Most Latinos in S.A. ready for the digital switch

S.A. mostly ready for switch to digital TV
By L.A. Lorek - Express-News

With the federally mandated analog-to-digital television conversion only seven weeks away, most San Antonio households are ready for the change.

The Nielsen Co., which tracks the readiness status in major cities, found in a report Dec. 19 that only 6.2 percent of San Antonio's households are completely unready for digital TV. Overall, 78.4 percent are completely ready and another 15.4 percent are partially ready.

“On the whole, San Antonio is better prepared than the nation and other Texas markets that are metered,'' said Anne Elliot, Nielsen's vice president of communications.

San Antonio outranks Austin, which is the eighth-least prepared city, with 9.8 percent of its households completely unready. Houston has one of the worst preparedness rates in the study. It ranks third, with 12.4 percent of its households completely unready.

The least prepared market on Nielsen's list is Albuquerque-Santa Fe in New Mexico, with 13 percent of its households not ready for digital TV, followed by Tulsa with 12.6 percent. Dallas-Fort Worth ranks fourth, with 11.7 percent completely unready.

Nielsen's data is based on 54 major TV markets that make up 70 percent of all TV viewers in the United States, Elliot said. It found the number of completely unready households nationwide, on average, dropped from 7.4 percent in November to 6.8 percent in December.

That doesn't mean that San Antonio households will not be affected by the transition, said Bjorn Dybdahl, owner of Bjorn's Audio Visual in San Antonio.

“I think you're going to be surprised come Feb. 18 that some people will not have their TV signal,'' he said. “It's going to really affect the elderly and low-income people.”

A few weeks ago, the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund, based in Washington, D.C, announced plans to establish two digital TV assistance centers in San Antonio, among other cities. The centers, which are scheduled to open next month, will assist people with older TVs transition to the new format.

San Antonio's Hispanic population lags non-Hispanic households in getting ready for the change, Elliot said. Almost 9 percent of the city's Hispanic population is completely unready, and 9.2 percent of the black population is unprepared, according to the Nielsen report.

Twelve percent of all households in San Antonio rely on broadcast-only signals to watch TV, according to Nielsen. Another 60 percent subscribe to cable TV and the remainder rely on satellite or AT&T's digital U-verse TV.

Households with cable, U-Verse or satellite are already prepared for the transition and do not need to do anything, said Mike Barger with AT&T.

“It's just folks that have antennas” that need to take action, he said.

AT&T recently announced its U-verse TV service now has 1 million subscribers, and part of that growth is attributable to the digital conversion, he said.

Time Warner also has seen a slight uptick in subscribers as the date gets closer, said spokesman Gavino Ramos.

Most TVs sold in the past few years have built-in digital tuners, so they should not be affected, said Nielsen's Elliot.

To help consumers, the federal government is providing two $40 coupons to buy a digital converter box. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration already has sent out 40 million coupons, but consumers have only redeemed 17 million. Another 12 million expired.

Broadcasters did a test Dec. 17 in which they shut off the analog signal and switched to the digital broadcast three times during the day to let people know about the transition. They plan another test Jan. 17.

For people relying on an antenna for their TV signal now, the digital conversion box will get them prepared, Dybdahl said. Bjorn's sells two boxes from $40 to $60.

“We're selling more than I expected,'' he said.

New Latino flavor makes restaurant a destination

New Latino Squared
By Ed Bedford | Dec. 30, 2008

Should I or shouldn’t I?

I stand at the base of the steps. Up top, a couple of “log” fires are burning in their chimeneas, kivas. Beautiful People sit around them, and at tables, surrounded by stone arches and bougainvillea, laughing, glugging back margaritas from fancy glasses, living the good life. Sigh. Here comes a new year, and here’s yours truly, still hesitating at the bottom of steps like these?

On the other hand, what the heck? It’s 6:00, a nice Sunday evening. Got a Hamilton and a Lincoln in the pocket. See what we can do with it.

I head up the steps to Zócalo.

“Still having happy hour?” I ask the hostess.

“Well, yes, till 6:30, but only at the bar. It finished at 5:00 on the terrace.”

Okay. So I make for the bar. It’s across this really cool room, with lots of polished wood, stone, exposed wooden rafters, and tile pictures of Latin American scenes laid into the walls. “Zócalo” means “main town square,” in Mexico, at least, so it all fits, this being just up from Old Town’s plaza and all. I head for a beautiful marble-and-wood bar in back, hoist myself aboard next to a gent who’s finishing off his martini. “One more, Ryan,” he’s saying. “That’s dirty.”

“Dirty?” I have to ask.

“Yes, sir, a dirty martini,” he says. “A little vermouth, Bombay Sapphire gin, shaken, not stirred. Think James Bond. Straight up, just a little crushed ice and olive juice to cloud it, make it ‘dirty,’ give it flavor.” His name’s Chris. He’s an adviser to — wow — the governor of Guam. Here on vacation.

Ryan slides me a little stand-up menu. Great. Happy-hour list. Prices go from $2.75 to $15. Zócalo nachos, which I know would fill me, come with melted Mexican cheeses, black beans, salsa picante, jalapeño cream sauce, and guacamole. “The best you’ll have in San Diego,” says Ryan. “He’s right,” says Chris.

Daggone it, they’re $7. Which I could do, but then not much else. Steamed mussels and clams with garlic mojo run $8. But I want to drink something, have a couple of little dishes, and come out feeling full. Too much to ask?

I spot the cheese fish tacos. Interesting, and $2.75. Not bad, compared with Chris’s choice. He’s ordered a New Zealand lamb and potato-quiche dish. Tag: $26.

I check out other impossible dreams: lobster bisque ($6.50), queso fundido (a delicious-looking cheese fondue, with adobe chicken or chorizo — dammit: love chorizo — and served with tostones, deep-fried plantain slices, $9), or even a carnitas sandwich with mango salsa and avocado salad ($10). Last two are just over the top. Sigh. On the sound system, Bruce Hornsby is singing “…that’s just the way it is.”

“Decided?” Ryan asks. I focus on two things I reckon I can afford: the $2.75 fish taco, and Cuban sweet-potato fritas with house chimichurri, $4. Have to ask about that chimichurri. Seems they call it the ketchup of Argentina. It’s a kind of green dipping relish, with olive oil, vinegar, cilantro, onion, garlic, you name it. Plus, Ryan says I can get a glass of Coors Light for $3.25 to go with it. Together, it’ll come to a neat $10. Plus tax. Cool. And the part I really dig is how Ryan lays out a three-cornered white linen napkin on the marble counter in front of me and places a rolled napkin on top of that, with heavy silverware inside. Then he brings me this nice tall flute of Coors. It could be champagne, the way it looks.

“This is a nuevo latino restaurant,” he says a couple of minutes later. “Fusion food.” He sets down my sweet potato fritas and then the fish-taco dish. Oh, man. This taco’s not just a taco. Yes, it’s a corn tortilla with a chunk of fish — Arctic pollock — but loaded with so much more: black beans, green onions, shredded red cabbage, onions, some sour cream, lemon, garlic white sauce, and lots of golden cheese on top. It’s a pileup. So classy.

The sweet-potato fries fill up the corners the taco missed. Love the relish dip. Also splot on some hot sauce that turns out to be the place’s own brand. Not bad.

So, I’m just licking my fingers from the last bite of this finger-lickin’-good taco when I hear “Aha!”

It’s this lady who’s come up to the bar, sat down on my right, and ordered a $10 spring roll–looking dish.

“Caught red-fingered!” she says. “My ex-husband used to do that, lick his fingers. I lectured him about it. Must be a male thing. Caveman and all that?”

Her name’s Liz. This is her watering hole. We all start talking.

“Here,” says Chris. “Try this.” He cuts off two chops from his rack of lamb and passes them along to us. Delicious, minty. So this is how the Other Half lives.

Half an hour later, I head back down those Steps of Hesitation. ’Cept now, I’m struttin’. Finally! Somewhere to impress Carla, one happy hour at a time.

The Place: Zócalo Grill, 2444 San Diego Avenue, Old Town, 619-298-9840

Type of Food: Latin fusion

Happy Hour Prices: Zócalo nachos, $6.50; cheese fish taco, $2.75; lobster bisque, $6.50; queso fundido (cheese fondue), with adobe chicken or chorizo, and tostones — deep-fried plantain slices — $9; carnitas sandwich with mango salsa, avocado salad, $10; Cuban sweet-potato fritas with house chimichurri, $4

Happy Hour Hours: 4:00 p.m.–5:00 p.m., every day on the patio (starting at 3:00 p.m. on Sundays); 4:00 p.m.–6:30 p.m., Tuesday–Saturday at the bar; 4:00 p.m. to close, Mondays at the bar
Buses: 8, 9, 10, 14, 28, 30, 35, 44, 105, 150
Nearest Bus Stop: Old Town Transit Center
Rail: Trolley (blue line, green line), Coaster
Nearest Rail Stop: Old Town Transit Center

Hispanics not seen too often in kids books

Blacks, Hispanics Are Rare Heroes With Newbery Kids Books Medal
By Melita Marie Garza

Dec. 30 (Bloomberg) -- In “Bud, Not Buddy,” author Christopher Paul Curtis tells the story of a Depression-era black boy in Flint, Michigan. The book won the Newbery Medal, the top prize in children’s literature, eight years ago.

It was the last time a black character had the lead role in a Newbery book. If you want a Hispanic protagonist, you have to go back 43 years.

Characters depicted in Newbery winners are more likely to be white, male and come from two-parent households than the average U.S. child, according to a Brigham Young University study. The trend has accelerated even as the U.S. has diversified, with fewer black and Hispanic main characters in the past 27 years than in the Civil Rights era of 1951-79.

“We are going to have a black president -- literature should catch up,” National Book Award winner Sherman Alexie said in an interview. Alexie won the award for his 2007 “Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian,” a semi-autobiographical novel about a teen growing up on the Spokane Indian reservation.

The Chicago-based American Library Association has awarded the Newbery Medal to one book annually since 1922. All Newbery books remain in print, underscoring their enduring nature. Their popularity with teachers and parents means that for many younger children, Newbery medalists are a primary way they learn about the world and how to relate to others.

To be sure, only about 10 percent of new children’s books published last year focused on minorities, according to the Cooperative Children’s Book Center at the University of Wisconsin- Madison, a library that serves the university’s School of Education.

The number of books about minorities has remained around 10 percent since 1992, said Kathleen Horning, the center’s director.

