Gina Rodriguez wants to show Hollywood the money.
The “Jane the Virgin” star recently sat down with Glam Belleza Latina for their summer issue and discussed the power of the Latino community when it comes to increasing the number of actors of color on television.
Rodriguez, 30, urged Latino audiences to join forces to create change in the industry, which she says is driven by profit rather than racism.
“We just have to understand our collective strength,” Rodriguez told Glam Belleza Latina. “Because if 'Jane the Virgin' does well, [Hollywood] is going to open the door for five new shows that are Latino focused. We’ve already seen this start to happen. 'Jane the Virgin' got a Golden Globe, and this pilot season everybody wants a Latino lead. ... The more we show them that our united front can blow something up, the more they’re going to open those doors because it’s no longer a risk. This isn’t about racism. It’s about money.”
The Golden Globe-winning star’s comments echoed her words during The Hollywood Reporter’s comedy actress roundtable late last month. During the conversation, Rodriguez insisted that Hollywood’s diversity problem stemmed from a lack of knowledge of other cultures rather than “hard-core racism.”
Rodriguez has been a vocal advocate about the need for diversity in the media, going as far as making it a focal point of her career.
"[It's about] creating a different perception of minorities in the media,” Rodriguez told HuffPost Live in April. “That was a huge mission and still is for me. So I will choose what's best for my career, my journey and my integrity."
In her interview with Glam Belleza Latina, the actress expanded her thoughts on that mission and the childhood experiences that drive it.
“I want to change the idea of minorities in the media. Or contribute to that movement -- I’m not single-handedly doing it,” Rodriguez told the magazine. “Growing up, I never saw my home life reflected on-screen, and that made me feel a certain way about myself.”
“It’s not only about my ethnicity; it made me feel a certain way about my beauty,” she continued. “Not seeing a woman like me as a lead made me feel like I’d never be skinny enough, I’d never be pretty enough. I want to give young girls, like my niece, the tools to see a billboard and think, That [non-Latina] girl is beautiful, but that’s not the only form of beauty. Jane’s story is about a beautiful, normal girl. We don’t talk about her weight or her looks.”
Take a look at Gina Rodriguez’s cover and more photos from Glam Belleza Latina below. 
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