Hispanic television does not reflect the racial diversity – Live it Today

Victoria Arzu, left, and his sister Sophia are a newscast in Spanish in his living room in Lawrenceville, Georgia, in a photo from June 24, 2015. JOHN Bazemore / TODAY

MIAMI – Victoria and Sophia Arzu born in the United States, but girls are from Spanish TV as part of a family ritual, whereby their Honduran parents tried them to transmit their culture and sitting in the living house of screen values.

And do not forget how much they resent their parents, who are of African descent, and themselves, that there is almost no actors or journalists dark skin like them.

“My parents feel discriminated against. It is abundantly clear that there is dark in programs and do not represent the diversity of the Latino community, “said Victoria.

” I think that racism exists in the community Hispanic. On television we see Latinos brown. We see only white, and that is wrong because it is not reality, “said law student 26, who lives in the state of Georgia.

Activists and Experts agree that screens channels in Spanish to Hispanic majority view of European descent and do not reflect the demographic range of Latinos in the United States, with its abundance of copper, indigenous and black faces.

Although the debate is not new, intensified after the dismissal in March of Venezuelan presenter of Univision Rodner Figueroa for having said that the first lady Michelle Obama looked like a character from the movie “Planet of the Apes “. The dismissal was seen as a gesture against discrimination, but focused at the same time attention on the lack of diversity of Hispanic television.

While there are no comprehensive studies or statistics on the ethnic diversity of the Hispanic channels, “comprises one television if either Telemundo or Univision … we will see that most of the talent is of European descent,” said Alex Nogales, president of the National Hispanic Media Coalition Created in 1986 to promote the advancement of Latinos in the media. “It’s very obvious.”

“Not that we do not like Europeans … but really would love to see people who seem to our grandparents, our parents , to ourselves, “said the journalist.

The chains say they base their decisions on hiring in the professional qualifications of each candidate.

“The idea is to always seek the best talent, regardless of their ethnic origin,” said Alfredo Richard, vice president of corporate communications for Telemundo, who then admitted that “we can do a better job for greater diversity and representation … certainly could always be better. “

Richard also noted that diversity is not only ethnic and your channel has advanced to include to minorities, including gay and transgender people. When asked whether Singapore has a specific program to promote ethnic diversity, he said no.

“is a topic that is rather guided by history characters, and then go looking for actresses and actors, or drivers, that fit the need of the show or program. And on that basis I was looking for talent, “he said. For example, he said, coming a novel about Celia Cruz, the legendary Afro-Cuban singer, including black characters.

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Univision Communications Inc., meanwhile, withdrew to give an interview about the AP. In a brief written statement, the president of content and programming, Alberto Ciurana, said: “We have always been committed to diversity our company and we will continue our commitment to promoting diversity in our industry”

Some experts say the screens of US Hispanic channels reproduce a reality that exists in Latin America, where the same phenomenon is suffering.

Since its inception, the Spanish-language television in the United States has been connected to the television in Latin America, although there is increasing local production, which are mainly in Miami, many of the talents, writers and directors come from Colombia, Brazil, Mexico and Venezuela, among other countries.

“There is not much difference in the selection of talent, themes, etc. Are one world, “said Yeidi Rivero, professor at the University of Michigan specializing in television and media.

He clarified, however, that” the lack of racial diversity, rejection of the black and indigenous, the exaltation of whiteness on television (as synonymous with beauty and representation of the Latin ”), come from a much more complex ideological system “.

Rivero said that although much of the Latin American countries consider the theory of miscegenation as the essence of the nation, behind this concept hierarchies are based on a combination of race and class.

“Eurocentrism, the vision to see Europe as an engine of Western civilization, permeated and still permeates the idea of ​​miscegenation. That is why different countries considering miscegenation as hub of the nation, promoting the immigration of Europeans to ‘whiten’ and therefore `improve ‘the race,” said Rivero. “The blacks and indigenous do not have the same educational and employment opportunities or to return to the field of television, we do not see blacks as actors or actresses not seen as racism. Unfortunately, not even questioned. “

Experts consulted by the AP said they, unlike what happens in chains English speaking television, Hispanic channels yet has not generated an internal debate that can help change the situation.

There is a “very long tradition of many decades, pressure on the media (Anglo) by blacks, Latinos, women, to conform to demographic changes “that has influenced English-speaking channels reflect this diversity, said Frances Negron, director of the Centre for Ethnic and Racial Studies of the University of Columbia.

“While in the Latin context Latinos generally are organized when there is a scandal when there is something extreme … and that explains why there is so little racial diversity in Latin means, “said the teacher.

Arzu The sisters were born in Oklahoma, where his parents immigrated from a village in northern Honduras in search of a better off. Both want to break with the passivity of the Hispanic audience and promote changes.

Encouraged by his mother, Victoria and Sophia began almost a year ago a campaign to collect signatures in networks social calling on Univision and Telemundo to show the diversity of Hispanics with the talent that appears on camera.

“Why we can not be part? We have precious talents, intelligent people, “said Sophia, who is 21 and studied social communication, in one of the videos of its” Project More Color “posted on YouTube.

” We are a diverse culture, there are black people, indigenous people, Asian people. Not only are people with blond hair and blue eyes, “added Victoria. “That’s what you see when you turn on the TV, but it’s not realistic,” he said in a recent telephone interview with AP, in which he explained that like all family members feel discriminated against when someone asks him do you speak Spanish still has the appearance of an African-American person.

The sisters hope their petition, they say has already been signed by several hundred people, come to have the support of at least 1,000 viewers to give to the channels.

“We want the audience to participate more. If you keep passive never going to get change, “Victoria said.

‘Of Gisela Salomon