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Latino Images on Film, Chicana Art & More

HOLLYWOOD: During the month of May, Turner Classic Movies is featuring Race & Hollywood: Latino Images in Film – a look at Hollywood’s portrayal of Latinos on the screen in a festival that spans from the 1910 film Ramona to 1992’s The Mambo Kings.

Among the offerings:

Stand and Deliver (1988) starring Edward James Olmos as a hopeful teacher who uses math to give his gang-member students self-esteem. Airs 5-26-09.

Boulevard Nights (1979) about a young Latino who tries to escape gang life with little luck.  Stars Richard Yniguez, Danny De La Paz, Marta DuBois.  Airs 5-26-09

Badge 373 (1973) – a suspended cop sets out to avenge his partner’s murder. Cast includes Robert Duvall and Henry Darrow. Airs 5-26-09.

John Leguizamo (2008) – Celebrities reveal the classic movies that influenced their lives in interviews with acclaimed film critic/interviewer Elvis Mitchell.  Airs 5-26-09.

The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez (1983) – a translation error causes tragedy for a Mexican-American family.  Stars Edward James Olmos.  Airs 5-28-09.

Popi (1969) Rita Moreno and Alan Arkin star in this film about a Puerto Rican immigrant who hatches a series of zany schemes to insure his children’s future. Airs 5-28-09.

My Family: Mi Familia (1995) directed by Gregory Nava and starring Jimmy Smits and Esai Morales, is a film about three generations of immigrants fighting their way to make their way in the U.S.   Airs 5-28-09.

More information regarding films and air times is available on the Turner Classic Movies Website: www.tcm.com.

LOS ANGELES:  World-renowned muralist and artist Barbara Carrasco, whose works have been exhibited throughout the U.S. Europe and Latin America, has an exciting website (www.cafepress.com/barbaracarrasco) that features her art on such items as shirts, kids clothing, prints, etc.

A cancer survivor, Carrasco earned her MFA in art from the California Institute of the Arts and her BFA in Art from UCLA.  She created numerous mural banners for the United Farm Workers Union, and was invited to the former USSR to paint murals in Leningrad and Armenia.  She also created computer animation, Pesticides!, that was presented on the Spectacolor Light-board at Times Square in New York.

Carrasco’s original mural sketches and drawings are included in the Permanent Collection of Works on paper at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.  Documentation of her mural work is archived in the California Murals Collection at the Smithsonian Institution, where her oral history is also archived at the institution’s Archives of American Art.

HOLLYWOOD: Following in the footsteps of his famous grandfather, Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez, Los Angeles native Clifton Collins Jr. is making his own mark as a versatile character actor. Born into a family of entertainers – his great grandfather was a Mexican trumpet player and his great grandmother, a Spanish dancer – he has played a variety of roles from a one-armed shopkeeper in Sunshine Cleaning to his more current role as a Romulan in the new Star Trek film.

Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez, born Ramiro Gonzalez Gonzalez was an American character actor best known for his comedic appearances in a number of John Wayne movies, who also earned fame as a stand-up comic for Spanish-speaking audiences.

In 2005, Collins (who also has been billed as Clifton Gonzales Gonzales as a tribute to his grandfather) won rave reviews from critics as well as his grandfather for his portrayal of killer Perry Smith in the fact-based film Capote.  His other credits include The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit, Traffic, Dirty, and FX Network’s The Shield, among others.

NEXT POST:  Coming soon.  Stay tuned.

A Painful Disorder, Charo Up for an Award & More

LOS ANGELES:  Imagine a three year old refusing to brush her teeth because it is too painful or crying out in pain whenever her hair is brushed. Imagine a child who has such a high sensitivity toward loud noises or sounds that she pleads for silence and tries to drown them out by covering her ears, or a child who does not adapt well to new situations, or complains about the feel of her clothing and has to have the tags removed. Imagine a child who is such a picky eater that she insists on consuming only a certain food and refuses to eat anything else.

These types of behavior are probably as baffling and frustrating for the child as they are for the parents who probably think they are just dealing with a difficult child who refuses to do any of the ordinary things that is expected of them in an ordinary day. These behaviors, however, may be symptoms of a deeper problem that is often mistaken for something other than a health condition that makes a child’s life a living misery.

Unbeknown to the parents, their child may be experiencing Sensory Processing Disorder, --SPD, formerly known as sensory integration dysfunction -- a neurological disorder that causes difficulties with processing information through sights, sounds, touch, tastes, smells and movement. 

Sensory processing – sometimes called sensory integration or SI – is a term that refers to the way the nervous system receives messages from the senses and turns them into appropriate motor and behavior responses.  For those affected, sensory information is sensed but perceived abnormally and processed by the brain in an unusual way that may cause distress or confusion.

Research by the Sensory Processing Disorder Foundation – originally called the KID Foundation -- that has been providing hope and help to individuals and families living with SPD since 1979, indicates that one in every 20 children experiences symptoms of Sensory Processing Disorder that are significant enough to affect their ability to participate fully in everyday life.

Sensory processing deficits can appear in many different forms and no two children will be affected in the same ways.  Children can experience mild, moderate or severe SI deficits, all of which are treatable with therapy and a sensory diet set up by an occupational therapist trained in SI.

According to the SPD Foundation, people who reach adulthood without treatment also experience symptoms and continue to be affected by their inability to accurately and appropriately interpret sensory messages. Because adults with SPD have struggled for most of their lives, they may also experience depression, underachievement, social isolation, and/or other secondary effects.

There are a number of websites that provide information regarding SPD. Several offer information on sensory equipment and products that can be purchased to aid in the child’s treatment or where to apply for financial assistance for testing costs which are usually not covered by insurance. Other sites offer support lists and articles written by members wanting to share their experiences.

Various websites provide checklists to help parents and professionals who interact with children become educated about particular signs of sensory processing dysfunction. This information, however, is not intended as diagnostic criteria for labeling children with this disorder, but should be viewed as an educational tool in gaining knowledge about the condition. A child needs to be tested and diagnosed by a doctor to determine if some behavior of SPD exists. And, of course, the earlier a diagnosis is made and the appropriate treatment is begun, the better it is for the child and family.

In keeping with its mission to heighten awareness about Sensory Processing Disorder, the SPD Foundation is holding its 9^th International Symposium – SPD: Advanced Research and Innovative Practice -- October 9-10, 2009 in Chicago. The Symposium offers two days of workshops featuring top researchers and leading clinicians presenting the latest research and most innovative strategies in SPD.  A daylong Pre-Conference Institute preceding the Symposium provides professionals an opportunity to learn about cutting-edge assessment tools and techniques from experts in the field.

Symposium information and data about SPD research, treatment, emotional and other impacts is available on the SPD Foundation Website: www.spdfoundation.net.

CENTURY CITY, CA – John Cena fans will be able to obtain his action thriller, 12 Rounds, when it hits the DVD stores June 30.  From Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, 12 Rounds stars the WWE superstar in the role of a New Orleans police detective who stops a brilliant thief from getting away with a multi-million dollar heist.  In the process, however, the thief’s girlfriend is accidentally killed.  After escaping from prison, the criminal mastermind enacts his revenge, taunting the cop with a series of near-impossible puzzles and tasks…12 Rounds…that Cena's character must somehow complete to save the life of his fiancée. The film features intense supporting performances from Ashley Scott and Aidan Gillen.

The DVD and Unrated Blu-ray disc are loaded with special features including both the theatrical and extended “Extreme Cut” of the film, commentary by Director Ronny Harlan (Die Hard 2, Deep Blue Sea), Cena and first-time writer Daniel Kuna. Two behind-the-scenes featurettes offer two alternative endings, a never-before Cena gag reel and more.

LOS ANGELES: International music icon, Charo has been nominated for an American Latino TV Award in the Favorite American Latino Hitmaker category. 

Now in its third year, American Latino TV Awards serves to recognize excellence and achievement in the American Latino community and is a tribute to the individuals, organizations and projects that have been featured in the producers’ seven-season library of multi-award winning and groundbreaking television shows.   The awards special showcases the best American Latinos in a variety of categories including music, fashion, film, sports and more!

