Latinas hear it from 'Ugly Betty'
BY MAUDLYNE IHEJIRIKA, Sun Times, July 26, 2009
She's best known as TV's "Ugly Betty," but on Saturday, young Latina actress America Ferrara was the picture of poise as she gave a college commencement address here stressing the importance of education.
"I can relate to these graduates," Ferrara, 25, told the Chicago Sun-Times, after speaking at Navy Pier on Saturday to more than 2,500 graduates of Kaplan University, a national online university with offices in Illinois.
"My journey of trying to keep my education a priority in my life -- when I was already on my career path -- has been a juggling act," said Ferrara, who is finishing a bachelor's degree in international studies at the University of Southern California.
"These men and women have had to balance jobs, children and other concerns. I can relate to how hard it is to continue to make education an important part of my life while balancing my career."
The Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning actress has been acting since high school and stars as the title character in the hit ABC comedy series. She has also had star turns in such films as "Real Women Have Curves" and "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" movies.
Noting the National Council of La Raza on Saturday kicked off its annual conference here addressing issues facing Latinos in America, Ferrara said education is at the top of that list.
"The No. 1 demographic of high school dropouts are Latino women," she said. "I know there are economic factors for why young Latinos are so undereducated, but it also starts with what we place importance on as a culture.
"We have to empower the next generation to accept education as a way up, and I believe you have to start with the women so they can pass it on to their kids," she said.
Ferrara said she was humbled to suddenly find herself a role model for Latino youth. One of six children raised in Los Angeles by a struggling single mother who with her father emigrated here from Honduras, Ferrara said her message is always that education and hard work are the keys to success.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Fox News Hispanics have sold out
CNN's Sanchez: Fox News Hispanics have 'sold out'
American Thinker, July 26, 2009
Did you know there's no such thing as a "black conservative?" According to liberals, if you are black and don't support their identity politics, you aren't really "black."
We're used to hearing this kind of wildly hypocritical nonsense from "tolerant" liberals. It gives them permission to show their true, racist colors while keeping blacks and other minorities dependent on them for government goodies.
CNN's Rick Sanchez has now brought a similar mindset to Hispanics as Allahpundit of Hot Air explains:
Via ICN, this isn't the first time he's spectacularly demagogued Fox. Your official progressive "national conversation on race" tweet of the day:
do u know how much money i'd make if i'd sold out as hispanic and worked at fox news, r u kidding, one problem, looking in mirror
Mind you, this is a guy who evidently has no problem looking in the mirror right now despite (a) having a hit-and-run DUI on his record and (b) sharing a network with Lou Dobbs, whom many amnesty shills would say is the most passionately anti-illegal-immigration - and therefore, per lefty racial politics, "anti-Hispanic" - newsman on American television. Or have I misunderstood him and this isn't about Fox's immigration coverage at all but rather a highly nuanced point that "authentic" Hispanics must be liberals and therefore any Hispanic on the conservative news network is ipso facto a sellout?
Julia Banderas of Fox News supplied the coup de main:
As a wise Latina woman, I have no comment other than to say if I were Rick Sanchez, I wouldn't look in the mirror, period.
As the Fox PR departmen t made clear, they wouldn't have him anyway.
American Thinker, July 26, 2009
Did you know there's no such thing as a "black conservative?" According to liberals, if you are black and don't support their identity politics, you aren't really "black."
We're used to hearing this kind of wildly hypocritical nonsense from "tolerant" liberals. It gives them permission to show their true, racist colors while keeping blacks and other minorities dependent on them for government goodies.
CNN's Rick Sanchez has now brought a similar mindset to Hispanics as Allahpundit of Hot Air explains:
Via ICN, this isn't the first time he's spectacularly demagogued Fox. Your official progressive "national conversation on race" tweet of the day:
do u know how much money i'd make if i'd sold out as hispanic and worked at fox news, r u kidding, one problem, looking in mirror
Mind you, this is a guy who evidently has no problem looking in the mirror right now despite (a) having a hit-and-run DUI on his record and (b) sharing a network with Lou Dobbs, whom many amnesty shills would say is the most passionately anti-illegal-immigration - and therefore, per lefty racial politics, "anti-Hispanic" - newsman on American television. Or have I misunderstood him and this isn't about Fox's immigration coverage at all but rather a highly nuanced point that "authentic" Hispanics must be liberals and therefore any Hispanic on the conservative news network is ipso facto a sellout?
Julia Banderas of Fox News supplied the coup de main:
As a wise Latina woman, I have no comment other than to say if I were Rick Sanchez, I wouldn't look in the mirror, period.
As the Fox PR departmen t made clear, they wouldn't have him anyway.
Latina created "Hispanic" term
She Made 'Hispanic' Official
A Conversation With Grace Flores-Hughes, Hispanic wordsmith
Washington Post, July 26, 2009
While success has many fathers and failure is an orphan, bureaucrat-ese, it turns out, sometimes has one proud author. During her long career in government, Grace Flores-Hughes spent some time working as an assistant in what was then called the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. It was there, in the early 1970s, that she helped establish "Hispanic" as the government's word of choice for people of Spanish origin -- a term that made it onto the official U.S. census form in 1980. Flores-Hughes, who recently left a federal job as a Bush political appointee, spoke with Outlook's Rachel Dry about why some people think "Latino" sounds cooler, who should really count as Hispanic and whether Sonia Sotomayor was wise to talk about "wise Latina" women. Excerpts:
What did you think when you heard about the nomination of Judge Sotomayor -- by a president whose politics don't align with yours?
I was terribly excited. She's Hispanic. And obviously well qualified as far as I'm concerned. Politics came last with me in terms of seeing her nomination. Sure, I'm wary of future decisions, but I figure that she's going to do her work based on what she said during the hearings, based on the Constitution.
You just said: "She's Hispanic." Why did you use that term instead of "Puerto Rican" or "Latina"?
Because I coined the term, and I'm faithful to my work.
Fair enough. But besides pride of authorship?
I believe that it represents the Hispanic Americans of this country. It best describes who we are based on our Hispanic surnames. . . . The reason I am not in favor of "Latino" or "Latina" is that those terms can represent the people of the Mediterranean. Then you'd be including Portuguese and Italians, if you take it literally. And then it takes away from the Hispanic people of America that need to be counted: Who are we; how are we being served by the government; who do we vote for? How are you going to come to a conclusion if you're mixing apples and oranges?
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How did the federal government come to use the term "Hispanic"?
There are many Hispanic activists who think that Richard Nixon did it. Well, no, Richard Nixon was very busy -- he didn't have time to be doing this. When I explain it, they get relieved. They were holding this anger that some nasty Anglo named them. Well, no, it wasn't. It was this little Hispanic bureaucrat.
You were on an ad-hoc committee in what was then the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. How did that come about?
A department within [HEW] had funded a report on the education of Hispanics and Native Americans. And in the report they referred to them -- they were all Anglos who did the report -- they referred to them as Puerto Ricans, and then Native Americans they called Indians, and then they called us Mexican Americans. And when the authors asked educators and community activists to come in and comment on the report, they screamed and said, "We don't like the way we're called." And the report never went anywhere because they were so preoccupied with what they were called. Caspar Weinberger, who was the secretary of HEW at the time, said, "Okay, that's it, we need to get some definitions."
So you and others in your office joined a committee to come up with the best name.
It was very contentious. Others were pulling for the word "Latino." I wanted "Hispanic." And I was the youngest one in the group. They said: " 'Latino' and 'Latina' is what we all are, that's why we should be called that." But to me the only way to accurately count us is by using the term "Hispanic."
When I was growing up in South Texas, they used to call me Latin American, and I wasn't Latin American. So we wouldn't answer on the forms because we'd say: "We're not Latin. We're Spanish." That's when "Hispanic" started coming up.
The biggest concern was in those days they were beginning to hire a lot of minorities, especially Hispanic Americans, and if somebody would say, "Well, I'm Latin and they're from Portugal, they're going to get hired." And I said, "That's not the point of what we're trying to do here. We're trying to open the doors for Mexican Americans."
It was an affirmative action decision?
ad_icon
Essentially it was guiding any affirmative action that was going to evolve.
What do you think about the New Haven firefighters case and Judge Sotomayor's position? CLICK HERE FOR MORE.
A Conversation With Grace Flores-Hughes, Hispanic wordsmith
Washington Post, July 26, 2009
While success has many fathers and failure is an orphan, bureaucrat-ese, it turns out, sometimes has one proud author. During her long career in government, Grace Flores-Hughes spent some time working as an assistant in what was then called the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. It was there, in the early 1970s, that she helped establish "Hispanic" as the government's word of choice for people of Spanish origin -- a term that made it onto the official U.S. census form in 1980. Flores-Hughes, who recently left a federal job as a Bush political appointee, spoke with Outlook's Rachel Dry about why some people think "Latino" sounds cooler, who should really count as Hispanic and whether Sonia Sotomayor was wise to talk about "wise Latina" women. Excerpts:
What did you think when you heard about the nomination of Judge Sotomayor -- by a president whose politics don't align with yours?
I was terribly excited. She's Hispanic. And obviously well qualified as far as I'm concerned. Politics came last with me in terms of seeing her nomination. Sure, I'm wary of future decisions, but I figure that she's going to do her work based on what she said during the hearings, based on the Constitution.
You just said: "She's Hispanic." Why did you use that term instead of "Puerto Rican" or "Latina"?
Because I coined the term, and I'm faithful to my work.
Fair enough. But besides pride of authorship?
I believe that it represents the Hispanic Americans of this country. It best describes who we are based on our Hispanic surnames. . . . The reason I am not in favor of "Latino" or "Latina" is that those terms can represent the people of the Mediterranean. Then you'd be including Portuguese and Italians, if you take it literally. And then it takes away from the Hispanic people of America that need to be counted: Who are we; how are we being served by the government; who do we vote for? How are you going to come to a conclusion if you're mixing apples and oranges?
ad_icon
How did the federal government come to use the term "Hispanic"?
There are many Hispanic activists who think that Richard Nixon did it. Well, no, Richard Nixon was very busy -- he didn't have time to be doing this. When I explain it, they get relieved. They were holding this anger that some nasty Anglo named them. Well, no, it wasn't. It was this little Hispanic bureaucrat.
You were on an ad-hoc committee in what was then the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. How did that come about?
A department within [HEW] had funded a report on the education of Hispanics and Native Americans. And in the report they referred to them -- they were all Anglos who did the report -- they referred to them as Puerto Ricans, and then Native Americans they called Indians, and then they called us Mexican Americans. And when the authors asked educators and community activists to come in and comment on the report, they screamed and said, "We don't like the way we're called." And the report never went anywhere because they were so preoccupied with what they were called. Caspar Weinberger, who was the secretary of HEW at the time, said, "Okay, that's it, we need to get some definitions."
So you and others in your office joined a committee to come up with the best name.
It was very contentious. Others were pulling for the word "Latino." I wanted "Hispanic." And I was the youngest one in the group. They said: " 'Latino' and 'Latina' is what we all are, that's why we should be called that." But to me the only way to accurately count us is by using the term "Hispanic."
When I was growing up in South Texas, they used to call me Latin American, and I wasn't Latin American. So we wouldn't answer on the forms because we'd say: "We're not Latin. We're Spanish." That's when "Hispanic" started coming up.
The biggest concern was in those days they were beginning to hire a lot of minorities, especially Hispanic Americans, and if somebody would say, "Well, I'm Latin and they're from Portugal, they're going to get hired." And I said, "That's not the point of what we're trying to do here. We're trying to open the doors for Mexican Americans."
It was an affirmative action decision?
ad_icon
Essentially it was guiding any affirmative action that was going to evolve.
What do you think about the New Haven firefighters case and Judge Sotomayor's position? CLICK HERE FOR MORE.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Latin Dance Company Launched
CHRISTINE ALMEIDA
Latin Dance Company Productions
Salsa Instructors, Performers, Event Production
El Semanal-mil.com
Dance Coach: Christine Almeida's dance career began as a ballroom dance teacher at the largest Dance Studio in Metropolitan Chicago. She returned to dance after a hiatus from professional dancing when she rediscovered "Salsa". As a Salsa coach, and choreographer, Christine's unique approach makes her a leading instructor. She teaches as a lead and follow simultaneously, and this has helps her to analyze and troubleshoot a student's technique. She teaches hundreds of turn combinations and her method of teaching entire routines helps the student retain what they have learned. "You may not remember the entire routine, but you have enough moves to look knowledgeable on the dance floor." Christine says.
Christine was recognized as the authentic "Salsa Goddess" in Milwaukee Magazine's Publication. Journalists Perry Lemek's article "Some Like It Hot", read, "Make no mistake; Almeida is Milwaukee's authentic Salsa Goddess- fiercely proud of her heritage and profoundly well versed in the history of her cherished avocation."
Dance Promoter: She is recognized as one of the city's leading Salsa event promoters. Christine together with a recommendation from Latino Arts, introduced her salsa dance team to the performing arts and has since produced programing for prestigious venues like The Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, The Calatrava at the Milwaukee Art Museum and Danceworks, Inc., and more.
As a teacher she saw the need for new salsa dancers to integrate into the Salsa community in a friendly and unthreating environment, and she signed on as organizer for Milwaukee's cyber Salsa club, the "Milwaukee Baile Salsa Social Club. This is a convenient way for people who share their passion for Salsa dancing to come together and socialize. She holds Salsa socials at different locations throughout the year.
Producer: Christine has collaborated with several artists as diverse as International music companies, recording artists, and popular salsa orchestras to produce events, workshops and programing. Her projects include programing for television, the stage, and radio and special events. This past year she co-produced a half hour documentary, together with April Lynch, for public television featuring some of the city's popular Salsa dancers. She has brought several world class Salsa Dance "Celebrities" to Milwaukee and produced workshops and boot camps for the enjoyment of the Milwaukee Dance scene. She has contracted to produce a stage production entitled "Isla y Tierra" for the Waukesha Civic Theater scheduled for the month of April in 2010.
Entertainer: As a vocalists Christine has the support of some of the cities most respected musicians. Her soothing vocal style adapts to an eclectic mix of jazz, Latin, country and pop standards. As an American singer with Hispanic roots, she will often surprise audiences by transitioning popular standards from English into Spanish. Her audience seems to understand the message of the song even when performing for an English speaking audience.
Christine, together with headliner Frankie Sabath with whom she often performs, has appeared as a duo on Milwaukee's Channel six's Fox Six New's St. Valentines Day program, on Azteca Television, and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Banquet. She has also performed with Latino and American groups at Tomasinos Bistro in West Allis, The Baby Grand in Wauwatosa, Seven Seas in Delafield, Cubanita's, and Hemingway's in Milwaukee.
Columnist/writer: Christine was the first to have a weekly column " Christine's Chronicles" that appeared in Wisconsin's largest Circulating bilingual news publication, El Conquistador. She profiled Milwaukee's most interesting and influential personalities and celebrities. She is still a staff writer and contributes articles of interest.
Entrepreneur: Christine's involvement with the Latin entertainment industry has led to the development of Latin Dance Company Productions, Inc. This company moves events through all stages of development from concept, production, talent procurement, and promotion.
Voice over and screen talent - As a script writer and voice over talent for television and the radio media, she has produced commercials, for National accounts. She is currently teaching Salsa, Bachata, and Mambo "on Two" at the Cafe el Sol, located within the United Community Center at 1028 S. 9th street in Milwaukee and at the Wherehouse Dance club at 818 Water Street, also in Milwaukee.
Her current project is the development of a "mini" Congresso, where her Latin Dance Company Productions will organize Club Style Dance Workshops that will run all day from 11:00 in the morning, in conjunction with the "Origins of Salsa" event marking the Wherehouse's first year Anniversary. She will personally teach some of the workshops but, is bringing in several popular Salsa personalities to work with her.
Visit her website at: www.latindancecompany.biz
Latin Dance Company Productions
Salsa Instructors, Performers, Event Production
El Semanal-mil.com
Dance Coach: Christine Almeida's dance career began as a ballroom dance teacher at the largest Dance Studio in Metropolitan Chicago. She returned to dance after a hiatus from professional dancing when she rediscovered "Salsa". As a Salsa coach, and choreographer, Christine's unique approach makes her a leading instructor. She teaches as a lead and follow simultaneously, and this has helps her to analyze and troubleshoot a student's technique. She teaches hundreds of turn combinations and her method of teaching entire routines helps the student retain what they have learned. "You may not remember the entire routine, but you have enough moves to look knowledgeable on the dance floor." Christine says.
Christine was recognized as the authentic "Salsa Goddess" in Milwaukee Magazine's Publication. Journalists Perry Lemek's article "Some Like It Hot", read, "Make no mistake; Almeida is Milwaukee's authentic Salsa Goddess- fiercely proud of her heritage and profoundly well versed in the history of her cherished avocation."
Dance Promoter: She is recognized as one of the city's leading Salsa event promoters. Christine together with a recommendation from Latino Arts, introduced her salsa dance team to the performing arts and has since produced programing for prestigious venues like The Marcus Center for the Performing Arts, The Calatrava at the Milwaukee Art Museum and Danceworks, Inc., and more.
As a teacher she saw the need for new salsa dancers to integrate into the Salsa community in a friendly and unthreating environment, and she signed on as organizer for Milwaukee's cyber Salsa club, the "Milwaukee Baile Salsa Social Club. This is a convenient way for people who share their passion for Salsa dancing to come together and socialize. She holds Salsa socials at different locations throughout the year.
Producer: Christine has collaborated with several artists as diverse as International music companies, recording artists, and popular salsa orchestras to produce events, workshops and programing. Her projects include programing for television, the stage, and radio and special events. This past year she co-produced a half hour documentary, together with April Lynch, for public television featuring some of the city's popular Salsa dancers. She has brought several world class Salsa Dance "Celebrities" to Milwaukee and produced workshops and boot camps for the enjoyment of the Milwaukee Dance scene. She has contracted to produce a stage production entitled "Isla y Tierra" for the Waukesha Civic Theater scheduled for the month of April in 2010.
Entertainer: As a vocalists Christine has the support of some of the cities most respected musicians. Her soothing vocal style adapts to an eclectic mix of jazz, Latin, country and pop standards. As an American singer with Hispanic roots, she will often surprise audiences by transitioning popular standards from English into Spanish. Her audience seems to understand the message of the song even when performing for an English speaking audience.
Christine, together with headliner Frankie Sabath with whom she often performs, has appeared as a duo on Milwaukee's Channel six's Fox Six New's St. Valentines Day program, on Azteca Television, and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Banquet. She has also performed with Latino and American groups at Tomasinos Bistro in West Allis, The Baby Grand in Wauwatosa, Seven Seas in Delafield, Cubanita's, and Hemingway's in Milwaukee.
Columnist/writer: Christine was the first to have a weekly column " Christine's Chronicles" that appeared in Wisconsin's largest Circulating bilingual news publication, El Conquistador. She profiled Milwaukee's most interesting and influential personalities and celebrities. She is still a staff writer and contributes articles of interest.
Entrepreneur: Christine's involvement with the Latin entertainment industry has led to the development of Latin Dance Company Productions, Inc. This company moves events through all stages of development from concept, production, talent procurement, and promotion.
Voice over and screen talent - As a script writer and voice over talent for television and the radio media, she has produced commercials, for National accounts. She is currently teaching Salsa, Bachata, and Mambo "on Two" at the Cafe el Sol, located within the United Community Center at 1028 S. 9th street in Milwaukee and at the Wherehouse Dance club at 818 Water Street, also in Milwaukee.
