Today’s Google Doodle celebrates Emerson Romero, a Cuban-American silent film actor and close-captioning pioneer.
“Between starring in films, directing plays, and taking action to make movies more accessible, Romero left an incredible legacy behind. As Hispanic Heritage Month kicks off, we honor Romero for his many contributions!” Google writes.
He’s not widely known by movie buffs or television audiences, or even the Latino artist behind the Doodle. So today’s Doodle, like those that came before it, is a great reminder to appreciate Latino trailblazers like Emerson Romero.
Honoring Emerson Romero
Born in Havana in 1900, Romero lost his hearing at age six due to whooping cough. Despite this, he went on to have a successful acting career in silent films, where he was known for his physical performances and stunts. However, with the advent of sound films in the late 1920s, opportunities for deaf actors like Romero diminished, and subtitles were no longer included, making films inaccessible to deaf viewers.
In response to this, Romero became an advocate for Deaf accessibility. “In 1947, Romero developed the first captions for a ‘talkie’ by slicing film strips and inserting images with captions in between frames,” Google explains. “This innovative technique inspired those who went on to create advanced captioning methods.”
The deaf actor and inventor went on to establish the Theatre Guild of the Deaf in New York City. “The company put on plays, many of which Romero acted in or directed,” Google writes. “He also became editor of the Digest of the Deaf magazine and wrote weekly gossip columns for the Farmingdale Post.”
About the Doodle
The Doodle honoring Romero is part of Google’s Hispanic Heritage Month celebration and was created by Cuban-American artist Derek Abella. Abella, inspired by classic Hollywood and film noir, depicted Romero in a way that highlights his contribution to film and accessibility.
“Born in Miami and now based in New York, Derek Abella is an illustrator who pulls from his Cuban-American and queer experience to create dream-like representations of a variety of subjects ranging from technology, to politics, to relationships between people, their surroundings, their memories and each other,” the artist’s official website explains.
Abella says, like many, he didn’t know about Romero. “I actually had no idea who he was when I got the assignment, and I’m also Cuban-American,” he says.
What does the artist want people to know about his Doodle?
“I want people to know that there is always more to learn about our heritages and the achievements people in our communities have made,” Abella explains.
The Miami native, now living in New York, says he found Romero to be inspirational. “He made such strides with creative solutions in his life, and it inspires me to do the same moving forward as an artist,” he says.
Google has honored other prominent Latinos with Doodles, including Civil Rights Activist Dolores Huerta, Singer Lola Beltrán, artist Frida Kahlo, Singer Selena, and writer Gabriel García Márquez.
