16 Movies & Shows For Children That Honor Latino Culture

Yes Day, Victor and Valentino, One Day at a Time, and many more...

Damjan

• Published in Interesting
• June 23, 2022

When it comes to Latino representation in children's programming, we still have a long way to go, but we've made significant progress. We're grateful that movies and series for kids and families are being produced in a way that highlights the beauty and complexities of Latino cultures and the Latino experience.

We're delighted George Lopez and The Brothers Garcia aren't the only shows on the block anymore, as much as we still love them! Latino children need to see characters and families similar to their own on-screen, but it's also important for other children to see them.

The more we interact with people from various backgrounds, the more we recognize ourselves in them. And, if you ask us, we believe that exposure is crucial to acceptance and even admiration.

While there aren't many kid-friendly films and television series that showcase Latino culture, we're pleased to support those that do. We've compiled a list of children's movies and television shows with Latino characters that will both assist Latino children to feel recognized and significant, as well as teach non-Latino children about some of the things that make Latino culture so wonderful.

Not simply because September 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month (though that is significant), but because Latino culture is worth honoring in general.

1. Coco

Coco, a Pixar film released in 2017, was a huge hit in the animated film market. It's a beautiful film that accurately and respectfully depicts the Mexican holiday of Da de Los Muertos.

The images are stunning, the plot is gripping, and the music is completely enthralling. It's definitely worth a look!

2. Dora the Explorer

Dora the Explorer is the first animated series to include a Latina protagonist and her family. Although the show doesn't go into great detail about Dora's culture, it is semi-bilingual, with the adventurous Dora speaking Spanish words and translating throughout, making it ideal for preschoolers' first introduction to the language.

3. Dora and the Lost City of Gold

We'd also like to bring out the live-action Dora the Explorer film, which was released in 2019. Dora and the Lost City of Gold takes viewers to Dora's family's native land in Latin America, where she embarks on a quest to solve a mystery concerning a long-lost Incan city.

It's a really entertaining story with some fascinating insights into indigenous Latin American civilizations.

4. Vivo

Lin-Manuel Miranda (of Hamilton fame) has created a brand-new Netflix original animated film that celebrates Cuban culture. It's about an endearing rainforest creature who sets out on a journey to deliver an important love letter.

The film is filled with the sounds and colors of Cuba, and it is breathtaking.

5. Canticos

Canticos is a cute multilingual show for babies and preschoolers that teaches Spanish through nursery rhymes. Consider Cocomelon, but in Spanish, with three cute little girls based on the famous Latin American nursery rhyme "Los Pollitos."

6. Nina's World

Nina's World, an animated series accessible on Hulu, is one of our favorites. The protagonist is a sweet and inquisitive young girl who lives with her multigenerational family and spends her days with her pals, including her favorite star-shaped stuffed animal.

Every episode includes parts of her Latino culture as well as some Spanish-language themes.

7. Maya & Miguel

Maya & Miguel is an animated television series that debuted in 2004. Because the show is produced by PBS Kids, it is clearly high-quality television for young children.

It follows the escapades of two 10-year-old twins who are diametrically opposed. It exhibits a lot of Latino culture in a pretty enjoyable way throughout.

8. The Book of Life

Zoe Saldana and Diego Luna star in the animated feature The Book of Life, which was released in 2014. It's about a young man who is trying to match his traditional Latino family's expectations with his own ambitious ambitions and dreams, which is a problem that many younger Latinos face.

9. Legend Quest

Legend Quest is a Mexican animated fantasy series that is suitable for older children. We say this because it has a frightening element to it.

It's about a young child who teams up with a group of ghostly companions to fight supernatural bad guys. It has a lot of strong female characters, which is fantastic.

10. Trollhunters

Trollhunters is a fantastic animated series from Netflix and Guillermo del Toro, a well-known Mexican filmmaker. It tells the story of a youngster who discovers a peculiar necklace that sends him on a quest to preserve two worlds.

There are multiple seasons and even a full-length film in the series, all of which contain subtle elements of Latin culture.

11. One Day at a Time

This is a family-friendly sitcom and isn't only for kids. It's always wonderful to have something that everyone can watch together.

It tells the story of a newly single Cuban-American mother as she embarks on a new chapter in her life and welcomes her mother into her house to assist her in caring for her children.

12. The Casagrandes

The Casagrandes is a spin-off of The Loud House, a popular television series. It tells the story of Ronnie Anne, a young girl who travels to the city with her family and meets her vast, extended Latino relatives.

It emphasizes the multigenerational nature of many Latinx families, and Ronnie Anne has a better understanding of her own culture.

13. Pachamama

Pachamama is a charming film about a young child who lives in a remote Andean community. He aspires to be a shaman.

The film follows him on a quest to recover a sacred statue that has been stolen from his town, highlighting many of the indigenous South American people's difficulties.

14. Victor and Valentino

This entertaining animated sitcom follows two half-brothers who visit their grandmother in a rural Mesoamerican town. The brothers are completely different from one another, but they become closer as they learn about the unusual secrets hidden in their new house.

The play contains a lot of Latinx folklore, which is fascinating.

15. Yes Day

Yes Day, a Netflix original family film starring Jennifer Garner and Edgar Ramrez, was unexpectedly entertaining to watch. Rather than attempting to make Édgar pass as a non-Latino, the producers embraced his ancestry in the film, embracing his accent, sprinkling Spanish throughout the dialogue, and giving the children Latino names.

16. Miles Morales: Into the Spiderverse

Despite the fact that Miles Morales' culture isn't a major element in this excellent animated picture, it is highlighted several times. His mother is Puerto Rican, and there are parts of the culture proudly displayed in various sequences in which she appears.

So, in this case, it's really all about the portrayal.

We believe that it's fantastic when films and shows feature people simply going about their daily lives rather than trying to make a point. These movies and shows are subtle and are not forcing anything.

They are all about representing different cultures and not forcing opinions and views. That makes them special.

Damjan