Eva Longoria on the 2012 NCLR ALMA Awards: "We Have to Get Behind the Camera and Create Our Own Stories"

Eva Longoria said it plainly: "As a community we have to get behind the camera and start creating our own stories and our images. We need to create our…" — and Premier Guide Miami was in the room when it happened.

On September 10, 2012, Eva Longoria joined a press call ahead of the 2012 NCLR ALMA Awards, airing Friday, September 21 on NBC and Mundos. Longoria serves as both host and executive producer — her fifth year in the role. Premier Guide Miami's Daedrian McNaughton asked her about Latino representation in media.

The Latin community certainly gets a lot more exposure through your efforts. How do you feel about the way they are presented in terms of their profile? Do you feel like there still needs to be more emphasis on elevating the roles they have — to get rid of stereotypes?

It's definitely improving. We have a lot to do. I think as a community we have to get behind the camera and we have to start creating our own stories and our images. A great example of this is Devious Maids, which I'm an exec producer on — being able to put four lead Latinas on a show, telling the remarkable stories of these four complex women. It's an example of what we need to continue to do as writers, as producers, as directors. We need to create our story.

Five years as executive producer

Longoria's connection to NCLR predates the ALMAs — she traces it back to her days on The Young and the Restless , attending NCLR events and working with the organization as an advocacy partner. "That's when I started with NCLR — through advocacy and activism. So when the ALMAs came back and NCLR came to me, we kind of formed this great partnership that's been pretty successful." Barry Adelman of Dick Clark Productions confirmed her hands-on approach: "Very active, I would say. In a good way."

The For Greater Glory nomination she almost declined

Longoria revealed she almost pulled herself from the 2012 nominations — as she typically does as a producer. "They talked me into keeping myself in the movie category because that movie was just so great and Andy Garcia is amazing in it. A lot of people were nominated from For Greater Glory and I was very proud of it. But usually I always pull myself out." The reporter who asked noted she was nearly unrecognizable in the role — a compliment Longoria accepted graciously.

Most memorable ALMA moments

Asked about the most memorable moments in ALMA history, Longoria went straight to the tributes: "One of mine — Andy Garcia. I don't know why that one just sticks with me. And another one was Marc Anthony — those were really great tributes. The musical component of all of those were amazing." She also recalled Christina Aguilera's first televised appearance, believed to be "Genie in a Bottle," on the ALMA stage. "Just kind of looking back and going wow — she was on our stage when she was beginning her career."

Why the ALMAs matter

"The media tends to define a lot of things — whether it's politics, political candidates, ethnicities, communities. At a time when some of those communities are under attack it's responsible for the NCLR and our community to showcase positive portrayals of Latinos in music, in television, in film and to make sure we're putting our best foot forward and saying: this is really what we look like; these are our contributions. That's really what the ALMAs represent." The 2012 NCLR ALMA Awards air Friday, September 21 on NBC and Mundos.

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