Often relegated to the background throughout Hollywood's long and glitzy history, Latino entertainers in the 90's stepped into the spotlight.

The 90's saw Robert Rodriguez break into the action genre with directorial duties on "Desperado" and "From Dusk 'Til Dawn." Directors Gregory Nava (My Family, Selena) and Victor Nu�ez (Ulee's Gold, Ruby in Paradise), who enjoyed critical acclaim in the 80's, returned to find popular success in the 90's.

Even actors began to direct and star in their own projects, such as Edward James Olmos' dual role in the prison drama "American Me," which followed the successful example Cheech Marin had set with his 1987 comedy "Born in East L.A."

In addition, many Latino actors have begun to receive "non-traditional" roles. Instead of playing a criminal, Jimmy Smits heads the cast of "NYPD Blue" the hit television police drama; a first for primetime television. Even in the world of science fiction, Robert Beltran and Roxanne Biggs-Dawson of TV's "Star Trek: Voyager", make up just part of the ethnically diverse show.

On the silver screen, Jennifer Lopez has become one of the most sought-after actors since receiving acclaim for her role in "Selena", while some of her male counterparts, such as Andy Garcia and Antonio Banderas, are also being cast in non-Latino roles.

Although stereotypical portrayals of criminals and loose women still abound, a growing number of Latino artists are playing more and more multi-dimensional characters. If casting directors begin to recognize that Latinos are more than capable of portraying a wide range of characters, then the future seems bright indeed.

After years of struggling to achieve recognition, women's sports took off in the 1990's.

Recognizing the growing importance of women's college and Olympic basketball, the NBA voted in 1996 to establish the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). WNBA teams were placed in eight cities: Charlotte, Cleveland, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Phoenix, Sacramento and Utah. Houston won the first ever WNBA Championship over New York. With the backing of the NBA the WNBA is sure to receive the kind of marketing previous women's leagues lacked.

The NBA also advanced the cause of women by hiring Dee Kanter and Violet Palmer to become the first women officiators in men's professional sports. Kanter and Palmer are expected to officiate 60 to 82 pro basketball games for the 1997-1998 NBA season.

Boxing has always been considered too brutal for women, but the 90's also saw a breakthrough in this sport. Christy Martin, the WBC Women's Lightweight Champion, brought the spark and championship poise to the sport of boxing and began to change people's perception of women in contact sports.

After years of amateur success, Women's Hockey has finally been given the recognition it deserves with its inclusion into the Olympics. Teams from Canada, China, Finland, Japan, Sweden, and the United States will compete for Olympic gold and the title of best hockey team in the world during the 1998 Nagano Olympic Games.