FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 20, 2017
CONTACT Clarissa Corona 213.718.0732 communications@nhmc.org
NHMC Remembers Comedian Bill Dana as Conscientious and Creative Friend
Over the weekend, comedian and comedy writer Bill Dana passed away peacefully in his Nashville home at the age of 92. Bill Dana was best known for playing the role of José Jiménez, a popular character in the 1960s that Dana created and portrayed on multiple variety shows, including his own, “The Bill Dana Show.” In 1970, after hearing the concerns of the Latino community relating to the negative stereotypes associated with the Jiménez character, Bill announced that he would stop portraying Jiménez. Said Alex Nogales, President and CEO of the National Hispanic Media Coalition: “Our good friend and conscientious creative spirit, Bill Dana, has left us but his legacy remains. Dana played the stereotypical role of José Jiménez in the 60s but abandoned the profitable character because of the harm that it caused the Latino community. Dana listened to Latino leadership and learned how fictional misrepresentations of Latinos negatively skew public perspectives. I’m proud to have called him my friend and I always thanked him for his courage to sacrifice the character that was such a pivotal part of his career in entertainment. We need more people like Dana to stand up and change the face of the industry.” NHMC honored Bill in 2002 at their annual Impact Awards Gala for his contributions to the positive portrayal of Latinos on television. A comedy star in the 1950s and 60s, Bill’s character portrayals were reportedly a favorite of NASA’s first astronauts, the Mercury Seven, who made him the honorary eighth member of the group.###
The National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC) is a media advocacy and civil rights organization for the advancement of Latinos, working towards a media that is fair and inclusive of Latinos, and towards universal, affordable, and open access to communications. Receive real-time updates on Facebook, Twitter @NHMC and Instagram @NHMC_org.
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