By Elannah Swarnes Matos, University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez

Netflix’s hit show highlights the spooky family’s ancestry in a subtle yet effective way.

By Elannah Swarnes Matos, University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez

How are Latinas portrayed in the media, and how do those viewpoints affect how Latinas are seen and treated in real life?

By Lena Bramsen, The New School

The mysterious family known for gags and dark humor has been spooky for decades and encourages Americans to identify with others that are perceived as strange.

By Karina Rojas, University of Texas at San Antonio

The YouTuber announced that she is asexual aromantic, which will hopefully spread awareness of lesser-known orientations.

By Myles Allan, University of New Haven

The popular video game makes it a point to represent everyone in its audience, no matter their race, gender or sexuality.

By Jayni Nielsen, Pace University

By Anna Hupp, University of Wyoming

Nida Manzoor’s Peacock sitcom follows five Muslim women and their punk rock band while advocating that ‘music is about representation.’

By Emma Watts, University of Arizona

In her debut romance novel, Kate Stayman-London uses a reality show to explore how the media portrays plus-size women.

By Anna Wurm, Texas A&M University

The second-highest office in the nation is now held by a Black, South Asian female politician — a historic milestone.

By Emily Jewett, University of San Diego

The classical literature aesthetic is far too Eurocentric and lacks diversity. So how can we change that?

By Nnekakwo Adibe, Lesley University

What factors are dampening young girls’ and women’s enthusiasm for careers as scientists, technicians, engineers and mathematicians?

By Aimi Wen, Duke University

The YouTube channel connected people across the globe through narratives that promoted positive representation.

By Emma Watts, University of Arizona

By Sammi Looi, Baruch College

Despite China’s media censorship of same-sex relationships, the author’s books — including ‘Mo Dao Zu Shi,’ the basis of a widely watched series — remain wildly popular in the country.

By Tanisha Bhat, Boston University

Disney’s latest nonwhite casting choices for both Tinkerbell and ‘Little Mermaid’ could set an example for others in the film industry, which has long struggled with inclusivity.

By McKenna Uzelac, Columbia University

Known for playing Santana Lopez on the popular show, the actress’s untimely death last month shocked millions of fans across the world, sparking a celebration of her Latina LGBTQ+ character.

By Juliana Fujii, Biola University

People who share protagonists’ identities shouldn’t only author books. Their feedback can vastly improve how books represent marginalized groups.

By Reem Farhat, Fordham University

COVID-19 might affect the collection of U.S. population data, but the count suffers more because some communities are continually overlooked.

By Maddy Ipema, Columbia College Chicago

The young actor accurately represents plus-size women without perpetuating unrealistic expectations.

By Kaitlin Romriell, Southern New Hampshire University

Gender identities that live outside the binaries are beginning to be more widely recognized in society.

By Dorielys Cruz, University of Texas at San Antonio

Representation is important, but so are plot and other screenwriting basics.

By Jenna Benchetrit, McGill University

The television industry is leagues ahead of its feature film counterpart, but not because it’s had to try hard.

By Kate Maxwell, NC State University

Of all the racial biases in Hollywood, casting descriptions are some of the worst.

By Allison Kestler, Augustana College

In his new book, ‘The Burning Maze,’ Riordan emphasizes representation and diversity without it taking over characters’ identities.

By Julian Randall, Texas Tech University

These big names in fashion are contributing to expanding the representation of the African American community in the industry.

By Diego Galicia, Valencia College

People need more diverse backgrounds in superhero movies to represent their own identities on the big screen.

By Alex Johnson, New York University

The movie’s record-breaking weekend is further proof that diversity not only has a positive psychological impact, it makes a lot of money.

By Eric McInnis, Arcadia University

While the show aims to promote neurodiversity, it falls prey to some cringeworthy tropes.