Her current project is the development of a "mini" Congresso, where her Latin Dance Company Productions will organize Club Style Dance Workshops that will run all day from 11:00 in the morning, in conjunction with the "Origins of Salsa" event marking the Wherehouse's first year Anniversary. She will personally teach some of the workshops but, is bringing in several popular Salsa personalities to work with her.
Visit her website at: www.latindancecompany.biz
Columbus Festival Latino lineup announced
2009 Festival Latino Lineup Announced, Held 8/15, 8/16 In Columbus
Broadway World, July 23, 2009
Now in its 14th year, Festival Latino returns to downtown Columbus' riverfront on Saturday, August 15, and Sunday, August 16. Presented by American Family Insurance and produced by CAPA, the festival will offer a variety of local, national, and international Latin-American music acts including Saturday night headliner, the Spanish Harlem Orchestra, and Sunday night headliner, Tiempo Libre. Held in Genoa Park, Festival Latino will also include Latin-American food, merchandise, dance demonstrations, and dance instruction. Admission is free.
Additional festival support is provided by Fronteras de la Noticia, AEP Foundation, McDonald's, The Joseph A. Jeffrey Endowment Fund of the Columbus Foundation, Crush, Ohio Arts Council, the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department, La Jornada Latina, La Super X 103.1 FM, The Columbus Dispatch, DIRECTV, Miller Lite, Azteca America WCPX-TV 48, WDLR 1550 AM, Latinos Magazine, Chase, David and Mo Meuse, and Columbus Alive.
Fronteras Stage Performance Schedule
Saturday, August 15
12 pm - Sonido Montarbo
1:30 pm - Salpafuera
3 pm - Sammy De León
5 pm - Yumbambé
6:30 pm - Spanish Harlem Orchestra
Sunday, August 16
12 pm - Viento Alegre
1:30 pm - Gerson
3 pm – Acapulco
5 pm - Dejavu
6:30 pm - Tiempo Libre
The Festival Latino marketplace will include jewelry, arts, crafts, and other traditional items from Latin America and the Caribbean.
Guests are encouraged to bring blankets for lawn seating. Coolers, chairs, tents, pets, umbrellas, handbills, solicitation or unauthorized sales, video cameras/recording devices, bicycles, and skateboards are not permitted.
Recorded bilingual information line: (614) 719-6744
Web site: www.FestivalLatino.net
Broadway World, July 23, 2009
Now in its 14th year, Festival Latino returns to downtown Columbus' riverfront on Saturday, August 15, and Sunday, August 16. Presented by American Family Insurance and produced by CAPA, the festival will offer a variety of local, national, and international Latin-American music acts including Saturday night headliner, the Spanish Harlem Orchestra, and Sunday night headliner, Tiempo Libre. Held in Genoa Park, Festival Latino will also include Latin-American food, merchandise, dance demonstrations, and dance instruction. Admission is free.
Additional festival support is provided by Fronteras de la Noticia, AEP Foundation, McDonald's, The Joseph A. Jeffrey Endowment Fund of the Columbus Foundation, Crush, Ohio Arts Council, the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department, La Jornada Latina, La Super X 103.1 FM, The Columbus Dispatch, DIRECTV, Miller Lite, Azteca America WCPX-TV 48, WDLR 1550 AM, Latinos Magazine, Chase, David and Mo Meuse, and Columbus Alive.
Fronteras Stage Performance Schedule
Saturday, August 15
12 pm - Sonido Montarbo
1:30 pm - Salpafuera
3 pm - Sammy De León
5 pm - Yumbambé
6:30 pm - Spanish Harlem Orchestra
Sunday, August 16
12 pm - Viento Alegre
1:30 pm - Gerson
3 pm – Acapulco
5 pm - Dejavu
6:30 pm - Tiempo Libre
The Festival Latino marketplace will include jewelry, arts, crafts, and other traditional items from Latin America and the Caribbean.
Guests are encouraged to bring blankets for lawn seating. Coolers, chairs, tents, pets, umbrellas, handbills, solicitation or unauthorized sales, video cameras/recording devices, bicycles, and skateboards are not permitted.
Recorded bilingual information line: (614) 719-6744
Web site: www.FestivalLatino.net
Hispanic Evangelicals courted by OR University
Oral Roberts University Partners with Hispanic Evangelicals
By Michelle A. Vu, Christian Post, July 23, 2009
Oral Roberts University officially became the exclusive educational strategic partner of America’s largest Hispanic Christian organization on Wednesday.
The National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC), which represents about 16 million Hispanic Christians in America, endorsed ORU as the school of choice for the “Hispanic, spirit-filled” community.
NHCLC president the Rev. Samuel Rodriguez explained that the Tulsa, Okla.-based university has historically stood as the flagship higher education institution for the “spirit-filled, charismatic Christian” movement.
And America’s fastest growing religious and ethno-cultural demographic is the Hispanic evangelical community, particularly from the charismatic tradition. Therefore, he said, it makes sense that the two organizations partner together.
Rodriguez is an ordained pastor of the Assemblies of God denomination.
“What we are about here is a culture of faith,” said ORU president Dr. Mark Rutland during a press conference Wednesday. “What we are about is a culture of Christ-centered, spirit-filled [people]. What we are about here is a multi-ethnic environment where a culture of faith is encouraged across ethnic lines.”
The relationship between ORU and NHCLC began when the university reached out to Rodriquez for help in recruiting Hispanic students for an ORU-hosted conference that took place earlier this year. From that initial contact, Rodriguez then invited ORU to be the educational strategic partner of the NHCLC.
“The future of American Christianity is primarily multi-ethnic, Hispanic, evangelical, prophetic, and primarily spirit-filled,” Rodriguez said Wednesday. “ORU stands poised to empower this community today.”
Currently, plans are underway to establish the Jesse Miranda Center, NHCLC’s research and development think tank, at Oral Roberts University. Initially, the center will serve to recruit Hispanic Christians to attend ORU. It will eventually evolve into a national research and development center that will address the issues of the Hispanic American faith community and allow for better understanding of what the American religious landscape will look like in the future.
Oral Roberts University currently has about a 22 percent minority enrollment. The figure for Hispanic students at the school was not immediately available. The school’s goal is to increase the Hispanic student enrollment to 25 percent over the next few years.
NHCLC is made up of 25,434 member churches and represents about 16 million Hispanic Christians. It seeks to serve as the voice of Hispanic evangelicals in the United States.
In recent years, NHCLC and Rodriguez have increasingly become more influential with the growth of the Hispanic evangelical community in America. Rodriguez has emerged as a much sought after religious leader by Washington lawmakers, especially during Congressional debates on immigration reform.
Last year, the NHCLC president helped arrange a meeting between then Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and Hispanic Christian leaders during the campaign season.
By Michelle A. Vu, Christian Post, July 23, 2009
Oral Roberts University officially became the exclusive educational strategic partner of America’s largest Hispanic Christian organization on Wednesday.
The National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC), which represents about 16 million Hispanic Christians in America, endorsed ORU as the school of choice for the “Hispanic, spirit-filled” community.
NHCLC president the Rev. Samuel Rodriguez explained that the Tulsa, Okla.-based university has historically stood as the flagship higher education institution for the “spirit-filled, charismatic Christian” movement.
And America’s fastest growing religious and ethno-cultural demographic is the Hispanic evangelical community, particularly from the charismatic tradition. Therefore, he said, it makes sense that the two organizations partner together.
Rodriguez is an ordained pastor of the Assemblies of God denomination.
“What we are about here is a culture of faith,” said ORU president Dr. Mark Rutland during a press conference Wednesday. “What we are about is a culture of Christ-centered, spirit-filled [people]. What we are about here is a multi-ethnic environment where a culture of faith is encouraged across ethnic lines.”
The relationship between ORU and NHCLC began when the university reached out to Rodriquez for help in recruiting Hispanic students for an ORU-hosted conference that took place earlier this year. From that initial contact, Rodriguez then invited ORU to be the educational strategic partner of the NHCLC.
“The future of American Christianity is primarily multi-ethnic, Hispanic, evangelical, prophetic, and primarily spirit-filled,” Rodriguez said Wednesday. “ORU stands poised to empower this community today.”
Currently, plans are underway to establish the Jesse Miranda Center, NHCLC’s research and development think tank, at Oral Roberts University. Initially, the center will serve to recruit Hispanic Christians to attend ORU. It will eventually evolve into a national research and development center that will address the issues of the Hispanic American faith community and allow for better understanding of what the American religious landscape will look like in the future.
Oral Roberts University currently has about a 22 percent minority enrollment. The figure for Hispanic students at the school was not immediately available. The school’s goal is to increase the Hispanic student enrollment to 25 percent over the next few years.
NHCLC is made up of 25,434 member churches and represents about 16 million Hispanic Christians. It seeks to serve as the voice of Hispanic evangelicals in the United States.
In recent years, NHCLC and Rodriguez have increasingly become more influential with the growth of the Hispanic evangelical community in America. Rodriguez has emerged as a much sought after religious leader by Washington lawmakers, especially during Congressional debates on immigration reform.
Last year, the NHCLC president helped arrange a meeting between then Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and Hispanic Christian leaders during the campaign season.
Latino film festival in NY marks 10th Anniversary
New York International Latino Film Festival celebrates 10th Anniversary
Nicaila Matthews, Examiner, July 22, 2009
The New York International Latino Film Festival (NYILFF) premieres in the city on Tuesday, July 28 and runs through Sunday, August, 2, 2009. Launched in 1999, NYILFF is the premier Urban Latino film event in the country. With a mission to celebrate the diversity and spirit of the Latino community, NYILFF showcases the work of emerging Latino filmmakers in the U.S. and Latin America.
In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the HBO sponsored Film Festival, this year’s schedule includes over 100 films and eleven special event screenings featuring the stars of the film and panel discussions. Acclaimed actor John Leguizamo will also be honored with the Tres Generaciones® COA Award, a special award that recognizes outstanding achievements in Latino filmmaking. Also new this year, the Festival debuts in two venues; the Clearview Cinemas Chelsea 9 and the School of Visual Arts Theater.
Much talked about film La Mission premieres on Opening Night of NYILFF. Starring Benjamin Bratt, Jesse Borrego, Erika Alexander, Jeremy Ray Valdez and Talisa Soto Bratt, La Mission is writer-director Peter Bratt's rich and powerful story of one man's journey toward redemption through his struggle with violence and homophobia.
Other major stars set to ignite the screen during this year’s festival include Andy Garcia, Ruben Blades, Vin Diesel, Christina Milian, Ray Liotta, Kerry Washington and more.
To learn more about La Mission and other 2009 NYILFF offerings, check out the festival schedule here.
NY Latino Film Festival
July 28-August 2, 2009
Tickets: Reg $12, Matinee $9
Tickets for Films and Special Events are on sale now at the festival’s box office at Clearview Cinemas Chelsea 9 or online
For More Info: nylatinofilm.com/index.html
Nicaila Matthews, Examiner, July 22, 2009
The New York International Latino Film Festival (NYILFF) premieres in the city on Tuesday, July 28 and runs through Sunday, August, 2, 2009. Launched in 1999, NYILFF is the premier Urban Latino film event in the country. With a mission to celebrate the diversity and spirit of the Latino community, NYILFF showcases the work of emerging Latino filmmakers in the U.S. and Latin America.
In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the HBO sponsored Film Festival, this year’s schedule includes over 100 films and eleven special event screenings featuring the stars of the film and panel discussions. Acclaimed actor John Leguizamo will also be honored with the Tres Generaciones® COA Award, a special award that recognizes outstanding achievements in Latino filmmaking. Also new this year, the Festival debuts in two venues; the Clearview Cinemas Chelsea 9 and the School of Visual Arts Theater.
Much talked about film La Mission premieres on Opening Night of NYILFF. Starring Benjamin Bratt, Jesse Borrego, Erika Alexander, Jeremy Ray Valdez and Talisa Soto Bratt, La Mission is writer-director Peter Bratt's rich and powerful story of one man's journey toward redemption through his struggle with violence and homophobia.
Other major stars set to ignite the screen during this year’s festival include Andy Garcia, Ruben Blades, Vin Diesel, Christina Milian, Ray Liotta, Kerry Washington and more.
To learn more about La Mission and other 2009 NYILFF offerings, check out the festival schedule here.
NY Latino Film Festival
July 28-August 2, 2009
Tickets: Reg $12, Matinee $9
Tickets for Films and Special Events are on sale now at the festival’s box office at Clearview Cinemas Chelsea 9 or online
For More Info: nylatinofilm.com/index.html
Friday, July 24, 2009
Media focused at Latina's comment
MEDIA FIXATED ON SOTOMAYOR’S COMMENT, NOT QUALIFICATIONS
MediaMatters.org
The news media have been so fixated on the question of whether Sonia Sotomayor's much-distorted "wise Latina" comment was racist, they have missed the real story of this week's confirmation hearings: a pattern of inappropriate comments and double standards that highlight the biases of her critics.
Let's start with the double standard. Countless news reports have -- following the lead of a host of conservatives -- suggested that Sotomayor's vote in the Ricci case, combined with her comments about the effect of background and personal experiences on judicial decision-making, shows that she cannot be impartial. Some have gone so far as to suggest Sotomayor's position on the Ricci case was racist.
Justice Samuel Alito -- a white male of Italian-American ethnicity -- made a comment very similar to Sotomayor's during his confirmation hearings, saying that his ethnicity plays a role in his thinking when he hears cases, particularly discrimination cases. Neither the conservatives who now attack Sotomayor's comments nor the media who go along with the fiction that her comments are remarkable complained about Alito's comments.
But that's not all. The plaintiff in the Ricci case is Frank Ricci, an Italian-American firefighter. Justice Alito, who voted in favor of Ricci, has said that his Italian-American heritage plays a role in his thinking when he hears discrimination cases. Yet reporters ignore that fact when they report on conservative allegations that Sotomayor's background, rather than her reading in the law, determined her vote. Nor do they question why the Republican senators who are so concerned about Sotomayor's Ricci vote are silent on the question of whether Alito's ethnicity played a role in his vote.
That's a clear double standard: A white man who rules in favor of a white man is presumed to have done so based on a neutral reading of the law -- even though he has previously said his ethnicity plays a role in his judicial thinking -- while a Latina is presumed to be unduly influenced by her background.
Then there's Sen. Jeff Sessions' bizarre suggestion that because Sotomayor is of Puerto Rican descent, she should have voted with another 2nd Circuit judge of the same background: "Had you voted with Judge [Jose] Cabranes, himself of Puerto Rican ancestry, had you voted with him, you could've changed that case."
What does Cabranes' "Puerto Rican ancestry" have to do with anything?
The news media didn't care, even though the comment came from a senator whose own judicial nomination was scuttled amidst a controversy over his history of racially charged comments. MSNBC's Rachel Maddow brought up Sessions' strange reference to Cabranes' "Puerto Rican ancestry." So did her colleague Ed Schultz -- and on Schultz's show, former Republican congresswoman Susan Molinari agreed "the ancestry of anyone making that decision isn't really pertinent."
But that was it. Save a passing mention in a Washington Post article, Sessions' comment is nowhere to be found in news reports available on Nexis.
Finally, there's Sen. Lindsey Graham's overt condescension and his use of what have been described as "sexist" anonymous quotes about Sotomayor.
Even while reporting Graham's question about Sotomayor's temperament based on anonymous quotes about her (a question that came at the end of a day in which Sotomayor had responded to a barrage of hostile GOP questioning without once responding in anger), ABC and NBC neglected to mention that Sotomayor's Court of Appeals colleague, Judge Guido Calabresi, has called the criticism of her temperament "sexist, plain and simple."
Several news accounts referred to the Republicans' questioning of Sotomayor as "respectful" and "cordial," overlooking Graham's patronizing comments, including his statement -- after reading the anonymous quotes -- that "maybe these hearings are time for self-reflection." Even Chris Matthews -- himself no stranger to insulting treatment of women and minorities, including Sotomayor -- found Graham's comments "condescending." But most news reports overlooked this aspect of the hearings.
Washington Post reporter Chris Cillizza even included Graham on his list of "winners," praising his "low-key delivery" that proved he is "one of the best questioners/smart legal minds in the Senate." Cillizza didn't mention Graham's condescension -- and didn't mention Sessions' comment about Judge Cabranes' ancestry, either. (Through two days of questioning, Cillizza couldn't think of a single Republican to include among the hearings' "losers," though he found space for four Democrats, none of whom have been accused of making condescending or racially tinged comments.)
Graham began the Sotomayor hearings by noting that, barring a "meltdown," she will be confirmed. Such a meltdown hasn't happened. Like most recent Supreme Court nominees, Sotomayor's comments have been fairly bland and uncontroversial. All the more reason why the media should pay attention to the real story of the week: the double standards and condescending treatment of Sotomayor, by conservatives and by many reporters.
MediaMatters.org
The news media have been so fixated on the question of whether Sonia Sotomayor's much-distorted "wise Latina" comment was racist, they have missed the real story of this week's confirmation hearings: a pattern of inappropriate comments and double standards that highlight the biases of her critics.
Let's start with the double standard. Countless news reports have -- following the lead of a host of conservatives -- suggested that Sotomayor's vote in the Ricci case, combined with her comments about the effect of background and personal experiences on judicial decision-making, shows that she cannot be impartial. Some have gone so far as to suggest Sotomayor's position on the Ricci case was racist.
Justice Samuel Alito -- a white male of Italian-American ethnicity -- made a comment very similar to Sotomayor's during his confirmation hearings, saying that his ethnicity plays a role in his thinking when he hears cases, particularly discrimination cases. Neither the conservatives who now attack Sotomayor's comments nor the media who go along with the fiction that her comments are remarkable complained about Alito's comments.
But that's not all. The plaintiff in the Ricci case is Frank Ricci, an Italian-American firefighter. Justice Alito, who voted in favor of Ricci, has said that his Italian-American heritage plays a role in his thinking when he hears discrimination cases. Yet reporters ignore that fact when they report on conservative allegations that Sotomayor's background, rather than her reading in the law, determined her vote. Nor do they question why the Republican senators who are so concerned about Sotomayor's Ricci vote are silent on the question of whether Alito's ethnicity played a role in his vote.
That's a clear double standard: A white man who rules in favor of a white man is presumed to have done so based on a neutral reading of the law -- even though he has previously said his ethnicity plays a role in his judicial thinking -- while a Latina is presumed to be unduly influenced by her background.
Then there's Sen. Jeff Sessions' bizarre suggestion that because Sotomayor is of Puerto Rican descent, she should have voted with another 2nd Circuit judge of the same background: "Had you voted with Judge [Jose] Cabranes, himself of Puerto Rican ancestry, had you voted with him, you could've changed that case."
What does Cabranes' "Puerto Rican ancestry" have to do with anything?
The news media didn't care, even though the comment came from a senator whose own judicial nomination was scuttled amidst a controversy over his history of racially charged comments. MSNBC's Rachel Maddow brought up Sessions' strange reference to Cabranes' "Puerto Rican ancestry." So did her colleague Ed Schultz -- and on Schultz's show, former Republican congresswoman Susan Molinari agreed "the ancestry of anyone making that decision isn't really pertinent."
But that was it. Save a passing mention in a Washington Post article, Sessions' comment is nowhere to be found in news reports available on Nexis.
Finally, there's Sen. Lindsey Graham's overt condescension and his use of what have been described as "sexist" anonymous quotes about Sotomayor.
