Enough with this "Our Stories" Talk from Hollywood

I'm hearing more of this argument from Hollywood and the entertainment business in general that stories featuring Hispanics have to be told by Hispanics. First, the book American Dirt received backlash because the woman who wrote it is white and it is a fictional tale of immigrants from Mexico. "Not her story to tell!" claim the critics. Nevermind, that it is an outlandish fictional tale, to begin with.

Today I read an interview with America Ferrera in Variety, and she had a bunch of talk about "our stories" as well. She is quoted as stating "So, as a producer, [I’m] bringing opportunity to the Latino community, and helping to build a pipeline for our stories to be seen and to be celebrated and for our talent.” It is so frustrating how Hollywood loves to claim their stories are "our stories," as if Latinos are a monolith. She goes on to praise an upcoming film, In the Heights, that takes place in New York City. I'm a Latina from a small town in Texas, I can assure In the Heights is not my story. See my point? Not every Hispanic in America has the same experience so it comes off as paternalistic when they tell me they're telling "our stories."  

I also want to discuss this current trend of people needing to see themselves reflected in media. I don't get it. I don't feel the need to see myself reflected in media. Most of the people in Hollywood are models and superficial, I'm never gonna relate to that, even if they hire more people of my ethnicity. Seeing a model looking Latina in movies or magazines isn't gonna change how I see myself. 

I don't need Hollywood to validate me, my experiences or opinions.