Latin immigrant representation on television continues on a downward spiral, a new study revealed.
Define America, in partnership with the University of Southern California’s Norman Lear Center, just posted its fourth comprehensive study tracking immigrant representation on TV, and the results are not positive.
Despite immigrants from Latin America making up 45% of the actual U.S. immigrant population, their representation on screen has plummeted from 50% of immigrant characters in 2020 to just 23% today.
The stereotypes of casting Latinos as criminals on screen persisted, with one in four immigrant characters cast in roles involving drug dealing, smuggling, and human trafficking.
Streaming platforms account for 57% of all immigrant characters, far outpacing broadcast (38%) and cable (6%).
Watch on Deadline
Define America’s 2020 research analyzed 201 characters — comprising 172 immigrants and 29 children of immigrants — spanning 80 episodes across 62 scripted series that aired from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2025.
For the first time, the research expands its scope to include the U.S.-born children of immigrants, providing a more comprehensive look at how these families are portrayed on screen and reflecting the understanding that immigration issues often impact entire families.
Define American has consulted on over 160 film and television projects across 30 networks, studios, and streaming platforms, leading the way in shaping how the industry tells nuanced, authentic immigrant stories. The findings in this report reinforce the organization’s longstanding position: that accurate storytelling is a vital tool for bridging the gap between fiction and reality.
“No force in culture shapes how we see each other quite like Hollywood, which is exactly why representation must be a priority,” Jose Antonio Vargas, Founder of Define American, said in a statement. “Our research is clear: the stories we see on screen have the power to change how we view people in real life. It’s time the industry moves beyond meeting a quota and embraces its responsibility to accurately reflect the complexity of the American people. When Hollywood tells these stories, we will be able to build a more welcoming America for all.”
While writers depicted characters of over 49 nationalities and who spoke 20 different languages, most of these characters appeared in only a single episode.
Black immigrant representation held steady at 17%, heavily anchored by the CBS series Bob Hearts Abishola. With the show concluding in 2024, Black immigrant representation could fall.
