Hispanic Heritage Month: 5 Characters Who Have Positively Represented The Hispanic Community!

Hispanic Heritage Month kicks off in September! During this month, we take the time to celebrate and appreciate the embracing of Hispanic culture in the U.S.

Although we may be unable to celebrate as usual, there are alternatives to honor your Hispanic heritage. A form of celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month can be through supporting the representation of the Hispanic and Latinx community in mainstream media. While we continue to push for further representation, here’s a list of characters we have seen on TV and film that have positively represented the community!

1. Jane Villanueva (“Jane the Virgin”)

The character portrayed by Gina Rodriguez was the first Hispanic TV character I was able to relate with. I felt seen! She’s a passionate writer, very organized, and a telenovela enthusiast. Jane had quite the interesting storyline -- she lived life just like a telenovela with wild turns every season. I loved the close relationship Jane had with her mother and grandmother; family is absolutely everything.

2. Elena Alvarez (“One Day at a Time”)

Elena, played by Isabella Gomez, is one of the most notable characters from the Netflix series. She’s absolutely passionate about social issues. Not only have people seen themselves in her as she is the only member of her family to not speak Spanish, but her character has also been representing the Latinx LGBTQ+ community.

3. Marta Cabrera (Knives Out)

If you’ve seen Knives Out, you can definitely agree that Marta is an absolute queen. The character portrayed by Ana de Armas is compassionate and kind. Through the film, we learned that Marta’s mother was undocumented, which made her prioritize her family’s safety during her involvement in the Harlan Thrombey investigation.

4. Carlos (“High School Musical: The Musical: The Series”)

Frankie Rodriguez’s character on the hit Disney+ series is not only bringing LGBTQ+ representation to Disney but also some Hispanic representation. Carlos is the school’s theater choreographer and High School Musical expert, and he actually spoke Spanish during one of the series’ episodes. We can only hope they take an opportunity to further explore and embrace Carlos’s culture during the next season.

5. Victor Salazar (“Love, Victor”)

As Victor (Michael Cimino) takes on high school as the “new kid”, he also takes the time to discover his truest self. He goes through the struggle of accepting his sexuality while he grows up in a religious household. While “Love, Victor” exists in the world of Love, Simon, Victor gets advice from Simon along the way. You may even spot Victor’s Puerto Rican flag throughout the show.