HOLA was founded in 1975 by Denia Brache, Doris Castillano, Eduardo Corbe, Miriam Cruz, Antonieta Maximo, Andy Nóbregas, Ilka Tanya Payan, Rubén Rabasa, Larry Ramos, and other Hispanic actors who were concerned with the portrayal of Latinos in the media.

Over the decades, HOLA has vigorously advocated for increased employment of Hispanic actors in the media, supported Hispanic theaters, and helped Latin artists secure jobs in the entertainment industry. When HOLA was founded, Hispanic representation was less than 1%, and the roles available to Latino actors were often stereotypical, such as bandits. While some discrimination persists today, Hispanic actors now constitute 5.3% of roles in theatrical films (Hollywood Diversity Report 2023) and 4.8% in NYC theater (AAPAC Visibility Report 2018-2019). However, this is still considerably less than the Hispanic population, which exceeds 19.1% of the total U.S. population (2023 LDC U.S. Latinos in Media Report) and approximately 29% of New York City’s population as of 2020 (U.S. Census Bureau).

While HOLA strives to work within the industry to ensure that the Hispanic community has equal access to jobs, it also functions as a safe haven where Hispanic performers, writers, and directors can share ideas, concerns, and thoughts about the industry. Early in its history, the organization instituted an excellence in artistic achievement awards program (HOLA Awards). By supporting the New York Latino theater circuit, HOLA established itself as a viable not-for-profit arts service organization.