By Angelica Jimenez –

I’m a lawyer, but I don’t play one on TV. There is one, however, worth noting because she’s strong, smart and uncompromising.The role Alana de la Garza plays on NBC’s “Law & Order” is one example of a fully-developed and compelling Latina character on television, which is sorely lacking.

Latinos are more than 15 percent of the population in the United States, according to the U.S. Census. But that number is not reflected on television. A 2004 study by the non-profit organization Children Now reported that only 6.5 percent of characters in television are Latinos, according to XISPAS.

Alana de la Garza on Law & Order

The longest running drama on television “Law & Order” has never had a Latina in a higher-ranking position than that of detective for the first 17 years of its run. In 2006, Alana de la Garza came on the show as Connie Rubirosa, the first Latina Assistant District Attorney (A.D.A.) in the show’s history.

Yes, casting a Latina joining the Manhattan District Attorney’s office was a milestone, but would she be a one-dimensional character and fade into the background of cultural stereotypes?

Rubirosa began as the middle woman between her boss, D.A. Jack McCoy, and lead prosecutor, Executive A.D.A. Michael Cutter, but as the season developed, so did Rubirosa’s character.

Because she is the first Latina attorney brought to life by the writers, it was completely unchartered territory. Where would they take this character? The writers could’ve taken the character of Rubirosa in a couple of different directions.

On one end of the spectrum, they could shape her chocked-full of stereotypes, playing her up as a feisty man-eater. On the other end, the writers could create a role completely devoid of any Latina identity. She could ignore her roots or sweep them under the rug all in the name of “success.”

Over her three year run, it looks like the writers have carefully incorporated her Latina identity so that it serves the foundation strengthening her character. Rubirosa’s culture and upbringing impacts her decisions and political beliefs.

Rubirosa has said that her father was a Spanish immigrant who was a doctor, but when he came to the U.S., his degree wasn’t recognized.

In the 2007 episode “Melting Pot,” Rubirosa voices her opposition to the D.A.’s strategy that would place undocumented workers at risk of deportation, in an effort to convict a contractor. The issue became focused on immigration, and Rubirosa took a stand.

She is an advocate of immigrant and women’s rights, as was evidenced in the episode “Talking Points” where she disagreed with the views of a conservative writer, who resembles Ann Coulter.

Rubirosa’s bilingual skills proved crucial in the 2009 episode “Boy Gone Astray.” She helped uncover a Mexican drug cartel, which was recruiting young boys as assassins. Rubirosa translated a ballad in Spanish accounting the murders and glorifying the cartel, which led them to the kingpin.

As with the previous A.D.A.s, Rubirosa plays to type as the beautiful female on the show; however, she is a fully realized character.

De la Garza’s performance has been recognized, as she was nominated for an ALMA Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in 2007. She was born in Ohio to a Mexican-American father and Irish-American mother.

She grew up in Texas and left for Florida after graduating college to pursue her career in acting. After landing a role on the daytime soap opera “All My Children,” de la Garza moved to New York. She played Rosa Santos, a member of the only Latino family on the soap at that time.

She received an Impact Award for Outstanding Performance in a Dramatic Television Series by the National Hispanic Media Coalition. A.D.A Connie Rubirosa is a welcomed presence in dramatic television, and there is a place for many more like her.

Angelica Jimenez is a graduate student in the journalism program at Columbia College Chicago and also a lawyer.