Hollywood’s Bias Against Latino Actors, Films

[Editor’s Note: Fanny Veliz is an actor and filmmaker who lives in Los Angeles.]

Latinos are the largest minority in this country, yet one of the least represented in the media, what you may not know is one of the biggest reasons for this is that, in Hollywood, Latino audiences and actors are often stereotyped.

I’ve wanted to be an actress since I can remember. I grew up in Venezuela acting in a children’s theater company and then went to college in Colorado where I earned my degree in theater acting and directing. When I arrived in Los Angeles like other actors to pursue my dream, I found that the roles for me where mostly Latino stereotypes.

I would be only given auditions to play the maid, illegal immigrant or gang member. I’ve actually been told that I can only be cast as the best friend or roles in Spanish. As a Latina actor in this country I’m frustrated by the fact that, to work, I have to play a stereotype.

But this stereotyping extends even further. My legal surname is Palumbo because my ancestors were Italian and they emigrated to the Venezuela during the WWII. When I moved to LA I was told “You’re not Italian” by a couple of casting directors, so my manager at the time suggested I use my mother’s maiden name, Veliz. A friend of mine who’s Mexican-American and Irish was told by her agent recently to change her last name to “Smith” so she could work more.

These are realities Latino talent is faced with everyday.

In the face of this, I joined an organization called NOSOTROS founded by Ricardo Montalbán and worked with a small theater, CASA 0101, founded by Josefina Lopez creator of “Real Women have Curves.” I was blown away by the talent. There are so many talented Latino actors, most of whom have experiences similar to mine. Each and every one of them had at one point played a stereotype of what it is to be a Latino. This is why I decided to start writing parts for Latino actors — not only to affect the way the rest of the country sees us, but to create roles for the amazing talent that I believe must be showcased.

I’ve had some success since making short films and so decided to move on to feature films. The film “Homebound,” is about a family in the small town of El Campo, Texas and I hope to be able to involve the entire community in the production when it begins. But when I approached studios about helping me make this film, I was discouraged again, told that audiences won’t go to see a drama with a Latino cast. “Latinos only watch comedies,” they told me, even suggesting I change my script into a comedy.

To assume that Latinos will not go and spend money in a good drama is ridiculous to me.

So once again, I’m taking matters into my own hands and have decided to pursue crowdsourced funding for my film. You can help me reach my financial goal here. There are several great roles in the project for Latino actors in the film, and I think that until there’s a successful crossover film, studios won’t take a chance in a movie like “Homebound.”

As a filmmaker I’m committed to helping transform the image of Latinos in the media by telling stories that aren’t usually told. We are all used to seeing stories of immigration, gangs, and other stereotypes. While there’s nothing wrong with those stories, there’s an opportunity to portray Latinos as American citizens with lives like any other group. People that are successful with dreams and struggles that just happen to be Latinos.