Representation Matters: 15 Latinxs I Saw on TV While Growing Up

I didn’t care much for having Barbie dolls when I was little. I had her Latinx friend Teresa (I still have to find out who bought this doll for me and thank them). Maybe it’s because Teresa looked more like me, with dark hair and dark eyes. The point is that it’s imperative that little girls and boys see people who look like them, everywhere — and this includes television and film. On the small screen, among the sea of human Barbies, with blonde hair, blue eyes, no accents, and European names, I felt empowered and seen to witness the presence of a doll such as Teresa. Here are those Latinx actors and actresses whom I saw on television, while growing up in the eighties and nineties. Because representation matters.

9The Cast of Culture Clash

Culture Clash Representation
Photo Credit Via eyegiene.sdsu.edu

Imagine laughing to a funny sketch comedy show, which starred Chicanos who made jokes about Latinx things, and featured huge Latinx stars. This was Culture Clash, which aired on FOX from 1993 to 1996. And they were from my hometown of San Francisco!