Two Latino films were inducted in 2022 into the National Film Registry at the Library of Congress©Getty images
Legendary projects

Two Latino films were inducted in 2022 into the National Film Registry at the Library of Congress

The National Film Preservation Board will protect the movies for their historical, cultural, and aesthetic contributions

Two Latino films were recently inducted into the National Film Registry at the Library of Congress. “Cyrano de Bergerac” and “The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez” were among the 25 influential films added to the registry in 2022. From now on, the National Film Preservation Board will protect the movies for their historical, cultural, and aesthetic contributions to entertainment.

“Cyrano de Bergerac,” released in 1950 and starred by José Ferrer, made the Puerto Rican actor the first Latino to win an Academy Award for best actor in 1951. While “The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez,” released in 1982, starring Edward James Olmos, is considered one of the vital feature movies of the Chicano film movement, as reported by NBC News.

The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez©The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez
“Cyrano de Bergerac” and “The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez”

Both movies are a testament to the contributions and history of Latinos in the United States and shine bright alongside other legendary projects, including the 1997 biopic “Selena.”

“Despite Latinos being underrepresented for generations in Hollywood, our community has left a mark on our national film culture,” Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, said in a statement Wednesday. “The National Film Registry, the Library of Congress has taken a critical step to preserve the work of Latino actors and industry creatives.“

As of 2022, The National Film Registry has 24 Latino movies out of the 850 movies preserved.

Find below the complete list of Latino films at the National Film Registry


  1. “Ballad of Gregorio Cortez” (1982)
  2. “Buena Vista Social Club” (1999)
  3. “Chicana” (1979)
  4. “Chulas Fronteras” (1976)
  5. “Cyrano de Bergerac” (1950)
  6. “Devil Never Sleeps” (1994)
  7. “Dracula” (Spanish language version) 1931
  8. “El Mariachi” (1992)
  9. “El Norte” (1983)
  10. “Fuentes Family Home Movies” (1920s-1930s)
  11. “I Am Joaquin” (1969)
  12. “La Bamba” (1987)
  13. “Modesta” (1956)
  14. “La Perla” (1948)
  15. “Please Don’t Bury Me Alive!” (1976)
  16. “Real Women Have Curves” (2002)
  17. “Requiem-29” (1970)
  18. “Revenge of Pancho Villa” (1930-36)
  19. “Salt of the Earth” (1954),
  20. “Selena” (1997)
  21. “Stand and Deliver” (1988)
  22. “Verbena Tragica” (1939)
  23. “West Side Story” (1961)
  24. “Zoot Suit” (1981)
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