Lauren Velez Quotes

I liked the fact that there were so many different representations of black women and black men in the movie. It wasn't like we all had the same agenda.

I was the only one at stage school who wasn't white.

If I were to wait only for roles that clarify my racial makeup, I'd be waiting for a very, very long time.

I believe black characters in fiction are still revolutionary, given our long history of erasure.

It's not enough even to have one black Barbie... because black women are not a monolith.

I want to see designers capitalize on a beauty that is not only white. I need them to stop acting like beautiful black and brown women do not exist.

Creating more characters that represent historically marginalized and historically disenfranchised people in television and film is certainly important.

'Essence' is political. I grew up on the magazine, looking at the covers. Seeing ourselves on the cover is political.

The argument has been made that smart women on screen are already enough of a minority to make up for the lack of women of color. Nope. Not good enough.

If I go to the museum and see white bodies, black bodies, Asian bodies, Latino bodies, then I will expect to see those things every time I go. That matters a lot.

There is still so much acceptance, representation and visibility needed for trans women of color and gender non-conforming people of color.

I was making big paintings with mythological themes. When I started painting black figures, the white professors were relieved, and the black students were like, 'She's on our side.' These are the kinds of issues that a white male artist just doesn't have to deal with.

The number of Latino roles is very limited, and it's unfortunate there isn't more color-blind casting.

For me, I want to see diversity in storytelling sources because we live in a very diverse society, and the stories are for the whole society. That's really important. For me, as a female filmmaker, when I was out on the festival circuit on 2006, I felt like such a freaking anomaly - an oddity.

I was the first South Asian female to do comedy videos on YouTube. But at the same time, all races face their barriers, and I've learned through YouTube, if it's not race, it will be sexism, if it's not sexism, it will be homophobia. It will always be something, and all voices should be heard.

I have hidden my race for 22 books. I have hidden behind my married name, which is very Caucasian, because I didn't feel safe coming out with it. I didn't feel that the market would really accept me. I think I felt it's time to start bringing in an Asian-American point of view.

I don't know what issues concerning identity have helped contemporary fiction evolve to what it is now. All I know is that the range of voices that are being heard and published is a lot more diverse than when I was coming up.

Hollywood has definitely grown, in embracing the inclusion of Latinos in the world, because, for some time, we didn't exist. We were not part of any stories.

Not only do I not want to be stereotyped as this Asian girl who fights - gee, what a wonder - but also I have more to offer than that.

Every year, Hollywood is looking for that new, white leading man and new white starlet that audiences fall in love with. But they're not looking for the next Denzel Washington, Will Smith or Sidney Poitier.

I think all Latino actors want to be storytellers first. I want to be an actor first, and then I want to be Latina.

I go to castings and see several black and Asian girls, then I get to the show and look around there's just me and maybe one other coloured face.

I'm very proud to be representing Latinas and women of color, young mothers and full-figured women. I just love that we're seeing different types of people on screen.

If the only time you think of me as a scientist is during Black History Month, then I must not be doing my job as a scientist.

I don't understand labels. I don't need anybody to tell me I'm Latina or black or anything else. I've played characters that were written for Caucasian females, I just want to be given the same consideration as everybody else, and so far that has been happening.