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Disney-ABC television showcased the diversity of its fall lineup Saturday at the network's first Latino press event.

From Wilmer Valderrama, former star of "That 70s Show" and now the voice of Handy Manny in the Disney Channel's cartoon "Handy Manny," to America Ferrera, who plays Betty in ABC's "Ugly Betty," Latino actors on Disney-ABC television shows sat with reporters to discuss their projects, the network and diversity in Hollywood.

"What's kept diversity off of TV for a long time ... is the feeling that it was not what people wanted to see, that [diversity] is not what middle America wanted. But the reality is that this country is becoming more and more diverse, and entertainment should be a reflection of that reality," says Ferrera.

Disney-ABC Television Group two years ago created the position of senior vice president of diversity and promoted Robert Mendez to the post. Mendez is responsible for advancing diversity strategies for Disney-ABC television, ABC, Touchstone Television, Disney Channel Worldwide, SOAPnet, Toon Disney, ABC Family and Walt Disney Television Animation.

Mendez explains that Disney-ABC has three business objectives: developing programming and content, further globalizing the brand, and embracing new technology. Diversity plays a "significant role in each and in the growth of the company."

"When you look at the programming that works for us ['Ugly Betty,' 'Grey's Anatomy,' 'Lost'], what you'll see is that quality content and diversity go hand in hand," says Mendez, listing the ABC shows that feature characters from traditionally underrepresented groups.

But it is new technology that has Disney-ABC implementing diversity practices into its organizations. New technology is allowing consumers to view programming when they want, where they want and how they want, and those early adopters are young people who grow up in multicultural classrooms and neighborhoods.

"Young people want diversity in their content," says Mendez. "We're looking for content and programming that connects with the young, and diversity helps us do that. All of this allows us to really harness diversity."

Mendez's office is developing methods to measure diversity efforts on both the creative and executive side of the business.

"We want to get to the point where we measure ourselves based on our market share ... we look to qualitative differences as well as quantitative," says Mendez, who is also focusing on executive recruitment that will support the company's programs that develop writers, directors and producers of color.

"Out of our strategy within my department is to recognize individuals who come from untraditional fields and bring them into our world," says Mendez.

For artists of color, Disney-ABC's effort is welcome news.

Valderrama, a native of Venezuela whose parents sold all they owned to bring their children to the United States, says he was surprised to learn of racism and prejudice here.

"I had no clue ... of the struggle that a lot of people of color have experienced in the U.S. We're supposed to be in the most incredibly open-minded country in the world and we have all these problems," says Valderrama. "But we're quickly becoming the majority ... 

It's exciting to be a [person of color] now. And thanks to 'That 70s Show,' I was able to live in every cultural home in the U.S."

In Venezuela, people consider themselves Venezuelans first and their ethnicity second. Inadvertently, that prepared Valderrama well to battle U.S. Latino stereotypes. He never thought of himself as inferior because he is Latino. He never had doubts about playing a certain role or that a director or producer wouldn't want him to because he is Latino.

"Not being aware of the stereotypes really helped me navigate through this industry," says Valderrama. "If someone else is going to do it, why not me?"

Ferrera, a Southern Californian who grew up near Los Angeles, is an example of the other aspect of young American-Latino life. She is the daughter of Honduran immigrants who spoke Spanish in the home while she spoke English with her friends. Her identity is multicultural.

"When I went to school, I wasn't Latin enough for Latin kids and I wasn't American enough for the American kids, so all of my friends were some sort of combo," says Ferrera. "I don't belong in certain groups because I can't be defined by a word, and I think that's a whole generation."

Ferrera attributes the success of "Ugly Betty" to its multicultural characters and subject matter.

"We're not just a critical success or a success with Latinos or a success with a specific group of people ... we have a very wide appeal," says Ferrera. "It's taken a little time for [network diversity] to catch up ... but I feel like [diversity] is making steps to a more true representation of the people who live in this country."

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