‘Largely White World’

“We still are a largely white world in children’s literature and it’s always an uphill struggle,” said Roger Sutton, editor- in-chief of Boston-based Horn Book magazine, an 85-year-old review of children’s books.

The Brigham Young study analyzed the race, gender and family background of human characters in 82 Newbery-winning books through 2007. The analysis compared three periods, starting with 1922 through 1950, followed by the era in which the Civil Rights Movement gained momentum, 1951 through 1979, and concluding with the 1980 through 2007 period.

Black and Hispanic protagonists became scarcer during the past 27 years. American Indian and Asian main characters increased in number -- to two each.

Latino protagonists disappeared from 1980 through 2007 and black ones fell to two from a high of five between 1951 and 1979, the study found. White main characters rose to 19 from 18 in the same period.

Boy Bullfighter

The last book with a Hispanic protagonist to win a Newbery Medal was “Shadow of a Bull,” by Maia Wojciechowska, in 1965. The book dealt with a young Spanish boy’s struggle to follow in the footsteps of his slain bullfighter father.

Newbery Medal winners also depict disproportionately fewer characters living in single-parent households than the norm, the study found. About a quarter of all U.S. children now live with one parent, compared with seven percent of the Newbery protagonists in the past 27 years.

“Maybe the ALA should just describe the Newbery Award as ‘awarded to the writer of the best book about white, two-parent households,’” said Julia Alvarez, a Dominican-American and a writer-in-residence at Middlebury College in Vermont. She won the American Library Association’s Pura Belpre Award as well as the Americas Award for “Before We Were Free,” which tells the story of a 12-year-old girl whose family is involved in resistance work in the Dominican Republic against the Trujillo dictatorship in 1960.

‘Literary Quality’

“The Newbery is given for literary quality -- ethnicity, gender, nothing of that is necessarily taken into consideration,” said Pat Scales, president of the Association for Library Service to Children, which runs the Newbery award for the library association.

“We certainly want children’s books to mirror society,” Scales said. “It’s not as magic as whether there is a boy main character or a girl main character or an African-American or Latino or Asian character. We owe kids good stories that reflect their lives and give them a more global view.”

One out of three Americans is now a member of a minority group, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Hispanics, the largest minority, account for 15 percent of the U.S. population, followed by African-Americans at more than 13 percent. Asians represent 5 percent and American Indians more than 1 percent.

While only one book can win the Newbery Medal each year, the library association also names Newbery Honor winners, an accolade a number of minority writers have received. In 2008, Jacqueline Woodson’s “Feathers” and Christopher Paul Curtis’s “Elijah of Buxton,” were named Honor Books. Both authors are black.

‘Winners Too’

“The honor books are winners too,” Scales said. “We have to look at the whole spectrum. We now give the Pura Belpre Award, which is strictly for Latino writers and illustrators.”

Likewise, since 1982, the library association has given the Coretta Scott King Award to black authors and illustrators depicting a sense of the African-American experience in their work.

“Pura Belpre started in 1996 and was originally given every other year because there weren’t enough books by Latino authors and illustrators,” Scales said. “That’s changing, and starting in 2009, the association will give the award annually.”

“We are not just writing Latino books, we are writing stories for all of us,” Alvarez said. “Sometimes there are these lags. The same thing happens in academia, minority writers, Afro- Americans, women, are taught in specialized courses, such as the Survey of Women’s Literature. ... That is slowly changing, and the canon itself is more diverse. Boy, I can’t believe it’s 2008 and we’re still having this kind of conversation.”

To contact the reporter on this story: Melita Marie Garza in New York at mgarza4@bloomberg.net

Latina shares Hispanic culture cooking

Who's Cooking: Marcela Hede of East Northport
ROSEMARY OLANDER December 28, 2008

Lives in East Northport with her husband, Neil, and son, Ian, 3. She also runs a Web site called hispanic-culture-online.com.

When did you learn to cook? My family comes from the region in Colombia called Antioquia Department. It encompasses the Andes. We eat a lot of beans, mainly frijoles cargamanto - large red beans that puff up when you cook them. When I was a child we had full-time help because my parents worked. I would come home from school and stand with the cook on my little bench and help her. But the real moment I learned to cook was when I got married.

How would you describe your cooking style? I think it's very practical. We are busy, but we want to keep our Latin ties alive. And I find it's very convenient to have a pressure cooker, for cooking beans or chicken, because otherwise our cooking style in Colombia can be very time-consuming.

What are some South American foods you incorporate into your daily diet? I like to buy the frozen [fruit] pulps that you can find in Hispanic markets. My son and husband love the blackberry pulp; you combine it in the blender with brown sugar and a little water, and it's a perfect drink with lunch and breakfast. If you add a little ice cream, it makes it nice and frothy.

What's a typical weeknight meal in your home? I like to buy South American-style meat - large pieces of beef that are very thinly sliced - season it with a bit of mashed garlic, adobo or cumin, and salt and then freeze it in individual packages. In the morning I put a package in the refrigerator, and that night I might caramelize onions with olive oil and then cook the meat very quickly. On the side I would have rice and salad with avocado. It's a meal that's ready in 20 minutes.

What's the derivation of ajiaco? This is a typical dish from the capital region of Colombia; people there eat a lot of potatoes. This dish has three types of potatoes, which help thicken the soup, and a special herb called guascas, which adds a smoky flavor. It's very good soup for this time of year because the area where it comes from is very cold.

Are there any Colombian restaurants where you enjoy dining? I like a restaurant in Brentwood called Mi Tierrita, which means "my land." You have to wait on line for a long, long time. The portions are generous, and it's owned by people from Bogotá. They have great juices - guava, blackberry, guanabana. What I really like is the fish soup, a piece of fish in a great thick broth that includes yucca and potatoes and onions.

AJIACO COLOMBIANO

South American potatoes and herbs (e.g., guascas) are available at markets such as Compare and C-Town that carry Hispanic foods.

4 chicken breasts halves with the skin (about 3 pounds)

5 scallions, white part only, chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 chicken bouillon cubes

1 pound criolla potatoes (Colombian yellow potatoes) or small white boiling potatoes, peeled, quartered

1 clove garlic, minced

1 white onion, chopped

1 bunch cilantro, washed and trimmed

2 1/2 pounds sabanera potatoes, or red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices

2 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices

2 tablespoons dried guascas

4 ears corn, each cut into 3 sections

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup capers with juice

3 ripe avocados

1. Toss together chicken, half of scallions, salt and pepper; refrigerate about 2 hours. When ready to cook, put the chicken in a large dutch oven or Chambaware pot (a clay pot traditionally used for Colombian cooking) and cover with 4 quarts of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover; simmer until chicken is tender, about 35 minutes.

2. Transfer chicken to a platter and let cool. Remove skin from chicken and shred the chicken into thin strips.

3. Add the bouillon cubes and papas criollas to the water and cook until they start to disintegrate, giving the soup a thick but fairly smooth consistency, about 30 minutes.

4. Add the remaining scallions, the garlic, chopped onions, cilantro, sabanera and russet potatoes, guascas and corn. Simmer until potatoes are tender, about 45 minutes. Remove cilantro and scallions, add shredded chicken and heat through. Ladle into bowls and top with a spoonful of cream, a few capers and a few thin slices of avocado. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

know a great home cook? Write Rosemary Olander, Food Dept., Newsday, 235 Pinelawn Rd., Melville, NY 11747-4250 or rosemary.olander@newsday.com.

Hispanics find their Jewish past

Some US Hispanics trace their Jewish past
They discover roots in the Sephardic Jews of Spain through DNA testing.
By Amy Green | The Christian Science Monitor December 29, 2008

Sanford, Fla. - Wendy Martinez Canelones grew up Catholic and Seventh-day Adventist. But she always felt drawn to Judaism. She once had a vivid dream of herself embracing a blue volume of the Torah. She tears up recalling the dream.

Eventually, she found out why. While studying her family history, she found that she is a descendant of Jews who were killed during the Spanish Inquisition.

"It's been in my heart so many years that for me, it was not a surprise," says Ms. Canelones, who converted to Judaism and now worships at Beth Israel Messianic Synagogue, a congregation for Hispanic Jews in suburban Orlando.

So-called hidden or crypto-Jews, whose family histories have been shrouded in secrecy for centuries, can trace their ancestry back to the Sephardic Jews of Spain. Many of them are here in the former Spanish colonies of Florida, as well as the US Southwest, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.

Now, interest is growing in the United States among some Hispanics to probe what may be their Jewish heritage. Family Tree DNA, a Houston-based genetics genealogy company offering a comparative Jewish database, gets dozens of orders a week from Hispanics wanting to know whether they might be Jewish. Of those, two or three test positive, estimates Bennett Greenspan, founder and president of the company.

"What we started to notice in 2000 and particularly in 2001 was a bunch of Hispanics started with us and their DNA was matching to Jews," Mr. Greenspan says. "They were coming to me, saying, 'I knew it. I knew it all along'.... The earlier someone came to the New World as a Hispanic, the more likely they have Jewish ancestry."

No one is sure how Jews ended up on the Iberian Peninsula, but there is evidence supporting one story that they fled there as early as 587 BC during the destruction of the First Temple, says Stanley Hordes, adjunct research professor at the University of New Mexico's Latin American & Iberian Institute in Albuquerque.

During the Spanish Inquisition, Jews were forced to convert to Catholicism. Some did so disingenuously, some were killed, and some fled. When Christopher Columbus sailed for the New World in 1492, some Sephardic Jews joined him, perhaps believing they finally would be free of Spanish persecution.

"It's not a myth," says Dr. Matthias Lehmann, associate professor of history and Jewish studies at Indiana University in Bloomington. "It's certainly true there was a crypto-Jewish presence in the Spanish colonies."

Granted, it's virtually impossible to get an accurate count of Hispanic Jews in the US. "After keeping a secret for so many years, the secret has become part of the religion and part of the culture. I suspect there are many more people who don't know about it and probably will never know about it," says Dr. Hordes, who has written the book "To the End of the Earth: A History of the Crypto-Jews of New Mexico."

"If you count everyone today who might have one converso ancestor among the thousands and thousands of their progenitors, then I guess pretty much everyone in the Southwest would be in that category," he adds.

Some Hispanics are beginning to share their stories and reconstruct their ancestries through organizations like Aliyah Sefarad International, which is based in Sanford, Fla. It holds seminars across the US and the Caribbean to educate those Hispanics who may have no idea about their heritage, says Rabbi Gary Fernandez, who leads Beth Israel Messianic Synagogue and is the group's president.

