Latest news with #Latinx
Hypebeast
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hypebeast
Carter Gregory on Latin Culture's Global Influence
As VP of A&R atCapitol Records,Carter Gregoryhas been at the forefront of the musical shift in Latin America — spotlighting artists and shaping moments that define today's sound. His appearance inRawayana's 'Veneka' music video and on stage during theirCoachella 2025set goes beyond a cameo; it reflects how deeply his presence resonates within the Latinx community. 'Latin American artists bring an emotional rawness and cultural depth that is so special. I think what sets them apart is how they infuse their music and visuals with so much history, identity, and a real sense of place. I often times feel that I am transported to Puerto Rico, Columbia, Mexico, Venezuela, etc. when listening to some of my favorite Latin artists due to the immense storytelling about their upbringing and hometowns. There's often this beautiful mix of pain and joy that comes through and it feels so real.' We caught up with Carter Gregory to dive into the rising influence of Latin America on the global stage. How have you observed Latin American culture shaping global trends in music and fashion over the past decade? In music, so many different Latin sub genres like reggaetón, dembow, and Latin trap have gone mainstream. Artists like Bad Bunny, J Balvin, Karol G, Feid, Rauw Alejandro, etc aren't just on top of Latin charts — they're dominating global playlists and collaborating with some of the biggest American and European acts. What's so dope and impactful is that these types of artists often stay authentic to their roots — singing in Spanish, showcasing their culture — and they're still moving global audiences. I think that speaks volumes about how the world is embracing Latin identity. In fashion, we're seeing a similar wave. I see so many Latinx designers and stylists blending streetwear with heritage. I love admiring the vibrant colors, indigenous patterns, and bold statements that reflect so much pride for one's home region. What distinguishes Latin American artists in their approach to creativity and storytelling compared to other regions? Latin American artists bring an emotional rawness and cultural depth that is so special. I think what sets them apart is how they infuse their music and visuals with so much history, identity, and a real sense of place. I often times feel that I am transported to Puerto Rico, Columbia, Mexico, Venezuela, etc when listening to some of my favorite Latin artists due to the immense storytelling about their upbringing and hometowns. There's often this beautiful mix of pain and joy that comes through and it feels so real. Do you believe the global music industry is fully embracing the depth of talent emerging from Latin America, or is there still work to be done? I think the global music industry is definitely paying more attention to Latin America — you can't ignore the impact so many massive Latinx artists are having. Latin music is charting globally, breaking streaming records, and shifting what 'mainstream' even means. But I wouldn't say the industry is fully embracing the depth of talent yet. There's still a lot of untapped potential in the underground scenes, in emerging artists who don't fit the current commercial mold or speak perfect English. As someone constantly scouting talent, I see how much diversity there is and a lot of that still isn't being properly represented or invested in. So yes, we're seeing progress, but there's still work to do! We need to give real support and exposure to emerging artists and not only the biggest names in Latin culture. But, that's where Cartera and people like me come in — to help bridge that gap and push the culture forward. It's my favorite part of my job. How do collaborations between Latin American artists and international acts influence the global music scene? Collaborations between Latin American artists and international acts are reshaping the global sound. From and A&R perspective, these cross-cultural moments are breaking down language barriers and introducing audiences to new flows and stories they might not have experienced otherwise. When an artist from Latin America teams up with an artist from the U.S., Europe, or Africa, Asia, etc – it's truly about blending worlds. Can you share a pivotal moment in your career where Latin American culture had a significant impact on a project you were involved in? I'm going to take off my A&R hat for a second and speak from Cartera's perspective. A pivotal moment in my career was when I connected with Venezuela in a deeper, more personal way. Working closely with Rawayana for their 'Veneka' music video and having Beto on Carter's Cocktails was life-changing. Rawayana's creativity, their message, and the way they bring Venezuelan culture into everything they do inspires me so much. They are such special artists. How do you envision the role of Latin American culture evolving in the global entertainment industry over the next five years? I see Latin American culture becoming even more central to the global entertainment industry. Currently, we're in a time where the industry is finally recognizing the richness of Latin music, fashion, film, and storytelling. Over the next five years, I think we'll see Latin creatives become a driving creative force — not just being featured, but leading the narratives and owning the platforms. Latin talent is going to keep expanding its reach — I think we'll also see more fusion and collaboration across cultures. Latin American culture will help create totally new global aesthetics and sounds. The next five years are going to be very inspiring.
