The National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts was created in 1997 to advance the presence of Latinos in the media, telecommunications and entertainment industries. The Foundation has concentrated on increasing access for Hispanic artists and professionals while fostering the emergence of new Hispanic talent. The Hispanic community, which makes up 15% of the U.S. population, has become the nation's largest ethnic minority group. It is increasingly recognized for its potentially enormous consumer and political power. The entertainment industry has been making progress, but an enormous gap still exists before the Hispanic community - over 45 million strong - is adequately reflected on both the small and big screens.
Our mission has two principal goals. The first is to offer graduate scholarships to Latino students at prominent colleges and universities (Harvard, Yale, Columbia, NYU, Northwestern, UT-Austin, UCLA and USC). The second is to expand career opportunities for existing talent in all aspects of entertainment and the performing arts. The Foundation is the initiative of actors Jimmy Smits, Sonia Braga, Esai Morales and Washington, D.C. attorney Felix Sanchez.
