YALITZA APARICIO

The explosive recording of Los Angeles City Council members making racist and disparaging remarks have deeply hurt the city’s Indigenous immigrants from Mexico.

The hype for “In the Heights” has brought great expectation to the Latino community in the United States, which has been historically underrepresented or stereotyped on the screen.

This image released by Sony Music Brazil shows cover art for the single for America Vibra, a trilingual song featuring Ziggy Marley and the Academy-Award nominated actress Yalitza Aparicio. “América Vibra” was released Wednesday — the day of President Joe Biden's inauguration — as a nod to a new beginning. We are bridges,” recites the Oscar-nominated actress in Spanish before Marley and Natiruts vocalist Alexandre Carlo sing about social justice and environmental protection in English and Portuguese, respectively. “The purpose was the same, the unity of the Americas,” Carlo said. For the Spanish part of the song, they wanted a woman, and Aparicio, an actress and activist of Mixtec origin, provided even greater representation.

Karol G performs for the 21st Latin Grammy Awards, airing on Thursday, Nov. 19, 2020, at American Airlines Arena in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241.

(AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)NEW YORK – A year after Rosalía made history by becoming the first solo female performer in 13 years to win the top prize at the Latin Grammys, Natalia Lafourcade followed in her footsteps with a big win at the 2020 show. The Mexican singer won album of the year — a category dominated by male acts — on Thursday night with “Un Canto Por México, Vol. Lafourcade didn't attend the Latin Grammys, which aired live on Univision and featured a number of performances, most of them pre-taped due to the coronavirus pandemic. Grammy, Emmy and Tony winner Lin-Manuel Miranda kicked off the Latin Grammys with a strong message about Latin music. Speaking in Spanish and English, he said Latin music “unites all of us and makes us human.”“This is our night,” he added.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is embracing and championing diversity in a bigger way than ever before. The organization sent out a slew of invitations to potential voting members, including Zendaya, Awkwafina, Constance Wu, and John David Washington, to name a few. Notably, Booksmart director Olivia Wilde, as well as the film's stars, Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein, were invited as well. "The Academy is delighted to welcome these distinguished fellow travelers in the motion picture arts and sciences," Academy President David Rubin said in a statement released Wednesday. The Academy announced last month that the 93rd Academy Awards will be postponed until April 25 -- two months later than originally planned -- due to the coronavirus outbreak.