Rep. Joaquin Castro Urges Adding ‘Blood In, Blood Out’ to National Film Registry

As part of his efforts to promote Latino inclusion in Hollywood, U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) has recommended that the crime dramas “Blood In Blood Out” and “American Me” be added to the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry for 2024.

“Both movies were able to show the humanity in the Latino community, even within very flawed characters,” Castro noted, acknowledging that the films depict characters as gang members—a long-held stereotype in media. “It was an exploration of a certain life. I’ve always thought, at least one of those deserves to go in there.”

This marks the third year that Castro has sent a letter to the National Film Preservation Board, recommending a list of “Latino-driven” stories for inclusion. His ongoing campaign aims to recognize the ethnic group’s contributions to media and to push for continued representation in American culture.

Castro believes the entertainment industry is one of the largest “narrative-creating” institutions, and its decisions to portray negative tropes can be harmful.

Every year, the board adds 25 titles to the registry. So far, three of Castro’s over 50 nominations have been selected, including the biopic “Selena,” starring Jennifer Lopez, which depicts the life of iconic Tejana singer Selena Quintanilla. For Castro, this is still insufficient considering the artistic contributions by Latinos to movies.

The registry’s goal is to ensure that the selected films are conserved to increase public awareness and accessibility for educational purposes. Anyone can submit a nomination.

However, according to Brenda Victoria Castillo, president of the National Hispanic Media Coalition and a new member of the National Film Preservation Board, less than 5% of the 875 films preserved are Latino-themed.

“The Latine community, along with its films and unique stories, has a significant impact on the cultural history of the U.S., making it essential that we preserve them for future generations,” Castillo said.

The ethnic group is one of the largest consumers of media. A McKinsey & Co. report earlier this year noted the highest per capita theater attendance rate at an average of 3.3 times a year among Latinos. The report also found that films with a Latino producer, director, or lead earned 58% more between 2013 to 2022.

Yet, according to two reports from USC Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism, Latinos are historically underrepresented in both behind and in front of the camera roles. One report found that, between 2007 and 2019, only 3.5% of leads in films were Latino. The other showed that, between 2007 and 2022, merely 3.7% of directors were of Latin descent.

Felix Sanchez, a co-founder of the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts, stated that adding films from Castro’s list to the registry will help families uncover titles told with unique cultural perspectives.

“It’s very hard to have big numbers when you have small content,” Sanchez mentioned. “We can only nominate what we have and the numbers are small in terms of what’s possible for the registry.”

He added that the list of nominees could be used as a tool to illustrate the continued success of these narratives to Hollywood executives who might be hesitant about investing in such projects.

In a 2020 Variety article, Castro criticized Hollywood executives for their “pervasive lack” of positive representation. He praised “Blue Beetle” for being the first live-action Latin superhero depicted in a feature film and said he looks forward to more nominations in the future as more Latin-centric films reach the required 10-year eligibility mark.

“Those contributions, I expect, will receive even greater recognition,” Castro said.

The official list of films added to the registry will be announced in December. Public submissions for this year are closed, but nominations for the registry’s 2025 list are now open until Aug. 15.

Castro’s 2024 list of nominations includes:

1. “Blood in Blood Out” (1993)
2. “Frida” (2002)
3. “Like Water for Chocolate” (1992)
4. “Mi Familia” (1995)
5. “Y Tu Mamá También” (2001)
6. “La Misma Luna” (2007)
7. “American Me” (1992)
8. “Tortilla Soup” (2001)
9. “The Milagro Beanfield War” (1988)
10. “Cesar Chavez” (2014)
11. “Pan’s Labyrinth” (2006)
12. “Motorcycle Diaries” (2004)
13. “Mi Vida Loca” (1994)
14. “Instructions Not Included” (2013)
15. “Chicano I & II: The Mexican American Heritage Series” (1971)
16. “La Mission” (2010)
17. “Babel” (2006)
18. “125 Franco’s Blvd” (2010)
19. “Don’t Let Me Drown” (2009)
20. “Bless Me, Ultima” (2012)
21. “Walkout” (2006)
22. “Gotta Kick It Up!” (2002)
23. “Mosquita y Mari” (2012)
24. “Gun Hill Road” (2011)
25. “American Experience: Roberto Clemente” (2008)

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.