An nternational icon and world-renowned guitarist and award-winning recording artist, Charo is best known in the U.S. as the “cuchi-cuchi” girl who has, for decades, been entertaining audiences around the world with her unique brand of hilarious comedy and unparalleled guitar playing, singing and performance skills.

She’s now back on the Billboard charts with her latest dance club hit, España Cañi, the traditional bullfighting song. Charo teamed up with top-name DJs and producers from around the world, who added their own dance mixes to her virtuoso guitar performance and ended up with what’s become a huge hit at dance clubs around the world and earned Charo a World Dance Music Award nomination.
Charo also teamed up with World of Wonder to produce the video, entitled “España Cañí:  Dance, Don’t Bullfight.”  The video is Charo’s protest against bullfighting, which is still practiced in many cities across Spain and Latin America.  Charo, like Pamela Anderson, Paul McCartney and Pink, is a member of PETA who speaks out against animal cruelty.

Other nominees in the Hitmaker category include: Julieta Venegas (Latin Alternative singer), Los Lonely Boys (Grammy-winning trio from Texas), and Gustavo Santaolalla (Oscar-winning film composer).

Other nominees and categories include: Most Inspiring American Latino: Danny Trejo (Veteran character actor), Linda Alvardo (Co-owner of the Colorado Rockies baseball team), Tony Alva (Legendary professional skateboarder), Sonia Manzano (Longtime actress on Sesame Street).

Favorite Alternative Athlete: Harlem Globetrotters (World-renowned entertainment/basketball players), Alex Castro (Star of hit television show, American Gladiator), Roger Huerta (Ultimate Fighting star), Milka Duno (Professional Racecar driver.

Favorite American Latino Newcomer: Colby O’Donis (Latino Hip-hop artist), Francisca Valenzuela (Burgeoning pop singer/songwriter), Monte Negro (Eclectic Rock band), Girl in a Coma (Latina Rockers).

Favorite Live Performance: In the Heights (Broadway sensation), Fuerza Bruta (Experimental theater hit), Lucha Va Voom (Lucha Libre meets Vintage burlesque), Circus Vargas (Latino-themed circus).

Most Outspoken American Latino: Perez Hilton (Celebrity blogger), Kim Osorio (Hip-hop publisher/writer), Chingo Bling (Hip-hop’s Tamale Kingpin), Steve Treviño (America’s next big comedian).

The American Latino Awards will be announced during the awards special that will be broadcast via syndication in over 70 cities nationwide between July 14 and July 27, 2009.  For station, broadcast date and time in your city, click www.AmericanLatino.tv/ALPresents or check your local listings.

For more information about the awards and nominees, visit www.americanlatinoawards.com.

NEXT POST:  Coming soon.  Stay tuned.

People's Champion Gets New Post, A New Film & More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – If ever anyone was born to be in the public arena as a champion of the people, it is Hilda L. Solis, whose political career has gone full circle.  From those early days when she worked in Washington at the Office of Hispanic Affairs during the Carter administration and later as a management analyst at the beginning of the Reagan administration, her career path has escalated from local and state politics in California to the United States House of Representatives to the present and prestigious post as the current United States Secretary of Labor.

Raised in La Puente, California by immigrant parents from Nicaragua and Mexico, she was the first Hispanic woman to serve in the California State Senate and re-elected in 1998.  Known for her work toward environmental justice, she was the recipient of the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award in 2000, the first woman to win the award.

The third oldest of seven siblings (four sisters, two brothers) she was the first in her family to go to college.  She earned a BA degree in political science from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and a Master of Public Administration degree at the University of Southern California.

Gaining a seat in the U. S. House of Representatives in 2000, she was re-elected easily to four additional terms in 2002 through 2008, where she was known for her commitment to labor causes and continuing environmental work.

In December 2008, President-elect Barack Obama announced his intention to nominate Solis as the next Secretary of Labor. She took office after being confirmed by the U.S. Senate on February 24, 2009, becoming the first Hispanic woman to serve as secretary in the U.S. cabinet.

HOLLYWOOD – WWE Superstar John Cena stars in the new action flick from the director of Die Hard and producer of Speed that opens in theatres March 27.  Directed by Renny Harlin, 12 Rounds stars Cena as Danny Fisher, a New Orleans police officer who single-handedly arrests Miles Jackson (Aidan Gillen), one of the most feared and wanted criminals in the world.  A year later when Miles escapes from prison he kidnaps Danny’s girlfriend (Ashley Scott) setting off 12 Rounds of dangerous games plotted throughout the city in order to save her and put an end to his twisted game.

The cast also includes Steve Harris as a zealous and obsessed FBI agent, Brian White as Danny’s best friend, Gonzalo Menendez as Special Agent Ray Santiago.

LOS ANGELES – PBS March highlights include a look at the invasion of penguin territories, a Nova episode of a photojournalist capturing rapidly melting glaciers, a Frontline investigation into the massive national debt in Ten Trillion and Counting and a tour-de-force performance in Shakespeare’s King Lear on Great Performances, among others.

Nature – Penguins of the Antarctic airs March 22 (8-9 p.m.).  As the climate changes, long-established penguin territories are being invaded and traditional nesting colonies are being disrupted.  How will these extraordinary birds deal with the full effects of global warming?

Also on March 22, PBS airs David Copperfield – Part 2 as part of Masterpiece Classic (9-10:30 p.m.).  Charles Dickens’ beloved novel gets all-star treatment in this acclaimed encore presentation.  The cast includes Maggie Smith, Ian McKellen, Bob Hoskins and 10-year-old Daniel Radcliffe as the young boy against the world.

An Antiques Roadshow – Wichita airs March 23 (8-9 p.m.) featuring a visit to the Wichita Art Museum’s collection of Art Nouveau works by glassmaker Frederick Carder, co-founder of the Steuben Glass Company. Discoveries include a 1920s Buddy “L” toy sand and gravel truck; a 19th-century bronze sculpture by British artist Edward Onslow Ford; and an 18th-century surveyor’s compass, made by one of the finest clockmaker’s in the Virginia colonies, valued at $20,000 to $25,000.

Sister Aimee: American Experience – the dramatic life story of Aimee Semple McPherson, the controversial, charismatic, wildly popular evanglist who was instrumental in bringing conservative Protestantism into mainstream culture and American politics. Program airs March 23, 9-10 p.m. In 1921, at the age of 31, McPherson settled in Los Angeles, founded the Church of the Four Square Gospel and built the Angelus Temple where she often preached before a packed house of 5,000 believers, using elaborate musical productions worthy of Broadway. She also created her own radio station – one of the first Christian radio stations in the United States.

In a legendary 50-year rivalry, Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubinstein changed the cosmetics industry as featured in The Powder and the Glory that airs March 23, 10-11:30 p.m. Jane Alexander narrates.

Frontline Sick Around the World airs Frontline correspondent T. R. Reid as he examines the healthcare systems of other advanced capitalist democracies to see what tried and tested ideas might help the U.S. reform its broken healthcare system. Program airs March 24, 10-11 p.m.

Extreme Ice, that airs March 24 (8-9 p.m. ET), features a photojournalist and a scientific team that strive to create a unique photo archive of melting glaciers that could provide a key to understanding their runaway behavior. In collaboration with National Geographic, Nova follows the exploits of acclaimed photojournalist James Balog and a scientific team as they deploy time-lapse cameras in risky, remote locations in the Arctic, Alaska and the Alps.  In this high-action adventure, Nova investigates the mystery of the mighty ice sheets that will affect the fate of coastlines around the world.

Frontline – Ten Trillion and Counting follows on March 24 at 9-10 p.m. ET. All of the federal government’s efforts to stem the tide in the financial meltdown that began with the subprime mortgage crisis have added hundreds of billions of dollars to the national debt.  Frontline reports on how this debt will constrain and challenge the new Obama administration. Through interviews with leading experts and insiders in government finance, the film investigates the causes and potential outcomes of — and possible solutions to — America’s $10 trillion debt.

