'Orange Is The New Black' star Jackie Cruz on not being 'Mexican enough' for Hollywood

While the rest of Hollywood still seems to be run by white men, Orange Is the New Black joins a handful of other recent television shows in giving us a breathe of fresh air. The original Netflix series burst onto the scene in 2013, showcasing women of different backgrounds, ages, and colors and their day-to-day drama inside Litchfield Women’s Penitentiary—and speaking to the larger conversation regarding women, race, and politics.

A study released earlier this year revealed that, although Latinos account for 17.4% of the U.S. population, they’re given only 5.8% of television’s speaking roles. And even when Latinos do have bigger parts, they’re often limited to stereotypical roles and the women are unnecessarily sexualized. Orange Is The New Black doesn’t just showcase diversity in a superficial sense, but gives depth and complexity to its characters.