Define American empowers diverse and nuanced storytelling about immigrant experiences across mediums and industries through research, partnerships, and storyteller engagement.
Press release
Define American, in partnership with the University of Southern California’s Norman Lear Center, released its fourth comprehensive study tracking immigrant representation on television. The report, titled Change the Narrative, Change the World, reveals a significant drop in Latine immigrant representation and a persistent reliance on criminal tropes, even as specific series prove that nuanced immigrant stories can deeply move and inspire audiences. In the television landscape, streaming platforms have become the clear leaders in inclusive storytelling, outpacing broadcast and cable.
The 2026 research analyzed 201 characters — comprising 172 immigrants and 29 children of immigrants — spanning 80 episodes across 62 scripted series that aired from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2025. For the first time, the research expands its scope to include the U.S.-born children of immigrants, providing a more comprehensive look at how these families are portrayed on screen and reflecting the understanding that immigration issues often impact entire families, and we must tell the whole family’s story to tell the immigrant story accurately.
Define American, an award-winning media advocacy organization dedicated to humanizing the immigrant experience, tracks how immigrant representation on television continues to evolve, and how the stories we tell on screen shape the attitudes of the audiences who watch them.
“No force in culture shapes how we see each other quite like Hollywood, which is exactly why representation must be a priority,” said Jose Antonio Vargas, Founder of Define American. “Our research is clear: the stories we see on screen have the power to change how we view people in real life. It’s time the industry moves beyond meeting a quota and embraces its responsibility to accurately reflect the complexity of the American people. When Hollywood tells these stories, we will be able to build a more welcoming America for all.”
Key findings from the report include:
- Latine immigrant representation hits a new low: Despite Latine immigrants making up 45% of the actual U.S. immigrant population, their representation on screen has plummeted from 50% of immigrant characters in 2020 to just 23% today.
- Persistent criminal stereotypes: One in four immigrant characters with a job was portrayed as a criminal, with storylines frequently focusing on drug dealing, smuggling, and human trafficking.
- Streaming leads the way: Streaming platforms account for 57% of all immigrant characters, far outpacing broadcast (38%) and cable (6%).
- The power of quality storytelling: We studied the impact of immigration and asylum storylines in the Netflix series Mo, a show that set the standard for immigrant representation. The research found that 62% of those who saw the storylines in the show reported increased understanding of the challenges immigrants face, and 54% said they were more likely to support refugees in their own communities after watching.
- Breadth without depth: While writers depicted characters of over 49 nationalities and who spoke 20 different languages, most of these characters appeared in only a single episode.
- Black immigrant representation: Black immigrant representation held steady at 17%, heavily anchored by the CBS series Bob Hearts Abishola. With the show concluding in 2024, Black immigrant representation could fall.
“Our latest research builds on three previous studies over seven years, showing the power of pop culture to shape our understanding of the world around us,” said Erica Rosenthal, Director of Research at The Norman Lear Center. “The stories we tell about citizenship, culture, and belonging across generations inform the lens through which audiences interpret real-world events.”
“While shows like Mo, Deli Boys, and Bob Hearts Abishola have set high standards for nuanced storytelling, the industry cannot rely on a few programs to represent the whole immigrant community,” said Dulce Valencia, Director of Media Partnerships at Define American. “We work with writers and producers to build the infrastructure for sustained and nuanced representation on screen, so that no single show has to carry the weight of the entire community.”
Define American has consulted on over 160 film and television projects across 30 networks, studios, and streaming platforms, leading the way in shaping how the industry tells nuanced, authentic immigrant stories. The findings in this report reinforce the organization’s longstanding position: that accurate storytelling is a vital tool for bridging the gap between fiction and reality.
About Define American
Define American is an award-winning organization and leading voice for authentic immigrant storytelling across media. Through original research, strategic programming, and media partnerships, we shift how immigration and identity are understood in America. Founded in 2011 by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and Tony and Emmy-nominated producer Jose Antonio Vargas, Define American has spent 15 years changing the stories that shape culture and belonging. Learn more at defineamerican.com and follow us on social media @defineamerican.
About the USC Norman Lear Center
Founded more than 20 years ago, The Norman Lear Center is a multidisciplinary research and public policy center studying and shaping the impact of entertainment and media on society. From its base in the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, the Lear Center builds bridges among faculty who study aspects of entertainment, media and culture. Beyond campus, it bridges the gap between the entertainment industry and academia, and between them and the public. For more information, visit www.learcenter.org.