Since the organization's founding last year, Mr. Fernandez has held dozens of seminars, some of them drawing as many as a few hundred. Among those who turn out are Christians who hear about the seminars at church, academics, and others curious about family traditions that hint at a Jewish past.

"It never fails. We get half-a-dozen to a dozen people who come up after with water in their eyes," Fernandez says. "They're thanking me because now a lot of things make sense with their family and their customs. And a few of them then say to me they would like to embrace what was lost or stolen from them."

One person who has embraced his heritage is the Rev. William Sanchez, senior pastor at the Catholic St. Edwin Church in Albuquerque, N.M. While in seminary, he began to wonder whether family traditions such as his grandmother's habit of lighting candles in a window in the weeks leading up to Christmas might be Jewish. He took a DNA test that supported his belief.

Now, Jewish ancestry informs the faith of this Catholic priest. During worship, he has added a menorah and shofar, a horn blown during Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.

"When I read especially about Moses and Aaron and the people in Israel and their struggles, I recognize that I do not only have a faith connection with those people," he says. "I also have a spiritual legacy rooted in my ancestry."

At Beth Israel Messianic Synagogue, more than half of the congregation's 50 members are Hispanic. Some spend their entire Saturdays in worship, dancing to traditional songs and reciting prayers in English, Spanish, and Hebrew.

Fernandez splits his time between the congregation and Aliyah Sefarad International, which also aims to fulfill a prophesy that Sephardic Jews will inherit the Negev, a desert region of southern Israel. He is planning a trip to Israel in February and is in touch with government representatives about helping Hispanic Jews return to the country to live.

Canelones hopes to be among them someday.

"It's indescribable," she says of her dream. "It'll be awesome."

Latino quadriplegic and hip hop artist harassed by police

Brutalizing Disabled Hip Hop Artists
Quadriplegic Latino Hip-Hop Artist Racially Profiled by Roswell police
by Leroy Moore Jr. Dec 26th, 2008

I met Marc Anthony Romero aka King Montana online at myspace after finishing a three part radio series on Hip-Hop artists with disabilities in 2006 at KPFA in Berkeley, CA. I was blown away by his musical talents and since then we have stayed in contact working on Krip-Hop Project, sharing frustrations on how the music industry and the general public treat people with disabilities and also celebrating our achievements. So when I read that this political social conscious Hip-Hop artist was racially profiled and arrested by police officers of Roswell Police Department in New Mexico I was shocked!

Marc Anthony is one of the hottest Hip-Hop artists in New Mexico rolling around in his wheelchair on stage, in the studio and on tour. He just finished a show in Albuquerque, NM where he met another Hip-Hop artist with a disability, Rob DA Noize Temple, the DJ for the legendary Sugar Hill Gang. Both artists are in the Krip-Hop movement (Hip-Hop by artists with disabilities) but didn’t know each other until I realized that they were scheduled to perform at the same venue on the same date. After successfully meeting Rob Da Noize Temple, the Sugar Hill Gang and performing, the promoter of that show was impressed and booked King Montana for a gig in Roswell, New Mexico that’s when King Montana, Baby Bash and other Latino Hip-Hop artists were living what they write and rap about in their songs, racial profiling from police.

King Montana’s debut CD, In My Shoes, is clearly a mirror that reflexes his life as a Latino disabled politically aware artist\activist who is singing about his people and his own life. Just like Tupac Amaru Shakur laid down some real and painful lyrics about his life, his community and Black people, King Montana also laid down some sharp but real views about being Latino and disabled in songs like Freedom Fighter and In My Shoes to name only a few. And like Tupac, many songs of King Montana are unfortunately reality to Latino, Latinas and other people of color especially those living in poverty.

Reality of anti immigration policies targeting Latino community, state violence through law enforcement like federal agents, I.C.E., Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the roll back of social services and racial profiling are all in King Montana’s lyrics but when songs become reality more and more often how can we as society deal with it? Do we take artists like King Montana as a prophet who is telling us something or do we turn our backs until the lyrics become news headlines?

Well, news has broken and the first headlines are from King Montana, himself, in his press release. A portion of his press release is as follows:

On Sunday December 7, 2008 rapper Baby Bash, along with King Montana and other artists were booked for a show in Roswell, NM. During the show the Roswell Police Department attempted to stop the event. They arrested the Promoter "Julio G" from Fusion Promotions. Shortly there after the Roswell Police Departed raided King Montana's hotel room, and detained several others. The manner in which the police acted was inappropriate. They racially profiled King Montana, threatened him with false charges and made racial remarks. It did not stop there members of the Roswell Police Department shocked "Rich Rap" of the Stooie Bros. with a taser and continued to violently beat him. They blatantly targeted the artists for humiliation. The Roswell Police Department issued King Montana a citation for possession of marijuana, with out any evidence. The next day he pleaded "No Contest" in the Roswell Municipal Court. The reason for this is King Montana refuses to pay the City of Roswell more money after the way the Roswell Police Department acted.

I just talked to King Montana and he told me that he has a lawyer and was told to not give any more interviews until the case is looked into. He sounds like he has support and also at the same time he is still shaken up by the incident. In King Montana’s press release he writes, “this is not going to be unnoticed constitutional rights were violated.” King Montana will be suing the Roswell Police Department.

Local media in Roswell, NM is now shedding their cameras and releasing their black ink on this story. As the founder of Krip-Hop and journalist, I, and the Krip-Hop nation will continue to support our brother, King Montana and will keep this story in the face of the public. King Montana will be in the Bay Area in February and Krip-Hop Project will be setting up some gigs and media coverage for King Montana. Some shows will be a chance for King Montana to talk about what happen in Roswell. A working title for King Montana’s Bay Area tour could be Police Brutality Hip-Hop & Disability. For more information drop Krip-Hop Project an email at kriphopproject [at] yahoo.com or myspace.com/kingmontana505

Leroy F. Moore Jr. Founder of Krip—Hop Nation http://poormagazine.org

Latino-American artists featured in annual exhibit

Beacon exhibit looks at Latino-American art
By Scott Cornell • Poughkeepsie Journal • December 26, 2008

BEACON - The Howland Cultural Center is hosting its annual exhibit featuring works by local Latino-American artists.

The 14th annual Latino-American art exhibition, "Changing Expressions," is on through Sunday at the center on Main Street.

Normally held in September to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month, the exhibit was delayed this year because it would have clashed with the International Peace Festival held in the city, according to Florence Northcutt, organizer of the art exhibit.

More than 20 artists are displaying their work at the exhibition. Art on display includes patriotic paintings, watercolors, metal sculptures and mixed media with photography.

"The art exhibition itself is eclectic, and it's just a wonderful display of the Latino-American talent we have in the valley," Northcutt said.

Elisa Pritzker, one of the featured artists, will show some of her work, including mixed media with photography. Pritzker, a native of Argentina, owns Casa Del Arte studio and gallery in Highland.

"I've seen more people take an interest in Latin-American art and I've seen a big boom of Latin-American influence in the area, and the Howland Center was at the beginning, now bringing new artists in every year," Pritzker said.

A professional artist for more than 30 years, Pritzker portrays a mix between life in the Hudson Valley and life in the big city, and her themes focus on such issues as the environment, global warming and finances. She said she uses a minimalist approach to her art, using few objects in each piece to convey a message.

"Like any artist, I have different periods, but I mainly deal with the environment and everyday, contemporary life," Pritzker said. "My work has Latin-American influences but it really talks about the daily lives of every human being in any part of the world."

While Pritzker has been part of the exhibit since its start, Poughkeepsie resident Jose Acosta tried to get his work shown for several years before finally being invited.

"This is my third year showing, but it was hard for me to get in there in the beginning," Acosta said. "I kept going to the shows and showing my face, and I sent a letter for three years before finally getting invited to the exhibit."
Expressionist view

Acosta, a Cuban-American, creates what he calls expressionistic paintings, ones that are very colorful and energetic. An engineer in New York City, Acosta has shown his work all over the county, with some being featured at the University of Pennsylvania's library.

"I've shown with a lot of other artists in various different shows, but I love the Howland center," Acosta said. "And this year is going to be really amazing because after looking at the list of artists invited, they have some of the top Latin-American artists in this show."

Latino renaissance man

A doctorate from the school of life
Chapman University selects MacArthur award winner Rueben Martinez to recruit first-generation college students, especially Latinos.
By Tony Barboza December 27, 2008

Rueben Martinez is known for his many callings: Barber. Longtime bookstore owner. MacArthur award winner. Speaker at high schools, colleges and universities across the country. Holder of more honorary degrees than he can count.

And now Martinez, 68, is a college professor. A presidential fellow, to be exact.

Starting next month, Martinez will be responsible for Chapman University's efforts to recruit first-generation students, especially Latinos, into science and math programs.

University administrators said the fellowship is part of a twofold strategy of boosting its science enrollment while more aggressively recruiting students from such central Orange County communities as Santa Ana, Anaheim and Orange -- where the 6,000-student campus is located.

Martinez said that during his visits to high schools, he likes to conduct one-on-one interviews with rapid-fire questions to find out about students' interests and determine how serious they are about pursuing their education.

"What I tell these kids today is that a college degree can be a reality," he said. "I tell them: 'If you don't like high school you're going to dig college, man.' "

After cutting hair for decades, Martinez began selling books out of his barbershop in 1993, and he later moved into a storefront on downtown Santa Ana's Main Street. His shop, Libreria Martinez, has become a pillar of the Latino literary community.

Martinez was thrust into the national spotlight in 2004 when the MacArthur Foundation awarded him a $500,000 fellowship for promoting literacy. The unrestricted money, spread out over five years, has gone to start a nonprofit group that offers after-school classes and tutoring as well as paying some of his bookstore's bills.

University administrators said they enlisted Martinez to work against an image of private universities as exclusive bastions that are out of reach of low-income high school students. Chapman's $36,000-a-year price tag doesn't help, they said.

"First-generation students, they hear the word 'private' and they hear 'country club' and exclusive and 'not available,' " even when administrators explain that more than 80% of students receive some sort of financial aid, said Mike Pelly, Chapman's vice chancellor in charge of admissions.

Chapman has become a school with an increasingly national reach,best known for its business and film programs. More than three-quarters of its students are from outside Orange County. But administrators believe they may have gone too far.

With a 10% Latino student population, "We are very much in line with most universities," Chancellor Daniele Struppa said. "But we are located in a very heavily Latino section of the country. We are really next-door neighbors. So the question is, why don't we get more interest?"

