Dascha Polanco Under Fire For Criticizing Latino Representation In Emmys

Source: Dia Dipasupil / Getty

The Emmy nominations on Wednesday showed a whole lot of love to Black creatives as we had the likes of Zendaya, Regina King, and more get nominated for major awards. Instead of celebrating this win for everyone, actor John Leguizamo instead decided to complain about a lack of representation:

“Why can’t we Latinx have a piece of the pie? We are the largest ethnic group in America and missing as if we didn’t exist!”

https://twitter.com/JohnLeguizamo/status/1288307040146907136

That was bad enough, then Dascha Polanco jumped in the mix with:

“If Its only us speaking up on it, no one cares. It’s the silence from those that fight for equality but only their equality. Diversity but Diverse enough to include thyself That mentality of “As long as I’m good; 🤷🏽‍♀️ I don’t see a damn thing.”

https://twitter.com/SheIsDash/status/1288345646861357056

Here’s the thing: Afro-Latino is a thing. Take, for instance, Jharrel Jerome, who is of Dominican descent and is Afro-Latino, and who co-starred in When They See Us with Leguizamo AND Polanco. He won an Emmy last year. Did Dascha and John claim him as a win for Latinx people?

Hmmmmm.

Naturally, Dascha is getting big dragged for this. She’s since responded and she’s claiming that she’s talking about the Hollywood higher-ups who need to work harder for inclusion.

Suuuuuuuure, Dascha. That’s what you meant.

“Guys when I speak of THOSE, thy [sic] I speak of the ppl in positions of Power, decision maker I am such a huge supporter of inclusion YES Finally we are seeing change. That’s the silver lining and I celebrate it. TALK about it all the time…bts is where it need to start.”

https://twitter.com/SheIsDash/status/1288577663611920386

https://twitter.com/SheIsDash/status/1288586953093451776

https://twitter.com/SheIsDash/status/1288594543730987009

Hit the flip to see how bad the dragging of Dascha is.

https://twitter.com/cherrywriting/status/1288532537116172288?s=20

“not dascha polanco throwing black ppl under the bus because there are more black nominees than latinx nominees this year for this years emmys… really sis”

https://twitter.com/sirenayasminxo/status/1288553446086451200?s=20

“Dascha, you’re Black. If this was an attempt at shading Black people, it’s extremely misdirected because “their” fight includes you. To our white and Mestizo counterparts though….that’s who this should be about cause they sure as hell don’t give a f*** about BlackLatinos.”

https://twitter.com/KrissMissKross/status/1288539262187646977?s=20

“Dascha Polanco made it clear with that tweet that she only identifies as Afro-Latina for the optics because someone who truly identified as such in public AND private would’ve never fixed their fingers to type that. She does not see herself as Black.”

https://twitter.com/tinnkky/status/1288542885684678667?s=20

“That’s rich coming from Dascha when she was conductor of the Afro-Latinx train like 6 months ago”

“Dascha Polanco should’ve just shut up and mind her business now they are calling her Gina Rodriguez Jr”

“Quiet as it’s kept, Dascha is the worst actor on OITNB. But she mad over some Emmy noms she’ll never see?”

“And John & Dascha were in the movie with Jharrell Jerome that he won his Emmy for & they said NOTHING!!!”

https://twitter.com/victorious1__/status/1288546829118971905?s=20

“Dascha Polanco really blamed Black people for the reason Latinx people aren’t getting Emmy recognition… Bxtch what”

https://twitter.com/DurhamtheLegend/status/1288578027178401793?s=20

“Ava Duvernay, who cast u and Dascha Polanco in When They See Us, fights tirelessly for inclusivity for not just black people, but POC like YOU and Dascha Polanco (who is acting silly in this thread BTW) … your words is a slap in Ava’s face and what she fights for”

https://twitter.com/BeyonceGiselleT/status/1288594369386356736?s=20

“dascha polanco and john leguizamo are prime examples of why I, a Black woman, do not refer to myself as a POC. The marginalized groups within that term are filled with anti-Blackness and i want no parts of the erasure of Black people “

https://twitter.com/earringdealer/status/1288551839512907779?s=20

Mf’s be like “Black people always fighting for their own rights and not mine… why? I’m not white either”

https://twitter.com/SpookyAnarchist/status/1288604490485161989?s=20

“i see no major difference between that “ice isn’t just a latinx issue it’s a black issue, 44% of ice detainees are haitian” and dascha polanco forgetting that afrolatines exist when it comes to accolades tbh. afrolatines are always excluded from latinx subjectivity.”