Great Performances – King Lear airs March 25, 8-11 p.m. ET. Ian McKellen gives a tour-de-force performance as Shakespeare’s tragic titular monarch in this special television adaptation of the Royal Shakespeare Company production of one of the playwright’s most enduring and haunting works. The play opens with Lear’s proposal to divide his kingdom among his three daughters, according to how much each can profess her love for him, spiraling forward to dramatize the king’s deception, betrayal and eventual descent into madness. The telecast, co-directed by Sir Trevor Nunn and Chris Hunt, marks Ian McKellen’s return to the RSC after a 17-year hiatus.

NEXT POST:  Coming soon. Stay tuned.                 

Legacy of Two Giants & More

WHITTIER: Following the news that Martin Ortiz, one of Whittier’s most beloved citizens had died January 11, came the news that one of Hollywood’s greatest leading men Ricardo Montalban had passed away in his Los Angeles home, Jan. 14 at the age of 88. Although they lived worlds apart, these incredible individuals share a commonality in the legacies they leave their fans and in particular, the Hispanic community.  Their staunch commitment and advocacy of the minority community helped open doors in both education and entertainment for many aspiring actors and college students.

Martin Ortiz was highly recognized as an advocate for minority students and founder of Whittier College’s Center for Mexican American Affairs.  Diagnosed four years ago with Parkinson’s Disease, he died from complications of a lung infection. He was 89.

Ricardo Montalban, who was as suave in real life as he was as a leading man, was one of the first Mexican-born actors to make his own mark in Hollywood.  Best known for his roles as Mr. Roarke on ABC’s Fantasy Island and the villainous Khan of the Star Trek franchise, the actor and Chrysler spokesman became a role model for the younger generation of minority actors waiting in the wings.

I was a newcomer to Los Angeles and working in the Program Practices Department at CBS when I first met Mr. Montalban.  He was tall and charming and every bit a gentleman. He was there to meet with our director of programs regarding his group Nosotros (“we” in Spanish) that was advocating for more positive portrayals of minorities on television.  One of my tasks was to keep track of the handful of minority actors who were appearing on our television programs and to identify the roles they were given as to whether they were positive or stereotypical. It was only the beginning of what Nosotros  and other groups would continue to strive for during the next few decades – to give Latino actors more opportunities and present a more balanced portrayal of Latinos on the silver and small screen.

A native of Wichita, Kansas, Ortiz, an educator who worked at the college for more than 40 years, was a school dropout and hobo at age 13.  His membership in the Hobo Association of America, however, was short lived.  He was back in school when he was 16 where he served as president of his senior class.  Following a stint as a Marine during World War II, he went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Whittier College, the only Latino graduate in his class.  He went on to earn a master’s degree from George Williams College in Illinois and in 2004, earned an honorary doctorate of human letters from Whittier College. He founded Alianza de los Amigos Alumni Association and established the Center for Mexican American Affairs in 1971.

One of the things that I remember most about Mr. Ortiz was his dedication, his humility and his modesty toward his work. Always shunning the spotlight, I recall how he always turned it onto others by acknowledging and praising their accomplishments rather than his own.

Mr. Montalban was the youngest of four children of Castilian Spaniards who had immigrated in 1906 to Mexico City.  When he was five, the family moved to the northern city of Torreon.  After moving to Los Angeles, he studied English at Fairfax High School in Los Angeles where an MGM talent scout noticed him in a student play.

Beginning in the 1940s, Montalban starred in dozens of films with some of the greatest names in movies.  He later turned to the stage and eventually television. He won an Emmy for his performance in the television miniseries How the West was Won, and a Tony nomination for best actor in a musical (Jamaica opposite Lena Horne). In the 1970s and ‘80s, he became a commercial spokesman for Chrysler.  From 1965 to 1970, Montalban was vice president of the Screen Actors Guild, which gave him a Life Achievement Award in 1993.

In 1944, he married Georgiana Belzer, a model and Loretta Young’s sister.  He is survived by two daughters, two sons and six grandchildren.

The Ortiz family has requested that in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to the Martin Ortiz Endowed Scholarship at Whittier College, Office of Advancement, 13406 Philadelphia St., P.O. Box 634, Whittier, CA 90608.  Checks should note that the donation is for the Martin Ortiz Endowed Scholarship.

Both Ortiz and Montalban shared a respect for people of all backgrounds and were respected by everyone who knew them.  Icons in their own field, they both achieved many firsts.  They were both giants. Their legacy continues. Future generations and we shall continue to benefit from their struggle, their commitment and their dedication.

UNIVERSAL CITY:  mun2 will rebroadcast the popular World Wrestling Entertainment’s ECW series on Friday nights at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

ECW, which has been one of SCI FI’s highest rated programs, will bring a new level of entertainment to mun2’s 2009 line-up and comes on the heels of the unprecedented success of WWE’s RAW on mun2.

Last year, mun2 partnered with WWE in the highly successful on-air and online Ultimate Quinceañera sweepstakes.  The initiative, which celebrated WWE RAW’s 15^th Anniversary garnered a prestigious Emma Award (Excellence in Multi-Cultural Marketing Awards) from the National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications.

RAW can be seem every Wednesday night at 8 p.m. and Sunday night at 6 p.m. on mun2.

mun2 is the preeminent voice for bilingual Latinos in America.  Launched in 2001, mun2 was the first national cable network to offer bilingual programming for U.S. bicultural Latinos.  mun2 is a multiplatform youth entertainment network that offers authentic content that reflects the lifestyle of the fastest-growing segment of the Hispanic population with original, relevant and cutting-edge programs in proven genres including music, movies, sports, fashion, and social activism.  The network, which reflects emerging trends in all areas of pop and youth culture that are endorsed by its bicultural audience is available nationwide on digital and analog cable, satellite and free television.  The network is part of Telemundo Cable Networks, a division of NBC Universal TV Networks Distribution.

Additional information on World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. (NYSE: WWE) can be found at wwe.com and corporate.wwe.com. For information on its global activities, go to http://www.wwe.com/worldwide/

 
NEXT POST:  Coming Soon.  Stay Tuned.

Health Researcher Honored, California Icon Dies & More

LOS ANGELES: Latino Health Researcher David E. Hayes-Bautista, Ph.D. is featured as one of Ten Who Inspire in the January/February issue of AARP Magazine.  It’s not surprising since Hayes-Bautista has, for decades, been the go-to-guy when it comes to research data pertaining to the health care issues of the Latino population in California.

Hayes-Bautista has been at the forefront of the struggle to bring proper health care access to, in particular, the Latino population, which his research indicates is one of the most neglected in California.

As reported in AARP, in the 1970s, Hayes-Bautista brought needed care to Californians as a founding director of La Clinica de la Raza, a chain of low-cost medical centers that treats more than 100,000 patients a year.

Recognized nationally for his research work, Hayes-Bautista, 63, is Professor of Medicine and Director of the Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture at the School of Medicine at UCLA. 

His books addressing the Latino population health issues include No Longer a Minority: Latinos & Social Policy in California and Redefining California: Latino Social Engagement in a Multicultural Society.  Designed to be read together, these books provide an in-depth look at the Latino population in California.

Among the other Ten Who Inspire featured in the AARP Magazine include actress Glenn Close (Mental Health Advocate), Alma Powell (Children’s Advocate), Quincy Jones (Global Poverty Fighter), Katherine Freund (Transportation Activist), Rose Nakamura (Compassionate Caregiver), Martin Eakes (Lender to the Poor), actor Peter Gallagher (Alzheimer’s Activist), Richard M. Cohen (Voice for the Chronically Ill), and Susan Love, M.D. (Cancer Crusader).

HOLLYWOOD: Just a reminder that Gregory Nava’s Academy Award nominated film El Norte will be released in DVD by the Criterion Collection on January 20.  Considered one of Nava’s masterpiece, the Janus Films 1983 film was one of the first films to put a human face on the issue of illegal immigration and in 1996 the film was named an American Classic and designated for special preservation by the Library of Congress.

 

The DVD will include extras such as: New Director’s Commentary with Gregory Nava/The Making of El Norte with new high-definition interviews with Nava and co-writer-producer Anna Thomas as well as actors Zaide Silvia Gutierrez and David Villalpando and art director David Wasco.

