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Carlos Salcines
Episode 49: Latinx Representation in Media, or Lack Thereof
Meet Carlos Salcines, a Cuban-American born and raised in McAllen, TX whose Latinidad helps him add a multicultural twist to how movies are being advertised in Hollywood.
Carlos was born and raised in McAllen, TX, which meant he was exposed to the Cuban and Mexican cultures, and experienced the complexity of being a Latino in the U.S. early on in life.
After graduating from high school, Carlos started College at the University of Texas at Austin, convinced that he would become a doctor, but always had a strong interest in movies and television. It was his cousin who had a tremendous influence in the fate of his career, after inviting him to attend the first ever Latin Grammy’s Ceremony in L.A. Once he returned from that trip, and only after reaching a compromise with his Cuban parents, Carlos doubled majored in radio, television and film, as well as advertising.
Upon graduation, he packed his car and moved to L.A. to pursue his career as a creative, and ended up landing a job in advertising. Today, he is the V.P. of Multicultural Marketing at Warner Bros. Pictures. He has been involved in marketing movies like “In The Heights”, “Father of the Bride” and “Black Adam” to diverse audiences.
Given the focus of his job, the topic of representation is top of mind, because he believes seeing ourselves represented in all fields is extremely important, as it can help us dream of what was once unthinkable.
We discussed the lack of representation of the Latinx community in media and entertainment, and the frustration and disappointment we feel every time a show that centers Latinx stories gets cancelled. We also discussed what we can do to help see more people like us in media, telling stories that go beyond our suffering and resilience, and it all comes down to embracing the fact that Unidos Somos Mas.
Being Latinx in the U.S. is complicated because we are not a monolith, but we can celebrate what unites us, while recognizing our differences. The invitation is to support Latinx shows/movies by watching, and encouraging our friends to watch… just like we do with shows that center other cultures and experiences in their stories.
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