As Hispanic Heritage Month comes to an end, I’ve begun to think about the next chapter of my life as a Latina who will soon be navigating the working world. Being a rising senior, I found myself reflecting on my heritage and asking what exactly this means to me.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve started looking into careers to pursue after I graduate. Naturally, this has made things pretty overwhelming. As an aspiring screenwriter, I didn’t realize how much my identity — being both Latine and a woman — would shape my role in the world.

I assumed, perhaps naively, that there would be many people in cinema with backgrounds like mine. America is often described as a melting pot: a society that is made up of hundreds of different types of cultures, languages and people.

Therefore, I thought that the film industry would reflect this type of diversity, especially when the industry is built around storytelling. It just didn’t occur to me that the stories being told were often through the lens of cisgender white men.

I’m starting to face reality and acknowledge that the state of things is grimmer than I expected. I still dream of being a screenwriter and director, but I’ve become increasingly aware that these positions are often not held by people like me.

Directors that are women of color are rare in the film industry, and it proves the struggle I will be up against. As a minority in the field, there’s not an easy route for how to succeed like there might be for other careers. It’s very much a “make it up as you go” sort of path, which for someone like me, isn’t exactly the easiest thing to approach.

I’ve come to realize that people who share my identity will be a rare sight as I start making my way into screenwriting, but instead of letting that discourage me, it’s made me even more determined. According to a Los Angeles Times Article published in 2021, Latine writers in Hollywood made up only 8.7% of employed television writers in 2019, information measured by the Writers Association Guild. It’s difficult to find role models who’ve experienced a life similar to mine, but this has only made me more certain that my perspective is needed, and I’m ready to face the challenges ahead.

I try to stay positive despite these jarring numbers. They’ve made me realize why community is so important. While I may not be surrounded by people with the same identities at work, I can still have these connections in my other circles. Whether through my family or friends, it’s incredibly valuable to have people around me who understand my struggles as a Latina.

It can be disheartening to see that despite the diversity in our world, it is often not reflected in many areas of work. I know a lot of Latines deal with these same feelings — it’s easy to feel alienated or isolated when you feel like you are not represented in spaces you occupy.

As I reflected on my decision to continue pursuing a career in the film industry, I arrived at a revelation. I realized that while the diversity of certain places may not be in my control, I can control the people in my own circles. This is why I tend to join groups oriented towards supporting Latina women, rather than those that don’t — my identity and my culture mean a lot to me.

While I was slightly discouraged after understanding that Latine people make up a small portion of the career I want to get into, the state of things only shows how much my participation is needed. I can either accept the facts and let them deter me, or I can join in with the hope of raising that number, even if it’s just by one percent.

Representation matters, and our recent American politics pertaining to diversity and inclusion have shown this. People of color care about seeing people that look like them, especially on the big screen. There are countless stories to be told by people who have been silenced for far too long, and I dream of telling them.

This Hispanic Heritage month has shown me the strength my identity gives me, and I plan on embedding myself into every space unapologetically, just as many strong Latinas have before me.

This article appeared in print on Page 14 of Vol. LVIII Issue V, published Oct. 21, 2024.