Nava has received worldwide acclaim for his work as a filmmaker and screenwriter.  For El Norte, he received both Academy Award and Writers Guild of America nominations for Best Original Screenplay.  Nava continued his string of ground-breaking Latino films with My Family/Mi Familia, staring Edward James Olmos and Jennifer Lopez, and Selena, which again featured Lopez in her definitive breakout role.  He is also the creator and executive producer of the award-winning television series, American Family, and recently wrote, directed and produced Bordertown, a political thriller starring Jennifer Lopez and Antonio Banderas.

 

HACIENDA HEIGHTS, CA: Harold H. Martinez, founder, president and CEO of Able Industrial Products, Inc., based in Ontario, CA, has died.  Funeral services for the former president of the Latin Business Association, who died of cancer, January 9, were held January 13, with his internment at Calvary Cemetery in East Los Angeles.

Martinez was widely recognized as an active figure in the Hispanic community as well as supportive of several charitable organizations. Born in Tucumcari, New Mexico, he was married to Gloria F. Martinez with whom he had five children, and was grandfather to 13 grandchildren. His dedication to his family was rewarded in 1988 when his family was named The California Hispanic Family of the Year.

Having had the pleasure of knowing Mr. Martinez on a professional basis, I always admired his jovial presence. I cannot remember anytime when our paths crossed that he wasn’t smiling – it was in my mind his trademark.  He was someone who would always go out of his way to shake your hand, say hello and flash that smile of his that was so infectious.

Although extremely busy, he always found time to spend with his family and with his wife was the consummate volunteer at their church and many charitable fundraisers. His involvement with the Latin Business Association dates back to the establishment of the organization in 1976.  The oldest and most active committed member of the LBA, he was first elected to the LBA as 2^nd vice president and chaired an Ad-Hoc committee that incorporated a change to include admission of women entrepreneurs into the organization. 

Among his many accomplishments during his presidency include the creation of the LBA Newsletter, the publication and distribution of the first member directory, the first trade mission to the People’s Republic of China, Province of Jilin that resulted in the formation of the LBA/International Trade Committee, founding of the Latin Business Foundation (which he chaired for two years) and putting the organization into the black financially taking them from a deficit for the very first time in its history.

A recipient of numerous awards for his personal and professional contributions to his community, Harold Martinez always remained a humble and caring individual whose generosity and cheerful smile will be greatly missed.

NEXT POST:  Coming Soon.  Stay tuned.

A Kennedy Connection, A New Cheech Film & More

WASHINGTON: That Caroline Kennedy surfaced as a top candidate for the Senate seat soon to be vacated by Hillary Rodham Clinton once her confirmation as the president-elect’s choice for Secretary of State, was not surprising.  She is, after all, a member of the influential Kennedy family whose political achievements have been well documented.

An attorney, author and mother of three, Kennedy has made her own mark, albeit quietly and without the fanfare usually associated with the Kennedy clan.  And although the daughter of the late President John F. Kennedy may turn out to be New York Governor David Paterson’s choice to fill the New York Senate seat, is her Kennedy connection sufficient enough to qualify her for the seat, which incidentally was once held by her uncle Robert Kennedy.

Ironically, Kennedy has set her sights on the Senate seat occupied by Hillary Rodham Clinton who ran against Barak Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination and whom she did not endorse. A dedicated member of the Obama campaign, Kennedy later served as co-chair of his Vice Presidential Search Committee.

Although Kennedy seems like a clear choice for the soon to be vacant Senate seat, the governor is said to still be looking. If a Kennedy connection is an essential requirement, then perhaps State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo who was once married to a Kennedy cousin might have a chance in the running. In all fairness to the American public, it would be nice to know who all the candidates are, or if there are any. In the meantime, we’re in a wait and see mode with the governor holding the power in his hands.

HOLLYWOOD: Actor, director, and performer Cheech Marin is back on the small screen, this time as a priest in Expecting a Miracle, a Hallmark Channel original movie which premieres Saturday, Jan. 10 at 9 pm/8 pm CT. The movie also stars Teri Polo and Jason Priestley.

Although best known as one half of the hilarious duo Cheech and Chong, Marin has appeared in more than 20 films, including Spy Kids, Tin Cup and Once Upon a Time in Mexico.  His television credits include the co-starring role opposite Don Johnson in the popular CBS drama, Nash Bridges, a recurring role on the hit series Lost and a guest appearance on Grey’s Anatomy.  His latest films include Beverly Hills Chihuahua (Walt Disney Pictures) and the Miracle of Dommatina (Hallmark Channel).  An owner of one of the greatest collections of Chicano art in the country, Marin has also made his mark as director of the Broadway production of Latinologues, a collection of Rick Najera’s comedic and poignant monologues revealing the Latino experience in America.

Expecting a Miracle revolves around a busy professional couple whose negative fertility tests affect their once-strong marriage. When they end up in tiny village in Mexico, they meet a kind priest (Marin), who plays an important role in their life changing experience. Don’t miss it.

BOSTON: Television’s most-watched and award-winning history series, American Experience is presenting A Class Apart from the award-winning producers Carlos Sandoval (Farmingville) and Peter Miller (Sacco and Vanzetti, The Internationale). The one-hour film, which premieres Monday, February 23 at 9 p.m., dramatically interweaves the story of its central characters – activists and lawyers, returning veterans and ordinary citizens, murderer and victim – within the broader story of a civil rights movement that is still very much alive today.

The film is a production of WGBH Boston, produced by Sharon Grimberg and executive produced by Mark Samels.

In 1951 in the town of Edna, Texas, a field hand named Pedro Hernandez murdered his employer after exchanging words at a gritty cantina. From this seemingly unremarkable small-town murder emerged a landmark civil rights case undertaken by a team of unknown Mexican American lawyers who took the case, Hernandez v. Texas, all the way to the Supreme Court, where they successfully challenged Jim Crow-style discrimination against Mexican Americans.

The film begins with the little known history of Mexican Americans in the United States. In 1848, The Mexican-American War came to an end. For the United States, the victory meant ownership of large swaths of Mexican territory. The tens of thousands of residents living on the newly annexed land were offered American citizenship as part of the treaty to end the war. But as time evolved it soon became apparent that legal citizenship for Mexican Americans was one thing, equal treatment would be quite another.

In the first 100 years after gaining US citizenship, many Mexican Americans in Texas lost their land to unfamiliar American laws, or to swindlers. With the loss of their land came a loss of status, and within just two generations, many wealthy ranch owners had become farm workers. After the Civil War, increasing numbers of Southern whites moved to south Texas, bringing with them the rigid, racial social code of the Deep South, which they began to apply not just to Blacks, but to Mexican Americans as well.

Widespread discrimination followed Latinos from schoolhouses and restaurants to courthouses and even to funeral parlors, many of which refused to prepare Mexican American bodies for burial. During World War II, more than 300,000 Mexican Americans served their country expecting to return home with the full citizenship rights they deserved. Instead, the returning veterans, many of them decorated war heroes, came back to face the same injustices they had experienced all their lives.

 Latino lawyers and activists were making progress at state levels, but they knew that real change could only be achieved if Mexican Americans were recognized by the 14th amendment of the US Constitution — something that could only be accomplished by bringing a case to the Supreme Court.
  In his law office in San Antonio, a well-known attorney named Gus García listened to the desperate pleas of Pedro Hernández’s mother, who traveled more than 150 miles to ask him to defend her son. García quickly realized that there was more to this case than murder; the real concern was not Hernández’s guilt, but whether he could receive a fair trial with an all-Anglo jury deciding his fate.

 García assembled a team of courageous attorneys who argued on behalf of Hernández from his first trial at the Jackson County Courthouse in Texas all the way to Washington, DC. It would be the first time a Mexican American appeared before the Supreme Court.

The Hernández lawyers decided on a daring but risky legal strategy, arguing that Mexican Americans were “a class apart” and did not neatly fit into a legal structure that recognized only black and white Americans. As legal skirmishes unfolded, the lawyers emerged as brilliant, dedicated, humorous, and at times, terribly flawed men.

