NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – The Congressional Hispanic Caucus has nominated 25 Latino-focused films to be included in the National Film Registry following their nomination of “Selena”. In a letter to the Librarian of Congress and The Film Preservation Board, the caucus highlights Hollywood’s influence in defining narratives and images in the country and cites the underrepresentation and stereotypes of Latinos in society as well as the film industry.

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus nominates 25 films they feel are worthy of inclusion in an attempt to help the National Film Registry select Latino films for the registry this year and in upcoming years. According to the Caucus, the films were selected with feedback from the public and Latino arts and media advocacy groups and “reflect the diversity of Latino identities, histories, geographies, and political perspectives”.

The following films were selected:

• “My Family” (1995) by Gregory Nava
• “Ballad of Gregorio Cortez” (1982) by Robert Young
• “Under the Same Moon” (2007) by Patricia Riggen
• “Lo que le pasó a Santiago” (1989) by Jacobo Morales
• “Don’t Let Me Drown” (2009) by Cruz Angeles
• “The Milagro Beanfield War” (1988) by Robert Redford
• “Raising Victor Vargas” (2002) by Peter Sollett
• “Frida” (2002) by Julie Taymor
• “Walkout” (2006) by Edward James Olmos
• “A Better Life” (2011) by Christopher Weitz
• “Gun Hill Road” (2011) by Rashaad Ernesto Green
• “Spy Kids” (2001) by Robert Rodriguez
• “American Me” (1992) by Edward James Olmos
• “Romero” (1989) by John Duigan
• “Hermanas” (2005) by Julia Solomonoff
• “Blood In, Blood Out” (1993) by Taylor Hackford
• “Nothing Like the Holidays” (2008) by Alfredo De Villa
• “Latino” (1985) by Haskell Wexler
• “The Lost City” (2005) by Andy Garcia
• “Down for Life” (2009) by Alan Jacobs
• “Tortilla Soup” (2001) by María Ripoll
• “The Motorcycle Diaries” (2004) by Walter Salles • “12 Horas” (2001) by Raúl Marchand Sánchez
• “Viva Cuba” (2005) by Juan Carlos Cremata
• “Maria Full of Grace” (2004) by Joshua Marston

New Mexico Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez is a freshman representative of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus leadership while Sen. Ben Ray Lujan serves as a member of the Caucus.