In this issue:
On Sunday, March 21st, I joined more than 200,000 immigrants and activists in Washington D.C. to call on Congress to enact comprehensive immigration reform. As it turned out, Congress was in session that weekend. Although the mainstream media may have focused on the healthcare debate, there was no denying that our clamor from the Washington Mall was heard loud and clear in the halls of Congress.
This national rally was peaceful, jovial and strikingly diverse. Community leaders from all sectors, ethnicities and religions came out in droves in an overwhelming sign of unity for immigration reform – a unity that has not been present in the last couple of years. The crowd, young and old, came from all over the country to remind President Obama of his promise to act on immigration reform this year.
NHMC was instrumental in recruiting the #1 most listened-to Spanish-language radio host in the country, Piolin, and the popular band, the Lonely Boys, to participate in this national event; and we look forward to continued participation in the immigration reform movement. We know that the pervasiveness of anti-Latino hate speech and misinformation in media makes it difficult for Congress to enact comprehensive immigration reform, which is just another reason why NHMC is working tirelessly to push back against hate and and misinformation, and is working closely with other activists and civil right groups to push for the reform that our community so rightly needs and deserves.
The urgent need for immigration reform is obvious as we see local and state authorities abusing the rights of Latinos. I am disturbed and disheartened about what is happening in Arizona. Arizona legislators just approved SB 1070, the harshest and most unfair anti-Latino measure in the country. The bill allows local police to delve into whether people are in the country illegally if they have "reasonable suspicion." Governor Jan Brewer is expected to sign the bill. What does reasonable suspicion mean? Brown skin? This bill is not only outrageous – it is likely to be found unconstitutional. NHMC will be paying close attention to the state of Arizona, and will join forces with our civil rights allies to protect the people of Arizona from any further abuse.
Finally, and on a completely different note, this month we said goodbye to our beloved "Ugly Betty." Our favorite television series has come to an end after a good four-season run. Four years ago, young girls from all over the country and of all ethnicities met an incredible role model. Betty was not beautiful, stick-thin, rich or fashionable, but she was determined, intelligent, ethnical and brave. Betty could rely on her close-knit, supportive family. She dared to dream and at the end made it far. "Ugly Betty" was much more than a Latino-theme program. It turned out to have a broader social message that honestly addressed immigration, LGBT rights, single motherhood, loving your family and a whole host of other real issues that affect many of our daily lives. We thank ABC for "Ugly Betty," and look forward to continue seeing our three-dimensional stories on the small screen.
CALL TO ACTION: ONE QUICK AND EASY STEP CAN HELP COMBAT HATE SPEECH IN MEDIA
Please go to www.nhmc.org/calltoaction to sign up to tell the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that you are sick of hearing hate speech in media. The FCC responds to public outcry, and your voice can make a difference! Please take two minutes of your time to show the FCC that the public cares about this issue. An easy form can be filled out on www.nhmc.org/calltoaction. The DEADLINE IS MAY 7th!
Please remember to mail back your Census Questionnaire. Households who have not mailed back their forms by April 16 will be visited by a census worker in the next few weeks. Ensuring all communities are counted in the 2010 U.S. Census is critical to our nation’s
prosperity. For Latinos, an accurate Census count is key to further building our political strength, and ensuring that our communities have the resources they need.
For assistance with filling out the form, the Census Bureau and community organizations in your local area will be available to offer assistance. You can call 1 866 872-6868 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 1 866 872-6868 or visit Census.gov for more information.
The National Association of Latino Independent Producers celebrated their 11th annual conference "NALIP 2010: Navigating in a Sea of Change" on April 8 – April 11 at the Loews Hotel in Santa Monica, CA. It was a great conference that brought together prominent filmmakers from across the globe and offered a variety of workshops, panels, discussions, and networking events aimed for media professionals. At their gala, NALIP honored media luminaries, Peter Murrieta ("Wizards of Waverly Place", Exec Producer) with the Outstanding Achievement Award, Lupe Ontiveros (Selena) with the Lifetime Achievement Award, and our very own NHMC President, Alex Nogales with the Lifetime Advocacy Award. Peter Bratt (La Mission) and Nicolas Entel (Sins of My Father) were also honored with the Estela Award. The gala was hosted by Freestyle Love Supreme.
Conference and Gala participants and speakers included: Actor Benjamin Bratt, Soledad O’Brien (CNN author and anchor), Roberto Orci (Star Trek, Transformers), Clint Culpepper (President, Screen Gems), Chris Weitz (New Moon), Rodrigo Garcia (Mother and Child), Ligiah Villalobos (La Misma Luna), Lin-Manuel Miranda ("In the Heights" Musical), Efren Ramirez (Napoleon Dynamite) Jesus Trevino ("Chicago Hope"), David Henrie ("Wizards of Waverly Place"), Jennifer Stone ("Wizards of Waverly Place"), Eilene Heisler ("The Middle"/ "Lipstick Jungle"), Alex Rivera (Sleep Dealer)and Paul Stupin ("Make it or Break It").
Legendary math teacher Jaime Escalante, who transformed a tough East Los Angeles high school and inspired the classic movie Stand and Deliver, passed away on March 30 at his son’s home near Sacramento. Escalante was 79.
A public farewell for this community icon is taking place this weekend at two ceremonies in East Los Angeles. On Friday, April 16, from 2:00 pm – 8:00 pm, a wake will be held in a reconstruction of his 1980s classroom at Garfield High School, at 5101 East 6th Street in Los Angeles. On Saturday, April 17, a procession will leave Garfield High School at 9:00 am and mourners will walk to the stadium at East Los Angeles College (ELAC). Services will begin at 11:00 am. The stadium is located near the corner of Floral Drive and Bleakwood Avenue on the northwest edge of the ELAC campus. The public is invited and encouraged to attend these events.
In lieu of floral tributes, contributions to the Jaime Escalante Legacy Project are welcomed. Donations can be made via mail, to 236 W. Mountain St., Suite 105, Pasadena, CA 91103 or online at www.edwardjamesolmos.com. Donation boxes will be available at Garfield High School and ELAC. Personal messages of appreciation for Mr. Escalante’s life and work will be received at escalante@fasenet.org.
On March 27 NHMC participated in the L.A Media Reform Summit offering the "Hate Speech and Bad Stories" workshop. Alex Nogales begin_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highlighting, President and CEO of NHMC; Javier Iribarren, Assistant Director at the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center;and Garret Broad, Doctoral Student at the Annenberg School of Communications at USC, directed the panel and spoke of the detrimental effects of hate speech in the media.