The Hernández case struck a chord with Latinos across the country. When funds to try the case ran out, the Mexican American community donated to the cause in any way they could, despite limited resources.

On January 11, 1954, García and Cadena faced the nine justices of the US Supreme Court. Cadena opened the argument. “Can Mexican Americans speak English?” one justice asked. “Are they citizens?” asked another. The lack of knowledge stunned Gus García, who stood up and delivered the argument of his life. Chief Justice Earl Warren allowed him to continue a full sixteen minutes past the allotted time, a concession a witness to the argument noted that had not been afforded to any other civil rights lawyer before Garcia, including the renowned NAACP attorney Thurgood Marshall.

On May 3, 1954, the US Supreme Court announced its ruling in the case of Hernández v. Texas. Pedro Hernández would receive a new trial – and would be judged by a true jury of his peers. The court’s legal reasoning: Mexican Americans, as a group, were protected under the 14th Amendment, in keeping with the theory that they were indeed “a class apart.”

“The Hernández v. Texas story is a powerful reminder of one of many unknown yet hard-fought moments in the Civil Rights Movement,” says American Experience executive producer Mark Samels. “It’s easy to forget how far the country has come in just fifty years, reshaping our democracy to include all Americans.”
NEXT POST:  Sometime soon. Stay tuned.

Charo vs Bullfights, New Magazine & More

LOS ANGELES:  International singing sensation and “cuchi-cuchi girl” Charo is back on the Billboard charts with her latest dance club hit, España Cañi, the traditional bullfighting song which is played at nearly all bullfights.  A huge hit at dance clubs around the world, the video España Cañi, Dance Don’t Bullfight, is the singer’s protest against bullfighting, which is still practiced in many cities across Spain and Latin America.

Charo, like Pamela Anderson, Paul McCartney and Pink, is a member of PETA, an organization that speaks out against animal cruelty.  Charo has written the mayor of her hometown of Murcia, Spain, urging the city to join Barcelona and 44 other towns and cities in Catalonia, which have voted against using any public funds to promote bullfighting, including Olot, which has the second oldest bullring in Spain.  Some cities in Spain, like Calonge, Tossa de Mar, Vilamacolum, and La Vajol, have outlawed all bullfighting and bull runs.  In Mexico, bullfights have been banned in Jakapa.

On behalf of PETA, Charo has also written the Prime Minister of Spain urging a national ban.  A Gallup poll found that 72% of Spaniards had “no interest” in bullfighting in 2006, up from 54% in the 1980s. This year, the national Spanish network RETV, has announced that bullfighting will not be part of its obligatory programming since it is harmful for children.

“I am from Spain and I’m very proud of my country and my culture,” says Charo.  “However, Spain is a very modern country now and should stop the cruel, primitive and barbaric practice of Bullfighting.  I hope all my countrymen and women will unite with me to petition the Spanish government to ban the killing of bulls for spectacle at bullfights in the entire country.”
 
In the video, a young bull named Manolo has a nightmare about being sent to die in a bullfight when he grows up.  Manolo makes a daring escape from his ranch and with the help of a fortune teller (Charo), embarks on a great adventure to end bullfighting and save his herd. The video is produced and directed by World Of Wonder.

España Cañí’s original version is produced and arranged by Charo and Joe DiBiasi.  Remixes are produced and arranged by Peitor Angell, Twisted Dee and Julian Marsh.  Remix supervisors are Peitor Angell and Loren Chaidez.  The CD is a Universal Music production.
  
Charo is an international icon and world renowned guitarist and award-winning recording artist  who has for decades been entertaining audiences around the world with her unique brand of hilarious comedy and unparalleled guitar playing, singing and performance skills. For more information, log on to www.charo.com.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), with more than 2 million members and supporters, is the largest animal rights organization in the world.  PETA focuses on the four areas in which the largest numbers of animals suffer the most intensely for the longest periods of time: on factory farms, in laboratories, in the clothing trade, and in the entertainment and sporting industries.  PETA works through public education, cruelty investigations, research, animal rescue, legislation, special events, celebrity involvement, and protest campaigns.
 

World of Wonder (WOW) was founded by Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey in 1992.  Since then the company has amassed a library of branded properties across all platforms, including such well known films as Party Monster, The Eyes of Tammy Faye, Inside Deep Throat, and television shows Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood, Million Dollar Listing, the upcoming RuPaul's Drag Race, and entertainment blog The WOW Report(www.worldofwonder.net).

WOODLAND HILLS: The Imagen Foundation’s President Helen Hernandez can add publisher to her resume now that she’s co-founded Inside Latino Entertainment & Media, the only English-language business magazine for and about Latinos in entertainment and media. 

Published quarterly, ILE features a variety of articles covering prolific filmmakers to super agents to exceptional talent behind the scenes, as well as columns written by industry insiders, including Irma La Bomba, whom Hernandez lured out of retirement to write a series of humorous essays regarding her take on show biz.

Be sure to check out the magazine Web site for interesting and inspiring articles on such movers and shakers as, among others, award-winning filmmaker David Valdes (In The Line of Fire, Unforgiven, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford) who offers his views on breaking into Hollywood and thriving once you get there, as well as an interview with Belinda Menendez, the president of NBC Universal International Television Distribution as she juggles her personal life and professional life dealing with more than 250 countries worldwide.

The magazine, co-published by Jerry Hemsworth of HMH Media Inc., can be reviewed on its Web site: www.insidelatinoentertainment.com. where guests can get a free one-year subscription online or purchase the actual magazine for an annual subscription fee of only $24.95. The Web site also features a Career Center and a Calendar of Events.

HOLLYWOOD:  Just a few more days before the debut of Rick Najera (Latinologues) and Alison Swan’s Christmas movie Nothing Like the Holidays that hits theaters December 12.  The film, written by Najera and Swan, features an impressive cast that includes Elizabeth Pena, John Leguizamo, Debra Messing, Alfred Molina, Freddy Rodriguez, Jay Hernandez and Luis Guzman. Don’t miss it.

NEXT POST:  In about a week or so.  Stay tuned.

Famed Animator Dies, El Norte Returns & More

 

SANTA MONICA:  The world has lost one of the most talented and world-renowned animators of all time.  Considered a pioneer in his field, animator Bill Melendez died September 2 of natural causes at the age of 91.

Melendez began his almost seven decades as a professional animator in 1938 when he worked on Mickey Mouse cartoons and such animated features as Pinocchio and Fantasia at Walt Disney Studios. He went on to exclusively animate Snoopy, Charlie Brown and other Peanuts characters in scores of movies and TV specials. Melendez was the only animator authorized by the comic strip's creator Charles Schulz to work on his Peanuts characters. Later at Warner Bros., he worked on Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig and Daffy Duck shorts.

Melendez founded his own production company in 1964.  With his partner Lee Mendelson, Bill Melendez Productions helped produce the annually broadcast Christmas special A Charlie Brown Christmas, for which he won an Emmy and the George Foster Peabody award.

Melendez created Emmy-winning specials based on the cartoon characters Cathy and Garfield, and was involved in animated versions of the Babar elephant books and the C. S. Lewis book, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

Born in 1916 in Hermosillo, Mexico, he moved to Arizona in 1928 before moving to Los Angeles in the 1930s, where he attended the Chouinard Art Institute (later changed to California Institute of the Arts).

In all, his productions earned some 19 Emmy nominations, including six awards. In addition to animation, Melendez shared his expertise as a faculty member at the University of Southern California’s Cinema Arts Department.

Melendez is survived by his wife Helen, sons Steven Melendez and (Ret.) Navy Rear Adm.Rodrigo Melendez, six grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

LOS ANGELES: Gregory Nava's landmark independent film El Norte is making a comeback since its debut in 1983. A Janus Films presentation, the acclaimed drama earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay in 1984. In celebration of its 25th anniversary, the newly restored 35mm print opened festival screenings at the Los Angeles Latino Film Festival in Los Angeles.

Janus Films plans on presenting the film at festivals throughout the country. Nava will be present at the festivals, the next coming up October 26 at the Chicago International Film Festival, Saturday, and November 1 at the Virginia Film Festival where Nava plans a lecture presentation on the following day.