Los Angeles Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Diego Luna says Hollywood only offered drug dealer roles before ‘Star Wars'
Diego Luna revealed his personal experiences with Latinx typecasting in Hollywood prior to taking on the Empire in 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.' During an installment of the Hollywood Reporter's roundtable interview series, 'Off Script,' the Mexican star of the Emmy-nominated series 'Andor' revealed he was only offered drug dealer roles before he hyper-sped his way into a galaxy far, far away. 'Before 'Star Wars,' the only projects I'd get offered would be [about] drug dealers,' Luna said during the discussion, which included fellow drama actors Walton Goggins and Adam Scott. 'I could be the nice drug dealer and not the vicious one, but still a drug dealer.' The Golden Globe-nominated actor has been acting since he was a child in his native country of Mexico. He starred in various telenovelas during the 1990s before making his cinematic breakthrough in 2001 with Alfonso Cuarón's Oscar-nominated film, 'Y Tu Mamá También.' Luna would later appear in English-language films, such as Steven Spielberg's 2004 movie 'The Terminal' with Tom Hanks, as well as 'Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights,' in which Luna played the main love interest. He eventually starred in Netflix's cartel TV series, 'Narcos: Mexico,' as Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo, a founder of the Guadalajara Cartel. Luna added that Hollywood productions were not 'sending messages' that he could be himself in projects where he could see himself reflected in the roles. 'I remember being asked, 'Are you going to clean up your accent?' That's not part of the conversation anymore,' he said. 'But when I was 20, it was like, 'Man, you're great, and if you work with your accent, you'll be doing what this person or that person is doing.' And you go, 'Why would I like to do that? This is what makes me unique.'' Luna's presence in American productions has arguably helped increase the small percentage of Latinx representation in Hollywood; according to a 2023 report from the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, Latinx people represent 19% of the U.S. population, but they only account for 4.4% of actors in lead or co-lead roles. And when they do appear on screen, the study revealed, they tend to depict people who are immigrants and living in poverty, as well as characters that skew violent, angry and criminal. In February, Netflix committed $1 billion in Mexico productions of series and films, in hopes of creating opportunities for Latinx people nationwide, according to the Hollywood Reporter. 'This investment, and the productions derived therefrom, will benefit Mexican production companies and will contribute to the growth of the local audiovisual industry,' said Ted Sarandos, co-CEO of Netflix, during the press conference announcing the investment.
Los Angeles Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Streaming films top theatrical when it comes to diversity, new Hollywood study shows
A new study shows that there is one place in Hollywood where diversity efforts have been successful — streaming films. Released Wednesday, Part 2 of UCLA's 2025 Hollywood Diversity Report has found that the proportion of women and people of color working in key entertainment jobs has increased since the previous edition of the annual study. The report also found that a majority of the top 20 streaming-only films released in 2024 featured diverse casts. 'People across the country support diverse films regardless of whether it's in a theater or from the comfort of their couch,' Ana-Christina Ramón, the report's co-founder and the director of the Entertainment and Media Research Initiative at UCLA, said in a statement. Part 1 of the 2025 Hollywood Diversity Report, released in February, similarly found that theatrical films with casts that reflect the diversity of the real world performed better at the box office. 'Streaming platforms are one of the few places where the stories and faces that reflect the people of this country can be found on and off screen,' she added. According to the study, one out of two leads were played by actors of color in the year's top streaming movies. Broadly speaking, people of color as well as women in lead streaming film roles exceeded proportional representation. Actors of color starred in 51% of the top streaming releases in 2024 (up from 45% in 2023). In comparison, actors of color accounted for 25.2% of lead roles in the top theatrical films of 2024 (down from 29.2%). People of color account for 44.3% of the U.S. population. But when the actors' demographics are broken down further, the study shows that Latinx and Asian actors are still underrepresented among lead streaming roles. Latinx actors accounted for 6% of lead streaming roles, while Asian actors accounted for just 2%. (According to census data, 19.5% of the U.S. population identifies as Hispanic or Latino, and 6.4% as Asian.) Women, who represented 51% of streaming film leads in 2023, saw an increase to 61% in 2024. The study also found that while actors with known disabilities gained ground in 2024, they remain underrepresented on screen. This latest UCLA study examined 100 of the top English-language streaming films released in 2024 as well as 175 film deals that were documented that year. Among the information analyzed were the demographics of the actors, writers and directors involved in the films and deals as well as movie genre and budget. Much like the findings in the UCLA's theatrical report, the streaming report found that women and people of color drove viewership of the top 2024 streaming films. 'Our data shows that diverse storytellers and actors draw in and engage people from every demographic,' Jade Abston, the report's co-author and a doctoral candidate in cinema media studies, said in a statement. 'They're not just watching it — they're sharing it with their social media followers and talking about it online.' One key difference between streaming and theatrical movies, the study shows, is the overall budget of the films. The study found that while 65.5% of top streaming releases in 2024 had budgets under $20 million, 65.3% of theatrical films that year had budgets higher than that — 26% had budgets of $100 million or more. A mere 4.4% of streaming films had budgets in that range in 2024. The report also found that the proportion of people of color in directing and writing roles on streaming films saw an increase in 2024. Thirty percent of top streaming films had writers of color, while 41% were helmed by directors of color. Women, on the other hand, saw a drop to 28% of directors and 37% of writers, from 31% and 41% in 2023, respectively. Read the full report here.
