Latina women are not getting a lot of screen time, but when they are it’s usually as sex objects, according to a new study from the Media, Diversity & Social Change Initiative at the University of California’s Annenberg School.
The group has long documented Hollywood’s lack of racial diversity, but their newest research finds that Hispanic actors and actresses may have it the worst. Of the 600 top-grossing films from the past six years, only 4.9% of speaking characters in the years surveyed were Hispanic even though 16.3% of the entire U.S. population is Hispanic and 25% of moviegoers are Latino.
And the few roles that Hispanic actors do get often require them to strip down: In 2013, Hispanic women were the most likely of all women to be partially or fully naked onscreen (37.5%). White women were next at 31.9%, followed by Asian (23.5%) and black (18.2%) women. Hispanic men, meanwhile, were also the most likely to be sexualized among actors (16.5%), and white men were the least likely to have exposed skin (9.9%, compared to black actors’ 12.1% and Asian actors’ 15.4%).
More Must-Reads From TIME
- Jane Fonda Champions Climate Action for Every Generation
- Biden’s Campaign Is In Trouble. Will the Turnaround Plan Work?
- Why We're Spending So Much Money Now
- The Financial Influencers Women Actually Want to Listen To
- Breaker Sunny Choi Is Heading to Paris
- Why TV Can’t Stop Making Silly Shows About Lady Journalists
- The Case for Wearing Shoes in the House
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Write to Eliana Dockterman at eliana.dockterman@time.com