Donald Cardinal, dean of the College of Educational Studies, where Martinez will work, said Martinez's contacts in the Latino community and in schools could break down some perceived obstacles.

"He's like a pied piper of sorts," he said. "I could call a school district 10 times and say 'I want to talk to your students,' but they still have this idea that their students can't afford to come here."

He has asked Martinez refer to the university as independent rather than private and that he act as an advocate for college in general while explaining that Chapman is one of many options. He has otherwise placed few limits on Martinez.

The fellowship is also part of an increased focus on science and technology at Chapman.

Earlier this year, the university established the Schmid College of Science, made up of the science, health sciences, math and psychology departments with more than 700 students are enrolled so far. Chapman is hiring more faculty, and want the students to match.

Luis Ortiz-Franco, a mathematics professor who has taught at Chapman for more than 20 years, said the need for diversity is great -- he knows of only two math majors who are Latinos.

But he is skeptical that Martinez on his own would be able to boost the numbers unless the university ties him to a scholarship program and an on-campus office that would support Latino and first-generation college students.

"In my view, the university would have to invest resources in creating a permanent pipeline that brings Latino students into the math and sciences," he said.

Pelly, the admissions vice chancellor, said that Chapman plans to commit more scholarship money to math and science students.

But even hiring Martinez was not sure a sure bet. Martinez balked when Cardinal approached him, saying that he lacked the standard credentials. "I have a high school diploma, how am I qualified to do this job?" Martinez recalled asking.

But he has slowly come around to thinking of himself as an educator. When he recently received a letter from Chapman addressing him as Professor Martinez, it was such a source of pride that he showed it to all of his bookstore customers.

"I've walked through campuses all my life but never attended classes," he said. "Who would ever think that people would be calling me professor?"

As he has slowly gotten acquainted with his new office on the second floor of a white neoclassical building, he has also set his first goal: to persuade 10 top students to come to Chapman and stay. He compares it to selling a good book.

"In a way, I'm going to be a salesman," he reflected. "But I'll be selling ideas."

tony.barboza@latimes.com

Latino children bring joy to the new world

Children mark Christmas with traditional Hispanic celebration in Peekskill
By Christine Pizzuti • The Journal News • December 26, 2008

Small children with false curled mustaches riding atop pickup trucks draped in red velvet were cheered on yesterday during a procession that made its way to the Church of the Assumption for afternoon Christmas Mass.

Hundreds of children, many in a daze, sat atop the 20 allegorical floats and marched through the streets, wearing angel costumes, brightly colored ponchos and jewel encrusted vests during the Hispanic community's celebration of el Nino Viejero, or "the traveling child."

"God came to us first as a baby," said the church pastor, the Rev. John Higgins. "It's the way God chose to manifest himself."

The tradition is deeply rooted in Hispanic culture and performed in many countries, a variety of which were represented at the parade, Higgins said.

Residents took a break from their regular Christmas celebrations and came down to the streets to videotape and wave to the children on their short journey.

Each float was decorated to emphasize a different part of the story of Jesus Christ: One had children dressed as the three wise men, and on another a small girl dressed as the Virgin Mary sat on a stuffed donkey.

From the sides of the colorful floats hung pineapples, oranges, lollipops and bottles of cider and soda.

As he walked behind the last float in the parade, Higgins summed up the symbolism of all the children, music, and colorful costumes and produce.

"This tradition is meant to show the joy of the birth of Jesus at Christmas," he said.

Men dressed as Santa Claus threw pouches of goodies into the crowds while children did their best to scratch beneath their itchy wigs while clapping to the festive music that filled the streets.

"A lot of the traditional suits they're wearing are representative of the time when Jesus Christ was born," said William Campoverde, head of the church's Hispanic ministry. "This is all to celebrate our Lord's birthday."

After the floats were placed in the church parking lot, the energetic crowd spilled into the church by the hundreds, completely filling both levels and continuing out the door. There were about 2,000 people in all.

The children, still in bright costumes, ran about the church, weaving in between the adults as they stood for prayer.

The celebration was free and happy, and the crowd sang and clapped loudly to the music played by a live band.

Parents with video cameras on tripods zoomed in on the three wise men and angel who stood at the altar.

Up at the front of the church was one very special figure, a statue of Jesus that was donated to the parish by the archbishop of Cuenca in Ecuador.

The statue arrived just a few weeks ago, Higgins said.

The Church of the Assumption, which also has a school, provides scholarships to families and will sponsor a weeklong trip to Rome at the end of June.

Reach Christine Pizzuti at cpizzuti@lohud.com or 914-696-8291.

A Hispanic spiritual journey

A Hispanic spiritual journey
BY JUAN ANTONIO LIZAMA Times-Dispatch Staff Writer December 24, 2008

One visitor climbed the front steps of the Chesterfield County home and rapped loudly with the brass knocker.

Another squatted on the steps and began strumming a guitar. Others, holding candles and huddling around statues of Mary, Joseph, an angel and the baby Jesus, began singing in Spanish, asking for lodging.

The occupants inside the home responded in song, accompanied by a second guitar, saying the visitors should move on because they were afraid to open the door.

The visitors continued singing and finally persuaded the homeowners to let them into a small room in the basement.


The scene Monday evening at Mario Deras’ home in the Kings Forest neighborhood was part of a Posada — the Spanish word for inn — a traditional celebration in Mexico and Central American countries that recounts the journey of Mary and Joseph seeking shelter in Bethlehem for the birth of their son, Jesus.

Posadas are celebrated every night in individual homes from Dec. 16 to Christmas Eve. Parishioners at St. Augustine Catholic Church — including the participants in Monday’s re-enactment — will celebrate the last Posada tonight[jli: 12/24: ] at 7 at the church. It will be followed by a POSADA dramatization of the Angel Gabriel’s announcement to Mary that she will give birth to God’s son and the pilgrimage by Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem.

Families who host Posadas usually give the visitors food such as tamales, hot chocolate or atole. In Mexico, it is common to have piñatas at the end of Posadas as well. The piñatas symbolize the devil and traditionally have seven spikes that signify the seven deadly sins, said the Rev. Shay W. Auerbach,[jli: CQ : ] pastor of Sacred Heart Church on Perry Street, which also has been celebrating at least two Posadas every night.

Children beat up the symbolically evil piñatas to break them down and find the goodness inside.

“It’s a wonderful theological celebration,“ Auerbach said. “It’s a way to sort of live the Scriptures.“

Deras, a native of El Salvador, said in an interview that he and his wife felt honored to be hosts for a Posada. The hosts were assigned through a lottery among the hundreds of families who attend Spanish Masses at St. Augustine.

“This is a joy and a blessing,“ he said. “It’s a gift from God.“

The group sang some traditional songs and reflected on a Scripture reading from Luke in which the angel tells the shepherds about Jesus’ birth.

Deras, who read the biblical passage, reminded the 40 or more people gathered at his home to follow Jesus’ example and to remain humble.

“Gifts are important, but don’t let them become an idol,“ he said. “It is more important that the baby Jesus is born in our hearts.“

Though the Posada is a tradition that reminds people of home, some also see the story of Joseph and Mary seeking shelter as applying to their immigrant status.

One woman from El Salvador who came to Monday’s Posada with a young child asked during a prayer time for Mary and Joseph to intercede on her behalf in her effort to gain permission to stay in the United States.

“We are asking that they let us into this country so we can help our families in our country,“ she said.

As the celebration continued, the group praised the mother of Jesus, chanting, “Long live Mary.“

“Thanks to María, we have Posadas,“ Reynaldo Villegas, a construction worker who played one of the guitars, said later.

The participants ended the Posada in a festive mood as they clapped and sang the popular José Feliciano tune: “Feliz Navidad, Feliz Navidad ... I want to wish you a Merry Christmas, I want to wish you a Merry Christmas.“

Contact Juan Antonio Lizama at (804) 649-6513 or jlizama@timesdispatch.com.

Hispanic community celebrates Christmas with Posadas

Hispanic Community Carries On Christmas Tradition Of 'Posada'
CF NEWS 13 December 24, 2008

WINTER PARK -- While many are hitting the malls, shopping for the perfect gift this holiday season, others are busy keeping up with tradition.

One Hispanic community in Central Florida has made a nine-day Mexican Christmas tradition an annual custom at Resurrection Catholic Church, in Winter Garden.

"It's 'Las Posadas,' and it is the tradition where Mary and Joseph go to all the homes in the area, and they are turned down," said Mary Jo Star, a spectator attending the church's celebration. "They do different readings from the Bible, and they sing songs and they celebrate, and they come all the way around and end up in Bethlehem at the end, and they're invited [into the manger at the] Inn."

"Las Posadas" means "The Inns." In Mexico, each family in a neighborhood schedules a night for a Posada at their home. Each home represents a scene of the Nativity, and the ninth day always falls on Christmas Eve.

The tradition dates back many centuries, as one of the first methods used by Spanish settlers to evangelize the Indigenous communities in Mexico.

"This brings back to them what they went through in the their own countries, and what they've experienced," said the Rev. Alex Dalpiaz, of Resurrection Church. "Now here, they experience the same faith, the same culture. They now practice in another country, and they carry it with them."

"I came here to show my girls what it's like to be in another country that is in love with Catholicism," Star said. "This kind of shows them, and shows everybody a culture that exists among us, and we should appreciate it and enjoy it."

The variations of Christmas traditions in the U.S. equal the number of cultures that have settled the land. Whether it is a family, faith, or ancient tradition, it is what makes your holiday unique.

Latino Journal Day Off

We've decided to take today, Christmas Day, off. We'll provide you with your dose of Hispanic/Latino news tomorrow. Have a Merry Christmas.

Hispanic Christmas more traditional, family oriented

Hispanic Christmas more traditional, more family
By Kevin McClintock Carthage Press Dec 23, 2008

Christmas in America has its own deeply rooted traditions — some place a candle in the window; some hang mistletoe and holly about the house; others sing carols, piece together nativity scenes or decorate Christmas trees.

But debates continue to rage over commercialization of America’s most storied holiday. In other words, it’s all about the gifts and the price tags and mountains of shredded tissue paper, and less and less about Dec. 25’s importance — celebrating Jesus’ birthday.

Which is why many Anglo Americans pondering the deterioration of the traditional and cultural Anglo-American Christmas could glean a pointer or two from other cultures, particularly the Hispanic Christmas.

For Hispanics, Christmas remains a predominantly religious holiday. Christmas traditionally lasts from the beginning known as Advent through the Baptism of Jesus. As with most Hispanic cultural traditions, celebration of the Christmas season is primarily molded around family, either immediate or extended.

