Progress! Latinx Character In New TV Show Isn’t A Gang Member, But He Is A Bad Person
LOS ANGELES, CA—In a sure sign of social progress, the sole Latinx character on the upcoming NBC drama Chicago Law is not a gang member, but is actually just a reprehensible person.
“The character of Ramón Pérez, an up-and-coming lawyer at the law firm of Prince, White, Young & White is a departure from old stereotypes,” said NBC public relations representative Jennifer Gourley. “For years, Latinx individuals were only portrayed in TV and film as gangbangers, hoods, and ‘vatos.’ Perez is a new kind of Latinx representative. He was raised in an upper-middle-class home in Evanston, educated at Yale, and has never even considered joining the Latin Kings or MS-13. He’s simply an incredibly terrible person, regardless of race.”
Patrick Crosby, a professor of Hispanic Studies at Loyola University, praised the show for its efforts at diverse representation.
“Pérez is a new kind of Latinx character, something we haven’t seen before on TV,” Crosby noted. “He’s not streetwise. No tattoos. He’s not violent, except in subtly emotional ways to his romantic partners—wait for the season finale, it's going to get exciting. He couldn’t even tell a sacred crown from a crip sign. NBC is taking a huge step by showing us a Latinx man whose worst qualities, like his unchecked ego, toxic attitudes to women and non-white races, and willingness to hurt others for his personal gain are completely unrelated to gang violence. He’s just a regular, shitty guy who happens to be Latinx.”
Hector Garcia, who will portray the character on Chicago Law, was excited to show a new aspect of Latinx culture.
“See, Ramón isn’t just run of the mill, default representation. I grew up seeing Latinx men only represented as gangbangers, like Lou Diamond Phillips in Stand and Deliver or Esai Morales in La Bamba or Danny Trejo in most movies produced in the 90s. I’m looking forward to showing young people that you can be Latinx and a piece of shit who cheats on his wife, bullies coworkers, and tips poorly without having to resort to tired stereotypes.”
As of press time, the writing staff was receiving notes from NBC executives to give Ramón Pérez a fuller backstory, including his early experiences in an urban youth group with criminal traits.
