Although we would prefer it to not be so, an integral part of the Latinx experience is resistance. Struggle. Fighting for what’s right and never giving up. It can be tiring, but there’s a silver-lining in all this labor. Our community is strong, especially when united and working for change that honors our ancestors and the generations to come. 2025 has already proven to be a year of resistance. We are ready to defend our rights, call out injustice, and keep everything from becoming even more of a shitshow. To fuel the fire of the inner fighter in each Latinx person, here are five documentaries that chronicle moments of legendary resistance from our peoples.
Afro-Latinx Revolution: Puerto Rico
It’s unjust that for many Afro-Latinxs, simply existing is an act of resistance. There’s a long history of denial, erasure, racism, colorism, and violence against Black Latinxs in Latin America and the US, and they have had to fight every step of the way. Latinidad doesn’t exist without Afro-Latinidad, and in 2019, when Puerto Rico was rising up to remove the governor from office, Afro-Puerto-Rican journalist, host, and author Natasha S. Alford visited Loíza to chronicle the experience of what it means to be both Black and Latinx. You can watch Afro-Latinx Revolution: Puerto Rico on Amazon Prime.
Las Madres: The Mothers of Plaza de Mayo
Mess with their children, and mothers will destroy a dictatorship. The 1985 Oscar-nominated documentary Las Madres: The Mothers of Plaza de Mayo, follows a group of Argentinian mothers who protest daily at the Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires. In the second of our selected Latinx documentaries, the mothers draw attention to the disappearance of thousands of sons and daughters during the Dirty War, demanding answers as to the whereabouts of their kin. You can watch Las Madres: The Mothers of Plaza de Mayo on Kanopy.
Dolores
We are lucky to have Dolores Huerta fighting for our Latinx communities. It seems like she has always been standing up for what’s right and demanding justice, but like all superheroes, she too has an origin story. The documentary Dolores shows how Huerta first organized farm workers in 1960s California, demanding fair treatment. In the process, she found her purpose, inspired so many other activists, and proved that si se puede, no matter how hard it seems. You can watch Dolores on PBS.
Willie Velasquez: Your Vote is Your Voice
When you vote, you are making a statement on how you want the world to be. You are voting for yourself, your family, and your community. Voting is rooted in hope and positive change. The idea is that the people you put into office will represent you – but what happens when you don’t get to vote? None of that happens. Willie Velasquez saw a lack of Latinx votership in Texas, and decided to take action. Willie Velasquez: Your Vote is Your Voice shows us how the Tejano started in Chicano student activism, founded the Southwest Voter and Registration Project in 1974, and got both Latinxs to the voting booths and in office. You can watch Willie Velasquez: Your Vote is Your Voice on Kanopy.
Paris is Burning
Too often when cool, groundbreaking things that originate from Black, Latinx, and LGBTQIA2S+ communities get popular, our cultural machine fails to give credit to where they came from or care about who created this art. Before Madonna’s “Vogue.” Before we all collectively started saying things like “yas,” “spill the tea,” “slay,” “throwing shade,” and “serving realness.” Before all that, there was the ballroom culture of 1980s Harlem. And recording it is arguably the most iconic of our Latinx documentaries, the legendary Paris is Burning. It looks into another facet of Latinidad, Blackness, and Latinx pop culture, where the OGs like Venus Xtravaganza create timeless art and start trends that we are still following decades later. You can watch Paris is Burning on YouTube.
