diversity in entertainment industry Quotes

When I started out in the '90s, there were not many people of color writing, directing and producing - hence, the roles for people of color were few and far between. There's still few roles in England [where she's from].

For me, we've been singing diversity in movies for 16 years, so it's just beautiful to see the rest of the world finally catching on and they're making it a point to do it.

I think it's sad, and weird, and strange that [race in casting] is still a thing. It's 2013. Somebody else needs to get their act together.

Because I also write, I really admire Latinas who are creating content. That's the next step. We can talk about seeing more Latinas on TV all day long, but it's about what we can do to make that happen. Women like Eva Longoria, Sofía Vergara, Jennifer Lopez, and Salma Hayek are producing a lot of great shows that feature Latinas. Those are the women who inspire me because they're not just acting; they're creating for the future.

I think television is doing a better job than films in terms of representing people, but television is still not diverse.

As an Asian American at pilot season you take whatever there is.

I think there are more limiting factors in my career than just being chocolate. I think being a curvy girl is also a factor. Being someone with natural hair is also a factor. Those are things that I can't change. Personally, I don't want to live with limitations. If there comes a time where I am dying to play Juliet or Macbeth, I want to make those avenues for myself. The world might limit me, but as the type of artist I am, I'll create those opportunities.

It's great to be black in Hollywood. When a black actor does something, it seems new and different just by virtue of the fact that he's black.

I don't have much history - I've got Rosie Perez, Jennifer Lopez, Rita Moreno. That's it. That's the history of Latin women in Hollywood, really.

I think in television there's more of an awareness about a need for more diversity, but there still needs to be great practical strides taken to improve diversity in front of and behind the camera.

No matter how cutting-edge Hollywood may seem, it is still delayed in how it views people: If producers do not perceive me as an Iranian girl, then I cannot play an Iranian girl. If you aren't perceived as a full black girl, then it makes it more difficult to play a black girl on TV.