Even while reporting Graham's question about Sotomayor's temperament based on anonymous quotes about her (a question that came at the end of a day in which Sotomayor had responded to a barrage of hostile GOP questioning without once responding in anger), ABC and NBC neglected to mention that Sotomayor's Court of Appeals colleague, Judge Guido Calabresi, has called the criticism of her temperament "sexist, plain and simple."
Several news accounts referred to the Republicans' questioning of Sotomayor as "respectful" and "cordial," overlooking Graham's patronizing comments, including his statement -- after reading the anonymous quotes -- that "maybe these hearings are time for self-reflection." Even Chris Matthews -- himself no stranger to insulting treatment of women and minorities, including Sotomayor -- found Graham's comments "condescending." But most news reports overlooked this aspect of the hearings.
Washington Post reporter Chris Cillizza even included Graham on his list of "winners," praising his "low-key delivery" that proved he is "one of the best questioners/smart legal minds in the Senate." Cillizza didn't mention Graham's condescension -- and didn't mention Sessions' comment about Judge Cabranes' ancestry, either. (Through two days of questioning, Cillizza couldn't think of a single Republican to include among the hearings' "losers," though he found space for four Democrats, none of whom have been accused of making condescending or racially tinged comments.)
Graham began the Sotomayor hearings by noting that, barring a "meltdown," she will be confirmed. Such a meltdown hasn't happened. Like most recent Supreme Court nominees, Sotomayor's comments have been fairly bland and uncontroversial. All the more reason why the media should pay attention to the real story of the week: the double standards and condescending treatment of Sotomayor, by conservatives and by many reporters.
Hispanic heritage celebration planned for Tampa
CENTRO Tampa and Tampa Hispanic Heritage, Inc. Join Efforts to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month
PRESS RELEASE
TAMPA, Fla., July 20 /PRNewswire/ -- CENTRO, the leading Spanish-language weekly publication in the Tampa Bay area, is pleased to announce a partnership with Tampa Hispanic Heritage, Inc. (THHI) to celebrate the official kick-off of Hispanic Heritage Month at CENTRO's annual Festival del SABOR on September 12, 2009 at Centennial Park in historic Ybor City.
The event will mark THHI's 30th anniversary whose main objective is to preserve and promote the Hispanic culture in Tampa Bay. The annual kick-off event features the traditional Miss Tampa Hispanic Heritage pageant. Each participant represents their country of origin and is judged based on three criteria; talent, cultural knowledge, and poise. The pageant will be part of the family oriented activities planned for CENTRO's 4th annual Festival del SABOR.
Festival del SABOR will once again feature the popular Latin recipe contest and cook-off. Amateur cooks are encouraged to participate in order to win prizes for the Entree category. Prizes will be awarded for first, second, and third places. The event's goal is to showcase the SABOR or Flavor of Tampa Bay's Hispanic culture through food, music, and art. This year the event will be bigger than ever featuring a tent expo along side vendors of Ybor Saturday Market for area businesses to showcase and/or sell products. Musical entertainment and bands will be announced at a later time.
According to Orlando Nieves, General Manager of CENTRO Tampa, "Tampa's history is tightly linked to Hispanics. Since the 1860's we've made significant contributions that have helped build a better, stronger community. We are glad to be able to help celebrate this heritage with everyone."
The Tampa Hispanic Heritage official kick-off at CENTRO's Festival del SABOR will be held on Saturday, September 12, 2009 in historic Ybor City at Centennial Park. The event is hosted by Ybor City Saturday Market and sponsored by The Tampa Tribune, News Channel 8, TBO.com, Univision Tampa, Telefutura, 92.5 Maxima FM, La Gazeta, Telemundo Tampa, and 1300 Super Q AM. For more details and sponsorship opportunities please contact Giovanni Gutierrez, Sales and Marketing Manager for CENTRO Tampa, at 813-259-8475 or ggutierrez@centrotampa.com.
CENTRO Grupo de Comunicacion is a Spanish-language print and online media operation of the Florida Communications Group. The Florida Communications Group (FCG), owned by Media General, includes newspapers, broadcast television and online operations in West Central Florida. It incorporates Media General's converged operations in Tampa, including The Tampa Tribune and TBO.com, the No. 1 newspaper/online combination in the Tampa Bay market; WFLA-TV, (NBC) the market broadcast news leader at 5, 5:30, 6 and 11 p.m. weeknights. FCG also includes Highlands Today, Hernando Today, 12 weeklies, and several shopper and niche publications. Source: Scarborough 2008 Release 2; Nielsen Media Research, November 2008 Sweeps Period, Adults 25-54 and Household Ratings.
www.centrotampa.com
PRESS RELEASE
TAMPA, Fla., July 20 /PRNewswire/ -- CENTRO, the leading Spanish-language weekly publication in the Tampa Bay area, is pleased to announce a partnership with Tampa Hispanic Heritage, Inc. (THHI) to celebrate the official kick-off of Hispanic Heritage Month at CENTRO's annual Festival del SABOR on September 12, 2009 at Centennial Park in historic Ybor City.
The event will mark THHI's 30th anniversary whose main objective is to preserve and promote the Hispanic culture in Tampa Bay. The annual kick-off event features the traditional Miss Tampa Hispanic Heritage pageant. Each participant represents their country of origin and is judged based on three criteria; talent, cultural knowledge, and poise. The pageant will be part of the family oriented activities planned for CENTRO's 4th annual Festival del SABOR.
Festival del SABOR will once again feature the popular Latin recipe contest and cook-off. Amateur cooks are encouraged to participate in order to win prizes for the Entree category. Prizes will be awarded for first, second, and third places. The event's goal is to showcase the SABOR or Flavor of Tampa Bay's Hispanic culture through food, music, and art. This year the event will be bigger than ever featuring a tent expo along side vendors of Ybor Saturday Market for area businesses to showcase and/or sell products. Musical entertainment and bands will be announced at a later time.
According to Orlando Nieves, General Manager of CENTRO Tampa, "Tampa's history is tightly linked to Hispanics. Since the 1860's we've made significant contributions that have helped build a better, stronger community. We are glad to be able to help celebrate this heritage with everyone."
The Tampa Hispanic Heritage official kick-off at CENTRO's Festival del SABOR will be held on Saturday, September 12, 2009 in historic Ybor City at Centennial Park. The event is hosted by Ybor City Saturday Market and sponsored by The Tampa Tribune, News Channel 8, TBO.com, Univision Tampa, Telefutura, 92.5 Maxima FM, La Gazeta, Telemundo Tampa, and 1300 Super Q AM. For more details and sponsorship opportunities please contact Giovanni Gutierrez, Sales and Marketing Manager for CENTRO Tampa, at 813-259-8475 or ggutierrez@centrotampa.com.
CENTRO Grupo de Comunicacion is a Spanish-language print and online media operation of the Florida Communications Group. The Florida Communications Group (FCG), owned by Media General, includes newspapers, broadcast television and online operations in West Central Florida. It incorporates Media General's converged operations in Tampa, including The Tampa Tribune and TBO.com, the No. 1 newspaper/online combination in the Tampa Bay market; WFLA-TV, (NBC) the market broadcast news leader at 5, 5:30, 6 and 11 p.m. weeknights. FCG also includes Highlands Today, Hernando Today, 12 weeklies, and several shopper and niche publications. Source: Scarborough 2008 Release 2; Nielsen Media Research, November 2008 Sweeps Period, Adults 25-54 and Household Ratings.
www.centrotampa.com
Monday, July 20, 2009
Border Wall film to premiere in Texas theater
Border wall film premieres at historic theater
By ANA LEY, The Monitor, July 18, 2009
McALLEN — The scene at Cine El Rey on Friday evening was all too collegiate.
Dozens of political activists, professors and 20-somethings gathered there to watch the premiere of The Wall, a documentary about the border fence being erected along the U.S.-Mexico border.
The film, directed by California native Ricardo Martinez, chronicles the effect of the barrier’s construction on border towns. Most of the film, Martinez said, was shot in the Rio Grande Valley — so it only made sense to show the film at the historic Cine El Rey.
"Symbolically, the theater is a perfect location," Martinez said. "We wanted to show it where people were most impacted by the fence."
Congress authorized the fence in 2005 to help secure the border and deter illegal immigration. Lawmakers also gave the U.S. homeland security secretary the power to waive federal laws when erecting the barrier. President Barack Obama, as a senator, voted in favor of the project.
For the past three years, Martinez and his crew have interviewed U.S. Border Patrol agents, illegal immigrants and residents directly affected by the fence.
The film also follows two illegal immigrants from Mexico who eventually end up in Brooklyn and Tennessee.
"The story just kept going and going," said Martinez, a production editor for ABC. "It was so hard to explain all this stuff."
Martinez said past projects have included a documentary he made when he was 16 about graffiti and a collection of short educational films.
"I hope the film will show how lives are endangered by the wall," said Emmy Perez, a poetry professor at the University of Texas-Pan American. "It’s harmful in so many ways."
Jose Rodriguez, a McAllen resident pursing graduate studies at Binghamton University in New York state, said he had a special interest in the film because, like many Valley natives, he has family ties to Mexico.
"Historically, walls have never worked," Rodriguez said. "We’re one as a community on both sides."
Stefanie Herweck, co-founder of the No Border Wall group, hoped to catch a glimpse of herself and fellow group members at the screening — Martinez interviewed some of them for the movie. The South Texas organization protests the federal government’s construction of the security fence.
"It was a good opportunity for local activists and political people to give their message," Herweck said.
By ANA LEY, The Monitor, July 18, 2009
McALLEN — The scene at Cine El Rey on Friday evening was all too collegiate.
Dozens of political activists, professors and 20-somethings gathered there to watch the premiere of The Wall, a documentary about the border fence being erected along the U.S.-Mexico border.
The film, directed by California native Ricardo Martinez, chronicles the effect of the barrier’s construction on border towns. Most of the film, Martinez said, was shot in the Rio Grande Valley — so it only made sense to show the film at the historic Cine El Rey.
"Symbolically, the theater is a perfect location," Martinez said. "We wanted to show it where people were most impacted by the fence."
Congress authorized the fence in 2005 to help secure the border and deter illegal immigration. Lawmakers also gave the U.S. homeland security secretary the power to waive federal laws when erecting the barrier. President Barack Obama, as a senator, voted in favor of the project.
For the past three years, Martinez and his crew have interviewed U.S. Border Patrol agents, illegal immigrants and residents directly affected by the fence.
The film also follows two illegal immigrants from Mexico who eventually end up in Brooklyn and Tennessee.
"The story just kept going and going," said Martinez, a production editor for ABC. "It was so hard to explain all this stuff."
Martinez said past projects have included a documentary he made when he was 16 about graffiti and a collection of short educational films.
"I hope the film will show how lives are endangered by the wall," said Emmy Perez, a poetry professor at the University of Texas-Pan American. "It’s harmful in so many ways."
Jose Rodriguez, a McAllen resident pursing graduate studies at Binghamton University in New York state, said he had a special interest in the film because, like many Valley natives, he has family ties to Mexico.
"Historically, walls have never worked," Rodriguez said. "We’re one as a community on both sides."
Stefanie Herweck, co-founder of the No Border Wall group, hoped to catch a glimpse of herself and fellow group members at the screening — Martinez interviewed some of them for the movie. The South Texas organization protests the federal government’s construction of the security fence.
"It was a good opportunity for local activists and political people to give their message," Herweck said.
Latinos pack new Cowboy's Stadium, for soccer
Cowboys Stadium scores, fans say, as record Texas soccer crowd sees DH
By BARRY HORN / The Dallas Morning News, July 19, 2009
ARLINGTON – The view from Seat 1, Row 26 in Section 437, high above the field, was just fine, Susan Garcia reported midway through the historic first sporting event at Cowboys Stadium.
Certainly, no one was sitting farther from the action than Garcia and her last-row, upper-deck compadres who ringed the stadium Sunday.
"I can see just fine," said Garcia, a homemaker from Midlothian. "But all the climbing to get here ..."
Garcia and her construction worker husband, Teddy, paid $25 each for their tickets that allowed them to attend a CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinal soccer doubleheader that featured Costa Rica's 5-1 pummeling of Guadeloupe and Mexico's 4-0 walkover over Haiti.
If the games weren't competitive, few seemed to mind.
Like most in the sellout crowd of 82,252, a Texas soccer attendance record, the Garcias were there to support Mexico. Costa Rica-Guadeloupe was only the warm-up act for the team that, for the moment, ranks as the most popular to ever play at Cowboys Stadium.
Whether Cowboys fans can exhibit as much passion for their team as the horn-tooting, green-clad Mexico fans remains to be seen.
For the record, the old Texas soccer attendance record was 70,550 for a 2006 doubleheader at Houston's Reliant Stadium that featured Mexico City's Club America. Coincidentally, Club America will be at Cowboys Stadium in six days to play Chelsea of the English Premier League in a World Football Challenge match.
The last time the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football visited North Texas was 1993. Three July dates at the Cotton Bowl drew a combined attendance of 43,940. But the big draw then was only the U.S. team.
While Susan Garcia chose to watch the players scampering up and down the field, Teddy Garcia spent most of his day watching the action on the can't-miss, state-of-the-art giant midfield video screen that measures 53 yards wide and 24 yards high. Sunday's picture in the climate-controlled, enclosed stadium was as crisp and clear as in any home media room.
Teddy shook his head in disagreement when asked if he might have been better off watching the game in the comfort of home.
"Mexico is my team," he said.
"And the air conditioning here is working just fine," Susan said. "We wouldn't have come if the stadium wasn't air-conditioned."
The air conditioning also was working fine in the luxury suite where Jake Spray and his family watched the game. Spray, 9, is a veteran of Cowboys games at Texas Stadium.
"This was awesome," said Spray, who lives in Rockwall. "I'd have to say this place is a little bit better. The air conditioning made it that way."
Gary Watson, a member of the event staff stationed on the wide concourse behind one of the goals, reported no problems with crowd control and no unusual requests.
"People just wanted to know how to find their seats," he said.
And if the gigantic TV screen, cool air and orderly crowd flow inside weren't enough, traffic flowed smoothly – or as smoothly as can be expected for such a sizable crowd at an event just down the road from the Rangers ballpark, where 27,204 fans watched a game that started at 7 p.m.
Arlington police reported only sporadic problems, including a jammed Collins Street just to the west of the stadium. The Rangers game against the Minnesota Twins was in the third inning when the soccer game ended.
If the players and coaches were in awe of playing in the historic first sporting event at the $1.15 billion stadium, they managed to conceal it.
"We usually play in smaller stadiums in front of smaller crowds," Guadeloupe coach Roger Salnot said. "But the size of the stadium didn't affect the way we played. We just gave up too many early goals."
Costa Rica's Celso Borges, who put the stadium's first score on the scoreboard, said he was just happy to be on the winning team.
"As long as the stats say we won, that's all that matters," he said.
And the stadium?
"I didn't think twice about it."
By BARRY HORN / The Dallas Morning News, July 19, 2009
ARLINGTON – The view from Seat 1, Row 26 in Section 437, high above the field, was just fine, Susan Garcia reported midway through the historic first sporting event at Cowboys Stadium.
Certainly, no one was sitting farther from the action than Garcia and her last-row, upper-deck compadres who ringed the stadium Sunday.
"I can see just fine," said Garcia, a homemaker from Midlothian. "But all the climbing to get here ..."
Garcia and her construction worker husband, Teddy, paid $25 each for their tickets that allowed them to attend a CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinal soccer doubleheader that featured Costa Rica's 5-1 pummeling of Guadeloupe and Mexico's 4-0 walkover over Haiti.
If the games weren't competitive, few seemed to mind.
Like most in the sellout crowd of 82,252, a Texas soccer attendance record, the Garcias were there to support Mexico. Costa Rica-Guadeloupe was only the warm-up act for the team that, for the moment, ranks as the most popular to ever play at Cowboys Stadium.
Whether Cowboys fans can exhibit as much passion for their team as the horn-tooting, green-clad Mexico fans remains to be seen.
For the record, the old Texas soccer attendance record was 70,550 for a 2006 doubleheader at Houston's Reliant Stadium that featured Mexico City's Club America. Coincidentally, Club America will be at Cowboys Stadium in six days to play Chelsea of the English Premier League in a World Football Challenge match.
The last time the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football visited North Texas was 1993. Three July dates at the Cotton Bowl drew a combined attendance of 43,940. But the big draw then was only the U.S. team.
While Susan Garcia chose to watch the players scampering up and down the field, Teddy Garcia spent most of his day watching the action on the can't-miss, state-of-the-art giant midfield video screen that measures 53 yards wide and 24 yards high. Sunday's picture in the climate-controlled, enclosed stadium was as crisp and clear as in any home media room.
Teddy shook his head in disagreement when asked if he might have been better off watching the game in the comfort of home.
"Mexico is my team," he said.
"And the air conditioning here is working just fine," Susan said. "We wouldn't have come if the stadium wasn't air-conditioned."
The air conditioning also was working fine in the luxury suite where Jake Spray and his family watched the game. Spray, 9, is a veteran of Cowboys games at Texas Stadium.
"This was awesome," said Spray, who lives in Rockwall. "I'd have to say this place is a little bit better. The air conditioning made it that way."
Gary Watson, a member of the event staff stationed on the wide concourse behind one of the goals, reported no problems with crowd control and no unusual requests.
"People just wanted to know how to find their seats," he said.
And if the gigantic TV screen, cool air and orderly crowd flow inside weren't enough, traffic flowed smoothly – or as smoothly as can be expected for such a sizable crowd at an event just down the road from the Rangers ballpark, where 27,204 fans watched a game that started at 7 p.m.
Arlington police reported only sporadic problems, including a jammed Collins Street just to the west of the stadium. The Rangers game against the Minnesota Twins was in the third inning when the soccer game ended.
If the players and coaches were in awe of playing in the historic first sporting event at the $1.15 billion stadium, they managed to conceal it.
"We usually play in smaller stadiums in front of smaller crowds," Guadeloupe coach Roger Salnot said. "But the size of the stadium didn't affect the way we played. We just gave up too many early goals."
Costa Rica's Celso Borges, who put the stadium's first score on the scoreboard, said he was just happy to be on the winning team.
"As long as the stats say we won, that's all that matters," he said.
And the stadium?
"I didn't think twice about it."
Book tells of Hispanic population growth
Book tells stories of Hispanic population growth
Charles Oliver, Dalton Daily Citizen, July 19, 2009
In 1980, the Census Bureau reported there were just 526 Hispanic residents in Whitfield County, 237 of them in Dalton. By 1990, the census found there were 2,321 Hispanics in Whitfield County, with 1,422 in the city of Dalton. And by the 2000 census, the bureau reported 18,419 Hispanics in Whitfield County, with 11,219 in Dalton.
Those numbers, which many people believe underestimate the growth, gave Whitfield County, and Dalton in particular, one of the fastest growing Hispanic populations in the nation. And much of that growth has been fueled by immigration, particularly from Mexico.
The rapid changes that has produced has been the subject of numerous stories in newspapers across the country as well as various academic studies.
Now, many Dalton residents, Hispanic and non-Hispanic, are telling what they have experienced, thanks to a new book, “Voices from the Nueva Frontera: Latino Immigration in Dalton, Georgia.”
Donald Davis, a professor of sociology at Dalton State College and one of the editors and authors of the book, said the idea for the book began when three Hispanic students from DSC spoke at a meeting of the Appalachian Studies Association in Helen, Ga., in 2002. The ASA, headquartered at Marshall University in Huntington, W.Va., promotes dialogue and research into Appalachian life and culture.