El Norte is the story of Enrique and Rosa Xuncax, brother and sister, who choose to flee their mountain village in Guatemala rather than face military persecution. They embark upon a heartbreaking journey to a fabled land of plush houses, electric lights, and flush toilets. The land is America: The North. Together, Enrique and Rosa acquire a small piece of the American dream, though their native Mayan identities are slowly being stripped away. When temptation threatens to destroy their bond, it is their spirits that prove indelible.

Additionally, the film will be released on DVD by the Criterion Collection on January 20, 2009. The DVD will include extras such as:

·      New Director’s Commentary with Gregory Nava

·      Featurette:  The Making of El Norte, new high-definition interviews with Gregory Nava and co-writer/producer Anna Thomas as well asactors Zaide Silvia Gutierrez and David Villalpando and art director DavidWasco (45 min.)

·      American Tapestry:  The Story of Eva Canseco, a subtitled segment from Showtime Documentary, The American Tapestry. (16 min. 

·      The Border Wall, a new short documentary by Gregory Nava and Barbara Martinez Jitner (15 min.)

·      The Journal of Diego Rodriguez Silva (1972), a national student film award-winner film by Nava (30 min.)

·      Scouting in Chiapas Photo Gallery

Movie critic Roger Ebert described the acclaimed film as "a Grapes of Wrath for our time," the “first American independent epic” by Variety, and in 1996 was named an “American Classic” and designated for special preservation by the Library of Congress.

Known as Nava's masterpiece, El Norte is of enduring importance at a critical time when illegal immigration remains one of the most difficult and controversial political issues facing our nation. It was the first commercial feature film that presented the immigrant community in a humane and intimate light, and was recorded in Mayan, Spanish and English languages.

Nava, who has received worldwide acclaim for his work as a filmmaker and screenwriter continued his string of groundbreaking Latino films with My Family/Mi Familia (starring Edward James Olmos, Jimmy Smits, Jennifer Lopez) and Selena, which again featured Lopez in her definitive breakout role.

  

Nava is also the creator and executive producer of the award-winning television series American Family, and recently wrote, directed and produced Bordertown, a political thriller starring Jennifer Lopez and Antonio Banderas.  

HOLLYWOOD: Actress Dyana a Ortelli has uncovered an amazing detail of her ancestry with the discovery that her Tio Tito was a professional baseball player. Although she knew he was a baseball player while growing up, she got the surprise of her life when her mom revealed that her baby brother, who passed away August 23, 2007 in Atizapan de Zaragoza, Mexico, had been the first Mexican to play in the major leagues and was a pitching legend.

Checking it out on the Internet, she came across a photo of her uncle Procopio Rodriguez Herrera of the St. Louis Browns. Born in her hometown of Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas in 1926, her uncle, one of the first Latino players in the majors (1951), began his professional career in the 1940s with the Obregon Arroceros.  He played in Mexico and Venezuela through age 32 and later became a golf pro. Now that’s something of which Ortelli and her family and friends can be extremely proud. 

NEXT POST:  Just as soon as I finish reading a current thriller and page-turner I can’t resist. Stay tuned.

 

A 'Golden Boys' Legacy & More

HOLLYWOOD: A brothers' road trip to bury their mother’s ashes unearths the saga of a Mexican American family in P.O.V.’s Calavera Highway.

Upon her death, Rosa Peña left her seven “Golden Boys” a legacy of strength and pride, and troubling questions about the family’s past. A migrant worker and single mother, Peña raised her seven sons in the Texas border towns of Hidalgo County, the poorest country in the United States.

She worked hard, had two husbands – she chased off the second one with a knife when he beat one of the boys – and instilled in her sons a strong sense of family and ethnic pride. With her death, her grown sons were left adrift. As recounted in the documentary, by filmmakers Renee Tajima-Peña and Evangeline Griego, Peña’s funeral and cremation brought the boys together – and tore them apart again.

Among the questions that nag all the brothers is what happened to the first five boys’ father? Was he swept up in the notorious 1954 government deportation program, Operation Wetback? Why had Rosa’s own family so cruelly rejected her and her sons to fend for themselves?

Calavera Highway, which has its broadcast premiere on Tuesday, Sept. 16 at 10 p.m. on PBS (check local listings), is a Rosasboys Production in association with P.O.V. | American Documentary. It is a co-presentation with Latino Public Broadcasting and is funded in part by the Center for Asian American Media with funds provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

American television’s longest-running independent documentary series, P.O.V. is public television’s premier showcase for point-of-view, nonfiction films, and is a 2007 recipient of a Special News & Documentary Emmy Award for Excellence in Television Documentary Filmmaking.

Created in 1998 by Edward James Olmos and Marlene Dermer, Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB) is a nonprofit organization funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. American Documentary, Inc. is a multimedia company dedicated to creating, identifying and presenting contemporary stories that express opinions and perspectives rarely featured in mainstream media outlets.

HOLLYWOOD: An age-old issue has resurfaced on the entertainment scene once more – or better said, it’s never really gone away. An actress friend sent me an email regarding an article that appeared on ABC News Online in June (Is Hollywood Whitewashing Ethnic Roles?) By Luchina Fisher that highlighted the sub-headline: “In Films Based on Fact, White Actors Take Parts Meant for Other Races.”

The roles mentioned in the article included the movie Stuck, based on a real-life story, which features actress Mena Suvari (American Beauty) in the role of a Texas woman who was convicted of murder and evidence tampering after striking a homeless man with her car and leaving him to die, and for which she received 50-year and 10-year concurrent sentences. The Texas woman, Chante Mallard is African-American and Suvari is blond and blue-eyed who wears cornrows to play the role of Brandi in the film.

Another example: last year’s A Mighty Heart, which featured Angelina Jolie in the role of writer Mariane Pearl, an Afro-Cuban and Dutch who grew up in France. It’s this kind of casting that is frustrating to actors of color who feel short changed from competing for all roles other than the negative ones they are cast in. In this particular instance, as the article points out, it was Pearl who wanted Jolie to play her, however, the fact that Jolie wore a corkscrew wig and tinted makeup apparently shocked some members of the black community, especially black actresses who felt they should have had the opportunity to audition for the role.

In her article, Fisher cites what many ethnic actors have already experienced: “it’s not uncommon for white actors to be cast in ethnic roles or for real-life stories to be ‘whitewashed’ to make them more mainstream,” and in most cases may be the only way the film will be made. The other reality is that making films is a business and making money or recouping the investment is really what the industry is all about, so as Fisher points out, “Sometimes, ethnicity and the reality of the story are sacrificed.”

Sometimes, however, casting a big name or “bankable star” doesn’t always guarantee big bucks at the box office, as was the case with A Mighty Heart, which failed in that regard. Yet, had Jolie not taken on this project and not been cast in the part, the film probably would never have been made.

Another example cited by Fisher is the film 21, which based on the book, Busting Vegas: The MIT Whiz Kid Who Brought the Casinos to their Knees, by Ben Mezrich. In the book, the real whiz kid and his partners are Asian American, but the filmmakers took artistic license by making them all white, except for one Asian. The reasoning: to make the film more mainstream and giving it a better chance to succeed at the box office. Also filmmakers are reluctant to cast unknowns in lead roles, unlike independent filmmakers who often cast non-white unknowns for authenticity. Audience acceptance is evidenced by many of these films which do turn a profit.

Whether the role is based on real-life people or is fictional, actors of color have a harder time getting an audition simply because many of them are unknown, so unless you’re a Salma Hayek, Maria Conchita Alonso, Penelope Cruz or Kate del Castillo and the like who were already stars in their own country before they turned to crossing over to American audiences, their chances of getting into an audition is dismal. Given the chance to compete for all roles, regardless of what color or ethnicity the script calls for, is the only way actors of color can prove that they are capable of performing as well as their white counterparts. That also means, however, that actors of color also have to accept the fact that whites can play other roles as well. This would be an acceptable compromise if there was a balance, but until that balance exists, people of color will have to continue struggling for the opportunity to prove what they are capable of doing and that they too can become bankable. The problem is, those at the top aren’t willing to take that chance and until they are, things are not likely to change.

