In the Heights, the highly anticipated film adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hit musical, is stirring up strong reactions after opening in theaters and on HBO Max last week.
But though the movie celebrates the Latino community, some viewers have expressed dismay that In the Heights falls short when it comes to Afro-Latino representation, since members of that community make up a significant portion of the real Washington Heights.
Miranda responded to the criticism on Monday, posting an apology to Twitter: “I’m seeing the discussion around Afro-Latino representation in our film this weekend and it is clear that many in our dark-skinned Afro-Latino community don’t feel sufficiently represented within it, particularly among the lead roles.
In the interview with The Root, director Jon M.
Moreno, who is Puerto Rican, initially commented on the criticism aimed at Miranda while appearing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Tuesday, saying, “You can never do right, it seems. … Can’t you just wait a while and leave it alone? There’s a lot of people who are Puertorriqueño, who are also from Guatemala, who are dark and who are also fair.
That reaction drew criticism on Twitter, with one person writing: “I love Rita Moreno but this is the opposite of it.
While making a statement in defense of Lin-Manuel Miranda on the Colbert Show last night, I was clearly dismissive of black lives that matter in our Latin community.