“They just told their stories, how they came to Dalton. And the response was amazing,” Davis said. He said the scholars were impressed by the journeys those students and their families had made.
Davis and David Boyle, dean of DSC’s School of Social Work, began talking about creating an “oral history” book that would let the residents of Dalton tell their stories.
“We always felt those stories had something powerful to say,” he said.
They and co-editors Thomas Deaton, a professor of social sciences at DSC, and Jo-Anne Schick, former director of the Georgia Project, and others spent the next five years interviewing dozens of people in Whitfield County. The Georgia Project was founded in 1996 to help educate Latino students which then made up almost 40 percent of the Dalton Public Schools enrollment.
“We identified themes relating to the Latino community in Dalton, and they had to do with areas of community life or community development,” said Boyle. “We knew there had to be a chapter on public education. There has to be a chapter on business development. There has to be a chapter on social work. We tried to find someone who was knowledgeable about that area.”
The book is divided into nine chapters covering everything from “the economic impact” to “the public school response” to “the social problems.” The voices of Dalton residents are put into context with introductions and scholarly analyses by the authors.
One of the voices in the book belongs to America Gruner. A native of Mexico, Gruner moved to Dalton from Los Angeles in 2000 because she had heard there were opportunities here for bilingual people. Her first job in Dalton was as a translator for Dalton Public Schools.
“The schools didn’t have many teachers who were bilingual. The health department didn’t have enough bilingual people. But things are changing,” she said.
Deaton said there have been Hispanics in Dalton at least as far back as the 1950s but probably the first large-scale immigration to the area came in 1969 when Hispanic laborers came to help build Carters Dam. Most left the area for other construction jobs when the project was finished, but others remained behind to work in chicken processing and, later, the carpet industry.
Deaton said the Hispanic immigrants to Dalton followed many different paths, but he said that many were related as much to family as to jobs.
Charles Oliver, Dalton Daily Citizen, July 19, 2009
In 1980, the Census Bureau reported there were just 526 Hispanic residents in Whitfield County, 237 of them in Dalton. By 1990, the census found there were 2,321 Hispanics in Whitfield County, with 1,422 in the city of Dalton. And by the 2000 census, the bureau reported 18,419 Hispanics in Whitfield County, with 11,219 in Dalton.
Those numbers, which many people believe underestimate the growth, gave Whitfield County, and Dalton in particular, one of the fastest growing Hispanic populations in the nation. And much of that growth has been fueled by immigration, particularly from Mexico.
The rapid changes that has produced has been the subject of numerous stories in newspapers across the country as well as various academic studies.
Now, many Dalton residents, Hispanic and non-Hispanic, are telling what they have experienced, thanks to a new book, “Voices from the Nueva Frontera: Latino Immigration in Dalton, Georgia.”
Donald Davis, a professor of sociology at Dalton State College and one of the editors and authors of the book, said the idea for the book began when three Hispanic students from DSC spoke at a meeting of the Appalachian Studies Association in Helen, Ga., in 2002. The ASA, headquartered at Marshall University in Huntington, W.Va., promotes dialogue and research into Appalachian life and culture.
“They just told their stories, how they came to Dalton. And the response was amazing,” Davis said. He said the scholars were impressed by the journeys those students and their families had made.
Davis and David Boyle, dean of DSC’s School of Social Work, began talking about creating an “oral history” book that would let the residents of Dalton tell their stories.
“We always felt those stories had something powerful to say,” he said.
They and co-editors Thomas Deaton, a professor of social sciences at DSC, and Jo-Anne Schick, former director of the Georgia Project, and others spent the next five years interviewing dozens of people in Whitfield County. The Georgia Project was founded in 1996 to help educate Latino students which then made up almost 40 percent of the Dalton Public Schools enrollment.
“We identified themes relating to the Latino community in Dalton, and they had to do with areas of community life or community development,” said Boyle. “We knew there had to be a chapter on public education. There has to be a chapter on business development. There has to be a chapter on social work. We tried to find someone who was knowledgeable about that area.”
The book is divided into nine chapters covering everything from “the economic impact” to “the public school response” to “the social problems.” The voices of Dalton residents are put into context with introductions and scholarly analyses by the authors.
One of the voices in the book belongs to America Gruner. A native of Mexico, Gruner moved to Dalton from Los Angeles in 2000 because she had heard there were opportunities here for bilingual people. Her first job in Dalton was as a translator for Dalton Public Schools.
“The schools didn’t have many teachers who were bilingual. The health department didn’t have enough bilingual people. But things are changing,” she said.
Deaton said there have been Hispanics in Dalton at least as far back as the 1950s but probably the first large-scale immigration to the area came in 1969 when Hispanic laborers came to help build Carters Dam. Most left the area for other construction jobs when the project was finished, but others remained behind to work in chicken processing and, later, the carpet industry.
Deaton said the Hispanic immigrants to Dalton followed many different paths, but he said that many were related as much to family as to jobs.
Latino culture celebrated through parade
Parade celebrates Latino culture
Sy Becker and Michelle Misiaszek, WWLP, 19 Jul 2009
HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) - The Puerto Rican flag was front and center during Sunday's 4th annual Hispanic parade through downtown Holyoke.
Puerto Rican pride was in all it's glory as thousands of Latinos' turned out to salute the Puerto Rican flag and celebrate the culture they have brought to western Massachusetts.
"It's to bring all Hispanic families together. That's why they call it el grande family, and it's tied in with the festival we're having over this weekend in Springdale park," said Sylvia Robello of Holyoke.
It was a gala weekend filled with Hispanic pride that unites the community.
Sy Becker and Michelle Misiaszek, WWLP, 19 Jul 2009
HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) - The Puerto Rican flag was front and center during Sunday's 4th annual Hispanic parade through downtown Holyoke.
Puerto Rican pride was in all it's glory as thousands of Latinos' turned out to salute the Puerto Rican flag and celebrate the culture they have brought to western Massachusetts.
"It's to bring all Hispanic families together. That's why they call it el grande family, and it's tied in with the festival we're having over this weekend in Springdale park," said Sylvia Robello of Holyoke.
It was a gala weekend filled with Hispanic pride that unites the community.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Hispanic actor has left footprint on TV and Movies
Richard Yniguez, The Original Boulevard Knight
By Al Carlos Hernandez, HERALD DE PARIS, July 17, 2009
SAN FRANCISCO (Irreverent Homemaker @ Herald de Paris) - If you have watched TV or have gone to the movies over the last thirty years you know his face, even his voice, but may not know his name. He is Richard Yniquez, a seminal, in-demand character actor who has appeared in more than one hundred prime time television programs and feature films. In the Latino community he is legendary for his leading role in the theatrical film Boulevard Nights. Produced by Tony Bill, Nights was the first major release film to topically explore the lowrider culture in the early 70’s.
Richard explains, “I was born in Fresno County, California but was raised in Mexico by my father after my mother passed away while I was a child. I returned to the states when I was seventeen. My dad signed for me and I joined the Navy. Off I went into the Viet Nam controversy, heading overseas on the USS Yorktown for three and a half years. Saw most of Asia and lived through the tense years of war and social strife on board a ship. But we were not totally insulated; the problems at home affected us as well.
“Once back, and settled in LA, I did some odd jobs while attending East LA College in business administration. At this time I was living in a mortuary (Pierce Brothers, Simone on North Broadway) and was singing in the park while playing my guitar. During this time I learned of a new TV show that was going to cast from the real Latino community and they’d asked people to get involved in a crash course in acting. From that group of about four hundred they were going to pick a cast and create the first Latino family for a major prime time series on PBS. This was a soap-styled dramedy about the Avila famliy in East LA. The acting teachers were Victor Millian, Francisco Ortega, and Natividad Vacio. These men were primetime and film character actors. These were the men I had seen on TV while growing up and here they were actually teaching me the trade.
“They never choose the family from the neophytes. They hired pros. All of us who took the course were left out in the cold and didn’t understand why we were not used as promised. We banded together and formed The Mexican American Theatre Workshop. We performed throughout Los Angeles and held classes to keep our work alive. I was one of the teachers at that point, along with Mario Aniov. Can you imagine? I had only three weeks of acting under my belt, but felt it was worth keeping alive. Mario had already studied and performed the classics; he knew what he was doing.
“It wasn’t until weeks later that I was approached to play the youngest member of the Avila family. In 1968 I joined the cast and became a professional actor.”
For many Latinos the doors for acting opportunities started to open in the early 70’s, commensurate, and no doubt inspired, by social activism and a growing awareness of the emergence of Latino culture in the USA. So was it harder back then to get started in the business?
“Yes, it was a lot harder back then. Chicanos/Mexican Americans were not looked at in a positive way. Up to this time Latinos were played by non Latinos - mostly by Jews, Arabs, Italians, and even African Americans. It wasn’t until Ricardo Montalban, who formed Nosotros, and Ray Andrade, who formed Justica, that we started a serious trend in the industry and cast real Latinos in real Latino roles. Ricardo put his career on the line. I knew him very well and have had the chance to work with him up close and personal as an activist and as an actor. He didn’t shy away from controversy and was misquoted constantly. He never asked for actual Mexicans to play Mexicans. He only asked that we be given the opportunity to read for those important roles. They say that your ability to perform is determined by your last job. But we, Latino actors, don’t have those opportunities coming down the pike. People may read this and think it’s just sour grapes or that we have plenty of opportunities out there, just no actors to fill the parts. This is NOT true. And this is why we are creating our own films and internet websodes.”
What about working Latinos now? How is it for them?
“Hollywood gets into the rut of using the same faces over and over again despite the inroads that some actors and actresses have made with their careers. You see them once and you never see them again. We live in a youth oriented society, always looking for the young and beautiful in the eyes of the mainstream. And Latinos ain’t the mainstream. But we have an audience thirsty for stories they can relate to, hence we need to raise productions from our own community using that community’s voice. Our voice.”
Speaking of community, what did your family think about your decision to become an actor?
“My family didn’t think much about me becoming an actor. In fact I was laughed at. True story. They thought I was nuts. I don’t blame them. I thought I was nuts too. But there was something in me that persisted and I went on to work with some very wonderful people. Anthony Quinn, Robert Mitchum, Lucille Ball, Angela Lansbury, Glen Ford, Joan Plowright, and Ricardo Montalban, just to name a few. It was also nice to walk into an audition and be told that I had come highly recommended. I would ask by whom and the reply was always the same…Ricardo Montalban.
“There had been times when the role for a specific show was already cast. A young activist working with Ricardo would fight to get people to be seen by the production and try to get an Hispanic actor cast since the lead role was that of a Latino. All he asked for was a chance for Latino actors to read for the part. That young activist, an actor himself, was Jerry Velasco and I’ve always remembered his fight for all of us. Getting back to the family, once I started to work it was a different story. They didn’t laugh anymore. They wanted to visit the set and meet the other actors!”
What was your very first role? When did you know that you could do this?
“Cancion De La Raza, a dramedy soap for PBS. After a crash course in acting, I knew this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. It was actually theatre; you read the material, blocked it like a play, memorized it (I should say absorbed it) and then brought it to life for the cameras. For me acting is reacting. You listen and then react accordingly. In life and in acting there is no difference. The only thing different is that a writer took the time to create the scenario in which the character lives. The actor, with the guidance of the director, brings it to life. I love it!”
What is your favorite acting platform? Stage, screen, or TV? Why? Which is your least favorite?
“I like them all but prefer film acting. And there is a difference, believe me. I love to watch an actor think on film and wrestle with a problem. Steve McQueen was an expert at that…you watched his every move and you knew what he was thinking. There is a subtlety in working with film that you don’t have when working on the stage. Again it’s listening and reacting in character to dialogue that you’ve heard repeatedly. Yet each take it’s the first time. Taking your time is another interesting film thing for me. It’s that time when nothing is being said but there is oh-so-much happening. That’s the wonder of film and the trust one must have for the director.”
How did Boulevard Nights come along? Whose idea was it? Why did you want to do the role? Did taking the role stereotype you as a Latino actor? (I met and interviewed Tony Bill on radio when the film came out)
“Boulevard Nights is a very interesting moment in my life. I had nothing to do with the idea or the making of the film. I was merely an actor for hire. I didn’t even feel that I was right for the role. I thought I was too old and not really Chicano enough for what they were looking for. I didn’t want to do the film on that basis; I just felt I wasn’t right. But I was called back and the producer made me understand that the audience would believe what we told them and for me not to worry. I made my sentiments clear. They should market the film as a story of two brothers or as a love story between a young man and his girl. They went with the gang element which I think killed the point of the story. Tony Bill and I did not see the same opportunity. He did not include me in any promotion of the film and I would not have participated anyway. But, interestingly enough, the film has risen above all the negative sentiments in its time to bounce back as a classic. It is now seen with the proper eyes and appreciated for its message. I don’t think I was stereotyped. It’s what I am really, a Chicano actor who, given the opportunity, can play anything he is right for. In this business that’s key. They don’t use make-up to change an actor’s appearance unless it’s for age or special effects. I am ethnic looking in that I can play a person of Middle Eastern descent, Italian, Greek, you name it… The question is can they (Hollywood) get past the fact that my name is of Spanish origin? You don’t have to go back too far to see who the non Latinos were that play us on screen.”
What are you working on now? What kinds of projects would you like to do? Who would you like to work with? What are your plans for the future?
“I am very excited because I’ve been contacted by a gentleman who has been working on his own newsletter for the community and has created his own internet with programmable channels. He didn’t wait for Hollywood or investors. He put his money where he felt he could make a difference. And now he’s reached out to me. The opportunity to create content that makes a difference is just sparking my inner artist to express itself. Adrian Perez & The Latino Journal has me developing a partnership that can put together a machine not unlike the studio system of old Hollywood, where producers can interface with writers, directors, actors, etc… Some of the projects I hope to bring to the forefront will deal with aspects of our community that can make a difference in how we see ourselves:
American Anthology will focus on those in our ethnic communities who have contributed to the greatness of this country.
Divina Crane: A Latina psychologist who practices as a social worker under adverse conditions in the most dangerous areas of the inner city.
The Wanderer: An undercover Latino cop forced into retirement when hit by lightning. He survives and attains miraculous powers. He’s on the run from a high priced detective hired by a billionaire and also has a price on his head from organized crime. It’s the wanderer who can heal and bring people back from the brink of death. (Run For Your Life meets Highway To Heaven)
Soldaderas: A look into the lives of the women of the Mexican revolution. War hasn’t changed and women have always been in the forefront.
Circus World: A circus clown is saddled with his three nephews after an auto accident takes the life of their parents.
Ku Kul Kan (mythical Mayan hero) is a super hero living in the inner city. He uses the powers of stealth, levitation and the super human strength of the ancient aboriginal Mayan people.”
In the promotion for the film Boulevard Nights it says:
“Everything happens on the boulevard - and the boulevard happens at night.”
The question for Latino artists remains. Who’s boulevard is it?
By Al Carlos Hernandez, HERALD DE PARIS, July 17, 2009
SAN FRANCISCO (Irreverent Homemaker @ Herald de Paris) - If you have watched TV or have gone to the movies over the last thirty years you know his face, even his voice, but may not know his name. He is Richard Yniquez, a seminal, in-demand character actor who has appeared in more than one hundred prime time television programs and feature films. In the Latino community he is legendary for his leading role in the theatrical film Boulevard Nights. Produced by Tony Bill, Nights was the first major release film to topically explore the lowrider culture in the early 70’s.
Richard explains, “I was born in Fresno County, California but was raised in Mexico by my father after my mother passed away while I was a child. I returned to the states when I was seventeen. My dad signed for me and I joined the Navy. Off I went into the Viet Nam controversy, heading overseas on the USS Yorktown for three and a half years. Saw most of Asia and lived through the tense years of war and social strife on board a ship. But we were not totally insulated; the problems at home affected us as well.
“Once back, and settled in LA, I did some odd jobs while attending East LA College in business administration. At this time I was living in a mortuary (Pierce Brothers, Simone on North Broadway) and was singing in the park while playing my guitar. During this time I learned of a new TV show that was going to cast from the real Latino community and they’d asked people to get involved in a crash course in acting. From that group of about four hundred they were going to pick a cast and create the first Latino family for a major prime time series on PBS. This was a soap-styled dramedy about the Avila famliy in East LA. The acting teachers were Victor Millian, Francisco Ortega, and Natividad Vacio. These men were primetime and film character actors. These were the men I had seen on TV while growing up and here they were actually teaching me the trade.
“They never choose the family from the neophytes. They hired pros. All of us who took the course were left out in the cold and didn’t understand why we were not used as promised. We banded together and formed The Mexican American Theatre Workshop. We performed throughout Los Angeles and held classes to keep our work alive. I was one of the teachers at that point, along with Mario Aniov. Can you imagine? I had only three weeks of acting under my belt, but felt it was worth keeping alive. Mario had already studied and performed the classics; he knew what he was doing.
“It wasn’t until weeks later that I was approached to play the youngest member of the Avila family. In 1968 I joined the cast and became a professional actor.”
For many Latinos the doors for acting opportunities started to open in the early 70’s, commensurate, and no doubt inspired, by social activism and a growing awareness of the emergence of Latino culture in the USA. So was it harder back then to get started in the business?
“Yes, it was a lot harder back then. Chicanos/Mexican Americans were not looked at in a positive way. Up to this time Latinos were played by non Latinos - mostly by Jews, Arabs, Italians, and even African Americans. It wasn’t until Ricardo Montalban, who formed Nosotros, and Ray Andrade, who formed Justica, that we started a serious trend in the industry and cast real Latinos in real Latino roles. Ricardo put his career on the line. I knew him very well and have had the chance to work with him up close and personal as an activist and as an actor. He didn’t shy away from controversy and was misquoted constantly. He never asked for actual Mexicans to play Mexicans. He only asked that we be given the opportunity to read for those important roles. They say that your ability to perform is determined by your last job. But we, Latino actors, don’t have those opportunities coming down the pike. People may read this and think it’s just sour grapes or that we have plenty of opportunities out there, just no actors to fill the parts. This is NOT true. And this is why we are creating our own films and internet websodes.”
What about working Latinos now? How is it for them?
“Hollywood gets into the rut of using the same faces over and over again despite the inroads that some actors and actresses have made with their careers. You see them once and you never see them again. We live in a youth oriented society, always looking for the young and beautiful in the eyes of the mainstream. And Latinos ain’t the mainstream. But we have an audience thirsty for stories they can relate to, hence we need to raise productions from our own community using that community’s voice. Our voice.”
Speaking of community, what did your family think about your decision to become an actor?
“My family didn’t think much about me becoming an actor. In fact I was laughed at. True story. They thought I was nuts. I don’t blame them. I thought I was nuts too. But there was something in me that persisted and I went on to work with some very wonderful people. Anthony Quinn, Robert Mitchum, Lucille Ball, Angela Lansbury, Glen Ford, Joan Plowright, and Ricardo Montalban, just to name a few. It was also nice to walk into an audition and be told that I had come highly recommended. I would ask by whom and the reply was always the same…Ricardo Montalban.
“There had been times when the role for a specific show was already cast. A young activist working with Ricardo would fight to get people to be seen by the production and try to get an Hispanic actor cast since the lead role was that of a Latino. All he asked for was a chance for Latino actors to read for the part. That young activist, an actor himself, was Jerry Velasco and I’ve always remembered his fight for all of us. Getting back to the family, once I started to work it was a different story. They didn’t laugh anymore. They wanted to visit the set and meet the other actors!”
What was your very first role? When did you know that you could do this?
