I have this statistic burned into my brain – white guys write two-thirds of movie reviews, despite making up less than a third of the U.S. population. They’re so loud. And by taking up so much space, their preferences – what they judge to be good art, politically important, or even just realistic – sets the “norm.”

The second half of the statistic goes like this: women of color (combined! across all groups!) write just 4% of movie reviews. And you know it’s not because we have nothing to say. We have plenty of opinions, and we can be loud too. But we tend not to have the intergenerational wealth, connections, or support that make a career (or even a side hustle) as a critic possible.

Neat.

I don’t say all that to depress you. I say it because there’s real work to do – and Latina Media Co’s been doing it. Founded in 2018, we serve as the explicit invitation for Latina and queer Latinx folks to write cultural criticism. And we pay. Not a ton, but a competitive rate. Enough that you don’t have to have a trust fund for it to be worth your time.

Our idea is simple:  if we can invite folks in, help them develop their craft, and pay them fairly, we can change the face of cultural criticism. And it’s working.

Earlier this year, we surveyed our contributors. More than 100 people have written for Latina Media Co – and here’s what they said:

• Latina Media Co has been “meaningful” or “foundational” to their career trajectory.
• Since writing for us, they’ve gone on to publish in major outlets like the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Rolling Stone, and more.
• They’ve grown their confidence as writers, particularly when covering identity and representation or doing cultural and media criticism.

And then there are the intangibles. Our writers told us they see Latina Media Co as a place where their perspectives as Latinas are valued rather than undermined. They talk on the ’gram, meet up in real life, and find other ways to connect. In the process, they’ve formed a community whose members support one another. Together, we build up our sense of belonging as writers, professional standing, and networks.

It’s pretty cool. And our writers want more of it – more opportunities to connect, write, analyze, learn, practice, and get paid. We’re working on that too, looking for more support so we can keep inviting more Latina and queer Latinx writers to become cultural critics. We want the next study measuring the demographics of movie critics to find that Latinas make up a big enough proportion to match our presence in the audience — and the power of our opinions.

Support the next generation of Latina and queer Latinx critics by joining our Patreon.