Zoe Saldaña’s Oscar Win Is Huge — But Hollywood’s Latina Representation Is Still Embarrassingly Low 

Zoe Saldaña’s Oscar Win Is Huge — But Hollywood’s Latina Representation Is Still Embarrassingly Low 
Credit: Instagram/ @zoesaldana

The list of Latinas who have taken home an Oscar is painfully short. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has handed out awards for nearly a century, yet the number of Latina winners can be counted on one hand. Zoe Saldaña added her name to that exclusive list on Sunday night, becoming the first Dominican American to win an Oscar. The Latino community, the Afro-Dominican community, women in film, and so many others celebrated the moment. 

Zoe Saldaña Deserves This Oscar Win

Saldaña won Best Supporting Actress for her role in Emilia Pérez, a film that tells the story of a trans cartel boss seeking a new life. She played Rita Mora Castro, the lawyer who helps make that transformation possible. The performance marked a milestone in her career. This was her first Oscar nomination and win. 

“I am a proud child of immigrant parents with dreams and dignity and hard-working hands,” she said onstage. “The fact that I’m getting an award for a role where I got to sing and speak in Spanish — my grandmother, if she were here, would’ve been so delighted.” 

A History of Latina Oscar Winners

Saldaña’s win carries the weight of history. Only a handful of Latinas have stood on that stage before her. Ariana DeBose won Best Supporting Actress in 2022 for West Side Story, becoming the first openly queer woman of color to win the award. She played Anita, the same role that made Rita Moreno the first Latina Oscar winner in 1962. Moreno, a legend in her own right, broke barriers and set the stage for future generations, but the progress has been slow. 

DeBose, fully aware of the significance of her win, acknowledged Moreno in her speech. “For anyone who has ever questioned their identity, there is indeed a place for us,” she said, quoting West Side Story. She looked toward Moreno and thanked her for paving the way for other “Anitas” in Hollywood. 

In 2014, Lupita Nyong’o won Best Supporting Actress for 12 Years a Slave. She delivered one of the most memorable speeches in Oscar history. “It doesn’t escape me for one moment that so much joy in my life is thanks to so much pain in someone else’s,” she said, acknowledging the real-life suffering behind the story of Solomon Northup. She ended with a message that resonated far beyond the Dolby Theatre. “When I look down at this golden statue, may it remind me and every child, no matter where you’re from, your dreams are valid.” 

The Road Ahead

Saldaña’s historic win did not come without controversy. During the post-award press conference, a reporter suggested that Emilia Pérez had been “really hurtful for Mexicans.” Saldaña responded with care but stood firm. “First of all, I’m very, very sorry that you and so many Mexicans felt offended. That was never our intention. We spoke and came from a place of love, and I will stand by that,” she said. “For me, the heart of this movie was not Mexico. We weren’t making a film about a country. We were making a film about four women.” 

Her words reinforced the idea that films can hold different meanings for different people. Her performance, like those of DeBose, Moreno, and Nyong’o before her, is now part of a larger conversation about representation in Hollywood. 

One win does not erase decades of exclusion. The industry still has a long way to go in recognizing Latina talent. But for now, Saldaña’s triumph is a moment of joy and a reason for many communities to celebrate. 

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