“Cancion De La Raza, a dramedy soap for PBS. After a crash course in acting, I knew this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. It was actually theatre; you read the material, blocked it like a play, memorized it (I should say absorbed it) and then brought it to life for the cameras. For me acting is reacting. You listen and then react accordingly. In life and in acting there is no difference. The only thing different is that a writer took the time to create the scenario in which the character lives. The actor, with the guidance of the director, brings it to life. I love it!”
What is your favorite acting platform? Stage, screen, or TV? Why? Which is your least favorite?
“I like them all but prefer film acting. And there is a difference, believe me. I love to watch an actor think on film and wrestle with a problem. Steve McQueen was an expert at that…you watched his every move and you knew what he was thinking. There is a subtlety in working with film that you don’t have when working on the stage. Again it’s listening and reacting in character to dialogue that you’ve heard repeatedly. Yet each take it’s the first time. Taking your time is another interesting film thing for me. It’s that time when nothing is being said but there is oh-so-much happening. That’s the wonder of film and the trust one must have for the director.”
How did Boulevard Nights come along? Whose idea was it? Why did you want to do the role? Did taking the role stereotype you as a Latino actor? (I met and interviewed Tony Bill on radio when the film came out)
“Boulevard Nights is a very interesting moment in my life. I had nothing to do with the idea or the making of the film. I was merely an actor for hire. I didn’t even feel that I was right for the role. I thought I was too old and not really Chicano enough for what they were looking for. I didn’t want to do the film on that basis; I just felt I wasn’t right. But I was called back and the producer made me understand that the audience would believe what we told them and for me not to worry. I made my sentiments clear. They should market the film as a story of two brothers or as a love story between a young man and his girl. They went with the gang element which I think killed the point of the story. Tony Bill and I did not see the same opportunity. He did not include me in any promotion of the film and I would not have participated anyway. But, interestingly enough, the film has risen above all the negative sentiments in its time to bounce back as a classic. It is now seen with the proper eyes and appreciated for its message. I don’t think I was stereotyped. It’s what I am really, a Chicano actor who, given the opportunity, can play anything he is right for. In this business that’s key. They don’t use make-up to change an actor’s appearance unless it’s for age or special effects. I am ethnic looking in that I can play a person of Middle Eastern descent, Italian, Greek, you name it… The question is can they (Hollywood) get past the fact that my name is of Spanish origin? You don’t have to go back too far to see who the non Latinos were that play us on screen.”
What are you working on now? What kinds of projects would you like to do? Who would you like to work with? What are your plans for the future?
“I am very excited because I’ve been contacted by a gentleman who has been working on his own newsletter for the community and has created his own internet with programmable channels. He didn’t wait for Hollywood or investors. He put his money where he felt he could make a difference. And now he’s reached out to me. The opportunity to create content that makes a difference is just sparking my inner artist to express itself. Adrian Perez & The Latino Journal has me developing a partnership that can put together a machine not unlike the studio system of old Hollywood, where producers can interface with writers, directors, actors, etc… Some of the projects I hope to bring to the forefront will deal with aspects of our community that can make a difference in how we see ourselves:
American Anthology will focus on those in our ethnic communities who have contributed to the greatness of this country.
Divina Crane: A Latina psychologist who practices as a social worker under adverse conditions in the most dangerous areas of the inner city.
The Wanderer: An undercover Latino cop forced into retirement when hit by lightning. He survives and attains miraculous powers. He’s on the run from a high priced detective hired by a billionaire and also has a price on his head from organized crime. It’s the wanderer who can heal and bring people back from the brink of death. (Run For Your Life meets Highway To Heaven)
Soldaderas: A look into the lives of the women of the Mexican revolution. War hasn’t changed and women have always been in the forefront.
Circus World: A circus clown is saddled with his three nephews after an auto accident takes the life of their parents.
Ku Kul Kan (mythical Mayan hero) is a super hero living in the inner city. He uses the powers of stealth, levitation and the super human strength of the ancient aboriginal Mayan people.”
In the promotion for the film Boulevard Nights it says:
“Everything happens on the boulevard - and the boulevard happens at night.”
The question for Latino artists remains. Who’s boulevard is it?
Hispanic's family buried Pancho Villa twice
Son recounts family's part in Pancho Villa interment
By Ramon Bracamontes / El Paso Times, 07/19/2009
EL PASO -- Every year, around July 20, El Pasoan Felipe Cardenas proudly tells people that his father buried Pancho Villa twice.
This elicits the exact response he wants.
"When I tell people that my father buried Pancho Villa twice, people stop and wait for the rest of the story," said Cardenas, 78. "So I tell them my father did bury him twice, and my brother exhumed him. Only I can say that."
Villa, who was at the forefront of the Mexican Revolution, was assassinated in Parral, Chihuahua, Mexico on July 20, 1923. He and several of his bodyguards were ambushed as they rode in Villa's car in the middle of town. As soon as the gunshots rang out that Friday morning, Cardenas' father, Jose Cardenas Ponce, rushed to where Villa lay dead.
Cardenas, owner of the only funeral home in Parral at the time, was among the first to see Villa's body.
"My father would tell us the story," said Felipe Cardenas, who was not born until 1930. "He loved to talk about it. For him, when he heard the gunshots, he went out to see what was happening because it meant there might be some business for him."
As the town's mortician, Jose Cardenas' job was to distribute an obituary notice, to arrange the funeral, to prepare the body and then to conduct the service the next day. He buried Villa on July 21.
Felipe Cardenas still has a copy of the legend's obit, as well as a copy of Villa's birth certificate. It shows that Villa's real name was Doroteo Arango.
Three years after the killings, in 1926, Jose Cardenas was strolling through the municipal cemetery in Parral. He came upon a strong stench coming from Villa's grave site.
Somebody had dug up Villa's body and cut off his head. The rest of the corpse was left behind, in the open grave.
El Paso author and historian David Romo, who wrote the book "Ringside Seat to a Revolution," said no one knows who took Villa's head. Wild speculation was that it ended up at Yale University, in the tomb of a secret society called Skull and Bones.
"Depending on who you ask, you get a different answer," Romo said.
Even though the Mexican Revolution was over by 1923 and Villa was no longer fighting the establishment, he was viewed as a political threat in Mexico.
"He had made a lot of enemies," Romo said. "We may never know who dug him up."
The vandalism, however, provided the Cardenas family with a second opportunity to bury Villa. This time, to make sure that Villa's grave site would not be vandalized again, Villa's widow ordered Jose Cardenas to use concrete.
"My father reburied him, but this time he put rocks and boulders and pieces of cement on top of the casket," said Felipe Cardenas, who moved to El Paso as a young man, choosing not to work in his father's business.
"He topped off the grave with a slab of cement."
The grave remained untouched until 1976, when Mexican President Luis Echeverría had Villa's body exhumed and reburied at the Monument to the Revolution in Mexico City.
By then, Jose Cardenas had died and his other son, Octavio Cardenas Villanueva, had taken over the funeral home in Parral. It was Octavio Cardenas who exhumed Villa's body in 1976. In fact, the Cardenas family still owns the funeral home, now 120 years old.
To get to Villa's remains, the Cardenas crew had to dig on the side of grave because it did not want to break through the concrete and rocks on top of the casket.
"All the bones were placed in an urn and taken to the memorial," Felipe Cardenas said.
Now, the only involvement the Cardenas family has with Villa occurs every July 20, when the town of Parral re-enacts the assassination. The event uses props from 1923, including the original horse-drawn hearse that was owned by Jose Cardenas.
The hearse is in the museum in Parral, about 370 miles south of El Paso.
"To this day, Villa remains a hero and a larger-than-life figure in Parral," Cardenas said.
El Paso historian Freddy Morales said Villa continues to be a legend in El Paso, too. Morales wrote a book about Villa's life in El Paso and the role El Paso played in the Mexican Revolution. The book documents where Villa lived in El Paso, where he ate and where he devised his strategy of war.
"Villa planned his raids into Mexico from his home on Prospect Street here in El Paso," Morales said.
"He was working in Asarco when he heard that Mexican President (Francisco) Madero had been killed, and it was there that he vowed vengeance."
Ramon Bracamontes may be reached at rbracamontes@elpasotimes.com; 546-6142.
By Ramon Bracamontes / El Paso Times, 07/19/2009
EL PASO -- Every year, around July 20, El Pasoan Felipe Cardenas proudly tells people that his father buried Pancho Villa twice.
This elicits the exact response he wants.
"When I tell people that my father buried Pancho Villa twice, people stop and wait for the rest of the story," said Cardenas, 78. "So I tell them my father did bury him twice, and my brother exhumed him. Only I can say that."
Villa, who was at the forefront of the Mexican Revolution, was assassinated in Parral, Chihuahua, Mexico on July 20, 1923. He and several of his bodyguards were ambushed as they rode in Villa's car in the middle of town. As soon as the gunshots rang out that Friday morning, Cardenas' father, Jose Cardenas Ponce, rushed to where Villa lay dead.
Cardenas, owner of the only funeral home in Parral at the time, was among the first to see Villa's body.
"My father would tell us the story," said Felipe Cardenas, who was not born until 1930. "He loved to talk about it. For him, when he heard the gunshots, he went out to see what was happening because it meant there might be some business for him."
As the town's mortician, Jose Cardenas' job was to distribute an obituary notice, to arrange the funeral, to prepare the body and then to conduct the service the next day. He buried Villa on July 21.
Felipe Cardenas still has a copy of the legend's obit, as well as a copy of Villa's birth certificate. It shows that Villa's real name was Doroteo Arango.
Three years after the killings, in 1926, Jose Cardenas was strolling through the municipal cemetery in Parral. He came upon a strong stench coming from Villa's grave site.
Somebody had dug up Villa's body and cut off his head. The rest of the corpse was left behind, in the open grave.
El Paso author and historian David Romo, who wrote the book "Ringside Seat to a Revolution," said no one knows who took Villa's head. Wild speculation was that it ended up at Yale University, in the tomb of a secret society called Skull and Bones.
"Depending on who you ask, you get a different answer," Romo said.
Even though the Mexican Revolution was over by 1923 and Villa was no longer fighting the establishment, he was viewed as a political threat in Mexico.
"He had made a lot of enemies," Romo said. "We may never know who dug him up."
The vandalism, however, provided the Cardenas family with a second opportunity to bury Villa. This time, to make sure that Villa's grave site would not be vandalized again, Villa's widow ordered Jose Cardenas to use concrete.
"My father reburied him, but this time he put rocks and boulders and pieces of cement on top of the casket," said Felipe Cardenas, who moved to El Paso as a young man, choosing not to work in his father's business.
"He topped off the grave with a slab of cement."
The grave remained untouched until 1976, when Mexican President Luis Echeverría had Villa's body exhumed and reburied at the Monument to the Revolution in Mexico City.
By then, Jose Cardenas had died and his other son, Octavio Cardenas Villanueva, had taken over the funeral home in Parral. It was Octavio Cardenas who exhumed Villa's body in 1976. In fact, the Cardenas family still owns the funeral home, now 120 years old.
To get to Villa's remains, the Cardenas crew had to dig on the side of grave because it did not want to break through the concrete and rocks on top of the casket.
"All the bones were placed in an urn and taken to the memorial," Felipe Cardenas said.
Now, the only involvement the Cardenas family has with Villa occurs every July 20, when the town of Parral re-enacts the assassination. The event uses props from 1923, including the original horse-drawn hearse that was owned by Jose Cardenas.
The hearse is in the museum in Parral, about 370 miles south of El Paso.
"To this day, Villa remains a hero and a larger-than-life figure in Parral," Cardenas said.
El Paso historian Freddy Morales said Villa continues to be a legend in El Paso, too. Morales wrote a book about Villa's life in El Paso and the role El Paso played in the Mexican Revolution. The book documents where Villa lived in El Paso, where he ate and where he devised his strategy of war.
"Villa planned his raids into Mexico from his home on Prospect Street here in El Paso," Morales said.
"He was working in Asarco when he heard that Mexican President (Francisco) Madero had been killed, and it was there that he vowed vengeance."
Ramon Bracamontes may be reached at rbracamontes@elpasotimes.com; 546-6142.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Latino musican awards program goes national
Awards program honoring Latino musicians goes national
By Sandra Zaragoza, Austin Business Journal - July 16, 2009
Editors Note: Music Industry Today is a series that will appear on this site every Thursday looking at the issues and artists shaping Austin's music scene.
Demonstrating the growing strength of the Texas Hispanic market, an Austin-based Latino music awards show will receive national air time this year.
For the first time, “Premios Texas 2009” is airing nationally on cable, Spanish-languange network Galavisión on Sunday, Aug. 23 at 7 p.m. CT. Univision — Galavisión’s parent company — will also air the show in some of its markets. Austin-based KAKW Univision 62 produces the awards program.
Luis Patino, vice president general manager of Univision 62, said getting national air time speaks to the wide appeal of the show’s musical line up, as well as Texas’ growing clout in the Latino music industry.
“The state of Texas and the Texas Hispanic market represent a large business opportunity for a lot of these record labels,” Patino said. “There is a lot of influence that Texas has over the music industry.”
In its fifth year, the awards show is now national in scope. This year’s show will feature bands and artists from around the world, as well as local bands, such as Vallejo. The musicians represent various Latin music genres, including pop, tropical, regional Mexican, rock and urban. The award winners are chosen by Texas voters.
A free pre-event concert on Aug. 12 is expected to draw about 5,000 people. The invite-only awards program will take place at the Long Center on Aug. 13, and attract about 2,500 people.
The awards show has been profitable for the station, Patino said, declining to disclose specific figures.
Tecate Light is the event’s title sponsor for the second year in the row. The program has also attracted Target, but Patino said that two major sponsors are still pending.
Given the economy, sponsorship is not what the station would have liked, but Patio believes it will end up about flat compared to last year.
Nevertheless, garnering national air time is proof positive that there is a demand for this type of event, Patino said.
“I think that there was a heavy demand to have this type of premium property,” he said.
Patino hopes that the show will also raise Univision’s profile in the Austin market.
“People don’t realize that [Univision 62] is the No. 1 station in the market,” Patino said. “This is a statement on where Austin is going, where Austin is and the relevance of Spanish-language media.”
Univision 62 nabbed the No. 1 spot for the 5 p.m. newscast among 18-49 year olds for the entire first half of 2009, he said.
As far as “Premios Texas” goes, the station’s long-term goal is to expand its reach.
“It would be nice to continue to showcase Austin. We are the Live Music Capital of the World; We want Austin to be the Live Music Capital of Latin Music,” Patino said.
szaragoza@bizjournals.com
By Sandra Zaragoza, Austin Business Journal - July 16, 2009
Editors Note: Music Industry Today is a series that will appear on this site every Thursday looking at the issues and artists shaping Austin's music scene.
Demonstrating the growing strength of the Texas Hispanic market, an Austin-based Latino music awards show will receive national air time this year.
For the first time, “Premios Texas 2009” is airing nationally on cable, Spanish-languange network Galavisión on Sunday, Aug. 23 at 7 p.m. CT. Univision — Galavisión’s parent company — will also air the show in some of its markets. Austin-based KAKW Univision 62 produces the awards program.
Luis Patino, vice president general manager of Univision 62, said getting national air time speaks to the wide appeal of the show’s musical line up, as well as Texas’ growing clout in the Latino music industry.
“The state of Texas and the Texas Hispanic market represent a large business opportunity for a lot of these record labels,” Patino said. “There is a lot of influence that Texas has over the music industry.”
In its fifth year, the awards show is now national in scope. This year’s show will feature bands and artists from around the world, as well as local bands, such as Vallejo. The musicians represent various Latin music genres, including pop, tropical, regional Mexican, rock and urban. The award winners are chosen by Texas voters.
A free pre-event concert on Aug. 12 is expected to draw about 5,000 people. The invite-only awards program will take place at the Long Center on Aug. 13, and attract about 2,500 people.
The awards show has been profitable for the station, Patino said, declining to disclose specific figures.
Tecate Light is the event’s title sponsor for the second year in the row. The program has also attracted Target, but Patino said that two major sponsors are still pending.
Given the economy, sponsorship is not what the station would have liked, but Patio believes it will end up about flat compared to last year.
Nevertheless, garnering national air time is proof positive that there is a demand for this type of event, Patino said.
“I think that there was a heavy demand to have this type of premium property,” he said.
Patino hopes that the show will also raise Univision’s profile in the Austin market.
“People don’t realize that [Univision 62] is the No. 1 station in the market,” Patino said. “This is a statement on where Austin is going, where Austin is and the relevance of Spanish-language media.”
Univision 62 nabbed the No. 1 spot for the 5 p.m. newscast among 18-49 year olds for the entire first half of 2009, he said.
As far as “Premios Texas” goes, the station’s long-term goal is to expand its reach.
“It would be nice to continue to showcase Austin. We are the Live Music Capital of the World; We want Austin to be the Live Music Capital of Latin Music,” Patino said.
szaragoza@bizjournals.com
Hispanic ethnic slur spurs radio djs supension
Hispanic leaders not satisfied with two-week suspension for KLBJ-AM talk show hosts
Ethnic slur to describe illegal immigrants used many times during Tuesday's morning show.
By Juan Castillo, AMERICAN-STATESMAN, July 16, 2009
A group of Hispanic leaders told KLBJ-AM management today they are not satisfied with the suspensions of talk show hosts Don Pryor and Todd Jefferies in the wake of the repeated use of an ethnic slur to describe illegal immigrants during their Tuesday morning show, a spokesman for the group said.
Paul Saldaña, a consultant, said he and other group members, including former Texas Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos. former Austin Mayor Gus Garcia and U.S. Hispanic Contractors Association chairman Frank Fuentes, asked the station to take further action. Saldaña would not disclose what they want the station to do.
The Hispanic leaders met this morning with Scott Gillmore, vice president and market manager for Emmis Austin Radio, which owns the station, and KLBJ-AM program director Mark Caesar.
"We understand an apology is not sufficient. We've obviously taken some action ... and we are looking to see what else we can do in responding to the community," said Gillmore, calling the meeting very productive.
On Wednesday, calling the comments on The Todd and Don Show highly offensive, Gillmore announced that Pryor and Jefferies had been suspended for two weeks without pay, effective immediately. Gillmore initiated Thursday's meeting with Hispanic leaders, Fuentes said Wednesday.
jcastillo@statesman.com; 445-3635
Ethnic slur to describe illegal immigrants used many times during Tuesday's morning show.
By Juan Castillo, AMERICAN-STATESMAN, July 16, 2009
A group of Hispanic leaders told KLBJ-AM management today they are not satisfied with the suspensions of talk show hosts Don Pryor and Todd Jefferies in the wake of the repeated use of an ethnic slur to describe illegal immigrants during their Tuesday morning show, a spokesman for the group said.
Paul Saldaña, a consultant, said he and other group members, including former Texas Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos. former Austin Mayor Gus Garcia and U.S. Hispanic Contractors Association chairman Frank Fuentes, asked the station to take further action. Saldaña would not disclose what they want the station to do.
The Hispanic leaders met this morning with Scott Gillmore, vice president and market manager for Emmis Austin Radio, which owns the station, and KLBJ-AM program director Mark Caesar.
"We understand an apology is not sufficient. We've obviously taken some action ... and we are looking to see what else we can do in responding to the community," said Gillmore, calling the meeting very productive.
On Wednesday, calling the comments on The Todd and Don Show highly offensive, Gillmore announced that Pryor and Jefferies had been suspended for two weeks without pay, effective immediately. Gillmore initiated Thursday's meeting with Hispanic leaders, Fuentes said Wednesday.
jcastillo@statesman.com; 445-3635
Latino Grammy award winner to tour U.S.