Chicago Tribune
5 days ago
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Huge crowd lines Kimball Street for ‘No Kings' protest rally in Elgin
The 'No Kings' protest rally in Elgin Saturday drew a huge crowd to Kimball Street armed with signs bearing messages like, 'Rejecting Kings since 1776,' and chanting in opposition to President Donald Trump's actions and policies. Saturday's was one of about 2,000 rallies held in Chicago, the Chicago suburbs and around the country attended by an estimated 5 million people and held the same day as Trump held a military parade in Washington, D.C., for the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army, which coincided with the president's 79th birthday. Among those in the crowd were Bartlett residents Brittney Hurtado and her 10-year-old son Kevin, who collected money from people who couldn't attend to purchase water, juice and snacks for protesters. 'Our main reason (for attending) is what's being done to the undocumented community. It affects us directly, our family, our friends and the people who live around us,' she said. Hurtado said it's easy to feel helpless, which is why it's important to protest and support those who came out to do so. It was also a good way to demonstrate to her son that people need to stand up for their rights and the rights of others, she said. 'It's sad he has to be fighting for his rights that directly affect him and his family,' she said. Kevin Hurtado, whose hand-painted poster depicted Trump in clown makeup accompanied by a 'Not A King, But A Clown' message, said he took a lot from the event but also acknowledged it was 'too much to process.' Brittney Hurtado said she was heartened by both the size and the diversity of those in attendance, noting that it drew more than just 'brown people.' 'Today, there are people of all different races. I know we are all here for different reasons, but it's nice not to be the only ones here this time,' she said. Danise Habun, a former member of the Elgin Human Relations Commission, said she, too, was happy to see the big turnout. 'It's just wonderful that here in Elgin people are standing up, peacefully protesting and exercising our rights,' she said. 'I'm really proud of Elgin for coming out.' Personally, she hopes the protests 'are irritating our current president,' Habun said. The gatherings are not just to exercise the right to free speech but to spotlight the message that no one is above the law and an out-of-control leader must by restrained, she said. 'I'm so scared for my neighbors,' Habun said. 'Where I live, the neighborhood is predominately Latinx. I see people are not outside as much anymore. It's horrible.' ICE was active in the Elgin area last week, looking for undocumented immigrants. In one instance, ICE agents were involved in a car accident at Spring and Seneca streets, which resulted in Elgin police being called. Police officials stressed in a news release that the department was not involved in helping the agency carry out detentions. West Dundee resident Tab Curtis attended the protest wearing a TACO hat, the letters of which stand for 'Trump Always Chickens Out' and referencing the president's back-and-forth stance on implementing tariffs on other countries. But what provoked her to participate, she said, were the ICE raids being conducted in California and Trump's decision to call in the National Guard and Marines. 'All of it is an outrage,' Curtis said. 'I see our freedoms being stripped away by this administration. … (Protests help) us take back our country from these extremists.' Curtis' position was echoed by state Sten. Christina Castro, D-Elgin, who said people are angry and don't want this kind of government. 'We did not elect a king. We did not elect a dictator,' she said. Castro said the way immigrant detentions are being conducted is far removed from what Trump said he was going to do. 'No one disagrees with the need to get criminals out of the country, but ICE is detaining regular, hard-working immigrants,' she said. 'Personally, as a Latina, it hurts my soul.' Saturday's protest was was attended by a few Trump supporters, one of whom wore a MAGA (Make America Great Again) baseball cap, carried an American flag and shouted at protesters. When asked to comment on why he was there, he declined to comment. Cheryl Wilkins carried American, Colombian, and Mexican-American flags as she lined up on Kimball Street. She also had a sign that read, in part, 'Americans are people of principle, of honor.' '(Trump) doesn't honor anybody. He is not bound by the law,' Wilkins said. 'I don't think Trump cares about dissent, but we care. I think if we care enough, it will make a difference.'
