Prime Time for Latinos Report III: 2001-2002 Prime Television Season.

National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts along with Children Now have sponsored research that exemplifies that entertainment media messages become part of our belief system about the world around us. Television is especially significant as it produces and perpetuates a social standard that is viewed by a vast majority of the population.

An examination of 3172 characters appearing on the six major networks during the Fall 2001-02 prime time season found that:

• Latino characters comprised 4% of the prime time population, compared to their proportion of the United States population of 12.5%. Their representation on prime time improved from 2% last year.
• Latinos accounted for 2% of all primary recurring characters, the same as last year.
• Four out of five Latino characters appeared in secondary and tertiary roles.
• Two thirds of Latino characters were male.
• Latino male characters most often appeared in law-enforcing occupations or as criminals.
• Latina characters most often appeared in the roles of nurse, clerical worker or domestic worker.
• Latina characters were younger, on average, than the overall female prime time population.

Latinos on Prime Time: 2001-02 Prime Time Television Season

• While the total percentage of Latinos doubled from the 2000-01 to the 2001-02 season, the increase was found mostly in secondary and non-recurring roles. In the 2001-02 fall season, the percentage of Latino characters increased from 2% to 4% of the total prime time population. However, the majority of Latinos (80%) played secondary and tertiary characters.

• Latinos accounted for 2% of all primary recurring characters, the same percentage as last year. Despite the increase in Latino portrayals overall, the percentage of primary recurring Latino characters remained the same as last season.

• Most Latinos in prime time were male. Males accounted for nearly two-thirds (65%) of all Latino portrayals, while females accounted for just over a third (35%) of these portrayals.

• Latina characters were younger, on average, than the overall female prime time population. Nearly half of all Latina characters (48%) were young adults approximately 18-29 years old. In comparison, only one-third of all female characters on prime time (33%) were young adults.

• Nearly a quarter of Latino characters spoke with foreign accents. In the 2001-02 season, 28 Latino characters (22%) were portrayed with accents. Twelve characters (9%) were identified as non-U.S. citizens: three-fourths of these characters were featured on one program, CBS’s The Agency, as criminals and bodyguards from Cuba and Colombia.

• Nearly two thirds of Latino characters appeared in drama and science fiction programs. Sixty three percent of Latino portrayals were found in drama and science fiction programs. One fifth of Latino characters (21%) were portrayed in reality and real life programs,7 often in the context of crime and law enforcement.8 Situation comedies and comedic dramas accounted for the remaining 16% of Latino portrayals. The dearth of Latinos in situation comedies is particularly significant for young viewers because children watch situation comedies more than any other prime time genre.

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Research Conducted By: Katharine E. Heinz-Knowles, Ph.D. and Jennifer H. Henderson, Ph.C.
Written By: McCrae A. Parker and Sarah Grossman-Swenson
Editorial Assistance: Eileen Espejo, Christy Glaubke, Patti Miller and Amy Dominguez-Arms.