Ricardo Arjona set to kick-off "5to Piso U.S. Tour" July 30 at Miami's American Airlines Arena
CMN.com
Following a series of stops throughout Latin America in support of his latest recording, “5to Piso” (“5th Floor”), two-time Grammy Award winning artist Ricardo Arjona prepares to head stateside to begin a 20-city U.S. tour, which kicks off on Thursday, July 30 at Miami’s American Airlines Arena. Other stops include Los Angeles, Orlando, Atlanta, New York, Washington, D.C., Chicago and Boston. Tickets for all shows are on sale now at Ticketmaster by calling 1-800-745-3000 and can also be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com.
The tour follows a two-year hiatus that saw the artist work incessantly on the new album, which has already received wide acclaim. Produced by Arjona himself, the new album features 14 songs that reveal some of Arjona’s most personal experiences. The live “5to Piso” show is nothing short of spectacular, as the Guatemalan born artist relives a series of stories onstage in a theatre-like, intimate setting.
Guatemalan-born Ricardo Arjona is one of the more respected Latin artists, mostly for his social conscience and his integrity in writing and performing songs. Born in Antigua, he was interested in music from an early age but later decided to become a rural schoolteacher. He also played basketball for the Guatemalan national team, but continued to play his guitar and write songs in his spare time. After realizing that music was his one true love, he moved to Mexico City; once there, he began looking for a record contract and played at many student festivals, increasing his status as a protest singer.
Arjona finally found a contract through PolyGram, but the label attempted to market him as a Latin-lover type on his debut album, “Dejame Decir Que Te Amo” (“Let Me Say I Love You”). Predictably, the album failed, and Arjona spent the next five years teaching and occasionally writing songs recorded by other artists. He moved to Buenos Aires, began playing again, and soon returned to the recording sphere with material more suited to his experiences as a protest singer, namely "Jesus Verbo No Sustantivo," a controversial song about his experiences at a Catholic school as a child. It gained him a contract with Sony, which released many of his most popular albums, including “Animal Nocturno.” --(John Bush, All Music Guide)
Arjona’s last studio album, “Adentro,” helped the artist garner a Grammy (Best Pop Album) in 2007 and a Latin Grammy in 2006 (Best Male Pop Vocal Album). He also won the ASCAP Award for Latin Music in the category of “Best Song of the year-Pop Ballad” in 2006.
CMN.com
Following a series of stops throughout Latin America in support of his latest recording, “5to Piso” (“5th Floor”), two-time Grammy Award winning artist Ricardo Arjona prepares to head stateside to begin a 20-city U.S. tour, which kicks off on Thursday, July 30 at Miami’s American Airlines Arena. Other stops include Los Angeles, Orlando, Atlanta, New York, Washington, D.C., Chicago and Boston. Tickets for all shows are on sale now at Ticketmaster by calling 1-800-745-3000 and can also be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com.
The tour follows a two-year hiatus that saw the artist work incessantly on the new album, which has already received wide acclaim. Produced by Arjona himself, the new album features 14 songs that reveal some of Arjona’s most personal experiences. The live “5to Piso” show is nothing short of spectacular, as the Guatemalan born artist relives a series of stories onstage in a theatre-like, intimate setting.
Guatemalan-born Ricardo Arjona is one of the more respected Latin artists, mostly for his social conscience and his integrity in writing and performing songs. Born in Antigua, he was interested in music from an early age but later decided to become a rural schoolteacher. He also played basketball for the Guatemalan national team, but continued to play his guitar and write songs in his spare time. After realizing that music was his one true love, he moved to Mexico City; once there, he began looking for a record contract and played at many student festivals, increasing his status as a protest singer.
Arjona finally found a contract through PolyGram, but the label attempted to market him as a Latin-lover type on his debut album, “Dejame Decir Que Te Amo” (“Let Me Say I Love You”). Predictably, the album failed, and Arjona spent the next five years teaching and occasionally writing songs recorded by other artists. He moved to Buenos Aires, began playing again, and soon returned to the recording sphere with material more suited to his experiences as a protest singer, namely "Jesus Verbo No Sustantivo," a controversial song about his experiences at a Catholic school as a child. It gained him a contract with Sony, which released many of his most popular albums, including “Animal Nocturno.” --(John Bush, All Music Guide)
Arjona’s last studio album, “Adentro,” helped the artist garner a Grammy (Best Pop Album) in 2007 and a Latin Grammy in 2006 (Best Male Pop Vocal Album). He also won the ASCAP Award for Latin Music in the category of “Best Song of the year-Pop Ballad” in 2006.
Latino life celebrated through art
An Art Exhibit Dedicated To Celebrating Latino Life
Turnto23.com, July 15, 2009
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- This is a juried exhibit.
All works are submitted and then juried by a panel of Judges.
The selected pieces will be on display at Metro Galleries during the month of September 2009.
The exhibit will open on Friday September 4.
Awards for Best of Show and several other categories will be presented during the opening reception. Artists are asked to create their vision of the Latino culture.
Original artwork only, Created within the past 3 years. All artists must complete entry form with all information requested. A non-refundable fee of $25 per entry is required.
(3 entries maximum) Checks are payable to: Metro Galleries.
Turnto23.com, July 15, 2009
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- This is a juried exhibit.
All works are submitted and then juried by a panel of Judges.
The selected pieces will be on display at Metro Galleries during the month of September 2009.
The exhibit will open on Friday September 4.
Awards for Best of Show and several other categories will be presented during the opening reception. Artists are asked to create their vision of the Latino culture.
Original artwork only, Created within the past 3 years. All artists must complete entry form with all information requested. A non-refundable fee of $25 per entry is required.
(3 entries maximum) Checks are payable to: Metro Galleries.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Latino radio show pushes back on racist talk radio
Berkeley-based "Latino MoveOn" ticks off Rush and O'Reilly
Sfgate.com
The two-month-old Berkeley liberal online hub called Presente -- which wants to be the Latino MoveOn -- has scored the progressive daily double: It has ticked off both Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly.
How: It is airing a radio ad this week in on Spanish-language stations in St. Pete and Orlando, Fla. calling out El Rushbo for referring to Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor as a "racist" and a "bigot." It called on local GOP Rep. John Mica to rebuke Rush's comments. Uh, not a high chance of that happening. Even if Mica did, he'd probably be on his knees apologizing by sunset....or the start of Rush's program. It's the GOP way. Here's Rush's react to all this.
"Republicans have been speaking out of both sides of their mouth to Latinos," Presente co-founder Favianna Rodriguez told The Politcs Blog. While the GOP is trying to woo them politically, they're also backing policies on immigration that "most Latinos are against" Rodriguez said, and using hateful rhetoric.
In the Presente family, O'Reilly notes the presence of former MoveOn organizer James Rucker, founder of San Francisco's Color of Change, which Rucker told us way back when that he wanted to be the black MoveOn, and connects the dots back to the "radical left" of MoveOn. No, Bill didn't rrrrrrrrroll his r's when he said "radical" the same way he did when he said Prrrresente. Apparently, Presente isn't Bill's cup of bile. He prefers The Minutemen, who he has referred to as being in "in the great tradition of neighborhood watch groups." Check out Bill and see.
Of course, this bit of publicity is a huge fundraising opportunity for the fledling Presente. They've spiked to 25,000 members and have got an ActBlue page going and about $5,600 has rolled in so far. It takes less than $1000 to produce these ads and not much more to run them for a couple of days. If more cash rolls in, Rodriguez said Presente will air them in other districts with high Latino populations. They went to Florida because it is an important swing state with a high Latino population.
The great irony here: This ad got WAAAAAAY more exposure by El Rushbo and O'Reilly playing it on their top-rated shows than if they just allowed it to linger online and on Spanish-language radio in Florida.
It's another lesson on the power of digital publishing -- provided you have good timing. You don't have to have a lot of cash to become a topic in the national conversation. The challenge is staying there.
Sfgate.com
The two-month-old Berkeley liberal online hub called Presente -- which wants to be the Latino MoveOn -- has scored the progressive daily double: It has ticked off both Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly.
How: It is airing a radio ad this week in on Spanish-language stations in St. Pete and Orlando, Fla. calling out El Rushbo for referring to Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor as a "racist" and a "bigot." It called on local GOP Rep. John Mica to rebuke Rush's comments. Uh, not a high chance of that happening. Even if Mica did, he'd probably be on his knees apologizing by sunset....or the start of Rush's program. It's the GOP way. Here's Rush's react to all this.
"Republicans have been speaking out of both sides of their mouth to Latinos," Presente co-founder Favianna Rodriguez told The Politcs Blog. While the GOP is trying to woo them politically, they're also backing policies on immigration that "most Latinos are against" Rodriguez said, and using hateful rhetoric.
In the Presente family, O'Reilly notes the presence of former MoveOn organizer James Rucker, founder of San Francisco's Color of Change, which Rucker told us way back when that he wanted to be the black MoveOn, and connects the dots back to the "radical left" of MoveOn. No, Bill didn't rrrrrrrrroll his r's when he said "radical" the same way he did when he said Prrrresente. Apparently, Presente isn't Bill's cup of bile. He prefers The Minutemen, who he has referred to as being in "in the great tradition of neighborhood watch groups." Check out Bill and see.
Of course, this bit of publicity is a huge fundraising opportunity for the fledling Presente. They've spiked to 25,000 members and have got an ActBlue page going and about $5,600 has rolled in so far. It takes less than $1000 to produce these ads and not much more to run them for a couple of days. If more cash rolls in, Rodriguez said Presente will air them in other districts with high Latino populations. They went to Florida because it is an important swing state with a high Latino population.
The great irony here: This ad got WAAAAAAY more exposure by El Rushbo and O'Reilly playing it on their top-rated shows than if they just allowed it to linger online and on Spanish-language radio in Florida.
It's another lesson on the power of digital publishing -- provided you have good timing. You don't have to have a lot of cash to become a topic in the national conversation. The challenge is staying there.
A Latino love affair with scary movies
The Horror, The Horror: The Latino Love Affair with Scary Movies
Daniel Cubias, Huffington Post, July 14, 2009
Some of my posts may have given the impression that I base everything upon logic, and disdain the supernatural or unexplainable. That's not true, of course, because I love a good ghost story.
I just don't love them as much as my mom does.
For proof, I refer to the time my mother and I got into an argument at the video store. It was the mid- 1980s, and the selection was sparse in those pioneering days of the VCR. Still, it was a little odd to see me, a sullen teenager, arguing to rent "Raging Bull" while my mother insisted on getting "The Omen 3."
You see, my mother - a tough Latina and the pride of San Vicente, El Salvador - has very definite ideas about what constitutes fine cinema. By her criteria, a great film must include at least one of the following elements:
A chase scene featuring a drooling monster in hot pursuit
An unstoppable killer robot/android/cyborg
A hidden door leading to a hellish parallel dimension
A good-looking vampire
A winged demon ripping people's souls out through their chests
These are pretty great standards, of course, and I have no issue with them. But at one point, I thought they were a little too restrictive. Could a great movie also feature subtle character development, dramatic perspectives on another era, or startling insight into the human condition?
Well, my mother would point out that such factors only slow down the movie and delay getting to the really good part where that slimy alien creature devours the lead astronaut's head.
In a way, she's correct.
Horror movies have been unfairly maligned as empty, moronic time-wasters - the creepy third cousin at the cinematic family reunion. Even mainstream comedies get more respect.
But films of this genre are often the cultural barometer of where we stand. In addition, they can serve as a cathartic release for our fears and pain. This may especially be true for those of us who have witnessed violence or suffered through the abrupt departure of loved ones, like my mother has.
The history of Latin America, in truth, has been one long horror movie for some time. I don't know if we Hispanics are more likely to embrace scary movies, but I wouldn't be surprised if this were true.
For example, one of my friends, a man who is originally from my family's home country of El Salvador, has a vast treasure trove of horror movies. His wife, born and raised in America, tolerates his fascination and puts up with the overflowing boxes of tapes and discs, all of which offer some kind of gruesome imagery.
With so much real-life horror in our backgrounds, we seem well-suited to fictional depictions of terror. Perhaps this is why my mother constantly overrode my fledgling attempts at film snobbery when I was younger.
More than once, she would arrive home from a hard day of work to announce that she had stopped at the video store on the commute. Then she would enthusiastically proclaim, "I picked up the 'Seven Doors of Death'!"
But let me be clear. She actually has good taste, singling out classics like "Rosemary's Baby" and contemporary masterpieces like "The Descent" for high praise. She dismisses substandard fare with a direct "That is not scary" - the ultimate insult for a horror film.
Maybe because I grew up on them, or because I'm Latino, or because movies like "The Others" are so damn cool, I still love these kinds of films. Our joint appreciation for terrifying spectacles is one of the things my mother and I have in common.
For this reason, I have never understood my friends who say they don't know what to do for entertainment when their parents visit. When my mom drops by to see my wife and me, we can always just pop in a DVD of "The Thing."
Daniel Cubias, Huffington Post, July 14, 2009
Some of my posts may have given the impression that I base everything upon logic, and disdain the supernatural or unexplainable. That's not true, of course, because I love a good ghost story.
I just don't love them as much as my mom does.
For proof, I refer to the time my mother and I got into an argument at the video store. It was the mid- 1980s, and the selection was sparse in those pioneering days of the VCR. Still, it was a little odd to see me, a sullen teenager, arguing to rent "Raging Bull" while my mother insisted on getting "The Omen 3."
You see, my mother - a tough Latina and the pride of San Vicente, El Salvador - has very definite ideas about what constitutes fine cinema. By her criteria, a great film must include at least one of the following elements:
A chase scene featuring a drooling monster in hot pursuit
An unstoppable killer robot/android/cyborg
A hidden door leading to a hellish parallel dimension
A good-looking vampire
A winged demon ripping people's souls out through their chests
These are pretty great standards, of course, and I have no issue with them. But at one point, I thought they were a little too restrictive. Could a great movie also feature subtle character development, dramatic perspectives on another era, or startling insight into the human condition?
Well, my mother would point out that such factors only slow down the movie and delay getting to the really good part where that slimy alien creature devours the lead astronaut's head.
In a way, she's correct.
Horror movies have been unfairly maligned as empty, moronic time-wasters - the creepy third cousin at the cinematic family reunion. Even mainstream comedies get more respect.
But films of this genre are often the cultural barometer of where we stand. In addition, they can serve as a cathartic release for our fears and pain. This may especially be true for those of us who have witnessed violence or suffered through the abrupt departure of loved ones, like my mother has.
The history of Latin America, in truth, has been one long horror movie for some time. I don't know if we Hispanics are more likely to embrace scary movies, but I wouldn't be surprised if this were true.
For example, one of my friends, a man who is originally from my family's home country of El Salvador, has a vast treasure trove of horror movies. His wife, born and raised in America, tolerates his fascination and puts up with the overflowing boxes of tapes and discs, all of which offer some kind of gruesome imagery.
With so much real-life horror in our backgrounds, we seem well-suited to fictional depictions of terror. Perhaps this is why my mother constantly overrode my fledgling attempts at film snobbery when I was younger.
More than once, she would arrive home from a hard day of work to announce that she had stopped at the video store on the commute. Then she would enthusiastically proclaim, "I picked up the 'Seven Doors of Death'!"
But let me be clear. She actually has good taste, singling out classics like "Rosemary's Baby" and contemporary masterpieces like "The Descent" for high praise. She dismisses substandard fare with a direct "That is not scary" - the ultimate insult for a horror film.
Maybe because I grew up on them, or because I'm Latino, or because movies like "The Others" are so damn cool, I still love these kinds of films. Our joint appreciation for terrifying spectacles is one of the things my mother and I have in common.
For this reason, I have never understood my friends who say they don't know what to do for entertainment when their parents visit. When my mom drops by to see my wife and me, we can always just pop in a DVD of "The Thing."
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Latinos targeted for evangelical conversion
Bishops adopt $3.5 million plan to evangelize Latinos/Hispanics
By Jerald Hyche, Episcopal Church, July 13, 2009
[Episcopal News Service -- Anaheim, California] Despite concern that the money might not materialize, the House of Bishops on July 13 called for a $3.5 million commitment to evangelizing the nation's burgeoning Latino/Hispanic population that includes the creation of 46 new congregations over the next three years.
Resolution D038 was also approved by the House of Deputies, but now needs to be funded in the 2010-2012 budget. If it is, the church's Strategic Vision for Reaching Latinos/Hispanics would:
* Seek to increase the number of active Latino/Hispanic congregations to 354, a 15 percent increase from the existing 308;
* Target 100 small, predominantly white churches surrounded by high Latino/Hispanic populations by helping them draw neighboring minorities with a goal of increasing membership by 30 percent;
* Provide the marketing tools and leadership training necessary to create and sustain such growth, which would be overseen by a new ministry team within the Office of Latino/Hispanic Ministries.
"It's evangelism at its best," said Bishop Michael Curry of North Carolina. "Here is a way that the average small church that may be predominantly Anglo can actually begin to open its doors and go forth and reach and embrace people who are right there in the neighborhoods. This is a way to go forth and make disciples of all nations, and you don't have to go more than a block to do it."
Retired Bishop Steven Charleston agreed: "This is not a program to others; this is a program coming from within our own church. We are a Latino church. We are a Hispanic church. They are us, and it's not a separation here. We're really empowering ourselves."
The Rev. Canon Anthony Guillén, program officer of Latino/Hispanic Ministries, said in an interview that "the exceedingly strong support of both houses demonstrates the excitement and the urgency of the ministry before us. My heart is full of joy because this vote affirms that this is the church's mission."
But Bishop George Councell of New Jersey and a member of the Program, Budget and Finance (PBF) Committee, offered a sobering perspective about hopes for such a program in light of substantial cuts proposed in the budget.
"We're about to be deeply disappointed," Councell said. "The budget is a document that is fully grounded in reality. And these things we're so enthusiastic about right now are going to be very hard if not impossible to fund. Applause and speeches and sermons and excitement are the best part of this convention. But when we present that budget, we're going to see another side of this convention and our lives. It's in our hands."
Bishop Keith Whitmore of Atlanta, also a PBF member, agreed with Councell about the reality of the yet-approved budget for 2010-2012, but said shortfalls still should not stifle a vision about the church's priorities.
"I hope we'll stop the nervousness around unfunded mandates," he said. "We need to make a statement to the church about what we think is important."
The Rev. Jerald Hyche is associate rector of St. Martin's Episcopal Church, Houston.
By Jerald Hyche, Episcopal Church, July 13, 2009
[Episcopal News Service -- Anaheim, California] Despite concern that the money might not materialize, the House of Bishops on July 13 called for a $3.5 million commitment to evangelizing the nation's burgeoning Latino/Hispanic population that includes the creation of 46 new congregations over the next three years.
Resolution D038 was also approved by the House of Deputies, but now needs to be funded in the 2010-2012 budget. If it is, the church's Strategic Vision for Reaching Latinos/Hispanics would:
* Seek to increase the number of active Latino/Hispanic congregations to 354, a 15 percent increase from the existing 308;
* Target 100 small, predominantly white churches surrounded by high Latino/Hispanic populations by helping them draw neighboring minorities with a goal of increasing membership by 30 percent;
* Provide the marketing tools and leadership training necessary to create and sustain such growth, which would be overseen by a new ministry team within the Office of Latino/Hispanic Ministries.
