There are plenty of Latina actresses that no one's ever heard of... Some are really brown, some are light-skinned, and some look like they're Caucasian, but it's like we only want to identify with a certain kind of look and celebrate that under the guise that this is a 'Latina actress.'
It isn't so much that there are so few women in finance in total but, rather, few women in senior leadership roles. It is a real problem that we all need to focus on every day, but it is not a burden. It is an opportunity.
The government at all levels is overly represented by white men. That's part of the problem, and I'm a white man.
It's definitely a problem inside the technology industry - not just gender discrimination. Diversity is an issue within technology, within Expedia.
As we look at Hollywood and the controversy around the Oscars, it goes back to the voting block and the lack of people who come from that culture. For example, the NWA movie is a fantastic, fantastic movie. You need people who can look at a piece of art like that and understand the artistry in it.
People of color have a constant frustration of not being represented, or being misrepresented, and these images go around the world.
I'm kind of in a middle space, being marketed as a biracial actor. Roles are written either stereotypically black, or they're written 'normal,' which is just code for white.
Having watched 'The Lone Ranger,' I asked my dad, 'You think we can be on TV like that guy?' He said, 'Probably not. You have to be 6 feet and blond to work in TV and movies.' I said, 'But what about that guy? Jay Silverheels?'
I walk into a room, there's one or two black women. There aren't that many because the pipeline of talent just isn't there.
I'm fighting the label of 'Black' actress simply because it's very limiting in people's eyes, especially people who are making movies.
It's funny you can pretty much substitute the same actors in that top tier, whether it's a Chris Evans or a Chris Pratt or a Chris Pine, for different movies and it becomes almost a joke. But it doesn't happen that way for people of color.
I read the script, and I knew it was a good part. It was written for a white actor. That's what I'm up against - I have to try to make roles happen for me that aren't written black.
Even in today's opera world, the position of the black tenor is problematic.
Even the Republicans themselves have acknowledged they have a diversity problem. If you look at their autopsy report following the 2012 election, they have specifically said they would continue to lose presidential elections unless they address the problem that they have with their alienation of minority groups.
When I started on Wall Street, there was pretty good diversity in those junior ranks. And you know what? It hasn't made it to the top.
