Congressman Joaquin Castro is celebrating the five Hispanic-led films that made the list of inductees, including four of his nominations.
SAN ANTONIO — The Library of Congress announced on Tuesday the addition of 25 new films into the National Film Registry for Preservation. Among the list of inductees is the 2001 family action comedy “Spy Kids” from San Antonio-born director Robert Rodriguez.
The film, praised for its quirky representation of a secret agent family portrayed by mostly Hispanic actors, emphasizes the importance of familial bonds in Hispanic culture and incorporates values that make the characters feel distinct and relatable.
“Spy Kids” is the first film in the highly successful franchise, with the latest installment released on Netflix just last year. Parts of the 2001 film and others in the franchise were filmed in some notable locations across San Antonio and Austin including Travis Park.
Speaking on the film’s legacy over 20 years later, Robert Rodriguez reflected on the growth of Latino representation in Hollywood, telling the Associated Press: “Nobody even knew what I was talking about when I was trying to get the Spy Kids family to even be Hispanic. I’d say, ‘It’s based on my family.’”
He emphasizes the importance of being first when it comes to cultural representation, adding that it opens the door for imitation. Still, he says there is still a lot of catching up to do.
“That’s what audiences want and it’s more authentic to representing what the world is like.” Rodriguez said.
“Spy Kids” is among five Latino-led films and 25 total films selected for the registry in 2024 for their cultural, historic or aesthetic importance to preserve the nation’s film heritage.
Congressman Joaquin Castro, who has championed more Latino representation in both the national film and recording registries, celebrated the induction of the five films (including four of his nominations.)
“I’m thrilled that four of our nominations: ‘Mi Familia’ (1995), ‘American Me’ (1992), ‘Up in Smoke’ (1978), and ‘Spy Kids’ (2001) have been included among this year’s inductions,” Castro said in a press release. “I’m also pleased that the National Film Preservation Board selected ‘Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982),’ which features the iconic Latino actor Ricardo Montalbán.”
The list of films include the work of legendary Mexican-American actor Edward James Olmos for his work on “American Me” and “Mi Familia,” marking a total of eight films on the registry featuring Olmos as an actor and the first as a director.
“Mi Familia” also marks the third induction of a Gregory Nava film into the registry, joining previous selections “El Norte” and “Selena.”
Another notable name featured in two of this year’s selection of films is Chicano actor and comedian, Cheech Marin for his roles in “Up in Smoke” and “Spy Kids.”
As chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Congressman Castro successfully advocated for the 1997 Selena Quintanilla biopic to be added to the registry. Since then, he has submitted annual nomination lists with input from the public and filmmaking community.
“The new Latino-led films added to the National Film Registry tell complex and sometimes difficult stories, featuring Latinos as heroes and villains, hard-working immigrants and goofballs, space travelers and so much more,” said Castro. “Together, these films represent a unique cross-section of Latino contributions to American cinema and showcase the talent Latinos bring to the screen.”
Full list of films selected for 2024 National Film Registry:
- Annabelle Serpentine Dance (1895)
- KoKo’s Earth Control (1928)
- Angels with Dirty Faces (1938)
- Pride of the Yankees (1942)
- Invaders from Mars (1953)
- The Miracle Worker (1962)
- The Chelsea Girls (1966)
- Ganja and Hess (1973)
- Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
- Uptown Saturday Night (1974)
- Zora Lathan Student Films (1975-76)
- Up in Smoke (1978)
- Will (1981)
- Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan (1982)
- Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
- Dirty Dancing (1987)
- Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt (1989)
- Powwow Highway (1989)
- My Own Private Idaho (1991)
- American Me (1992)
- Mi Familia (1995)
- Compensation (1999)
- Spy Kids (2001)
- No Country for Old Men (2007)
- The Social Network (2010)