"It's evangelism at its best," said Bishop Michael Curry of North Carolina. "Here is a way that the average small church that may be predominantly Anglo can actually begin to open its doors and go forth and reach and embrace people who are right there in the neighborhoods. This is a way to go forth and make disciples of all nations, and you don't have to go more than a block to do it."
Retired Bishop Steven Charleston agreed: "This is not a program to others; this is a program coming from within our own church. We are a Latino church. We are a Hispanic church. They are us, and it's not a separation here. We're really empowering ourselves."
The Rev. Canon Anthony Guillén, program officer of Latino/Hispanic Ministries, said in an interview that "the exceedingly strong support of both houses demonstrates the excitement and the urgency of the ministry before us. My heart is full of joy because this vote affirms that this is the church's mission."
But Bishop George Councell of New Jersey and a member of the Program, Budget and Finance (PBF) Committee, offered a sobering perspective about hopes for such a program in light of substantial cuts proposed in the budget.
"We're about to be deeply disappointed," Councell said. "The budget is a document that is fully grounded in reality. And these things we're so enthusiastic about right now are going to be very hard if not impossible to fund. Applause and speeches and sermons and excitement are the best part of this convention. But when we present that budget, we're going to see another side of this convention and our lives. It's in our hands."
Bishop Keith Whitmore of Atlanta, also a PBF member, agreed with Councell about the reality of the yet-approved budget for 2010-2012, but said shortfalls still should not stifle a vision about the church's priorities.
"I hope we'll stop the nervousness around unfunded mandates," he said. "We need to make a statement to the church about what we think is important."
The Rev. Jerald Hyche is associate rector of St. Martin's Episcopal Church, Houston.
Hispanic students targeted through music
Concert organizers aim to strike chord with Hispanic students
By Juan Castillo | Statesman, July 13, 2009
The value of an education is sometimes best communicated in economic terms.
Graduate from high school and you can make up to $1 million in lifetime earnings. Go to college and you can make $1 million more. Be fluent in two languages and you can earn even more.
That’s the stay-in-school message espoused by local nonprofit groups like the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Education Foundation, Para Una Buena Vida and the E3 Alliance. And it’s the message organizers of tomorrow night’s concert at the Oswaldo A.B. Cantu Pan-American Recreation Center, 2100 East 3rd Street, hope to convey to the city’s large Hispanic student population.
The event, which is presented by the Hispanic chamber foundation and the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department, is from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., with Latin urban music by Austin-based Don Yojan y La Frescura beginning at 8. It’s all part of the 2009 Summer Hillside Concert Series.
“What’s different about this stay-in-school message is that we’re going to be having the performers deliver it … You can have a better life for you and your family,” said Linda Medina with the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber, who is coordinating Tuesday night’s event.
The musical group will talk about the importance of staying in school both before the show and in a meet-and-greet with students afterward.
Hispanic students make up a majority of Austin’s public schools enrollment and have high dropout rates, low graduation rates and low college enrollment rates. A recent city analysis of census data found that Austin’s Latinos have the second highest education gap in a comparison with 31 cities across the country. Anglos age 25 and older in Austin hold a bachelor’s degree or higher at a rate nearly four times that of Hispanics.
“We want to see those graduation numbers rise,” Medina said.
Organizers said last year’s debut event drew 500 people for music by Chingo Bling and appearances by NFL football stars Marcus and Michael Griffin, who shared their inspirational stories.
In addition to the musical performance, the Austin Community College Mobile Go Center will present college-related material and information to students and their families. Representatives from the University of Texas will also be there to answer questions about higher education.
The mobile centers are part of the College for Texans Campaign to support the state’s effort in closing the educational gap by enrolling an additional 630,000 Texans into college by 2015.
For information contact Medina at lmedina@gahcc.org or 462-4311.
By Juan Castillo | Statesman, July 13, 2009
The value of an education is sometimes best communicated in economic terms.
Graduate from high school and you can make up to $1 million in lifetime earnings. Go to college and you can make $1 million more. Be fluent in two languages and you can earn even more.
That’s the stay-in-school message espoused by local nonprofit groups like the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Education Foundation, Para Una Buena Vida and the E3 Alliance. And it’s the message organizers of tomorrow night’s concert at the Oswaldo A.B. Cantu Pan-American Recreation Center, 2100 East 3rd Street, hope to convey to the city’s large Hispanic student population.
The event, which is presented by the Hispanic chamber foundation and the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department, is from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., with Latin urban music by Austin-based Don Yojan y La Frescura beginning at 8. It’s all part of the 2009 Summer Hillside Concert Series.
“What’s different about this stay-in-school message is that we’re going to be having the performers deliver it … You can have a better life for you and your family,” said Linda Medina with the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber, who is coordinating Tuesday night’s event.
The musical group will talk about the importance of staying in school both before the show and in a meet-and-greet with students afterward.
Hispanic students make up a majority of Austin’s public schools enrollment and have high dropout rates, low graduation rates and low college enrollment rates. A recent city analysis of census data found that Austin’s Latinos have the second highest education gap in a comparison with 31 cities across the country. Anglos age 25 and older in Austin hold a bachelor’s degree or higher at a rate nearly four times that of Hispanics.
“We want to see those graduation numbers rise,” Medina said.
Organizers said last year’s debut event drew 500 people for music by Chingo Bling and appearances by NFL football stars Marcus and Michael Griffin, who shared their inspirational stories.
In addition to the musical performance, the Austin Community College Mobile Go Center will present college-related material and information to students and their families. Representatives from the University of Texas will also be there to answer questions about higher education.
The mobile centers are part of the College for Texans Campaign to support the state’s effort in closing the educational gap by enrolling an additional 630,000 Texans into college by 2015.
For information contact Medina at lmedina@gahcc.org or 462-4311.
Latina actor joins Save Planet Blue movement
La Actriz Lorena Rojas, Conocida Internacionalmente por Sus Telenovelas se une al Equipo Save Planet Blue
PRESS RELEASE
ORLANDO – 14 de Julio de 2009 – Los fanáticos de la televisión de habla hispana pueden recordar a Lorena Rojas por representar a la protagonista Isabel Arroyo en la popular telenovela "El Cuerpo Del Deseo", ahora se convertirá en una verdadera heroína en su último proyecto como la portavoz de habla hispana de Save Planet Blue.
Rojas se unió al equipo de Save Planet Blue para ayudar a promover el divertido e interactivo sitio web de educación para niños dedicado a promover la conciencia y la acción ambiental. La actriz se desempeñará como la portavoz de habla hispana, quien tambien prestara su voz al personaje de Sunny Sun? para ayudar a crear conciencia sobre el proyecto, tanto entre las comunidades hispanas de los Estados Unidos, como alrededor del mundo.
"Me siento honrada de formar parte del equipo de Save Planet Blue promoviendo la conciencia ambiental y la educación para los niños de habla hispana de todo el mundo", dijo Rojas. "No importa qué idioma hables, todos tenemos que trabajar juntos en los asuntos críticos, tales como, el calentamiento global, el reciclaje y la preservación de nuestro hábitat natural".
Más recientemente, Rojas protagonizó con el personaje de Natalia Ruíz en la telenovela de la cadena Telemundo de NBC "Pecados Ajenos". Su carrera en las telenovelas ha abarcado dos décadas con series populares como "El Cuerpo Del Deseo" "Ladrón de Corazones" “Como En El Cine” y “Alcanzar Una Estrella” entre otras. Asi mismo, recientemente fue invitada especial en la serie de VH-1 ¡Viva Hollywood! y expandió su carrera musical en el 2006 con el lanzamiento de su álbum "Deseo", que incluye el título de la pista de la telenovela "El Cuerpo Del Deseo".
"Estamos muy entusiasmados de poder contar con esta estrella de las telenovelas. Hoy por hoy heroína de su propia vida. Como sobreviviente de cáncer a Lorena le preocupa como el deterioro del medio hambiente afecta la salud. Lorena Rojas y yo tuvimos un acercamiento y nos preguntó cómo podía ayudar con nuestra misión de educación ambiental cuyo público son los niños de todo el mundo", dijo Victoria Lauren, creadora de Save Planet Blue. "Su popularidad entre los televidentes del mundo entero definitivamente será la punta de lanza en nuestro deseo de alcanzar objetivos educativos entre las personas de habla hispana".
Para obtener más información acerca de Save Planet Blue, o para vivir la aventura con sus hijos, por favor visiten su sitio web www.saveplanetblue.com. Un pre-estreno especial de la serie de televisión también se encuentra disponible en: www.saveplanetblue.com/trailer/.
PRESS RELEASE
ORLANDO – 14 de Julio de 2009 – Los fanáticos de la televisión de habla hispana pueden recordar a Lorena Rojas por representar a la protagonista Isabel Arroyo en la popular telenovela "El Cuerpo Del Deseo", ahora se convertirá en una verdadera heroína en su último proyecto como la portavoz de habla hispana de Save Planet Blue.
Rojas se unió al equipo de Save Planet Blue para ayudar a promover el divertido e interactivo sitio web de educación para niños dedicado a promover la conciencia y la acción ambiental. La actriz se desempeñará como la portavoz de habla hispana, quien tambien prestara su voz al personaje de Sunny Sun? para ayudar a crear conciencia sobre el proyecto, tanto entre las comunidades hispanas de los Estados Unidos, como alrededor del mundo.
"Me siento honrada de formar parte del equipo de Save Planet Blue promoviendo la conciencia ambiental y la educación para los niños de habla hispana de todo el mundo", dijo Rojas. "No importa qué idioma hables, todos tenemos que trabajar juntos en los asuntos críticos, tales como, el calentamiento global, el reciclaje y la preservación de nuestro hábitat natural".
Más recientemente, Rojas protagonizó con el personaje de Natalia Ruíz en la telenovela de la cadena Telemundo de NBC "Pecados Ajenos". Su carrera en las telenovelas ha abarcado dos décadas con series populares como "El Cuerpo Del Deseo" "Ladrón de Corazones" “Como En El Cine” y “Alcanzar Una Estrella” entre otras. Asi mismo, recientemente fue invitada especial en la serie de VH-1 ¡Viva Hollywood! y expandió su carrera musical en el 2006 con el lanzamiento de su álbum "Deseo", que incluye el título de la pista de la telenovela "El Cuerpo Del Deseo".
"Estamos muy entusiasmados de poder contar con esta estrella de las telenovelas. Hoy por hoy heroína de su propia vida. Como sobreviviente de cáncer a Lorena le preocupa como el deterioro del medio hambiente afecta la salud. Lorena Rojas y yo tuvimos un acercamiento y nos preguntó cómo podía ayudar con nuestra misión de educación ambiental cuyo público son los niños de todo el mundo", dijo Victoria Lauren, creadora de Save Planet Blue. "Su popularidad entre los televidentes del mundo entero definitivamente será la punta de lanza en nuestro deseo de alcanzar objetivos educativos entre las personas de habla hispana".
Para obtener más información acerca de Save Planet Blue, o para vivir la aventura con sus hijos, por favor visiten su sitio web www.saveplanetblue.com. Un pre-estreno especial de la serie de televisión también se encuentra disponible en: www.saveplanetblue.com/trailer/.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
First Hispanic NFL coach deserves Hall of Fame
TOM FEARS OR TOM FLORES?
Who Was The First Hispanic to Coach a Professional Football Team?
By Joe Ortiz, Special to the Latino Journal E-News
Many folks have questioned and still debate whether the first Hispanic to coach a professional football team was Tom Fears or Tom Flores. It has been stated by various entities that Tom Fears was the first Hispanic named to coach an NFL team when he was hired by the expansion New Orleans Saints on January 27, 1967.
However, although Tom Fears had a stellar career in professional football, and has been inducted to the National Football Hall of Fame, Fears was actually born in Guadalajara, Mexico, to an Anglo father and a Mexican mother. Fears was the son of an American mining engineer who had married a Mexican woman in Guadalajara, and then moved with his family to Los Angeles at the age of six. Therefore, to be more accurate as to who can claim that title (and not appear to be splitting ethnic hairs), Tom Flores, who was born to both Mexican American parents in Sanger, California, deserves that honor.
To most football fans, who is or who is not the first Hispanic to coach a professional football team is an insignificant statistic. But to the emerging Hispanic community, whose football fan base is growing much larger every year, whatever honors of achievements the few Latinos in football can claim, means a lot to this burgeoning group of American citizens. Tom Flores is - to many Mexican Americans – a living football legend that has inspired many Latinos to excel in that sport, among other professional endeavors! While many who vote for players to be inducted into the National Foot Ball Leagues Hall of Fame may not recognize Flores’ accomplishments as being sufficient to qualify for that honor, he has played with, coached, and inspired many players and coaches who are now in the Hall of Fame, including Fred Biletnikoff, Willie Brown, Dave Casper, Mike Haynes, Ted Henricks, Howie Long, Jim Otto, Art Shell and Gene Upshaw. Although Jim Plunkett has not been inducted, all of pro football acknowledges that Tom Flores was responsible for resuscitating Plunkett's career, who was the Super Bowl MVP in 1984.
Flores graduated from the University of the Pacific in 1958, but was unable to find a job in professional football. He was cut by the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL in 1958, and then by the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL) in 1959. In 1960 Flores finally landed a position as a quarterback with the American Football League's Oakland Raiders, who began play in 1960 as a charter member of the league. Flores became the first Hispanic quarterback in American professional football. He became the Raiders' starting quarterback early in the 1960 season.
Flores (who can claim four Super Bowl rings) had his most productive season in 1966. Although he completed only 49.3 percent of his attempts, he passed for 2,638 yards and 24 touchdowns in 14 games. Oakland traded him to the Buffalo Bills in 1967. After serving primarily as a backup, he was released by the Bills and in 1969 signed with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he was back up to Len Dawson on the Chiefs' World Championship team, where he earned his first Super Bowl ring. He retired as a player after the 1970 season. He was one of only twenty players who were with the AFL for its entire ten-year existence. He is the fifth-leading passer, all-time, in the AFL.
After stints as an assistant coach in Buffalo and Oakland (he won his 2nd Super Bowl XI ring as an Assistant Coach under John Madden), Flores became the Raiders' head coach in 1979, following John Madden's retirement. Flores then became the NFL's first minority (and Mexican American) head coach to win a Super Bowl, winning his third and fourth Super Bowl rings for Super Bowl XV and Super Bowl XVIII.
After a 5-10 finish to the 1987 season, Flores moved to the Raiders' front office, but left after just one year to become the president and general manager of the Seattle Seahawks. He returned to coaching as the Seahawks head coach in 1992, but returned to the front office following three disappointing seasons. Flores resigned from the Seahawks in 1994 following Paul Allen's purchase of the Seahawks.
Flores left Pro Football with a lifetime coaching record of 97-87 (52.7%), as well as an 8-3 playoff record, and with two Super Bowl victories. Flores, Jimmy Johnson, and George Seifert are the only eligible coaches with two such victories, who have not been selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Tom Flores has distinguished himself in so many ways in the pro football arena as a player, assistant coach, head coach, President and General Manager of an NFL Football team, and now as a commentator for the Oakland Raiders football team along with Greg Papa on KSFO (560 AM) during the radio broadcasts of Raiders games.
Tom Flores is also active with many charities throughout the country including the Boy Scouts of America’s (Los Angeles District) Tom Flores Celebrity Golf Tournament, and the Tom Flores Youth Foundation, which provides scholarships to students attending his high school. In honor of his many accomplishments in football and to the community, his home town high school in Sanger, California, has named its football stadium the "Tom Flores Stadium" in his honor.
Maybe there are many other football players and coaches who have garnered more wins as a quarterback, or as an assistant coach or as a head coach, but very few professional football players and coaches (as well as fans) who have worked with Tom Flores among his many capacities in football or with numerous civic communities, can never say he isn’t deserving to be inducted into the NFL’s Hall of Fame!
[Joe Ortiz is a former newsman and talk show host who currently writes for various local and national media. The Coachella Valley, California native is the author of two recently published books, The End Times Passover and Why Christians Will Suffer Great Tribulation (Author House).] Ortiz, who worked in media as a talk show host, newspaper columnist and news reporter for 23 years, has the distinction of being the first Mexican American to ever host a talk show on an English-language, commercial radio station, in 1971 for KABC-AM Radio in Los Angeles.
Who Was The First Hispanic to Coach a Professional Football Team?
By Joe Ortiz, Special to the Latino Journal E-News
Many folks have questioned and still debate whether the first Hispanic to coach a professional football team was Tom Fears or Tom Flores. It has been stated by various entities that Tom Fears was the first Hispanic named to coach an NFL team when he was hired by the expansion New Orleans Saints on January 27, 1967.
However, although Tom Fears had a stellar career in professional football, and has been inducted to the National Football Hall of Fame, Fears was actually born in Guadalajara, Mexico, to an Anglo father and a Mexican mother. Fears was the son of an American mining engineer who had married a Mexican woman in Guadalajara, and then moved with his family to Los Angeles at the age of six. Therefore, to be more accurate as to who can claim that title (and not appear to be splitting ethnic hairs), Tom Flores, who was born to both Mexican American parents in Sanger, California, deserves that honor.
To most football fans, who is or who is not the first Hispanic to coach a professional football team is an insignificant statistic. But to the emerging Hispanic community, whose football fan base is growing much larger every year, whatever honors of achievements the few Latinos in football can claim, means a lot to this burgeoning group of American citizens. Tom Flores is - to many Mexican Americans – a living football legend that has inspired many Latinos to excel in that sport, among other professional endeavors! While many who vote for players to be inducted into the National Foot Ball Leagues Hall of Fame may not recognize Flores’ accomplishments as being sufficient to qualify for that honor, he has played with, coached, and inspired many players and coaches who are now in the Hall of Fame, including Fred Biletnikoff, Willie Brown, Dave Casper, Mike Haynes, Ted Henricks, Howie Long, Jim Otto, Art Shell and Gene Upshaw. Although Jim Plunkett has not been inducted, all of pro football acknowledges that Tom Flores was responsible for resuscitating Plunkett's career, who was the Super Bowl MVP in 1984.
Flores graduated from the University of the Pacific in 1958, but was unable to find a job in professional football. He was cut by the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL in 1958, and then by the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL) in 1959. In 1960 Flores finally landed a position as a quarterback with the American Football League's Oakland Raiders, who began play in 1960 as a charter member of the league. Flores became the first Hispanic quarterback in American professional football. He became the Raiders' starting quarterback early in the 1960 season.
Flores (who can claim four Super Bowl rings) had his most productive season in 1966. Although he completed only 49.3 percent of his attempts, he passed for 2,638 yards and 24 touchdowns in 14 games. Oakland traded him to the Buffalo Bills in 1967. After serving primarily as a backup, he was released by the Bills and in 1969 signed with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he was back up to Len Dawson on the Chiefs' World Championship team, where he earned his first Super Bowl ring. He retired as a player after the 1970 season. He was one of only twenty players who were with the AFL for its entire ten-year existence. He is the fifth-leading passer, all-time, in the AFL.
After stints as an assistant coach in Buffalo and Oakland (he won his 2nd Super Bowl XI ring as an Assistant Coach under John Madden), Flores became the Raiders' head coach in 1979, following John Madden's retirement. Flores then became the NFL's first minority (and Mexican American) head coach to win a Super Bowl, winning his third and fourth Super Bowl rings for Super Bowl XV and Super Bowl XVIII.
After a 5-10 finish to the 1987 season, Flores moved to the Raiders' front office, but left after just one year to become the president and general manager of the Seattle Seahawks. He returned to coaching as the Seahawks head coach in 1992, but returned to the front office following three disappointing seasons. Flores resigned from the Seahawks in 1994 following Paul Allen's purchase of the Seahawks.
