Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated in the United States from September 15th to October 15th. With roughly 20% of the U.S. population identifying as Latino and/or Hispanic, celebrating and recognizing this community is important. Thus, Hispanic representation in the media matters, and this should include Afro-Latino characters and actors.
As a white mother of children who are Latino (Dominican-American), African-American, and white, I’ve noticed the rise of Latino/a/x representation in the media over the last decade. This is significant because, like my children and their father, 25% of the U.S. Latino population identifies as Afro-Latino, Afro-Caribbean, or of African descent with roots in Latin America.
Looking for Yourself: Representation Matters
Seven years ago, it was “Dress like your favorite book character day” at school. My youngest son and I culled a local library for any book with a character that was like him. Other than a few picture books specifically about mixed kids and their experiences, we came up empty. Even the children’s librarian was shocked to see such a lack of representation. In the end, my son chose the character featured on the cover of Booked, a Kwame Alexander YA book. The shadow on the cover implied that this character had hair like my son’s and he played soccer. My son played soccer. This was the best available.
A year later, Miles Morales entered the world, offering my children a character who finally seemed a lot like them. The importance of an Afro-Latino Spider-Man to kids like mine cannot be understated. It was a significant shift and we’ve noted a growth of Afro-Latino representation in media since then. We hope this representation continues to grow and that we see more and more Afro-Latino Characters in film and television. For now, here are our notable favorites!
Favorite Films and Television Shows Featuring Afro-Latino Characters
Into the Spider-Verse and Across the Spider-Verse are two of the most high-profile films with an Afro-Latino character. They are notable not only because Miles Morales, aka Spider-Man, is a superhero but also because his character feels so real. He speaks both English and Spanish. He is awkward at school. He struggles to figure out who he is. Miles is uncertain but also confident. For my kids, Miles felt not like a step forward in terms of representation but a giant leap.
Soon, other characters like Luz Noceda from The Owl House came into view. Luz is Dominican-American, just like my kids. I don’t know if they ever saw a Dominican-American character before the arrival of Luz and The Owl House. This fantastically animated series quickly became my oldest child’s favorite, who, like so many other fans, was heartbroken when the series was canceled after just three seasons.
Afro-Latino Actors and Creators
We also began to notice the number of Afro-Latino actors in some of their favorite films, like Zoe Saldana and Tessa Thompson of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Though Zoe plays an alien and green character, and Tessa is an Asgardian Valkyrie, their presence in the films is still significant. Plus, Rosario Dawson portrays Ashoka in the Star Wars universe.
Then, there is the incredible Lin-Manuel Miranda, whose Puerto Rican heritage is proudly at the center of nearly all of his work. To see an Afro-Latino play, Alexander Hamilton, was a delight for our whole family. The musical quickly became a family favorite. Manuel followed Hamilton with the film adaptation of In the Heights, a musical that puts Dominican-American life at its center.
This representation matters. I’ve seen it in my own kids’ lives, and I know it matters for other families as well.
These are our favorites. What are some of your favorite films, television series, or books with Afro-Latino characters? Please also share other favorites that celebrate the breadth, beauty, and diversity of Hispanic Heritage! Happy viewing!
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Jennifer Fischer
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