God Bless America (Ferrera)

If you have not seen (or at least heard about) the “Barbie” movie after over a year of it being out to the public, I would have to ask what kind of rock you have been living under. The dialogue, parallelism, irony and content are raw and fresh. The characters are layered and relatable and the plot is perfectly simplistic and authentically complex at the same time. 

While I can go on and on about how that movie has changed me as a person, that’s not what this week is meant for. Instead, I will focus on the woman behind one of the greatest monologues to not just come out of the “Barbie” movie, but (in my biased opinion), any movie ever. 

America Ferrera, most recently known for her performance as Gloria, a mother and underappreciated assistant, in “Barbie“, has been a prominent figure for Hispanic representation in Hollywood for years. She is talented, accomplished and unapologetically-vocal about her intersectional cultural and gender identities that are common across the United States, but are commonly unappreciated and overshadowed in the acting industry. 

Born to immigrant parents from Honduras, Ferrera grew up in the United States with a unique perspective on the racism, misogyny and hatred that is embedded into American culture. However, those experiences with discrimination did not cause her to censor or hide parts of her identity; in fact, she swung in the complete opposite direction. 

Ferrera has used her own mix of identities to show young Hispanic girls all over the world that you can have any skin color, come from any background, speak any language – and you still deserve a place in front of the camera. 

As the first Latina to win an Emmy in a lead category, Ferrera has stood strong on the fact that she strives to be the type of person that she wished she would have seen on television as a child. She is open about the fact that after winning said Emmy, she was frustrated with how long it took for someone that looks like her to win something of that level. Not because Latinas could not do it before her, but because it should not have taken Hollywood this long to recognize and talents of the Hispanic performers that came before her. 

Nevertheless, America Ferrera has led a movement for Hispanic representation in a sector that has silenced any sort of Hispanic voice for so long. She serves as a reminder that you can be yourself and still find a spotlight to stand in. 

There are many other important Hispanic figures that have done remarkable things for themselves, other people and the world. America Ferrera is just one example of just how much good has come out of celebrating and uplifting Hispanic voices, not just during this month, but all the time. 

Let’s not forget about those that deserve their time to shine.

• #celebrate
• diversity
• uplift