Recently, it seems that when it comes to diversity in acting, the industry is taking steps backwards.The Washington Times suggests that current studies have proven that the casts of many films are becoming less diverse, with movies whose lead roles were given to non-white actors decreasing from 17 percent to 13 percent in 2013. Therefore, when it comes to recognizing actors of color for their hard work, they are underrepresented.

The 2016 Oscars was the second year in a row where absolutely no minority actors were nominated. In fact, this has happened several times before this year. Once from 1975 to 1980, which is the longest period recorded where no actors of ethnic minorities were nominated, and again from 1995 to 1997.

An aspiring actress Nubia Castelan, Div. 879, said that the current lack of recognition for actors who are not white motivates her to show that “white actors and actresses are [not] the only successful ones.”

“I still feel like I can be a successful actress, it just makes me realize that I have to work harder,” Castelan said. “There are many actors and actresses that are not white and are very successful and well known, for example Morgan Freeman or Eugenio Derbez.”

White actors are not necessarily the only actors successful in the film industry. However the fact is that white actors are represented more than Black, Hispanic, and Asian actors combined, both in film castings and nominations. Which means that audiences see more white actors in movies, and as a result, more white actors are being nominated for academy awards. The 2015 Hollywood diversity report states that in major lead film roles, the ratio of white actors casted to non-white actors casted is greater than 2 to 1.

Even though many actors and actresses strive for academy nominations and wins, Castelan feels that winning an award does not exclusively define your talent.

“Although winning an academy award means you’ve done a good job, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ve reached the top of your success, there is always something that one can improve and be even more successful in the acting industry,” Castelan said.

While others may feel this way as well, the fact still remains that non-white actors are not acknowledged fairly for their hard work.

According to The Economist,  Black’s make up 12.6 percent of America’s population and have received 10 percent of Oscar nominations since 2000. Hispanics make up 16 percent of the population and have received 3 percent of nominations, only 1 percent of nominations have gone to Asian-Americans, and 2 percent to those of other heritage, while a survey of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) shows that 70 percent of its members are white.

Despite the lack of recognition, great actors of all backgrounds exist, and recent studies suggest that all audiences respond well to films with casts that are more diverse. According to the Associated Press, “the highest return on investment was delivered by movies with four non-white actors in the top eight roles.”

Which could mean that one day, the lack of diversity we face in film now, will be extinct.