ELLE Magazine’s First Latinx Issue Lacks Representation

ELLE magazine has announced its September 2021 issue will be its first Latinx edition issue—a definite win for the Latinx community. Although September’s issue was meant to commemorate Latinx cultures and perhaps even help magnify the voices of the Latinx community, it strangely feels like it is doing everything but that with a very blonde, Selena Gomez featured on the issues cover with no hints of Latinx cultures anywhere to be found.

Latinas and Latinos come in all shapes and sizes. There is not one certain recipe on how to be Latinx. Still, the media has tended to focus on the Latinx population that depicts eurocentric beauty standards such as pale skin, blonde hair, and colored eyes. We have seen this our entire lives as every novela has starred Latinas and Latinos who fit this very description, leaving those on a different part of the Latinx spectrum—perhaps with darker skin, darker hair, and brown eyes—feel unseen. Although conversations about the importance of representation are flourishing, it still feels as if a majority of the Latinx community continues to face deletion from the media.

The cover of Gomez with platinum-blonde hair and pale skin reinforces eurocentric beauty standards by having Gomez channel white American icon Marilyn Monroe, and there were also almost no Latinos involved anywhere in the process of making this cover. The first Latinx issue could have been a great opportunity to hire lesser-known Latinx creatives to work on the cover story and integrate other parts of Latinx heritage.

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Although it might be understandable, and we appreciate that the magazine might have been trying to avoid stereotypes, that issue could have been resolved and avoided entirely while still reflecting Latinx heritage. It could have been as simple as including a shirt or jewelry from a small Latinx designer or owned business. It could have helped boost rising Latinx creatives struggling to build their portfolios as they are the very people whom this Latinx issue is supposed to be honoring.

ELLE Mexico has done a better job at representing other sides of Latinx cultures with its September 2021 cover, featuring the first-ever Indigenous actress to be nominated for an Oscar, Yalitza Aparicio. It is of great value having someone iconic in Mexican culture who does not adhere to eurocentric beauty standards be portrayed on the cover of a big fashion magazine.

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ELLE‘s gesture is not completely overlooked, though. It is a small step in the right direction for the media. With a Latina as the editor-in-chief, we are rooting for the fashion magazine to make a better effort in making wider strides towards more diverse Latinx representation.