According to Rebecca Cuevas De Caissie, “Generally, we celebrate the holidays by having fun with our families and dancing from Mariam. We celebrate pretty much the same as anyone else — celebrating the birth of Jesus and renewing family ties. Church service is followed by a huge family dinner. The exchange of gifts doesn’t take place on Christmas Day — it happens on the Feast of the Epiphany (Jan. 6).”

Rev. Francisco Bonilla, pastor of Carthage’s La Iglesia Cristiana Hispanoamericana, says Hispanics have adopted some of the Anglo Christmas customs — what he terms “rowing with the flow.” This has its good and bad aspects.

It’s good, he said, “because we were never in the position to go out and spend a couple of hundred dollars on gifts. That has been a nice experience. But it’s bad in a way that sometimes we forget where we came from and the blessings that we find here.”

He said there are more differences than similarities between an Anglo and Hispanic Christmas. Ironically, the main differences centers around exchanging gifts.

“I’ve spent Christmas time with Anglo families… and it’s kind of cool — it’s a gathering, a greetings, exchanging gifts, eating together, talking a little about this or that — and that’s it,” Bonilla said. “The gifts are very important, the expressions you have to do (when receiving a gift), ‘Oh, this is the perfect gift, this is what I was hoping to get.’”

While exchanging gifts are conducted among Hispanics during Christmas, wrapped presents isn’t the focus of the day’s celebration.

First of all, Bonilla said, “we do not open gifts in front of the ones who give them. The gift is not important. We exchange the gifts, but later we take the gifts back home or we open them up in our own privacy.”

What is important during a Hispanic Christmas, Bonilla continued, is the gathering of friends and family. “We set the gifts apart because the focus is not the gifts but the lessons from (the various) relationships, of our remembrances and memories; lots of laughs and hugs and holding hands and talking and laughing and eating.

“It’s more like a family reunion.”

John Braun, Hispanic minister for Iglesia del Sagrado Corazon de Jesus, located inside Webb City’s Sacred Heart Catholic Church, describes a traditional Hispanic Christmas day, either here in the U.S. or elsewhere.

“On Christmas Eve the family gathers in order to eat a big family meal. Afterwards the family goes to midnight Mass together. After that, everyone goes home and lights a bonfire, listens to music and dances; all of the families are in the streets. The day for giving presents is on Jan. 6, the Feast of the Epiphany when the three kings arrived at the manger in Bethlehem. The children put their shoes outside the door for the kings to leave their presents in. Many Mexican homes don’t have chimneys because of the poverty of the people; thus, Santa Claus can’t come down the chimney with his bag full of toys.”

Here are some of the more traditional and cherished Hispanic Christmas traditions, as explained by Braun.

• Advent wreath – “The Advent wreath, which is a Germanic custom, is a sign of the hope we have in Jesus Christ that he has come, that he is with us, and that he is coming. We light the 4 candles, one for each of the 4 weeks of Advent, as a sign that we are ready for his return.”

• Las Posadas (Joseph and Mary journey) – “The Spanish word “posada” means a dwelling. Through the posadas we re-live the journey of Joseph and Mary, pregnant with Jesus, the Savior of the world, from Nazareth to Bethlehem, as part of the census Caesar Augustus ordered for the Roman Empire. Everyone had to return to their ancestral home in order to register for the Romans who wanted to know how many people they could count on for taxes. It was an extreme insult to the Jewish people. Joseph was of the house of David and this signals to us a fulfillment of the Messianic prophesy that a descendent of David who would sit on his throne forever. As we participate in the trials and sorrows of Mary and Joseph, we also rejoice that God has fulfilled his promise that he would send to humanity a savior. After Mary and Joseph enter the posada, one of our homes, we have sweet bread and hot chocolate.”

• La Novena (9 days of prayer) – “There are two novenas, a) nine days before Dec. 12, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, we meet for prayers and songs in honor of her appearance to Juan Diego on the site of present day Mexico City in 1531. b) There is another nine days of prayers before Christmas, and it is during these 9 days that we do the posadas.”

• La Misa de Gallo (midnight mass) – “We call Midnight Mass La Misa de Gallo because of the crowing of the rooster at dawn, and the dawn at which we rejoice is that of the new world where Jesus Christ is the king of kings and lord of lords.”

• Las Pastroelas (fireworks) – “La Pastorela is a reenactment of the posada and traditionally there are fireworks at the beginning in order to call the people together — there was a time, and there are still places, where the people don’t have clocks — and at the end in order to rejoice in the fact that God saves us.”

• Traditional Foods – Some of the traditional Hispanic Christmas foods include Tamales, which are very important. Also there are sweet tamales, de chile, de cheese, buñuelos (a pastry) and fruit punch.

While some Americans would love to “turn back time” and embrace some of the lost but more simplistic Christmas customs, “It really isn’t possible to “go back” in order to adopt practices we have forgotten,” Braun said. “People all over the world have kept their traditions, modified them, or rejected them. What tradition enables the family to do is to teach it how to enter the future.”

Of course, both Anglo and Hispanic cultures cherish nativity scenes. The importance of such scenes, Braun said, “lies in the faith that it is a reminder of the birth of God in human flesh.”

Cinema Latino delves deeper into Latin American films

Wexner Center Presents Cinema Latino in January
ART DAILY

NEW YORK, NY.- Cinema Latino—a popular annual series, now in its third year and this year running January 9-29 at the Wexner Center—offers a survey of the contemporary and classic films of Latin America. Featuring documentaries, comedies, and drama, the series provides an opportunity to see films that are rarely screened in this region. Each year, Cinema Latino delves deeper into Latin America, both culturally and geographically; this year’s opening night film, The Pope’s Toilet, offers the first Uruguayan film for the series.

Notes Chris Stults, organizer of the series and assistant curator in Wexner Center’s film department, “Increasingly, many of the most vibrant and acclaimed films being released have been coming of out Latin America. This year's Cinema Latino series brings to Columbus a diverse sampling of the entertaining, powerful, and illuminating filmmaking being produced in the region.”

Ticket prices for most films or double features are: $7 for general public; $5 for members, students, and seniors citizens. Please note that one of the films (Macario) is free. Most films are in Spanish and include English subtitles. All will be screened in the Center’s state-of-the art Film/Video Theater, 1871 N. High St. inside the Wexner Center. More information: 614 292-3535 or www.wexarts.org.

CINEMA LATINO SCHEUDLE

Friday, January 9 at 7 pm (free public reception at 6)
The Pope’s Toilet (Enrique Fernández and César Charlone, 2007). 90 mins., 35mm.
This charming film offers a compelling portrait of a family and community trying to escape grinding poverty in an Uruguayan border town. Papal fever and get-rich-quick schemes abound as the townspeople anticipate crowds arriving for John Paul II’s 1988 visit. As the tension mounts, anything that can go wrong does. The Village Voice called this film an “alternately heartbreaking and hilarious satire.”
The free public reception before the screening will be hosted by Fronteras de la Noticia, a local Spanish-language weekly publication.

DOUBLE FEATURE
Thursday, January 15
7 pm: Silent Light (Carlos Reygadas, 2007) 135 mins., 35mm.
9:25 pm: Made in L.A. (Almudena Carracedo, 2007) 70 mins., video.

Carlos Reygadas, Mexico’s most uncompromising young filmmaker, has garnered rapturous critical attention for Silent Light, his third film, since its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. The tender story unfolds in an isolated modern-day Mennonite community in rural Mexico, where a devout farmer is torn between his love for two women and tries to decipher God’s role in these relationships. Silent Light currently does not have a U.S. distributor, so this is a rare opportunity to see this film. In Plautdietsch with English subtitles.

The moving documentary Made in L.A. follows the remarkable journey of three Latina immigrants working in Los Angeles’ garment sweatshops and their struggle for self-empowerment as they wage a three-year battle to bring the clothing retailer Forever 21 to the negotiating table.

Thursday, January 22 at 7 pm
The Old Thieves: The Legends from Artegio (Everardo González, 2007) 85 mins., 35mm.

The Old Thieves is a chilling yet humorous documentary portrait of the Mexican underworld in the 1960s. Intimate interviews with four notorious and charismatic bandits and archival footage vividly recall a time when these charming professional thieves were virtually unstoppable—and reveal the price they eventually had to pay. Nominated for Best Picture and Best Director at the Ariels, Mexico’s national film awards.

FREE FILM
Thursday January 22 at 8:35 pm
Macario (Roberto Gavaldón, 1960) 91 mins., 35mm.
This screening is free, but tickets are required. Call 292-3535 to reserve tickets (for pickup the day of film).

A landmark film by one of the key filmmakers of Mexican cinema’s golden age, Macario is one of the purest and most audacious examples of “magical realism” in cinema. Its enigmatic tale—adapted by B. Traven (The Treasure of the Sierra Madre) from the Brothers Grimm—becomes a startling, angry satire, as a poor woodsman encounters God, Satan, and Death. Gorgeously photographed by the legendary Gabriel Figueroa.

DOUBLE FEATURE
Thursday, January 29
7 pm: Cochochi (Israel Cárdenas, Laura Amelia Guzmán, 2007) 87 mins., 35mm
8:40 pm: Encarnación (Anahí Berneri, 2007) 93 mins., 35 mm

Set in the beautiful Sierra Tarahumana region of northwest Mexico, the unforgettable Cochochi (Land of the Pines) is a folktale that doubles as a remarkable portrait of an indigenous community facing change. During a journey to deliver medicine to a remote community, two young brothers lose their grandfather’s horse and then each other, and they cannot return until all are reunited. Filmed with nonprofessionals from the Rarámuri (or Tarahumara) community in their indigenous language.

Another great example of the rich cinema coming out of Argentina, Encarnación is an engaging character study of a 40-something actress, who survives on fading memories of her pinup days. The film centers around her visit to a favorite niece’s birthday party in a small farming town. Silvia Pérez gives the performance of a lifetime as the actress.

Hispanic roles key for Holiday movie

Rodríguez the engine behind Hispanic roles in 'Holidays'
By Phil Villarreal Arizona Daily Star 12.21.2008

Some sit around and complain that Hollywood doesn't make enough movies with good parts for Hispanic actors. Freddy Rodríguez did something about it.

Along with producing partner Robert Teitel, Rodríguez persuaded Overture Films to make its Christmas dramedy about a Puerto Rican family in Chicago. The movie was released Dec. 12 and earned $3.5 million in its first weekend.

"It was tough — definitely a big challenge from beginning," Rodríguez said in a phone interview last week.

