September 12, 2024
Newly Formed Latino Representation in Gaming Coalition Announced by National Latino-Serving Orgs and Rep. Joaquin Castro
Group seeks more transparency, greater representation in industry and content, and inclusive and inviting environment for Latinos
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX), National Hispanic Media Coalition, Hispanic Heritage Foundation, Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, MANA, Latinx in Gaming, Hispanic Association for Corporate Responsibility and Latino Corporate Directors Association and Estuardo Rodriguez announced the formation of the Latino Representation in Gaming Coalition (LRGC) at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, to an audience of Latino leadership, Capitol Hill Staff, video gaming representatives, and press.
LRGC’s purpose is to push for:
“When I was growing up, I was often glued to the television, and I went to the movies as often as I could. I loved classics like The Breakfast Club or Family Ties, even though the faces and names I saw on screen rarely matched the world around me on the Westside of San Antonio. Today, video games are playing as large a role as the media I grew up with,” said Congressman Joaquin Castro, who has led similar efforts like LRGC but focused on Hollywood and the publishing industry. “As a Congressman, I’ve worked to improve Latino representation across all sectors of American entertainment, including television and publishing. Latino gamers dominate the video game market and prop up the industry’s profits, and we deserve to see our stories and voices fully represented.”
The video gaming industry is the largest in the entertainment sector, yet Latino representation remains disproportionately low vs Latino video gaming consumers, users and overall population. “As a Native woman, as a Latina, as someone who watched my Native and Latino son grow up playing games, this coalition is personal for me,” said Brenda Victoria Castillo, President and CEO of NHMC. “Games are everywhere these days, and we’re also plugged into the world of gaming through our phones. With Latine individuals playing video games more than any other group, it has never been more important to have the games we play reflect the positive stories and portrayals our communities want to tell. The Coalition is dedicated to fighting for positive representation in all entertainment mediums – from the movie screen to the video game monitor – and we will work to ensure the industry sees us, hears us and respects our power.”
“This lack of representation in video gaming impacts game development, marketing, content creation including how Latinos are depicted in stories, decision making, and corporate leadership,” added HHF’s Antonio Tijerino who helped found the Coalition. “The $180 billion video gaming industry – which according to SuperData Research is calculated to be up to eight times bigger than the movie industry – needs to do better but we are optimistic in light of an IGDA survey from last year that found that 87 percent of game developers said ‘diversity in game content’ is ‘very or somewhat important,’ which means there is energy to improve. HHF created a series of Latino-themed Minecraft games that not only have been very successful on their EDU platform but were developed by a team exclusively of Latinos, so we are focused on what’s possible. The Coalition is here to help.”
For more information on the Latino Representation in Gaming Coalition please contact Randy Abreu at rabreu@nhmc.org and for media inquiries coordinate with Nicolas Peña at Nicolas@hispanicheritage.org.
