Here's How Gloria Estefan and Eva Longoria Will Help Latinx Shows and Community Thrive Post COVID

Gloria Estefan and Eva Longoria are doing their part to help the Latino community in America thrive during and after the pandemic. Here is how they plan to help Latinx shows and the community.

On Monday, October 26, Gloria Estefan, Eva Longoria, and Ricky Martin will join a bunch of stars for the star-studded "Essential Heroes: A Momento Latino Event" to celebrate Latinx culture in America.

During a press conference with AmoMama, Longoria shared how the Latino community accounts for 18% of the total population in the United States, and currently, 34% of the essential workers who are fighting the novel virus in the frontlines are Latinos.

WHERE THE LATINX COMMUNITY CURRENTLY STANDS

Out of the 24 million Latino Hispanic workers in the United States, only 16.4% have the liberty to work from home. The remaining percentage risk their lives to go out there and continue to give their all to keep the country moving forward.

Knowing that the unseen enemy could take them down any day, they continue to work to keep food on people's tables, keep the deliveries going so no one has to head out and expose themselves to the virus, and take care of the old and fragile.

Those heroes are keeping up the momentum to make lives easier amid these unsettling times, but despite everything they do, hundreds of them are forced to live in substandard conditions without PPE.

If the influence of Latinx shows were truly recognized, series like "The Baker and the Beauty" would not be prematurely axed.

HONORING THE UNSUNG HEROES

To recognize and applaud the bravery of those unsung heroes, designer and social justice activist Henry R. Muñoz III has joined forces with Longoria, Martin, and Estefan to make the "Momento Latino" event happen.

Estefan and Longoria realize that the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are not limited to until a vaccine is found. This virus is here to stay and the toll it has taken on the Latino community will last long after the dust of the pandemic settles.

MANY LATINO BUSINESSES WON'T COME BACK

Talking about how Latinos specifically start more small businesses 6 times the national average, Longoria noted with a tinge of sadness that many of those businesses will not come back. She also mentioned that there is an education disparity within the community and shared how this stand-still will send back the students a year or more. She said:

"I know a lot of high school students are just not going to go back. We already had a dropout rate, pushout rate as we call it, and this just exasperated that."

HOW EVA AND GLORIA ARE DOING THEIR PART

Through the event, Longoria, Estefan, and Muñoz want to make sure that not only does the Latino community survive the pandemic, but thrive in its wake. Muñoz assured that long after the event is over, "Momento Latino" will exist as a content creator to communicate to and look out for the well-being of the community.

Talking about how Latinx shows are severely lacking on TV, Estefan and Longoria shared that the key to making Hollywood pay closer attention to them is visibility. Estefan opined that advertisers have not fully fathomed the power of Latino consumers.

LATINX SHOWS NEED MORE VISIBILITY

If the influence of Latinx shows were truly recognized, series like "The Baker and the Beauty" would not be prematurely axed. Estefan said that the industry gives up on shows that are talked about greatly because they don't really focus on the Latinos as a viewing audience.

Echoing on Estefan's words, Longoria said that it is time to stop drinking from the same well and start giving people a shot. "Innovation comes from having different perspectives and different storytellers. And hopefully, studios will start to wake up to that," she added.

The CBS special will play a role in helping the Latino community get visibility and Muñoz insists that it is important for Latinx viewers to tune in because it is important to understand the diversity of the language and culture. He said speaking up and expressing power is the only way to do that.

"ESSENTIAL HEROES: A MOMENTO LATINO EVENT" will air Monday, Oct. 26 at 9:00pmET/PT on the CBS Television Network.