Let’s Talk, In The Heights Film: Colorism in Latin Hollywood

Source: Susan Sermoneta

Growing up in Washington Heights is what I call growing up home away from home. On the 10th of June, 2021, the film “In the Heights” was released in honor of my community’s story. Since then, there has been controversy regarding the lack of representation of Afro - Latinos in the film. The film is essentially an adaptation of its Broadway Musical, also named “In the Heights,“ whose lyricist is Lin-Manuel Miranda. The purpose of both the film and musical was to capture the culture and rhythm of Washington Heights, a beautiful Dominican-dominated community located in Uptown Manhattan, New York City. Since its release, there has been some backlash directed towards the film due to the lack of Afro-Latino representation. As a Dominican born and raised in Washington Heights, also known as the Little Dominican Republic, I'm going to break down the discussion of Colorism - not only in this film but overall in Latin Hollywood.

Latin Hollywood has done a poor job painting a strong picture of what Latinos look like, neglecting that Latinos come in every shade, hair texture, and body figure. It's unarguable that popular Latino platforms don't share the true diversity within the Latin Community, stemming from a bigger issue such as Colorism. Colorism is a form of bias subjected by someone's shade of skin and/or hair type, constructed by societal norms. It’s important to stress that there isn't a Latin Country that doesn’t have black people, but due to those Black Latinos not carrying what is stereotyped as ‘Latin features,' they aren't offered the same opportunities like air time compared to those with dominated European features. This is very much a privilege on a spectrum because the lighter you are, the more accessible you are to obtaining privileges, as in the darker you are, the more struggles and difficulties you will encounter. “In the Heights” presented an opportunity to include those who typically have fewer opportunities and are underrepresented in Latin films, but instead, it ended up being another film of exclusion. As stressed by lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda, “It’s a film made for the Latin Community,'' but just like the rest of Latin Hollywood, it doesn’t represent all of us. This has taken away what was much needed and what could’ve been something magical for all of the community.

Besides its lack of representation, “In the Heights” is a beautiful film. It’s an American plot of the Latin descendant story, sharing the genuine struggles our family has been through and still goes through holding on to “paciencia y fe,” patience, and faith. This is exciting to see, it’s worth celebrating and acknowledging. A Latin American story filmed and shared on a big budget - that itself is rare. In a way, it even emotionally triggers that generational patience and faith one has always had; finally feeling viewed, acknowledged, and celebrated. That itself makes this film admirable and relatable, but as previously mentioned, this is why the film had such a negative reaction. “In the Heights” meant a lot to the community, but didn't include all of it. It's ironic how a film based on a Dominican-dominated community has no true representation of Dominicans and what it feels like walking in the neighborhood - when in reality, the vast majority are Black Latinos. In fact, the roles of Dominicans were cast to play by light complexion Puerto Ricans. In other words, the characters in the storyline who are Dominican were played by light skin Puerto Ricans. Meaning, the Dominican representation wasn't even Dominican representation. This is why colorism and even exploitation becomes the main topic when discussing the film. The lack of Dominican representation in the film is drained, it waters more a Boricua community rather than Dominican. Not only that, but it also erased the opportunity for more Dominican faces in Latin Hollywood, which isn’t often seen. You would think a film about the community would involve the community - not just use its highlighted locations.

For obvious reasons, this film has reopened the conversation of colorism in Latin Hollywood, it’s nothing new but it’s very much being ignored by directors, producers, and casting teams. It’s unfortunate. Stemming from an insufficient education, there’s a lack of support from others, creating a lost opportunity for the Afro-Latino community. Colorism doesn’t only erase the opportunity of those with a darker skin complexion, but it also jeopardizes the neighborhood within that community. This is mentioned because while the film production didn’t include the people, it included their culture and neighborhood, creating heavy exploitation. The inevitable change will be brought to Washington Heights - unwanted tourism creates gentrification. Now is when the effect and consequences of the film will arise in the Heights. Hence, why the topic of conversation is important, especially acknowledging its domino effect.

I encourage everyone to watch the film so that our Latin American storylines can continue to be supported with huge budgets, but while doing so, it’s vital to encourage growth and education. Acknowledge the colorism in Latin Hollywood, discuss the common theme of exploitation, and stop neglecting the bigger picture.