Oscars 2016: Wear Brown Ribbons to Support Latinos, Eva Longoria Urges

While the backlash over the lack of Black nominees at the Oscars is louder, many also lament the lack of Latino recognition and representation in the movie industry -- Eva Longoria included. The actress is now urging those who attend the event to sport brown ribbons to show their support for the Latino entertainment community.

Red for AIDS and pink for breast cancer -- these are the colors of ribbons most celebrities and fans are familiar with in past Oscar ceremonies. This year, however, with the lack of diversity at the Oscars, the Brown Ribbon Campaign has emerged. Under this campaign, those who believe in the Latino community are urged to wear brown ribbons to highlight the lack of Latino representation in films. The former "Desperate Housewives" star is a staunch supporter of this campaign.

Apart from the brown ribbons, supporters are also urged to tweet during the Oscars telecast using hashtags #HollywoodBrownout and #BrownRibbonCampaign.

For Longoria, the campaign can spread awareness as to how a significant portion of American moviegoers is of Latin American descent but yet not enough Latinos are being seen in movies. "I can't wait for the day when 'diversity' isn't just the hot topic of the moment, but a true reality that is reflected on screen," the actress said. "The change is coming, and I am happy to be a part of it."  

The National Hispanic Media Coalition also promoted the campaign at the annual Impact Awards Gala on Friday. "The film studios need to accept the reality that people of color are almost 40% of the U.S. population and that Latinos specifically watch more films than any other group," president of NHMC Alex Nogales said. "We cannot be locked out of the jobs that shape our culture when we are so many, consume so much, and have the talent and expertise to be part and parcel of the industry."

Speaking with Jeffrey Brown, Nogales also said there simply are no opportunities for Latino artists. He said that the people at the very top are not making more inclusive decisions. He also said that as white males mainly head the leaders of the six studios in town, they are unlikely to consider people different from them when making projects. Nogales said he hopes that in time, there will be enough representation in front and in the back of the camera. While TV shows are starting to include more Latinos, films are yet to take the same direction, he noted.

Here is the PBS News interview at length: