In a move that should help content creators working in the kids & family space tell more authentic Latino/a/x/e stories, the National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC) has unveiled its first-ever media guide for entertainment industry storytellers.

Sponsored by Disney and with support from T-Mobile, Google and TelevisaUnivision, Seeing Beyond The Stereotypes: Telling Authentic Latino/a/x/e Stories is a free online resource that aims to “push the entertainment industry to support authentic storytelling and increase opportunities for Latine representation, from the boardroom to the writers room,” according to NHMC president and CEO Brenda Victoria Castillo. 

According to UCLA’s 2023 Diversity Report, only 8.4% of the top 300 theatrical and streaming movies from 2022 featured Latinx leads. And the same study found that only 4.4% of TV leads in 2021/22 were Latinx.

To address these inequities, the guide encompasses everything from understanding the spectrum of Latino/a/x/e identity, to tips for avoiding stereotypical character depictions. It also calls for more narratives featuring multigenerational families in which Spanish speakers interact with non-Spanish speakers; more Latinx representation in the sci-fi/fantasy genre as humans and other life forms; and more storylines exploring the love and family lives of Latinx characters.

Disney’s Oscar-winning animated features Encanto and Coco, as well as hit Disney+ series The Mandalorian, are called out as good examples of diverse Latinx kids & family screen representation. And the guide also highlights the NHMC’s long-running Series Scriptwriting Program, which was established more than 20 years ago to support Latinx talent. 

One of its past participants is Silvia Olivas, whose executive producer credits include Netflix animated kids series Maya and the Three (pictured) and Disney’s Elena of Avalor. She had this to say: “When I’m in the writers room, I often reflect back on my own path and how I got here. I think about how many Latino writers could be sharing their own voices if they had the benefit of the mentorship and collaboration that I had. The NHMC’s Writers Program was instrumental in my journey.”

Looking ahead, the NHMC plans to meet one on one with studios and executives across the US to collaborate, answer questions and encourage support for the media guide, which is available in its full form online.