In response to this issue, Bel Hernandez, CEO and publisher of Latin Heat Entertainment, points out that it’s not an issue of anyone “deserving” anything, but Latinos are entitled to speak up for “fair representation,” given that Latinos are the number one film going audience, and are also avid TV watchers that buy the products advertised. “When we have a spending power of 900 billion dollars a year (about 12 billion in entertainment alone) and projected to reach one trillion by 2015, I do believe we are entitled to speak up for fair representation.”

More than one respondent remarked that this conversation will continue for another 20 years, because the only color that matters in this country is “green.” And, as actress Dyana Ortelli points out in her email, “we’re simply not playing on a level playing field,” especially when she’s rejected by casting directors to audition for an Italian role because she’s Mexican. “Did Hollywood think Laura San Giacomo was too Italian to play Frida Kahlo?” That film project fell through after Latinos protested and the film was finally made years later by Salma Hayek earning critical acclaim and an Oscar nomination.

Ortelli who started out in the business more than two decades ago using her Spanish surname Ortiz became so tired of being cast as a Mexican maid, prostitute and other negative roles, she changed her name to Ortelli and found herself being cast as an Italian maid, prostitute, etc. A talented actress and frustrated by the lack of positive roles for Latino actors in Hollywood, she began doing stand-up comedy. Her East L.A. “cholita” character, Ramona From Pomona, has become a favorite with Latino audiences.

It was Ortelli’s comedic timing and ability to create unconventional, lovable characters that brought her to the attention of director Jose Luis Valenzuela, who cast her in the role of Irene in the critically acclaimed film Luminarias. It was a role she could not refuse, after years of playing Latino characters which were unusually undocumented, unemployed, uneducated, or on drugs. Finally, she was able to play a contemporary, educated, fashionable, outrageous and funny Latino woman. Instead of the stereotypical “barrio” wardrobe, she got to wear outrageous and unique clothing that she designed herself. In fact, Ortelli’s wardrobe got so much attention, it prompted the Austin Chronicle to say, “Irene’s way-over-the-top miniature sombrero couture is absolutely worth the price of admission.”

So what does Ortelli think Latino actors deserve? “I don’t care if a show plays in New York or Ohio, we are part of the fabric of this country and deserve to be represented in numbers proportionate to our population. We deserve a representation of an 'authentic America,' and not a Hollywood whitewash. It is an intolerable arrogance for Caucasians to think they can or should play all the races of the world, especially when deserving, talented people of color are there to play them.”

“The ‘same old, same old’ argument that you need ‘box office names’ to sell a movie is well known by us Latino actors (and activists)…as far back as the ‘70s. Remember our outcry at Robbie Benson playing a Latino gang member way back when? Glenn Close, Meryl Streep, Wynona Rider playing Chileans in The House of the Spirits? Angelica Houston as a Cubana in The Perez Family? Al Pacino in Scarface? Armand Assante in Mambo Kings?” And citing a quote by a well-known actor, Ortelli recalls the outcry during the Frida Kahlo protest, “They can play us, but we can’t play them?” And, “We’re interesting enough to make movies about, but not good enough to play ourselves?”

“Good stories and good actors have repeatedly proved the ‘big box office name’ theory to be absolutely incorrect. Don’t forget the huge success of Like Water for Chocolate with no ‘box office names’ whatsoever around the same time that The Perez Family and House of Spirits basically tanked in spite of their big name stars.”

Furthermore, she adds, “Selena and La Bamba, who offered us authenticity in favor of established ‘white’ stars, also proved to be a huge success. Television and film have a long way to go in representing an authentic America. But Latinos, in my opinion, have definitely gotten the shortest end of the stick. Television shows from Ally McBeal to Boston Legal to The View may be considered diverse by some. After all, they’ve all had Asian and black representation. But I’m still wondering, where are the Latinos?”

As her son said to her once, after he got fed up with auditioning for gang members and drug runners and chose to quit show biz altogether, “Mom, you and your friends have been having the same conversation for 20 years.” Sadly Ortelli agrees, so until things get better she’s off to clean her neighbor’s house so she can get in character for her next big role. And the beat goes on.

NEXT POST: After Labor Day – Have a good one and stay tuned.

Little Girl Lost, Imagen Awards & More

BEVERLY HILLS: HBO’s Rodrigo Garcia, Ugly Betty’s Tony Plana and writer Ligiah Villalobos of La Misma Luna will receive top honors at The Imagen Foundation’s 23rd Annual Imagen Awards on Thursday, Aug. 21 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

Garcia will be honored with the Foundation’s Creative Achievement Award; Plana will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award and Villalobos, the prestigious Norman Lear Writer’s Award.

Among her many achievements, Villalobos penned and executive produced Under the Same Moon (La Misma Luna), a feature film that was an Official Selection at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival and became the highest sale for a Spanish-language film in the history of Sundance. Upon its release on March 19, 2008 by Fox Searchlight and The Weinstein Company, the film went on to break the three-day opening weekend record for a Spanish-language film. Made for under $2 million, the film has earned over $22 million worldwide.

A veteran of film, stage and television, Plana is also one of the most active advocates of outreach programs that bring the world of entertainment to hundreds and thousands of youngsters and young adults. He currently stars in Ugly Betty, ABC’s groundbreaking hit series for which he received an award from the International Press Academy and an Alma Award nomination for best supporting actor in a television comedy. Plana has starred in more than 70 feature films, has portrayed leading roles in four critically acclaimed television series and his Broadway credits include Zoot Suit and Boys of Winter.

Writer-director Rodrigo Garcia, born in Bogota, Columbia and raised in Mexico, is the son of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, a world-renowned author, journalist, and Nobel Prize winner. Garcia has earned his own fame as a prolific and award-winning television and film director who has directed a variety of independent films and several episodes of the HBO series, Six Feet Under and The Sopranos, among others. His most recent feature film project is Sony Pictures’ Passengers, which will be released in fall 2008.

Additionally, Imagen will acknowledge contributions for excellence in Latino entertainment in 18 categories. Nominees include:

Best On-Air Advertising
Artist Speaking Tr3s', AB Quintanilla y Los Kumbia All Stars, MTV3
Civic es Civic, La Agencia de Orci & Asociados
Descubre and Download, Colby O'Donis, MTV
Descubre and Download, Malverde, MTV
Tu Pride, Silvestre, MTV
Tu Pride, Elan, MTV
Tu Pride, Ruben, MTV
Vivelo Aqui Campaign, HBO

Best Local Informational Programming
Ninos Inmigrantes Llegan a La Escuela, Univision 23
Fox 11 News, Alter the Melee, Producer, Pete Noyes
Vista L.A., ABC7

Best National Informational Programming
Beyond Borders: an MTV Tr3's Immigration Forum, MTV Networks
Hispanics Today, Producers Erica Ortiz & Don Kaiser
LatinEyes, Executive Producer, Andres Pruna
Maria Hinojosa One-on-One with Tony Plana, Producer, La Plaza-WGBH
Nick News with Linda Ellerbee, I'm American, you're not, Nickelodeon, Nickelodeon Network

Best Theatrical Short or Student Film
Below the Fold, The Pulitzer that Defined Latino Journalism, Produced & Directed by Roberto Gudino, Executive Producer Olga Briseno
Nina Quebrada, Produced by Diana Romero and Directed by Jen Kleiner
A Day at the Theatre: Produced by Karla Ojeda and Directed by Kenneth Castillo
Proof of Birth, Produced by Sergei Krasikav, Directed by Jose Luis Orbegozo
Suripanta, Produced by David Rodriguez and Edward Cohen, Directed by David Rodriguez Estrada

Best Documentary for Television
Borinqueneers (The) El Pozo Productions
Brown is the New Green, Producer & Director, Phillip Rodriguez
Made in L.A., Producer and Director, Robert Bahar and Almudena Carracedo
Orozco: Man of Fire, Producer and Director, Laurie Coyle and Rick Tejada Flores
Recycled Life (Cinemax Reel Life), Iwerks-Glad Production in association with HBO/Cinemax Documentary Film
Toxic City: This is Where I Live, Producer & Director, Nori Takei, mun2