"In Hollywood, you can get things done if you have good credit; just like in real life if you go and buy a car or want a house, it's the same thing. In Hollywood, if you build up enough good credit by doing good projects, your respect accumulates."

Rodríguez built up much of his credit cache as Rico, the corpse-reconstruction makeup artist on HBO's "Six Feet Under." He parlayed the breakthrough role into a blooming film career, including major roles in "Planet Terror" and "Lady in the Water" as well as a guest stint on "Ugly Betty."

"Nothing Like the Holidays" is Rodríguez's debut as an executive producer. He also plays the role of Jesse, a wounded Iraq War veteran who returns home and tries to get his life back together.
Rodríguez said he took the reins of the casting, rounding up old friends John Leguizamo and Debra Messing to play a married couple, with Leguizamo as Jesse's uptight brother. He's also close to character actor Luis Guzmán, who signed on to play a boisterous family friend. Once those actors were attached, Rodríguez made his push for Alfred Molina to play the family's macho, secretive patriarch.

"He was the hardest person to get. He's such a busy guy," Rodríguez said. "He's British and a lot of people don't even realize that, but I really wanted him for the movie and wasn't sure if he was gonna go for it."

To round out his cast, Rodríguez called on his credit once again, contacting Elizabeth Avellan, one of the producers on "Planet Terror," whom Rodríguez said is tight with Molina pal Salma Hayek. Molina was hooked by the cast and the script.

Rodríguez said he felt pressure to do the film right in order to make it successful so it could provide more opportunities for Hispanic actors and filmmakers. As a reverse template, he used "Chasing Papi," the awful 2003 Hispanic comedy in which Rodríguez played a supporting role. He called the movie the only one he's made that he doesn't like.

"I pointed to it and said, 'This is what we don't want to do,' " Rodríguez said, later commenting on how easy it is to see a movie project turn awful if it's made carelessly and for the wrong reasons.
"In a general sense, not pointing a finger at any film specifically, if you just slap a film together and slap a bunch of Latin actors together and the directing sucks, the script sucks and everything sucks, you can't put that out there and expect the Latin audience to pay $10 to see it," Rodríguez said. "The Latin audience is not stupid and will not support a film just because it's Latin."

Rodríguez said he acquired a taste for producing on "Nothing Like the Holidays" and plans to serve a similar role in two films he'll make next year. One is too early in development for him to feel comfortable mentioning, but the other is a "City of God"-like drama set in Puerto Rican slums called "Julito Maraña," which Rodríguez translated as "Julito and the f----- up situation." He chuckled when told there was a town in Arizona called Marana.

Rodríguez hopes "Nothing Like the Holidays" is the start of something big not only for him but the diversity of movies in general.

"If one does well. then the studio heads in Hollywood write checks," Rodríguez said. "If they see American films revolving around a Latin cast making money, they'll make more. At the end of the day, the studio heads don't sit there and see black, white or brown. They just see green."

Phil Villarreal at 573-4130 or pvillarreal@azstarnet.com.

Is Hispanic media ownership relevant?

Is Hispanic Media Ownership Relevant?
HispanicBusiness.com, News Report, Richard Kaplan

There was a time in the 20th century when media ownership was a priority among minority entrepreneurs. In the Hispanic market the attraction mainly focused on Spanish-language electronic media, particularly radio, and some of the early pioneers of Spanish-language media in the U.S. are still active in today's media markets.

With market activity now expanding to the Web, online media has become the new frontier for pursuing Hispanic media ownership. Minority media ownership remains nonetheless almost as inaccessible as it was during the l970s and '80s.

On the contrary, in recent years, ownership consolidation in the industry has increased. In the 21st century the Federal Communications Commission, which once was at the forefront of advocacy for minority media ownership, has not been supportive. Another complication is the attraction shown by foreign investors and media operators for the U.S. Hispanic consumer market.

Media companies from Latin America and Spain have demonstrated a keen awareness of the growth and potential of the U.S. Hispanic consumer market, especially the Spanish-speaking part of it. All the same, few U.S. Hispanic media entrepreneurs have subscribed to positions and public views shared by proponents of media minority-ownership in the 1960s, '70s and '80s. Virtually no Hispanic leaders speak on behalf of Hispanic media ownership. Media ownership was perhaps the most elusive goal for all minority groups in the 20th century.

The Strengths Of Hispanic Ownership

Amador Bustos, a leading player in the arena of popular Hispanic radio, said Hispanic ownership helps open doors when trying to successfully reach an audience.

His company, Bustos Media, owns more than 30 radio stations strategically placed in many of the nation's leading Hispanic markets.

"It is important to have Latinos in the broadcasting game because the Hispanic owners will undoubtedly have a greater sensibility to the idiosyncrasies of the various Spanish-speaking groups," said Mr. Bustos, whose company has 60 employees and reported $12.9 million in 2007 revenue. "On the programming front, their understanding of the language, culture, and regional politics will contribute to shape the breadth and depth of the news and information coverage. On the employment front, historically Latino owners have been more prone to hire and promote other Latinos."

Hispanic entrepreneurs, Mr. Bustos recalls, were once at the forefront of Spanish-language media. It was their commitment to the community, as well as their capital and cultural knowledge, that drove development.

"Local promoters or entrepreneurs started buying blocks of time in other people's radio or TV stations," he said. "By the early 1970s, Spanish-language programming began to occupy 100 percent of the programming time and Latinos started to own many of those stations around the country."

Entry into the media market was facilitated by the relatively low cost of ownership and regulations limiting the number of stations any one firm could own. Starting in the 1990s, however, consolidation began.

Mr. Bustos explained, "Companies were allowed to own up to eight stations in any one market. We saw a rapid decrease in Hispanic ownership because many of the individual operators sold their stations at a premium (for the time) to the consolidators."

The dwindling number of Hispanic-owned companies forced a seismic shift in the landscape and has allowed entrepreneurs who remained in the market to use Hispanic ownership to their advantage.

Johnny Yataco traces out a similar pattern of consolidation in the print media. In 1994, Mr. Yataco founded and owns the Washington Hispanic, which now has a circulation in excess of 100,000 in the Washington, D.C. area. In the current downturn, his daily paper is doing fine, buoyed perhaps by the continued growth and underlying strength of the country's largest minority.

Currently, says Mr. Yataco, major media corporations are accumulating Hispanic newspapers, but those "conglomerates" consider their audience quite differently than a family-owned, Hispanic firm. When a chain acquires a Hispanic-owned publication, Mr. Yataco said, "the first thing they do is ... start cutting personnel, and when things don't go well, they just cut and cut and cut." Revenue, he said, is the "major driving force."

Of course, revenue is important for the Washington Hispanic and other Hispanic-owned media, Mr. Yataco agrees, but it's not the only concern. Small, local Hispanic papers "know their community," he explained. "We live here. When a newspaper is owned by a big chain, I think they lose touch with the community."

Carmen DiRienzo, president and CEO of the new television network V-me, also insists that Hispanic ownership is crucial for reaching the community.

Founded just 18 months ago, V-me partners with the Public Broadcasting Corporation to reach Hispanic viewers across the United States. The company is partially Hispanic-owned. V-Me is owned by WNET, the New York City PBS member station, and private investors led by the Hispanic-owned Baeza Group. The company has 30 full-time employees but declines to release its annual revenues.

Ms. DiRienzo said her company is "rooted, very rooted in the local Hispanic communities."

Feeding those roots, says Ms. DiRienzo, is partial Hispanic ownership with Mario Baeza serving as V-me's executive chairman, but she also points to the staff and its ties to the community.

"When the people designing the programming are very heavily Latino, as in our case," she asserted, "what they bring to the content is their sensibility as Latino Americans and their understandings of the viewers and the viewers' aspirations."

Capital Difficulties
But it's not always that simple. The idealism of many Hispanic entrepreneurs takes a backseat to the cold realities of the business climate. Competition over advertising dollars makes it tougher for companies to expand, regardless of who owns the company.

A major roadblock for Hispanic-owned media companies continues to be finding financing and advertising dollars, said Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez, a professor in the journalism department at the University of Texas at Austin. "Often in the Latino community, we just don't have the money to put together a newspaper or magazine without outside funding," explained Ms. Rivas-Rodriguez, who formerly reported for the Boston Globe and the Dallas Morning News. "It is a very competitive business right now."

Mr. Bustos agrees. The two biggest barriers to creating new Hispanic ownership of media outlets in the radio industry, he explained, are "access to substantial amounts of capital at a decent interest" and, second, "the scarcity of good signals in populated urban centers."

Future Growth
One Hispanic-owned firm that continues to maintain a strong presence in the Hispanic marketplace is Spanish Broadcasting System (SBS), which owns 20 radio stations in the United States and Puerto Rico and pulled in $179.5 million in gross revenues for 2007.

For Frank Flores, vice-president and market manager for SBS – New York, Hispanic ownership is a key ingredient in the company's success. At the beginning of his career, 28 years ago, he worked for a non-Hispanic station that served the Hispanic market in New York City. Mr. Flores says much of his time was spent in explaining the subtleties of Hispanic culture to the owners, helping to guide them in their programming choices.

At SBS, Mr. Flores says he has no such problems. Comparing Hispanic-owned media to non-Hispanic, he declared, "I've seen the difference between the two, and the difference is stark." Now at SBS, he explained, "We are very much in tune with what our community is all about. ... and I think the community understands it, the community feels it. They know that the radio station is owned and operated by a Hispanic. So there is a certain amount of pride there. And they also know that it's good that these people are in charge because they are going to do the right things for us."

Under the leadership of CEO and President Raul Alarcon Jr., Mr. Flores says SBS has built a "mini Hispanic-owned media company and empire." Despite the current gloomy economic conditions, SBS is well-situated in key Hispanic urban markets and primed for growth. Indeed, once the markets recover and the Hispanic marketplace "fully emerges as the monster that we all know it will become," Mr. Flores is sure SBS will be there to take full advantage of its Hispanic edge.

Latino art collecting will be presented by panel

Museo Alameda hosts panel on Latino art collecting
By Edward Hayes Jr. Project Assistant, UTSA Art Collection

(Dec. 17, 2008)--The Smithsonian's Museo Alameda in San Antonio recently hosted "Publishing and Collecting Latino Works on Paper," a panel discussion on collecting Chicano and Latin American prints.

Sam Coronado, director of the Serie Project (pronounced seh-ri-eh) and organizer of the Consejo Gráfico Symposium, brought together six art collectors to share their diverse histories and thoughts on their collecting practices.

