The life of legendary Hollywood actor and internationally renowned artist Pepe Serna is revealed in Pepe Serna: Life Is Art, a one-hour documentary film directed by Luis Reyes will be available for streaming on Apple TV, Amazon, Google Play, and Vudu on February 21, 2024. Told by Serna himself, the documentary follows his lengthy acting career and artistic life and provides viewers with a rare opportunity to discover previously unseen and unknown sides of the actor’s journey. 

With over 100 film and television credits, Serna is most recognized for his iconic role opposite Al Pacino in the classic film Scarface as Ángel Fernández, whose grisly demise is one of the most memorable in cinema history. Born in Corpus Christi, Texas in 1944, Serna built a career from the ground up and appeared in films such as Car Wash with Richard Pryor, Postcards from the Edge with Meryl Streep, The Jerk with Steve Martin, and Academy Award-winning director Alexander Payne’s Downsizing with Matt Damon. 

Eva Longoria and Edward James Olmos, both longtime friends of Serna, provide personal insight and perspective on his versatility and longevity as an actor and artist alongside Cheech Marin, Gloria Calderón Kellett, Luis Valdez and many others.

Throughout his journey, he has inspired countless Latino artists to follow in his footsteps by delivering powerful performances for filmmakers such as Brian De Palma, Clint Eastwood, John Schlesinger, Dalton Trumbo, Roger Corman, Henry Hathaway, William Friedkin and Dick Donner. 

Serna’s career is a testament to how far Latinos have come in Hollywood. He has indisputably claimed a reputable place in one of the world’s most competitive industries for his story-telling abilities and unique drive to empower not just Latinos but also other underserved communities. 

His recent memoir “Life is Art” recounts his motivational story from humble beginnings and offers life-changing lessons to overcoming adversity. “Life is Art” is available now for purchase here.

In addition to Hollywood success, Pepe is a visual artist whose paintings have been exhibited in galleries around the world. He also conducts motivational and improvisational workshops in high schools nationwide.

The documentary received awards in 2022 including Best Documentary at the Official Latino Film and Arts Festival, and the Poppy Jasper International Film Festival, Audience Award at the San Diego Latino Film Festival, and Festival Prize at the South Texas International Film Festival.

Most recently, Serna can be seen in Eva Longoria’s feature directorial debut Flamin’ Hot and on Amazon’s TV series With Love.

For additional information on Pepe Serna: Life Is Art, please visit: 

Website: https://www.pepeserna.net

Facebook: @https://www.facebook.com/pepesernanews/

Instagram: @https://www.instagram.com/pepefied11/

Purchase the book today Here

Cast: Luis Valdez (Playwright, director Zoot Suit, La Bamba), Edward James Olmos (Oscar-nominated actor & director), Eva Longoria (actor, producer & director), Gloria Calderón Kellet (showrunner on “One Day at a Time,” “With Love”), David Ansen (former Newsweek film critic), Cheech Marin (of the comedy duo Cheech and Chong, actor & art collector) and Robert Beltran (actor, Cmdr. Chakotay in Star Trek: Voyager TV series)

Produced By: Kayvon Derak Shanian, David Méndez and Isaac Artenstein 

Executive Produced by: David Damian Figueroa 

Directed By: Luis Reyes

Run Time: 1 hour and 2 minutes

Rating: Not rated

The post ‘Pepe Serna: Life is Art’ Chronicling Actor’s Career in Hollywood To Stream on Digital Platforms first appeared on .

By Roberto Leal

With the recent release of Flamin’ Hot, Eva Longoria, the talented actor, producer,
makes her directorial debut telling us an inspirational Horatio Alger-like story with a
decided Mexican twist of Richard Montañez, the humble janitor working for Frito-Lay
who developed the spicy seasoning for Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, America’s favorite snack
chip.

While the nuts-and-bolts facts surrounding the development of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos are
in dispute, Longoria doesn’t go into that aspect of the story but rather brings clear
focus the body and soul of this story which is Richard Montañez’s rags-to-riches, triumph over adversity buoyed by the strength of his Mexican heritage and close-knit family.

Jesse Garcia (The Avengers) gives an honest, sympathetic performance as Richard, a
young Mexican struggling to navigate and overcome the barriers of a troubled upbringing and systemic racism to realize his ambitions and dreams.

Annie Gonzalez (Gentefied, Vida) delivers an excellent performance as Judy, Richard’s wife who bolsters, encourages, scolds, and never loses faith in Richard. In many ways, Judy’s never faltering strength in this story is reminiscent of the tireless determination of the Mexican wives in the  Herbert J. Biberman directed feature The Salt of the Earth (1954) who were the driving force behind the copper miners strike in New Mexico.