Best Children's Programming
Dora the Explorer, Nickelodeon; Nickelodeon Network
El Tigre, The Adventures of Manny Rivera, Nickelodeon, Nickelodeon Network
Go, Diego, Go, Nickelodeon; Nickelodeon Network
Handy Manny, Disney Channel
Maya and Miguel, PBS

Best Variety or Reality Show
Ceasar and Chuy, LATV Networks
Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan, National Geographic Channel
Dancing with the Stars, ABC
Mi TRL Awards, MTV Networks
Step It Up & Dance, Bravo
Randy Jackson Presents, America's Best Dance Crew, MTV and Warner Horizon Television
Vivo Presents, Juanes, Producer, Shari Scorca, Executive Producer, Gloria Medel, mun2

Best Supporting Actress - Film
Danielle Polanco, Missy, Step Up 2 The Streets, Producer, Patrick Wachsberger & Erik Feig, Director, Jon M. Chu
Leonor Varela, Where God Left His Shoes, Written and Directed, Salvatore Stabile
Roselyn Sanchez, Game Plan, Producers Gordon Gray & mark Ciardi, Director, Andy Fickman

Best Supporting Actor - Film
David Castro, Where God Left His Shoes, Written and Directed by Salvatore Stabile
Eugenio Derbez, La Misma Luna, Producer/Director, Patricia Rigen
Jacob Vargas, Sleep Dealer, Producer, Anthony Bregman
Tego Calderon, Illegal Tender, Producer, John Singleton

Best Actress - Film
Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Love in the Time of Cholera, Directed by Mike Newell, Stone Village Pictures
Kate Del Castillo, La Misma Luna: Directed by Patricia Riggen, Fox Searchlight Pictures
Wanda de Jesus, Illegal Tender: Directed by Franc Reyes, New Deal Productions
Yvette Yates, Nina Quebrada: Directed by Jen Kleiner, The Collective

Best Actor - Film
Adrian Alonso, La Misma Luna: Directed by Patricia Riggen, Fox Searchlight Pictures
Javier Bardem, Love in the Time of Cholera Directed by Mike Newell, Stone Village Pictures
John Leguizamo, Where God Left His Shoes: Directed by Salvatore Stabile, Vulcan Productions
Rick Gonzalez, Illegal Tender: Directed by Franc Reyes, New Deal Productions

Best Director
Kenny Ortega, High School Musical 2, Disney Channel
Mike Newell, Love in the Time of Cholera, Stone Village Pictures
Patricia Riggen, La Misma Luna, Fox Searchlight Pictures

Best Picture
Alondra Smiles: Directed by Concha Nora Villa, Villa Media Productions
La Misma Luna: Directed by Patricia Riggen, Fox Searchlight Pictures
Love in the Time of Cholera: Directed by Mike Newell, Stone Village Pictures
Where God Left His Shoes, Directed by Salvatore Stabile, Vulcan Productions

Best Supporting Actress - Television
Cote de Pablo, NCIS: CBS, Belisarius Productions, Paramount Television
Eva La Rue, Miami CSI, CBS Television, CBS Productions
Maria Canals Barrera, Wizards of Waverly Place, Disney Channel, It's a Laugh Productions
Ana Ortiz, Ugly Betty, ABC Studios
Dana Ramirez, Heroes, NBC

Best Supporting Actor
Danny Pino, Cold Case, Jerry Bruckheimer Television in association with CBS Productions and Warner Bros. Television
Esai Morales, Jericho, CBS/Paramount Network Television
Jorge Garcia, Lost, ABC Studios
Shalim Ortiz, Heros, NBC,
Tony Plana, Ugly Betty, ABC Studios

Best Actress - Television
America Ferrera, Ugly Betty, ABC Studios
Christina Milian, Snowglobe, ABC and Disney Channel
Kathleen Herles, Dora the Explorer, Nickelodeon Network, Nickelodeon Studios
Selena Gomez, Wizards of Waverly Place, ABC Family, It's a Laugh Production

Best Actor - Television
Carlos Mencia, Mind of Mencia, Comedy Central
Edward James Olmos, Battlestar Galactica, The Sci-Fi Channel
James Roday, Psych CBS
Wilmer Valderamma, Handy Manny (animation), Disney Channel

Best Primetime Series
ER: NBC and Warner Bros. Television
Grey's Anatomy, ABC Studios, Mark Gordon Company
Lost, ABC, ABC Studios
Scrubs, ABC Studios, Dozer Productions
Ugly Betty, ABC Studios

The Imagen Foundation awards are unique in that they recognize entertainment entities and individuals who support Imagen’s mission which is to enhance opportunities for Latinos in front of and behind the camera and feature Latino actors in positive roles. The Imagen Foundation serves as a liaison between the industry and the Hispanic community by providing access, education and resources. Additional information regarding Imagen, its awards program and annual Job Fair in January is available at www.imagen.org or by calling (626) 836-6100.

LOS ANGELES: Earlier this month, the Lifetime Movie Network hosted a world premiere screening for the original movie Little Girl Lost: The Delimar Vera Story.

The film stars Judy Reyes (Scrubs) in the lead role as Luz Cuevas, a working class mother who is told that her infant daughter, Delimar, has perished in a suspicious fire in their Philadelphia row house. Despite the evidence and based only on her intuition as a mother Luz remains convinced that her daughter was kidnapped and that she’s still alive.

Luz and her husband (Luis Bustamante) attempt to put the tragedy behind them for the sake of their other children, however Luz continues to suspect her distant cousin (Ana Ortiz) of foul play and enlists the help of Angel Cruz (A Martinez), a sympathetic state representative. The film also features Marlene Forte and David Zayas.

A must see presentation, the movie premieres on Sunday, Aug 17 at 8PM ET/9PM PT, on the Lifetime Movie Network.

EAST LOS ANGELES: Seventy-six teens from the Boys & Girls Clubs of East Los Angeles are recipients of $225,000 in scholarships provided by Toyota Financial Services. This is the second year TFS has provided scholarships for the club’s members, staff and recent alumni under its “Making Life Easier” program. In recognition of the tremendous success of last year’s scholarship recipients, TFS increased the fund from $150,000 to $225,000 this year.

The scholarship fund is part of TFS’s national giving strategy of supporting at risk youth who have shown academic achievement and serve as role models by volunteering in their community. The scholarships will allow economically disadvantaged youth to pursue their higher education goals by providing up to $10,000 for university, college, trade or vocational school tuition and fees. In addition to scholarships, TFS has once again provided the Boys & Girls Clubs of East L.A. $275,000 in funding for the club’s after-school programs and family economic development programs.

The awards presentation was held at a luncheon, Aug. 13, at which recipients received backpacks filled with school supplies and also a tour of a private Auto Museum at Toyota’s headquarters in Torrance, CA. Scholarship recipients were accompanied by their families, Boys & Girls Clubs of East L.A. Executive Director Anna Araujo, TFS President & CEO George Borst and hundreds of TFS employees.

Scholarship recipients include Brittany Ulloa, 17; Manuel Garcia, Jr., 23; and Claudia Guerrero, 21. Ulloa, admitted to Wellesley with dreams of becoming a doctor to help less fortunate people here and abroad. President of the club’s Keystone Club, she considers the staff and other members her second family and “the epitome of what giving back is all about.”

Garcia is a junior at Cal State L.A. studying civic engineering. He credits his time as a member and a tutor at the Boys & Girls Club as a driving force in shaping his character and giving him confidence in himself to pursue a college degree.

Guerrero, 21, admitted to University of Phoenix is seeking a BA in human resources. She has been involved with the Boys & Girls Club since she was five and works there today as an administrative assistant. “Every community has its problems,” says Guerrero, “but to me there is no place like East Los Angeles." She began her studies at Chico State , but had to put them on hold and return to Los Angeles. As time went on, she became depressed that she was not in school and then afraid to pick up where she had left off. But coming back to the Boys & Girls Club, she began to realize that “the only person holding me back was myself.” She now looks forward to continuing her work at the club and starting classes once more this fall.

NEXT POST: Coming soon – stay tuned.