Panelists included Ricardo Romo, UTSA president and passionate art collector; Gilberto Cárdenas, director of the Inter-University Program for Latino Research at the University of Notre Dame; Joe Díaz, private collector from San Antonio; and Gary Keller, director of the Hispanic Research Center, Arizona State University at Tempe.

Eliseo Ríos, panel host and Museo Alameda interim executive director, also provided tours of the museum's exhibitions. Conducted concurrently with Consejo Gráfico, a Latino printmaking symposium in Austin, the panel focused on the business of art and the growing interest in collecting limited-edition prints known for their graphic impact and historic connection to Latin American political posters.

"Because of the work of artists, collectors and scholars gathered here today, everyone now has a greater opportunity to experience the cultural renaissance of Chicano art," said Romo, who, with his wife Harriett Romo, UTSA professor of sociology and director of the Mexico Center, has collected art since they were in college.

While the Romos began collecting when he was a graduate history student researching barrio culture in East Los Angeles, Keller's collecting began in grade school and now inform his latest publications "Chicano Art for Our Millennium" (2004) and "Triumph of Our Communities: Four Decades of Mexican American Art" (2005).

Cárdenas expressed his interest in collecting conceptual Latino art and maintaining a balance between major artists and up-and-coming talent. Collector Díaz emphasized the importance of preservation, and is currently looking for a museum to house and conserve his encyclopedic collection of art.

"Because the Museo Alameda is now the Alameda National Center for Latino Arts and Culture, we are really about establishing a vital place for artists, collectors, museum professionals, students and professors," said Ríos. "We were pleased to host this panel presentation, and hope to host many more. Collectors play a significant role in the early stages of a particular movement or group of artists."

Latino cartoon to save Three Kings in upcoming episode

Dora the Explorer Celebrates a Traditional Hispanic Holiday in 'Dora Saves Three Kings Day,' Premiering Tuesday, Jan. 6, at 8:00 P.M. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon
PR Newswire December 15, 2008

NEW YORK, Dec. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Celebrate Three Kings Day with Dora! The reigning queen of preschool TV will take tots on a new half-hour prime-time adventure in "Dora Saves Three Kings Day," premiering Tuesday, Jan. 6, (Three Kings Day), at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on Nickelodeon. In this first-ever Three Kings Day-themed episode of Dora, preschoolers will learn about an important Hispanic cultural tradition as they help Dora find the animals that have run away with the presents and treats for the big Three Kings Day party. Three Kings Day also known as El Dia de los Reyes Magos celebrates the coming of the three Magi to offer gifts to the newly born king. Currently in its fifth season, international phenomenon Dora the Explorer is the number-one-rated preschool series on all of commercial television.

In "Dora Saves Three Kings Day," Dora, Diego and Boots are at cousin Diego’s rescue center dressed up as kings for the Three Kings Day party at Dora’s house. They’ll ride on a horse, camel and an elephant to carry the presents, treats and special Three Kings cake to the party. The trio is ready to go when Swiper accidentally scares the animals away. There can’t be a Three Kings Day party without the animals and treats! They set out on an adventure to find the elephant at the five golden rings, the camel in the hot desert and the horse who is on his way to Dora’s house. Along the way they meet Dora’s friend Najim from Egypt and Nelly from Mexico, who help find the runaway animals.

Nickelodeon will roll out content from "Dora Three Kings" across the following platforms:

Dora the Explorer, created by Chris Gifford, Valerie Walsh Valdes and Eric Weiner, is a play-along, animated adventure series starring Dora (Caitlin Sanchez). Dora is a seven-year-old Latina heroine whose adventures take place in an imaginative, tropical world filled with jungles, beaches and rainforests. She explores her world just as preschoolers do everyday, and the show is designed to actively engage its audience in an interactive quest using a variety of learning techniques.

In every episode, Dora and Boots (Regan Mizrahi) invite the audience to participate in an exciting adventure, where each step of their journey consists of a problem or puzzle that Dora and the audience must think their way through in order to solve the next problem. Dora is proudly bilingual and uses her knowledge of English and Spanish to communicate with her friends, overcome obstacles and reach her goals. In each episode, Dora teaches Spanish words or phrases to the viewers and then asks them to use it to solve a problem and forge ahead. Ultimately, Dora and her best friend, Boots, triumph, and the story always ends with a "We Did It!" anthem.

Nickelodeon, now in its 29th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books, magazines and feature films. Nickelodeon’s U.S. television network is seen in more than 96 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 14 consecutive years. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B).

SOURCE Nickelodeon

Latino film tells of life after the Spanish conquest

The Other Conquest On DVD
The Other Conquest is a powerful movie that was released in 2000 and became the highest grossing movie in Mexico until that time. It took seven years to make the film and now it is being released on DVD
Adrian Perez, Latino Journal/Vida de Oro

Hollywood, CA – School civics books tell of European nations conquering the Americas. But, none have ever written about the unrest and uprisings by the conquered civilizations until now. The release of “The Other Conquest” (La Otra Conquista) on DVD tackles the other story from the side of the Aztecs.

“The way many of us have been taught is that Tenochtitlan falls on August 13 of 1521 and that was that,” says The Other Conquest movie director Salvador Carrasco. “Then the next chapter talks about the Viceroy and the Colonia…what happened the morning after? These are consolidated civilizations, complex, hugely evolved with a history for themselves”

In The Other Conquest, Carrasco tells a story of resistance without the use of arms, and depicting an historical aspect that has been ignored by modern civics books. Taking seven years to complete, The Other Conquest was released in Mexico in 2000, becoming the highest grossing film until that time. It took Carrasco another 7 years to watch its release on DVD.

“They thought no one would go see a movie with an Indian protagonist,” Carrasco says. “People thought it wasn’t commercial…all kinds of things. Then, of course, the movie comes out and it became the highest grossing movie in Mexico at the time.”

The Other Conquest (La Otra Conquista) is a movie about Topiltzin, a survivor of the Spanish conquest led by Don Fernando Cortez, representing King Charles V of Spain. He and all other Aztec survivors were forced to accept the Spanish language, customs and religious beliefs. Topiltzin is helped by Cortez’ concubine, who is alleged to be the daughter of Aztec King Cuactemoc. In their struggles, they find ways to integrate their new language and beliefs with those of their indigenous past.

“I didn’t want this film to leave people feel luke warm,” Carrasco adds, “I wanted people to absolutely love it or hate it, but it does strike a cord.”

Carrasco says he would like for the movie to be shown in High Schools and Colleges so everyone can see the rich culture that existed in the Americas. It was screened in Poland and India where audiences connected with film’s depiction of what it is like to be conquered. You can see the entire interview with Salvador Carrasco on www.calmagazine.com, Channel 4.

Latino singing legend looking for resurgence

Suavecito - The Legend Lives On
Singer, songwriter looking for rebirth
Adrian Perez, Latino Journal/Vida de Oro

Sacramento, CA – The unique California Latin Rock sound was born in the late 1960’s out of San Francisco’s Mission District. The fusion of percussion instruments with electric guitars and keyboards produced the power sound of Santana. To top that, Latino bands introduced horns, creating a unique blend of salsa and rock. Out of this sound, the band MALO was born. A highly talented and energetic band comprised of legendary musicians like Aurelio Garcia, Gorge Santana, and Luis Gasca. But their status as a legendary Latino band is attributed to their 1972 hit single “Suavecito.”

Today, and 35 years later, “Suavecito,” (Spanish for soft) continues to be the staple song at Latino events including birthdays, baptisms, quinceneras, weddings, and anniversaries. It has a high rotation in R&B and oldies format radio stations. In fact, some DJ’s have referred to “Suavecito” as the Chicano National Anthem. But, who wrote this legendary ballad and where is he?

Meet Richard Bean, a former saxophone/timbale player and former lead singer/songwriter for the super group MALO. Bean now performs his legendary song with his own group, SAPO. And, after all these years, he still croons “Suavecito” with his hypnotic silky smooth voice, setting a romantic mood in any setting and in any language.

“I would have never known to this day that that song would’ve been so popular worldwide and inspire so many people in so many different ways,” Bean tells Jonathan Perez, host of Americas’ Music Café on www.calmagazine.com.

Bean says he sacrificed two years of algebra class, focused on writing poems instead of learning numbers. “Suavecito” was initially written as a love poem for his girlfriend, but she broke his heart before he was able to share it with her, and instead, it became a song many Latinos relate to the first kiss, falling in love, or getting married.

After recording “Suavecito” for Warner Brothers Records, Bean left MALO, attributing his departure to creative differences. Yet today, MALO continues to perform many of Bean’s songs, including Suavecito. And as for Bean, he formed another band with his brother and called it SAPO (Spanish for frog). When asked why SAPO, Bean replied “…Jumpin.”

Recently, recording artists Sugar Ray dedicated a platinum album to Bean because of the influence he had on their super hit, “Every Morning.”

To experience the full interview, tune in to Americas’ Music Café on Channel 9 at www.calmagazine.com.

Christmas story about Latinos is fun and funny

Old Country and New in a Tale of Tamales
Monica Almeida/The New York Times

LOS ANGELES — The audience chortles when Mister Cormack butchers his Spanish trying to make a connection with his in-laws. Knowing nods and glances follow when Mama explains the Latino tradition of making tamales at Christmastime. Laughter fills the theater as Maria and her cousins consume dozens of them trying to find a lost ring.

If it is Christmas, it is time for “Too Many Tamales,” an annual holiday show in a working-class neighborhood that has developed a dedicated following with its homage to biculturalism in a city where 41 percent of the population was born abroad.

No, New Yorkers, it is not quite “The Radio City Christmas Spectacular” or “The Nutcracker” at Lincoln Center. Back off, Chicago; the song-and-dance extravaganza around the Daley Plaza tree lighting is not threatened.

This is Los Angeles, where the city’s “official” 50-foot tree was lighted last week by Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa with little need for crowd control, and the debut of a more extravagant, multimedia one at a new entertainment complex got scant coverage in the mainstream news media and poor notices on blogs.

“So next year, we better have something that can compete with New York City, or Mayor Villaraigosa can stop calling this a world-class city,” huffed a blogger on LAist.com, a Web site about the city.

But this is also a place of small dramas among the big, where “the little Christmas show that could,” as one performer calls it, manages to draw hundreds to a former city jail in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood northeast of downtown that is the theater company’s home.

Nothing fancy here — not the simple set made of donated material; not the actors, who, in most cases, are just breaking into stage careers; not the “special effects,” which consist mostly of illuminating colored lights.

