Hi, I’m Aida Margarita Rodriguez, I am a writer, stand-up comedian, and actor. I am Puerto Rican/Dominican and in Hollywood, I am usually cast as the sassy friend, the battered mother, the funny maid, or any combination of the aforementioned.
As endless conversations surround me about the erasure of the Latinx spectrum in the media, I find myself in an interesting position. Should I say something? What do I say? Will I lose opportunities if I speak out? And after facing this reality, I guess the real question is this: What do I have to lose if we are not fully realized human beings in television and film, or invisible all together?
Being a stand-up comedian, I talk for a living. Not just talk, I say things that are funny, but also at times, unapologetically uncomfortable. So let's confront. I am also a writer and an actor, but I can’t be either of those things if there is nowhere to be them. Sitting in the development chair of my projects, the constant whispers of my shows probably not getting made or getting made wrong are abundant. I refuse to believe that Hollywood is willing to turn away one of the biggest consumer markets in the world, for some evil conspiracy theory. Sometimes things are hidden in plain sight and it just needs to be said.
With regards to the Latinx diaspora, here a few things I want you to know:
1. We are not a monolith. There is no “Latino Market," as you say. We are a varied people; we are different races, cultures, and identities.
It’s true, Latinx people come from all over the world. We can be Black, Asian, Indigenous, in addition to white (which you really like). We are also not all Latinas or Latinos, some of us are nonbinary and/or range in identities.
2. Stop with stereotypes and tropes, not only are they offensive and wrong, but they are also dangerous. The way Latinx people are portrayed in television and film is dangerous for everyone because it informs how others see us, and it influences how we see ourselves.
Believe it or not, a lot of people get their education on other humans from the images they see in the media. It’s not right, I know, but it is so. By constantly peddling trauma porn and offensive roles, you make us vulnerable to the real life ignorance of the world. You also aren’t helping how we feel about ourselves either — please take note.
3. Allow us our spectrum — we deserve it too. White people get to see themselves in everything from The Bachelor to House of Cards; they are allowed the gamut. Believe it or not, we have range also.
Just like white people can see any version of themselves, from Arrested Development to Succession, we would like that courtesy as well. There are many versions of us, and yes, all of our stories deserve to be told. And if you tell them all, you don’t have to constantly worry about being canceled because you are giving us the courtesy to be people.
4. Your proximity to Black and brown bodies does not grant you the authority to tell the stories of the people who have to live in them.
Having a Cuban wife, living in Panama for a summer, or being fluent in Spanish doesn’t make you an expert in all things Latinx. It actually doesn’t make you an expert in anything Latinx. We have to live in our skin and we can never take it off, so you can’t possibly know what that feels like.
5. Let us tell our own stories. We learned how to write also — many of us in two languages.
I can assure you that if you look hard enough, like you looked for all of these great white American writers, you would find some amazing talent. Shouldn’t that writers room reflect the actual world?
6. The belief that we don’t share a palate for quality is not only insulting, but it is also wrong.
This lie that we don’t like nice things has to stop. Our grandmothers have always wanted nothing but the best for us. We have good taste, trust me. Beyond food, we like our TV shows and films with flavor too.
7. We don’t need tokens — we need power pellets. Actors and writers are great, but we also require decision-makers, executives, and showrunners. You know, the people who can make the informed and fair decisions to support our storytelling and storytellers.
So here’s the thing: Hollywood is a billion-dollar industry. There is room — not just for the talent in front of the camera, but also at the table. You don’t have to kick everyone out; you can actually add some seats and everything will still be alright.
Marginalization creates a type of pressure-cooker environment for the oppressed. The weight of the world and its ills and inequalities compound emotions, thoughts, and perspectives until one day there is nowhere for them to go other than to explode into chaos, leaving to spare nothing in its reach.
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