A new survey was conducted by One Poll under Campanario Entertainment and the National Hispanic Media Coalition about media diversity, inclusion and general aspects of life. Among 2,000 people surveyed, half of them Latino, results show that Hollywood, and society at large, has a long way to go on the topic.

Latinos represent the largest minority group in the United States and, according to the survey, 38% of all respondents reveal that they are not aware of the latest Census data that reveals that the US Latino population has grown from 50.5 million in 2010 to 62.1 million in 2020.

The survey also showed that only 41% of Latino respondents knew about the Census data compared to 50% of non-Latinos. Respondents also responded to questions about their social lives, and 34% of Latinos claimed to be one of the few, if not the only, Latino in their work. Additionally, 30% of Latinos say they are the only Latinos in their group of friends, and 1 in 8 feel their peers don't understand their culture. In terms of the culture and entertainment industry, 22% of Latinos were unsure if their culture had sufficient representation.

“Although 77 percent of all respondents agree that more progress has been made in television than in films (67%), three in five still think there are not enough Latino actors and actresses on screen. In fact, a Nielsen study shows that Latinos are one of many underrepresented groups across broadcast, paid TV, and streaming platforms as of the end of 2021. Over two-thirds of Latinos say they recognize that disproportion to be a reality (69%). Data from the survey […] further shows that this underrepresentation carries over into the real world. Thirty percent of non-Latino respondents were unable to name three Latino entertainers and a third struggled to identify three different Latino ethnicities”, according to the Study Finds publication.

“With that in mind, it’s no surprise that three in four Latinos believe their culture is often stereotyped in the media. Moreover, respondents across both groups recognized that Latinos are often cast in derogatory roles that reflect negatively on the culture. These include roles such as criminals or cartel members that speak English with a heavy accent (49%), restaurant workers (48%), or gang members (42%).”

Of all respondents, 29% say their favorite TV show of all time has no Latin characters, and 39% cannot think of at least three TV shows that have Latino protagonist characters or that portray this group in a positive light. Instead, people want to see more stories about Latino lawyers (46%), doctors (45%) and politicians (41%).

Jaime Dávila, president and co-founder of Campanario Entertainment, stated, according to the same publication, that “This survey shows that Latinos still don’t feel included within the American story, but at the same time, the findings give us hope and a blueprint for effective change. While we’re encouraged by incredible achievements among Latinos – most recently with the huge success of multi-award-winning artist Bad Bunny and Ariana DeBose and ‘Encanto’ winning Oscars – there’s still much work to be done. We believe that visibility on both sides of the camera and diverse content can help bridge this gap”.

Brenda Victoria Castillo, president and CEO of National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC) said, according to Study Finds, that “Research is the key to understanding public perception and how Americans view the issue of Latino diversity, equity and inclusion in the media and entertainment industry”.