Technical.ly
6 days ago
- Politics
- Technical.ly
The Trump administration is gutting science. Here's why that matters for all of us.
Chinese Admiral Zheng He was as imperialist as any. Half a century before the Europeans began their transatlantic age of conquest, he led the world's most sophisticated maritime expeditions, backed by China's superior technology and a centralized state. But after Zheng He's final voyage in the 1430s, political leaders fearful of external influence shut it all down. Shipbuilding ceased. Scientific knowledge stagnated. Poised to shape the modern world, China turned inward — and missed its moment. In 2025, America may be risking the same fate. Since returning to office in January, the Trump administration has cancelled more than 3,000 already-approved federal research grants totaling over $8 billion, according to the Economist. That includes more than $750 million in NIH biomedical research and $1.5 billion in NSF grants affecting topics from clean energy to cybersecurity education. The consequences aren't abstract. Researchers across the country are abandoning promising work on Alzheimer's, pandemic prevention, HIV treatment, mental health, teacher training and clean water. In many cases, the research was nearly complete, with data collected but no funding left to analyze or publish it. 'You can't tell me this is about efficiency,' Caroline Hardin, a professor whose $230,000 NSF grant to expand computer science teaching was abruptly terminated, told NEA Today. 'It's so profoundly inefficient.' 'You can't tell me this is about efficiency. It's so profoundly inefficient.' Caroline Hardin, Western Washington University In Atlanta, an HIV clinic is shutting down parts of its operation. At Western Washington University, researchers studying how to recruit women into cybersecurity can no longer publish what they learned. At UMass Amherst, a $6 million clean-energy initiative designed to ensure low-income communities aren't left behind is gone. Meanwhile, elite institutions like Columbia, Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania are seeing grants revoked not over questions of scientific merit but for political reasons. Columbia alone lost over 400 NIH grants in retaliation for campus protests. NIH staff received direct orders to cut any projects using phrases like 'Latinx,' 'gender minority' or 'climate justice.' More NIH grants were terminated in four months of 2025 than in the previous 12 years combined, per ProPublica. The result is a quiet collapse of America's scientific engine — and the clearest sign yet that scientific inquiry, once seen as apolitical infrastructure, is now a target. 'We're in for multiple pandemics,' epidemiologist Ralph Baric, whose COVID-era vaccine work was defunded, told the Economist. 'I guess we'll have to buy the drugs from the Chinese.' Critics say these cuts amount to a de facto purge — gutting research related to diversity, climate, public health or anything that challenges the administration's worldview. But even 'neutral' science isn't safe. The National Weather Service has halved its weather balloon launches. NOAA staff have been slashed. NASA's Earth observation satellites may soon be defunded. The CDC has paused all HIV research. Across federal labs, basic supplies like gloves and reagents are running short. 'It feels like a ship going down,' UMass professor Krista Harper told NEA Today. On Saturday, in more than 2,000 U.S. towns and cities, Americans gathered for 'No Kings Day,' a protest movement against Trump's authoritarian impulses — including his attacks on science. Organizers say the military parade in Washington DC wasn't just a spectacle but a symbol of power replacing process. 'We don't do kings in America,' Ezra Levin of No Kings –organizer Indivisible told ABC News. 'We don't let one man decide what truth gets funded.' The science community agrees. A letter signed by over 20 Nobel laureates and thousands of global researchers this week urged the NIH director to reverse the cuts. Lawsuits are mounting. But in the meantime, damage is being done — not just to labs and careers, but to the very idea that facts should guide policy. In 1433, China's rulers shut down their navy to control their narrative. The decision helped them keep power — but it ceded the future. What kind of country are we becoming if we let ideology sink our science?
