Antonio Banderas: White or a Person of Color
(Photo : Reuters)

In the upcoming Oscars event, few celebrities of color were invited. The diversity issue with the entertainment industry is still very noticeable up until now.

Among the acting categories, only one person of color was nominated. Cynthia Erivo was nominated for playing the role of Harriet Tubman in the film 'Harriet.'

White or Hispanic

Antonio Banderas, an actor of color, was nominated for his role in the 'Pain and Glory' film of Pedro Almodóvar. He is from Málaga, Spain. However, he is not commonly identified as a person of color. 

During an interview in January, Banderas was questioned regarding the issue of being an actor of color. He answered the question with a touch of humor by saying he doesn't know who he is.

According to an article from the NPR website, he told the story about his arrival in the country. Banderas shared how he identifies himself as Latino. He expressed how he had significantly connected to the Latino community in the country. 

Additionally, he shared an experience when he was filling out a form in the United States. When the form asked for his race, he checked 'white'. However, he was told that he had checked the wrong race and should instead check Hispanic. 

According to Antonio Banderas, 'Hispanic' is not a race. He expressed his happiness for being identified as Hispanic, Latino, and Spanish. He said that if people identify him as a person of color, then he is proud to be one. 

White Spaniard vs Hispanic

Antonio Banderas is a white European. However, he has been identified by some people as Hispanic. This is not the first time that a white European gets identified in the United States as a person of color.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Spaniards are Hispanics. 

They defined the term 'Hispanic' as someone who is Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican, South American, and Central American. Additionally, Hispanics are also any other persons from Spanish origin or culture from any race. 

Antonio Banderas has been granted Latin American roles in multiple films such as a mariachi assassin from Mexico in the film 'Desperado.'

The Academy Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had announced the nominees in January. It was stated in a website that the nominations were dominated by white actors and that Antonio Banderas was the sole person of color that was nominated. The article deleted this comment because there are two people of color nominees in major acting categories.

In some publications, they referred to Banderas and Erivo as the only two 'nonwhite' nominees in the event. 

Others expressed how it was "convenient to say that Banderas was a person of color. The reason for this statement is that it promotes diversity.

What Do Spaniards Have to Say?

Some articles stated how the United States has an "absurd obsession" with the idea of race. 

To Spanish media, the term 'person of color' has a different meaning compared to its definition in the United States of America. The Spaniards translate the term as 'persona racializada.' However, other Spanish-speaking nations have a different translation of the term.