuels our collective movement to build a more equitable, just world for those who have been historically underrepresented and marginalized.”
The letter continues: “Actors and writers deserve a deal that protects their work and livelihoods, so we will continue to support them as they fight for better treatment and fair compensation.”
Also referenced in the letter was the upcoming release of the Warner Bros. movie, Blue Beetle, the first-ever Latine-led DC Comics superhero movie. Although the Latine community was “particularly optimistic” about the premiere, the film, along with other Latine projects on the slate, will likely not be the “long overdue cultural moment” Latines were hoping for.
Latine creatives may be standing strong next to their colleagues in the middle of this fight, but it’s not something they are going to allow to slow them down.
“For the sake of current and future generations of Latinos, we will not delay our progress any longer,” the letter reads. “Our stories are universal and need to be told.”