The Library of Congress has added four Latino-led films nominated by San Antonio U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro to its National Film Registry in recognition of their lasting impact and cultural significance.
Those movies are multi-generational family epic Mi Familia (1995), Edward James Olmos-directed crime drama American Me (1992), Cheech and Chong stoner comedy Up in Smoke (1978) and Spy Kids (2001), a family adventure directed by San Antonio native Robert Rodriguez.
Additionally, the National Film Registry added Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), which features iconic Latino actor Ricardo Montalbán in a scenery-chewing lead role.
Castro — a vocal advocate for Latino media representation — commended the National Film Registry for adding a record-breaking number of Latino-led films into its collection this year. The congressman began soliciting nominations from the public starting in 2022 for Latino-led films to enshrine in the registry.
“For thirty-five years, the National Film Registry at the Library of Congress has worked to preserve movies with an enduring impact on American society. During this year’s nomination process, my office received hundreds of suggestions from movie fans who were excited to share their favorite films,” Castro said in an emailed statement. “I’m thrilled that four of our nominations: Mi Familia (1995), American Me (1992), Up in Smoke (1978) and Spy Kids (2001) have been included among this year’s inductions.”
Castro also trumpeted the inclusion of Star Trek II, noting that Montalbán, who played the sci-fi flick’s bad guy, founded an organization called Nosotros in the 1970s to push for greater Latino representation in entertainment.
“The new Latino-led films added to the National Film Registry tell complex and sometimes difficult stories, featuring Latinos as heroes and villains, hard-working immigrants and goofballs, space travelers and so much more,” Castro said. “Together, these films represent a unique cross-section of Latino contributions to American cinema and showcase the talent Latinos bring to the screen.”
The National Film Preservation Board selects 25 movies annually for addition to the registry. The board, which makes its selections based on input from media leaders and members of the public, will only consider movies that are at least 10 years old.
Castro began submitting his nominations list after successfully lobbying for the addition of Selena, the 1997 biopic of the late Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla, to the registry.
The National Film Registry has also added two other Castro nominations since then ¡Alambrista! (1977) and The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez (1982).
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This article appears in Dec 11-17, 2024.
