Congressional Hispanic Caucus Proposes Latino Films For National Film Registry
Actors (L to R) Tamara Mello, Hector Elizondo, Elizabeth Pena, and Jacqueline Obradors attend the premiere of the film "Tortilla Soup" August 14, 2001 in Los Angeles, CA. Vince Bucci/Getty Images

Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus are nominating Latino films to be included in the National Film Registry to be represented as a community on the big screen. Al Día noted that the movement is led by representative Joaquin Castro. The movement represents the ongoing issue clouding the media industry when it comes to minority groups.

Nominating 25 Latino Films, the Hispanic Caucus has nominated movies that focus on the stories of Latino individuals and their community and their experiences in the United States. Al Día mentioned the legislators saying that the films were selected with assistance from the Latino Arts and Media Advocacy groups.

Latino Films

Yahoo! News mentioned some of the Latino films submitted by the Hispanic Caucus are the biographic film "Frida", a legendary film that tackles the life of the famous Mexican artist Frida Kahlo which was rolled in the theaters in 2002. Another movie nominated for the National Film Registry is the 2001 film "Tortilla Soup", which depicts the life of a retired chef who insists that his three adult daughters gather every Sunday for a family dinner.

Al Día mentioned a letter from the Representatives saying that if they cannot tell their stories, others will tell stories about them.

"We believe this is a significant factor motivating ongoing anti-Latino sentiment in American Society, one which negatively impacts Latinos in all aspects of society, from immigration law to the education system to the current public health crisis," the Representatives declare in the letter,

Yahoo! News also mentioned another passage of the representative's letter saying that "The National Film Registry's very existence speaks to the importance of film in American culture and society... Latinos remain dramatically underrepresented in this influential industry, contributing to the misconceptions, and stereotypes about Latinos in our society."

Latinos in American Films

The Latino Media Gap noted that Latinos make up one of the fastest ethnic groups that grow in the United States. 17 percent of the American population are Latinos, making them a great consumer of media. However, when it comes to depicting their roles in different films, Latino Media Gap noted that the Latin Community continues to be represented as people who are in the lower class section of the society, such as criminals, can cheap laborer, noting that in 2012-2013, the characters from the community are linked to the crime.

The Journalist's Resource highlighted a study suggesting that the way an individual sees him or herself is affected by how the media portray or cover their community. Researcher Emily Farris from Texas Christian University shared that "the media's choice of words and images shape the way that people perceive and evaluate policies, particularly with respect to racialized issues." Farris added that "The quantity and quality of Press coverage also can influence the extent to which individuals both interpret and prioritize a given policy issue."

Some of the Latino Films entered by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus for the National Film Registry are "The Milagro Benfield War," "Romero," "American Me", and "Spy Kids."

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