Flores left Pro Football with a lifetime coaching record of 97-87 (52.7%), as well as an 8-3 playoff record, and with two Super Bowl victories. Flores, Jimmy Johnson, and George Seifert are the only eligible coaches with two such victories, who have not been selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Tom Flores has distinguished himself in so many ways in the pro football arena as a player, assistant coach, head coach, President and General Manager of an NFL Football team, and now as a commentator for the Oakland Raiders football team along with Greg Papa on KSFO (560 AM) during the radio broadcasts of Raiders games.
Tom Flores is also active with many charities throughout the country including the Boy Scouts of America’s (Los Angeles District) Tom Flores Celebrity Golf Tournament, and the Tom Flores Youth Foundation, which provides scholarships to students attending his high school. In honor of his many accomplishments in football and to the community, his home town high school in Sanger, California, has named its football stadium the "Tom Flores Stadium" in his honor.
Maybe there are many other football players and coaches who have garnered more wins as a quarterback, or as an assistant coach or as a head coach, but very few professional football players and coaches (as well as fans) who have worked with Tom Flores among his many capacities in football or with numerous civic communities, can never say he isn’t deserving to be inducted into the NFL’s Hall of Fame!
[Joe Ortiz is a former newsman and talk show host who currently writes for various local and national media. The Coachella Valley, California native is the author of two recently published books, The End Times Passover and Why Christians Will Suffer Great Tribulation (Author House).] Ortiz, who worked in media as a talk show host, newspaper columnist and news reporter for 23 years, has the distinction of being the first Mexican American to ever host a talk show on an English-language, commercial radio station, in 1971 for KABC-AM Radio in Los Angeles.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Latina Book Club enjoying reading
Enjoy a summer read with Las Comadres & Friends National Latino Book Club
Teresa Carbajal Ravet, Examiner, July 12, 2009
Las Comadres Para las Americas is a national Latina network of women that was born in Austin of a desire to build knowledge and community among all Latinas. Nora de Hoyos Comstock, founder and president of Las Comadres, took an informal Latino gathering of women and made it a national organization that advocates community education and involvement. Historically comadres have been Hispanas helping Hispanas, sharing news, sharing secrets, and simply sharing, as well as midwives and godmothers supporting women and their children in their everyday life.
The vision for Las Comadres is to empower women to be actively engaged in the growing Latino/Hispanic communities through online and face to face networks. By connecting women everywhere through community building and networking, culture, learning, and technology Las Comadres’ mission to empower Latinas is reaching international success.
One of its supportive initiatives is the Las Comadres & Friends National Latino Book Club. Reading with Las Comadres is a book club with membership open to anyone interested in reading works written by Latina and Latino authors in the English language. Comadres and friends are encourage to be a part of a local reading group to gather and discuss “high quality literature by and for the Latino community” and all of its friends. Latinas, Latinos, and friends meet once a month to offer diverse perspectives on the month’s book selection. In Austin there are two such clubs, one in North Austin and another in South Austin, that meet during the third week of the month.
The Las Comadres & Friends book club of North Austin meets on the third Tuesday of the month at 7 PM at Borders bookstore in The Domain. Contact Nora de Hoyos Comstock or the North Austin book club coordinator, Cynthia Ramos, to join in the discussion. The South Austin book club meets on the third Thursday of the month at 7 PM at the Borders in the Westgate Marketplace. Contact Nora de Hoys Comstock or the South Austin book club coordinator, Teresa Carbajal Ravet, to join in the discussion. Explore the 2009 book selections and their consequent author teleconference to enjoy a cultural and bilingual literary experience.
June’s book selection was Rogelia’s House of Magic by Jamie Martinez Wood published by Delacorte Press. Tune in to Austin Latino Neighborhood Examiner’s book review coming up soon and get a foretaste of the enchanting perceptions emerging at the book club gatherings! For the month of July the book selection of Dark Dude by Oscar Hijuelos, published by Atheneum, will prove to be an award winning read!
Enjoy!
Teresa Carbajal Ravet, Examiner, July 12, 2009
Las Comadres Para las Americas is a national Latina network of women that was born in Austin of a desire to build knowledge and community among all Latinas. Nora de Hoyos Comstock, founder and president of Las Comadres, took an informal Latino gathering of women and made it a national organization that advocates community education and involvement. Historically comadres have been Hispanas helping Hispanas, sharing news, sharing secrets, and simply sharing, as well as midwives and godmothers supporting women and their children in their everyday life.
The vision for Las Comadres is to empower women to be actively engaged in the growing Latino/Hispanic communities through online and face to face networks. By connecting women everywhere through community building and networking, culture, learning, and technology Las Comadres’ mission to empower Latinas is reaching international success.
One of its supportive initiatives is the Las Comadres & Friends National Latino Book Club. Reading with Las Comadres is a book club with membership open to anyone interested in reading works written by Latina and Latino authors in the English language. Comadres and friends are encourage to be a part of a local reading group to gather and discuss “high quality literature by and for the Latino community” and all of its friends. Latinas, Latinos, and friends meet once a month to offer diverse perspectives on the month’s book selection. In Austin there are two such clubs, one in North Austin and another in South Austin, that meet during the third week of the month.
The Las Comadres & Friends book club of North Austin meets on the third Tuesday of the month at 7 PM at Borders bookstore in The Domain. Contact Nora de Hoyos Comstock or the North Austin book club coordinator, Cynthia Ramos, to join in the discussion. The South Austin book club meets on the third Thursday of the month at 7 PM at the Borders in the Westgate Marketplace. Contact Nora de Hoys Comstock or the South Austin book club coordinator, Teresa Carbajal Ravet, to join in the discussion. Explore the 2009 book selections and their consequent author teleconference to enjoy a cultural and bilingual literary experience.
June’s book selection was Rogelia’s House of Magic by Jamie Martinez Wood published by Delacorte Press. Tune in to Austin Latino Neighborhood Examiner’s book review coming up soon and get a foretaste of the enchanting perceptions emerging at the book club gatherings! For the month of July the book selection of Dark Dude by Oscar Hijuelos, published by Atheneum, will prove to be an award winning read!
Enjoy!
Latino culture featured at Chase festival
Chase Latino Cultural Festival offers whirlwind tour of Latin culture in 13th year
Albor Ruiz, NY Daily News, July 12th 2009
It is that time of the year again. The Chase Latino Cultural Festival is once again about to kick off.
This extraordinary artistic event has been taking place in Queens every summer since 1997 and this year's edition promises to be better than ever.
Even in a city like New York, where so many great music, theater and film festivals occur, the Chase Latino Cultural Festival ranks as truly unique.
"This is the largest and most diverse Latino festival in the city," said festival director Claudia Norman. "It offers a wide range of culture, from traditional and folkloric to new and popular voices."
Actually, the festival is much more. It is a whirlwind tour through the richness and diversity of the cultures of Latin America and Spain. As such, it offers New Yorkers the opportunity to enjoy the talent of individual artists and ensembles who - while popular and, in some cases, even legendary beyond U.S. borders - are unknown in this country.
The Chase Latino Cultural Festival is billed as "the nation's largest and most important Latino multidisciplinary cultural festival, featuring music, theater, dance, film and family productions, as well as visual art exhibitions."
This year, 12 events are featured at the Queens Theatre in the Park, in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park.
The celebration begins on July 30 with Afro-Cuban dance group Oyu Oro, and concludes on Aug. 9 with Mexican jarocho legend Don Fallo and the youthful Son Candela.
The festival runs for 11 days and is full of first-class acts. Here are some of them:
- Toto La Momposina, the grandmother of Afro-Colombia song and dance.
- Japanese singer Anna Saeki, recognized as the tango diva.
- The legendary Chilean group Inti-Illimani with Francesca Gagnon. Their cultural and musical exchange has crossed borders onto the stage from Chile to Canada.
- Popular Cuban singer and songwriter Albita, who will perform original works from her new CD, "Mis Tacones."
- Sabrina Lastman Quartet. Lastman was trained in Israel and Uruguay. Her music is a novel fusion of jazz, Afro-Uruguayan traditions like candombe, and the classics of Latin-American songwriters.
- The Golden Age, a theater group that explores the daily reality of Central and South Americans in Corona, Queens: laborers during the week, and enthused, passionate soccer players on the weekend."
"We think it is important to bring artists to the U.S. from abroad and expose people to the classics and innovators through live performance," Norman said. "We want to communicate that the mainstream Latino culture you get from the media is only part of the story."
For those of you who don't know it, the Queens Theatre in the Park occupies a great building originally designed as the New York State Pavilion in the 1964 World's Fair. It is an air-conditioned, extremely comfortable state-of-the-art performing space.
As always, tickets are reasonably priced "to encourage audiences to experience the wide variety of performance traditions found in Latino culture," said festival organizers. Admission is free to selected events for children and families.
For a complete schedule, tickets or other information, call the Queens Theatre in the Park at (718) 760-0064, or visit its bilingual Web site at www.queenstheatre.org.
aruiz@nydailynews.com
Albor Ruiz, NY Daily News, July 12th 2009
It is that time of the year again. The Chase Latino Cultural Festival is once again about to kick off.
This extraordinary artistic event has been taking place in Queens every summer since 1997 and this year's edition promises to be better than ever.
Even in a city like New York, where so many great music, theater and film festivals occur, the Chase Latino Cultural Festival ranks as truly unique.
"This is the largest and most diverse Latino festival in the city," said festival director Claudia Norman. "It offers a wide range of culture, from traditional and folkloric to new and popular voices."
Actually, the festival is much more. It is a whirlwind tour through the richness and diversity of the cultures of Latin America and Spain. As such, it offers New Yorkers the opportunity to enjoy the talent of individual artists and ensembles who - while popular and, in some cases, even legendary beyond U.S. borders - are unknown in this country.
The Chase Latino Cultural Festival is billed as "the nation's largest and most important Latino multidisciplinary cultural festival, featuring music, theater, dance, film and family productions, as well as visual art exhibitions."
This year, 12 events are featured at the Queens Theatre in the Park, in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park.
The celebration begins on July 30 with Afro-Cuban dance group Oyu Oro, and concludes on Aug. 9 with Mexican jarocho legend Don Fallo and the youthful Son Candela.
The festival runs for 11 days and is full of first-class acts. Here are some of them:
- Toto La Momposina, the grandmother of Afro-Colombia song and dance.
- Japanese singer Anna Saeki, recognized as the tango diva.
- The legendary Chilean group Inti-Illimani with Francesca Gagnon. Their cultural and musical exchange has crossed borders onto the stage from Chile to Canada.
- Popular Cuban singer and songwriter Albita, who will perform original works from her new CD, "Mis Tacones."
- Sabrina Lastman Quartet. Lastman was trained in Israel and Uruguay. Her music is a novel fusion of jazz, Afro-Uruguayan traditions like candombe, and the classics of Latin-American songwriters.
- The Golden Age, a theater group that explores the daily reality of Central and South Americans in Corona, Queens: laborers during the week, and enthused, passionate soccer players on the weekend."
"We think it is important to bring artists to the U.S. from abroad and expose people to the classics and innovators through live performance," Norman said. "We want to communicate that the mainstream Latino culture you get from the media is only part of the story."
For those of you who don't know it, the Queens Theatre in the Park occupies a great building originally designed as the New York State Pavilion in the 1964 World's Fair. It is an air-conditioned, extremely comfortable state-of-the-art performing space.
As always, tickets are reasonably priced "to encourage audiences to experience the wide variety of performance traditions found in Latino culture," said festival organizers. Admission is free to selected events for children and families.
For a complete schedule, tickets or other information, call the Queens Theatre in the Park at (718) 760-0064, or visit its bilingual Web site at www.queenstheatre.org.
aruiz@nydailynews.com
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Hispanic novels evolving
Writers sense a trend as modern Hispanic novel evolves
Peter Kelton, EXAMINER, July 9
While literary meetings in Albuquerque haven't quite gained the stature of Big Sur conferences, they do rise to the level of a healthy literary tributary, according to many of the writers who attended this year's annual National Latino Writers Conference and other seminars at the National Hispanic Cultural Center.
The novelists that these Hispanic writers recommend gives a clue to what's going on in their thinking. They indicate they have begun to see their words morph into a new kind of Hispanic modernism, an evolutionary maturing that shows a broader perception of what the novel can be. And it's not sensed only in Albuquerque, but wherever Hispanic writers let their thoughts be known.
For example, Sandra Cisneros, founder of The Macondo Foundation in San Antonio, held a book signing at the Hispanic center in October of 2006 for her 2002 novel "Caramelo" (Random House). Last month she completed a book tour for the 25th Anniversary edition of her novel "The House on Mango Street" (Arte Público Press, reprinted by Vintage Random House). Both novels were clearly autobiographical. Yet today, among the books she recommends on her web site is "The Uncommon Reader," a novella by Alan Bennett (Farrar, Straus and Giroux). The British author imagines a world in which literature becomes a subversive bridge between powerbrokers and commoners. The genre is a long way from Cisneros' coming-of-age Mango story of 1984.
Writers at a recent seminar suggested a variety of Hispanic novelists as "must" reading. They were: Roberto Bolaño (Chile), Benjamín Prado (Spain), Blanca Riestra (Spain), Israel Centeno (Venezuela), Edmundo Paz Soldán (Bolivia), Ricardo Menéndez Salmón (Spain), and the venerable Carlos Fuentes (Mexico).
What's happening apparently involves a combination of traditional magic realism and the newer gritty reality of the McOndo movement. The latter pokes fun at Macondo, the fictional town created by Nobel Prize writer Gabriel García Márquez in his classic "One Hundred Years of Solitude" (HarperCollins). Cisneros named her foundation after Macondo, a graphic example of magic realism, but the foundation's writing workshops work toward helping all kinds of young writers in a variety of venues, and has led to numerous book publishings by Macondistas. The next such workshop is scheduled July 29-Aug. 1 in San Antonio.
The term magic realism, according to Dr. Robert P. Fletcher of West Chester University in Pennsylvania, describes the prose fiction of Jorge Luis Borges (Argentina), as well as the work of such writers as Gabriel García Márquez (Colombia), Gunter Grass (Germany), and John Fowles (England). These writers interweave, in an ever-shifting pattern, a sharply etched realism in representing ordinary events and descriptive details together with fantastic and dreamlike elements, as well as with materials derived from myth and fairy tales.
Fuentes, of course, has written in both styles for some time. "La muerte de Artemio Cruz [The Death of Artemio Cruz]" (Spanish bySuma, English by Penguin Group USA) for example, has a McOndo touch. The revised edition, "The Death of Artemio Cruz: A Novel" (Farrar, Straus and Giroux – 1991) is a better translation. His "Terra Nostra" (Dalkey Archive Press) uses magic realism to move through history brilliantly, according to its reviews.
About the McOndo trend, the maturing Fuentes told The New York Times six years ago, "I really support what they're doing," and joked that Fuentes himself belonged to "the prehistoric age." He's published 24 novels.
The Hispanic center bestows a literary award every couple of years. Early recipients included Rudolfo Anaya, considered by many to be the founder of modern Chicano literature. Anaya is far from "prehistoric" in the Fuentes sense. He's professor emeritus of English at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. His early novel, "Bless Me, Ultima" (Grand Central) is set in the 1940s, is highly moralistic, and quite distant from the newer Hispanic novels. He still deals in a world of magic, mystery and redemption in his recent book, "The Man Who Could Fly and Other Stories" (University of Oklahoma Press). That distance from Anaya to current Hispanic novels appears about as great as the upcoming 2010 Census will be from the first Census in 1790, done on horseback. The 2010 Census will be done with hand-held computers.
Peter Kelton, EXAMINER, July 9
While literary meetings in Albuquerque haven't quite gained the stature of Big Sur conferences, they do rise to the level of a healthy literary tributary, according to many of the writers who attended this year's annual National Latino Writers Conference and other seminars at the National Hispanic Cultural Center.
The novelists that these Hispanic writers recommend gives a clue to what's going on in their thinking. They indicate they have begun to see their words morph into a new kind of Hispanic modernism, an evolutionary maturing that shows a broader perception of what the novel can be. And it's not sensed only in Albuquerque, but wherever Hispanic writers let their thoughts be known.
For example, Sandra Cisneros, founder of The Macondo Foundation in San Antonio, held a book signing at the Hispanic center in October of 2006 for her 2002 novel "Caramelo" (Random House). Last month she completed a book tour for the 25th Anniversary edition of her novel "The House on Mango Street" (Arte Público Press, reprinted by Vintage Random House). Both novels were clearly autobiographical. Yet today, among the books she recommends on her web site is "The Uncommon Reader," a novella by Alan Bennett (Farrar, Straus and Giroux). The British author imagines a world in which literature becomes a subversive bridge between powerbrokers and commoners. The genre is a long way from Cisneros' coming-of-age Mango story of 1984.
Writers at a recent seminar suggested a variety of Hispanic novelists as "must" reading. They were: Roberto Bolaño (Chile), Benjamín Prado (Spain), Blanca Riestra (Spain), Israel Centeno (Venezuela), Edmundo Paz Soldán (Bolivia), Ricardo Menéndez Salmón (Spain), and the venerable Carlos Fuentes (Mexico).
What's happening apparently involves a combination of traditional magic realism and the newer gritty reality of the McOndo movement. The latter pokes fun at Macondo, the fictional town created by Nobel Prize writer Gabriel García Márquez in his classic "One Hundred Years of Solitude" (HarperCollins). Cisneros named her foundation after Macondo, a graphic example of magic realism, but the foundation's writing workshops work toward helping all kinds of young writers in a variety of venues, and has led to numerous book publishings by Macondistas. The next such workshop is scheduled July 29-Aug. 1 in San Antonio.
The term magic realism, according to Dr. Robert P. Fletcher of West Chester University in Pennsylvania, describes the prose fiction of Jorge Luis Borges (Argentina), as well as the work of such writers as Gabriel García Márquez (Colombia), Gunter Grass (Germany), and John Fowles (England). These writers interweave, in an ever-shifting pattern, a sharply etched realism in representing ordinary events and descriptive details together with fantastic and dreamlike elements, as well as with materials derived from myth and fairy tales.
Fuentes, of course, has written in both styles for some time. "La muerte de Artemio Cruz [The Death of Artemio Cruz]" (Spanish bySuma, English by Penguin Group USA) for example, has a McOndo touch. The revised edition, "The Death of Artemio Cruz: A Novel" (Farrar, Straus and Giroux – 1991) is a better translation. His "Terra Nostra" (Dalkey Archive Press) uses magic realism to move through history brilliantly, according to its reviews.
About the McOndo trend, the maturing Fuentes told The New York Times six years ago, "I really support what they're doing," and joked that Fuentes himself belonged to "the prehistoric age." He's published 24 novels.
The Hispanic center bestows a literary award every couple of years. Early recipients included Rudolfo Anaya, considered by many to be the founder of modern Chicano literature. Anaya is far from "prehistoric" in the Fuentes sense. He's professor emeritus of English at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. His early novel, "Bless Me, Ultima" (Grand Central) is set in the 1940s, is highly moralistic, and quite distant from the newer Hispanic novels. He still deals in a world of magic, mystery and redemption in his recent book, "The Man Who Could Fly and Other Stories" (University of Oklahoma Press). That distance from Anaya to current Hispanic novels appears about as great as the upcoming 2010 Census will be from the first Census in 1790, done on horseback. The 2010 Census will be done with hand-held computers.
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