Rep. Joaquin Castro says ‘Blood In, Blood Out’ should be added to the National Film Registry

As a movie enthusiast who has spent countless hours immersed in the silver screen, I find it long overdue that films like “Blood In Blood Out” and “American Me” are finally being recognized for their significance in Hollywood history. Growing up, these movies were a rare glimpse into the lives of Latinos on the big screen, showcasing the humanity within flawed characters often misrepresented or marginalized by the industry.

In an effort to promote diversity in Hollywood, U.S. Representative Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) has proposed adding the crime dramas “Blood In Blood Out” and “American Me” to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress for 2024.

“Both movies were able to show the humanity in the Latino community, even within very flawed characters,” he said, while acknowledging that the films depict characters as gang members — a long-held stereotype in media. “It was an exploration of a certain life. I’ve always thought, at least one of those deserves to go in there.”

For the past three years, this congressman has been writing letters to the National Film Preservation Board, suggesting a series of “Latino-centric” narratives for their archive. This action is an integral part of his persistent effort to acknowledge and honor the ethnic group’s impact on media, as well as advocating for lasting representation within American culture.

He thinks that the entertainment industry, being one of the biggest “storyline-constructing” sectors, can cause harm by presenting harmful stereotypes in their productions.

Each year, the board expands their collection by including 25 new titles. To date, only three out of Castro’s over 50 proposals have been chosen for the registry, with “Selena” – a biopic starring Jennifer Lopez that tells the story of iconic Tejana singer Selena Quintanilla – being one of them. In his opinion, this is not enough recognition given to the artistic impact Latinos have had on cinema.

According to their website, the purpose of the registry is to preserve chosen movies, thereby raising public understanding and facilitating easy access for educational uses. And guess what? It’s open to everyone to make a suggestion.

As stated by Brenda Victoria Castillo, President of the National Hispanic Media Coalition and a new member of the National Film Preservation Board, it’s noted that only around 4 or 5 percent of the 875 movies preserved have Latino themes.

As a movie enthusiast, I wholeheartedly believe that the rich tapestry of stories and cinematic artistry from the Latine community plays an indispensable role in shaping America’s cultural heritage. It is crucial that we safeguard these treasures for the benefit of future generations to appreciate and learn from.

According to a McKinsey & Co. report published this year, the ethnic group is identified as one of the top consumer groups of media, boasting the highest per capita theater attendance rate on average, approximately three times a year. The report also revealed that films featuring a Latino producer, director, or lead character generated 58% more revenue between 2013 and 2022.

Despite having a significant presence within the population, Latinos have been historically underrepresented, both on-screen and off-screen, as per two reports from USC Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism. Specifically, over the period between 2007 to 2019, only 3.5% of film leads were Latino, while between 2007 to 2022, a mere 3.7% of directors hailed from Latin heritage.

Felix Sanchez, one of the founders of the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts, expressed that including movies from Castro’s list within the registry would assist families in locating films offering distinctive cultural viewpoints.

“Sanchez stated, ‘It’s challenging to produce substantial figures given the limited amount of material at hand.’ He added, ‘The number of entries we can submit is restricted by our current resources, resulting in a relatively small pool compared to the registry’s full potential.'”

He further mentioned that this list of nominees could serve as a demonstration, highlighting the ongoing achievements of these stories to Hollywood producers who may feel apprehensive about funding related projects.

In a 2020 Variety article, Castro criticized Hollywood executives for their persistent absence of positive representation. He praised the movie “Blue Beetle” as the first live-action Latin superhero film, and expressed enthusiasm about the potential increase in award-worthy movies in the future once they become eligible (after 10 years).

“Those contributions, I expect, will receive even greater recognition,” he said.

In December, we’ll reveal the official list of movies added to the registry. Submissions for this year have been closed, but you can make nominations for the 2025 registry list until August 15th.

Castro’s 2024 list of nominations:

1. “Blood in Blood Out” – Released in 1993

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2024-08-29 02:31