Latino Stories on Screen Break the Frame, Not Just the Numbers
When "El Norte" premiered in 1983, it did more than follow two siblings escaping Guatemala—it shattered Hollywood’s narrow lens on Latino lives. Gregory Nava’s film, now enshrined in the National Film Registry, still echoes today as a touchstone for Latino cinema.
Despite Latinos making up a fifth of the U.S. population, their presence in film remains disproportionately small—just 2% of actors. But as Nava insists, real progress isn’t just about more faces on screen; it’s about Latinos shaping their own narratives, both behind and in front of the camera.
A new Library of Congress guide highlights this ongoing journey, mapping Latino film from the silent era to today and spotlighting creators who refuse to let their stories be sidelined. From "Selena" to "Zoot Suit," these films prove that representation isn’t a numbers game—it’s a matter of voice, vision, and cultural truth.
Sometimes, the most powerful scenes happen when the camera finally turns toward the storyteller.
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