A new study tracking immigrant representation on scripted television reports a continued decline in the visibility of Latine and Latin American immigrants. Conducted by Define American in partnership with the University of Southern California’s Norman Lear Center, the fourth report follows trends across TV over time. The analysis examines 201 immigrant characters appearing in 80 episodes drawn from 62 scripted series that aired between July 2023 and June 2025.
Across the sampled programs, Latine immigrant representation is reported at 25%, a sharp drop compared with a separate benchmark of Latine immigrants’ share of the broader U.S. population (with one outlet citing that Latin America accounts for 45% of the actual immigrant population). The findings indicate that the portrayal of Latine immigrants is not only limited but also trending downward.
Both outlets emphasize that representation is spread too thinly across the industry, with the implication that few programs carry a disproportionate share of the visibility. The report also frames the results as evidence that broader, more consistent representation has not yet materialized across scripted TV.
