Camila Mendes has a serious issue with casting in Hollywood!
Despite her breakout role on Riverdale, the actress says she’s noticed some troubling things about how race is being looked at, especially as an American Latina.
Related: Riverdale Cast Prove They Can Make Any Situation SeXXXy!
The 23-year-old opened up to People Chica, admitting:
“I’m pretty new to Hollywood, but I’m already starting to see the issues in how some projects are cast. I often hear things like, ‘You don’t look Latina enough,’ and that mentality is so backwards. The fact is: I am Latina, so how are you going to tell me that I don’t look Latina?”
Exactly right!!
As Riverdale fans already know, the Brazilian starlet plays Victoria Lodge, a privileged Latina from an upper class family. And Camila is all about it, explaining why it’s important to get away from the Latin stereotypes on TV:
“It’s just so refreshing to see a different story being told for Latin families. The Lodge family is a much-needed departure from the underprivileged, sleazy Latino drug-dealers we’re used to seeing in entertainment. It’s rare that you see Latin families being portrayed as intelligent, sophisticated, and powerful entities.”
In real life though, the rising star explained what it’s like growing up Latina in America:
“For me, being an ‘American Latina’ means identifying with and being influenced by both my American upbringing and my Latin heritage, and I have so much appreciation for how those two cultures have created who I am. I’m a full-blooded Brazilian, with an entire extended family of Brazilians, but I was born and raised in the U.S. When I go to Brazil, I feel like an American, and in the U.S., I always notice the traits that make me Brazilian.”
She’s Latina and proud!
Good for Camila for speaking out about it and calling out Hollywood’s race issues!
[Image via FayesVision/WENN.]
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