A NBC News article reports on a study by the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative that looked at the representation of Latinos and other minority groups on popular Netflix shows. The study found that Latinos were underrepresented in leading roles on the streaming platform, while Asian women made significant gains in recent years.

“While Hollywood has made strides in diversity in recent years, some communities criticize the lack of progress, both on and off screen. To understand the lack of representation in the industry, Netflix partnered with USC and founder of the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, Dr. Stacy L. Smith, to analyze the inclusion metrics of the streaming service from 2018 to 2021 based on gender, race/ethnicity, LGBTQ+ and disability”, according to NBC News.

The study analyzed 126 scripted and unscripted Netflix series and found that only 4 percent of lead or co-starring roles were played by Latinos, even though Latinos make up 18 percent of the U.S. population. The study also found that only 6 percent of all roles in Netflix shows went to Latinos, a number that has remained largely unchanged in recent years.

The study found some positive developments, however. The representation of Asian women in leadership or co-leadership roles has nearly tripled since 2018, from 2.3 percent to 6.9 percent in 2021. The study also found gains in representation of other minority groups, including black women and women from the Middle East and North Africa.

The study's authors argue that the lack of representation of Latinos and other minority groups is a persistent problem in the entertainment industry and reflects larger issues of systemic inequality. They also point to the economic benefits of diverse representation, noting that audiences are increasingly demanding more diverse content and that diverse stories often perform well at the box office and on streaming platforms.

The study’s findings come as the entertainment industry is struggling with issues of diversity and representation, with many advocates pushing for more inclusive casting and storytelling. The debate was particularly heated in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement, which sparked new calls for systemic change in Hollywood and beyond.