Despite some progress, stereotypes of the Latinx community still abound in film and TV. A bilingual streaming platform called Canela.TV aims to offer a more nuanced and accurate portrayal of Latinx stories, leaning into desires for cultural relevance and authenticity on-screen. We explore the insights behind this and why people are seeking out authentic storytelling in media.
Canela.TV has been launched in the US in both English and Spanish with around 8,000 hours of entertainment specifically focused on Latinx people and their experiences. The service includes a variety of genres such as comedies and documentaries, and is available to download on the App Store and Google Play for free. The platform is targeting 18- to 44-year-olds, with a particular focus on Gen Yers, who are largely overlooked by traditional media platforms in favor of older audiences. “We want to tell the Latino stories that have not been told. We see that Hollywood keeps portraying Latinos as Narcos, gardeners, and are missing the inspirational stories of the US Latino,” says Isabel Rafferty, Canela Media CEO and founder.
The Latinx community is passionate about entertainment: in 2018, they went to the movies 4.7 times a year, a higher rate of cinema attendance than any other ethnicity. And yet they’ve traditionally been underrepresented or falsely portrayed on-screen: only 3% of the 100 top-grossing films between 2017 and 2018 featured Latino actors in lead or co-lead roles, which is no doubt compounded by the fact that less than 5% of TV writers are Latinx.
Some more mainstream media companies have taken strides to level the playing field: HBO, for instance, has committed to showing culturally diverse programs, partnering with the 2019 Official Latino Film and Arts Festival (OLFAF) and promising to help support new creative Latinx filmmakers. They also debuted three short films that have been selected by OLFAF in April 2020.
But at a time when 38% of Latinx people experience discrimination because of their ethnicity, and 70% of Gen Yers favor brands that promote diversity and inclusion, it’s key for more brands to help battle existing stereotypes.
Hannah Houston is a Data Behavioural Analyst at Canvas8 and holds a BSc in Criminology. She loves learning languages whether that be coding, foreign or body language and is passionate about human behaviour. Outside of work you can find her walking or stroking a dog.