But for 12 years, the show, adapted from “Too Many Tamales” by Gary Soto (G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1993), a children’s book that regularly lands on reading lists in schools across the region and beyond, has routinely sold out its weekend runs of 19 shows, which alternate between English and Spanish.

The book tells the story of the young Maria’s and her cousins’ consuming all of the family’s holiday tamales in a fruitless effort to find her mother’s missing engagement ring, which she believes she misplaced in the dough.

Margarita Galbán, a founder of the Bilingual Foundation of the Arts here, which produces the show, and the playwright Lina Montalvo broadened the story to incorporate the theme of the tug of the old country in the new.

“It’s about the conflict when the Americans want to impose their customs and desires, and the Latinos want to impose theirs,” said Ms. Galbán, who was born in Cuba and came to the United States in the late 1960s. “What we are trying to say is, one has to be open to new experiences, not only in food but in all characteristics of life.”

In the show, a debate breaks out over the relative merits of roast turkey versus tamales.

The drive to succeed in America also comes under scrutiny from relatives accustomed to women staying home and raising children.

An Anglo in-law strives to fit in and debunk stereotypes, showing off his newly learned Spanish and conga dancing along the way.

The children, to the shock of adults holding to the ways of Mexico, are reluctant to celebrate traditions like making tamales or singing Las Posadas, an account of Mary and Joseph’s search for a place to spend the night.

In the end, there is a miracle that inspires soliloquies on the magic of the holiday and a lusty rendition of José Feliciano’s “Feliz Navidad,” drawing willing audience members to dance on stage.

The shows, with a mix of original and traditional songs, run through December, almost always filling the 99-seat theater.

“I think it’s an attempt to celebrate what is good in the two cultures, especially in a city like L.A.,” said Elisa Fernandez, a Mexican-American who, for the fourth straight year, brought her three children to the show.

Peter Upton, one of what the producers say are a growing number of non-Hispanics coming to the show, said it was not necessary to be Latino to relate to it.

“Every family has some little bit of dysfunction and tension around Christmas and Thanksgiving,” said Mr. Upton, who came to a recent Spanish version with a neighbor who is Salvadoran. “They keep it light and fun in this, but it does say something about fitting in in a different culture, and that’s something anybody can understand.”

José Cruz González, a playwright and theater professor at California State University at Los Angeles, said “Tamales” was one of a recent spate of productions aimed at Latinos that included “a real celebration of family and holiday.”

Another of the company’s three founders, Estela Scarlata, who is also the production designer, said the producers wanted the show to stand out as one of the few in the city to depict the increasing number of middle-class Latino families.

“This puts Hispanics on a different plane,” she said. “It’s very different.”

But, lest the show get too heavy, it does include children singing and dancing to “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” sassy puppets who mock adults and, after the show, a vendor selling tamales.

Latino movie offers home-for-the-holidays story

Latino holiday tale nicely regifts familiar themes
By Ty Burr Globe Staff / December 12, 2008

"Nothing Like the Holidays" offers proof that canned ham can still taste pretty good. A Latino entry in the weathered home-for-the-holidays genre, the movie leaves no cliché unturned, but the enthusiasm of the players and the genuine fellow feeling that courses through the story fan a few new flames from the smoldering Yule log. Next to a garish plastic Santa like "Four Christmases," this is a handmade ornament - not very elegant but you're glad to hang it on the tree anyway.

NOTHING LIKE THE HOLIDAYS
Directed by: Alfredo de Villa
Written by: Alison Swan, Rick Najera, Robert Teitel
Starring: Alfred Molina, Elizabeth Pena, Freddy Rodriguez, Luis Guzman, John Leguizamo, Debra Messing, Vanessa Ferlito, Jay Hernandez
At: Boston Common, Fenway, suburbs
Running time: 99 minutes
Rated: PG-13 (thematic elements including some sexual dialogue, and brief drug references)
In English and Spanish, with subtitles

Not every Hispanic and Latino actor in Hollywood has been given a part here - it only seems that way. Actually, there's a ringer at the head of the table: the British-born Spanish/Italian actor Alfred Molina as Edy Rodriguez, Chicago bodega owner and paterfamilias to a large, fractious Puerto Rican clan. Arriving home for Christmas are his three children: Iraq war vet Jesse (Freddy Rodriguez), struggling LA actress Roxanna(Vanessa Ferlito), and Wall Street honcho Mauricio (John Leguizamo), the latter toting his yuppie bride, Sarah (Debra Messing).

At first, "Nothing Like the Holidays" looks like it's going to set up the Anglo for potshots: Sarah is a tightly coiffed ice cube who barely speaks Spanish and doesn't want kids. Yet director Alfredo de Villa and his writing team (Alison Swan, Rick Najera, Robert Teitel) throw gentle curveballs throughout.

When mom Anna (Elizabeth Pena) announces her intention to divorce the wayward Edy at the dinner table, the family freaks out in unexpected ways. Powerbroker Mauricio falls apart completely while his wife turns out to know more of the family secrets than she's letting on. (You'll guess the big one before anyone in the movie does.)

Meanwhile, Jesse has to come to terms with his Iraq traumas while trying to woo an ex-flame (Melonie Diaz) and Roxanna needs to decide whether the Hollywood C-list means more than local sweetheart Ozzie (Jay Hernandez), himself dealing with a street-revenge subplot. The ribbons are laid out with care and the cast acts like they've never tied them into bows before.

The tartest performances come from the ever-reliable Pena - she invests every bit of business with sublimated fury - and Luis Guzman as a loudmouthed family friend, the jester who gets to say what the others can't. At its most original, "Nothing Like the Holidays" implies there's no greater force for conservatism in a Latino family than the children, desperate to hold together the illusion of clan while the parents deal with unpleasant facts.

The movie's not really interested in originality, though. Instead, it wants to wrap the old seasonal homilies in the warm specifics of time and place and ethnicity. At that, it succeeds. Both despite its familiarity and because of it, "Nothing Like the Holidays" brings it home for Christmas.

Ty Burr can be reached at tburr@globe.com. For more on movies, go to boston.com/ movienation.

Hispanic Holiday celebration planned for Northern California

GALLO CENTER FOR THE ARTS HERALDS
CHRISTMAS IN MEXICO WITH THE FOLKLORIC CELEBRATION
‘NAVIDAD EN MEXICO’ STARRING
BALLET FOLKLORICO MEXICANO DE CARLOS MORENO
WITH MARIACHI COLIMA

Navidad en Mexico Takes Audiences on a Journey to Mexico Through Colorful Dance and Music, Celebrating a Mexican Christmas in Regions of Jalisco, Michoacán, Sonora, Veracruz and More!
PRESS RELEASE

Modesto, CA, December 1, 2008 -- The Gallo Center for the Arts sets the tone for a spectacular night of festivities, color and celebration with Navidad en Mexico starring the Ballet Folklorico Mexicano de Carlos Moreno together with Mariachi Colima and invited vocalist Yolanda Aranda on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, December 19-21. To provide everyone with a chance to come and see this wondrous event, Navidad en Mexico will have two evening performances on Friday and Saturday at 7:30pm and two additional matinee performances on Saturday and Sunday at 2:00pm. Featuring 30 dancers, 10 mariachis, a singer and a lariat roper, this ‘south-of-the-border’ celebration is laden with seasonal accents such as a traditional Christmas processional (posadas), a festive piñata scene, and a Mexican holiday finale.

Besides its seasonal flavor, Navidad en Mexico gives the audience a whirlwind tour of the country’s distinct cultural regions which include Mexican states such as Jalisco, Sonora, Baja California, Michoacán and many more. Animated polkas, rancheras, and corridos from northern Mexico stand in contrast to sensuous Caribbean dances from the country’s coastal areas. Graceful harvest and courtship dances from the south are juxtaposed with indigenous rituals reminiscent of Mayan and Yaqui traditions. And festive dances from Jalisco, in the banda and mariachi styles, create a party-like atmosphere that celebrates Mexico’s most cherished artistic exports.

Navidad en Mexico is a performance that rivals the glitz and glamour of the best Broadway attraction. With forty years in the performing arts business, the Moreno family has mastered the subtleties of putting together a first-rate and polished production. Beautiful backdrops displaying a Mexican plaza or a lush tropical scene provide the setting for the fast-paced footwork (zapateado) of male dancers and the energetic skirt twirling (faldeo) of female dancers. Showcasing the rich artistic traditions of Mexican culture with style and ethnic sparkle, the performers in the Ballet Folklorico Mexicano de Carlos Moreno never miss a beat as they enter and exit the stage with flawless precision in a ‘stomp and whirl’ mode.

The company’s Christmas in Mexico attraction is definitely a charismatic and crowd-pleasing event for a family audience. A fashion-show of eye-catching costumes and an eclectic musical journey through popular Mexican tunes, Navidad en Mexico provides a cultural alternative to a Eurocentric holiday theme. The Los Angeles Times writes that the Ballet Folklorico Mexicano offers a “formidable” and “tightly rehearsed” performance with “innovative” choreography; the Diario de Veracruz calls the show “visually stunning” and “stupendous.” The Ballet’s choreography is definitely the real thing, learned from a family of artists – the Morenos, who for generations have studied Mexican folklore and its artistic expression on both sides of the border.

Tickets for Navidad en Mexico are priced $24-$38. A 15% discount is available for groups of 15 or more. Last year’s performance sold out, so the Center recommends buying in advance. To order tickets, or for more information and/or a complete roster of this season’s upcoming events, log on to www.galloarts.org or call (209) 338-2100. Navidad en Mexico is sponsored by Univision 19 and Telefutura 64.

The Gallo Center for the Arts proudly thanks its 2008-09 Premier Partners: Doctors Medical Center, Doubletree Hotel Modesto, Foster Farms, KVIE Public Television, Univision 19 and Telefutura 64.

ABOUT THE GALLO CENTER FOR THE ARTS

The Gallo Center for the Arts, located in the heart of California’s Central Valley, opened in September 2007 as a world-class performing arts venue and has since attracted over 200,000 patrons to its diverse array of programs. Consisting of the 1250-seat Mary Stuart Rogers Theater, 444 seat Foster Family Theater and a grand lobby space connecting the two theaters, the award winning Gallo Center for the Arts is a unique public-private partnership between the County of Stanislaus and a nonprofit organization which today operates the Center. Through dynamic artistic programming and community-focused educational programs, the Center celebrates cultural diversity with the international language of the arts. For more information on the Gallo Center for the Arts, visit the Center’s website at www.galloarts.org.