Leguizamo reflected on his own experiences growing up, noting that he rarely saw people who looked like him in acting roles. He pointed out instances of brownface, such as Marlon Brando as Emiliano Zapata, Al Pacino as Tony Montana, and Natalie Wood as Maria, lamenting that “everybody played us except us.” He also mentioned that characters like Desi Arnaz's Ricky Ricardo and the cartoon Speedy Gonzales were among the few representations available, leaving him to wonder if Latin people would ever be represented in the future.
For years, Leguizamo avoided complaining about the limited roles for Latinos, such as the stereotypical "Latin lover" or "gang banger," but eventually decided to speak out. He humorously noted his recent full-page ad in The New York Times urging Emmy voters to consider candidates of color, joking about the cost of the ad and its effectiveness in prompting change.
Leguizamo expressed cautious optimism about the diversity seen at the Emmys, noting that it was one of the most diverse lists of nominees in history. He highlighted nominations for Selena Gomez, who he quipped had been carrying Steve Martin and Martin Short on "Only Murders in the Building," as well as other Latinx nominees such as Sofia Vergara, Issa Lopez, Kali Reis, and Nava Mau. He even jokingly included Mark Cuban, referring to his last name as a nod to Latino representation.
As he introduced Cris Abrego, the first Latino chair of the Television Academy, Leguizamo humorously claimed credit for Abrego’s appointment due to his ad, only to be corrected that Abrego was appointed before the ad was published. He concluded by emphasizing the need for more stories from various marginalized groups, including Black, Asian, Jewish, Arab, LGBTQ+, and disabled communities, and acknowledged the progress made in the industry, praising Abrego as someone dedicated to advancing this progress.
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