Judy’s presence in the film reminds us that Mexican society is not necessarily a male dominated, macho one, but more often a matriarchal hierarchy ruled by: las madres, abuelas, tias, hermanas, and comadres. At least that was the reality in my family.

Longoria’s even-handed directing style is crisp and fast-paced. She allows the story to evolve and reveal itself at its own chosen speed. There are no slow parts in Flamin’ Hot. The story is punctuated and rounded out by the casting of veteran character actors: Dennis Haysbert, Tony Shouloub, and Pepe Serna.

Flamin’ Hot was recently screened at the White House as part of the administration’s advocacy efforts to strengthen DACA and immigration reform. Alicia Menendez, host of MSNBC’s American Voices asked Longoria why she made Flamin’ Hot: “It’s a love letter to the Mexican American community”, said Longoria.

“When I think about tonight’s movie, I think about courage. So many of you, your ancestors left behind all that they knew to start a new life in the United States,” President Biden said as he addressed a crowd of over 900 person there for the outdoor screening of the film for community, White House staff and press.

Flamin’ Hot is indeed a love letter to our community. But it is also a message to Hollywood we need to see more positive representations of Latinos in film, TV and theater and we have exceptionally talented storytellers, like Eva Longoria, to bring those “love letters” to American audiences and beyond.

Richard Montañez disrupted the food industry in the ‘90s by channeling his Mexican American heritage to help turn Flamin’ Hot Cheetos into a multibillion-dollar brand today and a cultural phenomenon,” Longoria said. “We are telling a story that celebrates the American entrepreneurial dream without sidestepping the fact that the dream isn’t available in the same way for everyone.”

Flamin’ Hot starring Jesse Garcia and Annie Gonzalez is currently streaming on Hulu and
Disney+.

The post Eva Longoria’s Movie ‘Flamin’ Hot’ is a Sizzlin’ Hit first appeared on .

Sitting “al fresco” at the community screening of Eva Longoria’s directorial debut Flamin Hot (releasing June 9, 2023), at Los Ángeles cultural center La Plaza de Cultura Y Artes was such a beautiful experience! 

Over 1000 men, women, and children, mostly Latino audience seeing themselves reflected on screen.  It was an amazing thing to witness.  As I looked around at the audience I saw grown men watching the screen with wonder. The ladies hooting and hollering when the female character took charge, while the children watched and giggled along. I turned to look back and saw a wave community collectively feeling what representation on screen feels and looks like, as they watch a Latino-themed, all-Latino cast film directed by Longoria and produced by the man that saw its potential Devon Franklin (Miracles from Heaven). 

This inspiring true story of Richard Montañez (Jesse Garcia), a Frito Lay janitor who disrupted the food industry by channeling his Mexican heritage to turn Flamin’ Hot Cheetos from a snack into an iconic global pop culture phenomenon.  He along with his wife Judy (Annie Gonzalez) knew how our community loves to spice up any food with a little bit of “chile”.  He saw an opportunity and took it. Back in the early 1990’s Montañez convinced the big bosses at Frito-Lay they were missing out on making money with the growing Latino consumer market.  That caught their attention.   

So when the company’s marketing failed to attract the Latino community, Montañez rallied his co-worker and friends, and family to help promote the new Flamin’ Hot Cheetos product to the people he knew would love it. He took matters into his own hands creating a grassroots marketing campaign to prove that our community buys when we are marketed to with intention.

As a film-going community, we now have an opportunity to prove our VIEWING POWER.  We can choose to rally our friends and family to watch this film. 

Garcia and Gonzalez turn in outstanding performances as the lead of the film, and the supporting cast is a combination of established actors that include Emilio Rivera (Mayan MC), Tony Shalhoub (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Pepe Serna (Art is Life, Scarface) and Dennis Haysbert (Lucifer).  Additionally, other cast members include Bobby Soto (The Tax Collector)  and the charismatic Brice Gonzalez (Lopez vs. Lopez).  At the end of the day, if we can really show that we support well-made films with talented Latino actors, there will definitely be more stories.  Maybe next time it will be your story.  

Just as Montañez did in real life, rallying his community to support Flamin Hot Cheetos, we as a film-going community, have an opportunity to rally our friends and family to watch this film on Hulu and/or Disney+ starting Jun 9.  We have an opportunity to watch and enjoy this film and show our LATINO VIEWING POWER…and have a good time doing it.

When “community” comes together it is an unforgettable experience. 

The post ‘Flamin’ Hot’: Creating A Beautiful Experience And An Opportunity to Shine first appeared on .

It’s a film that the Los Angeles Times brought a lot of attention to early last year. And, although they didn’t intend it rally the community around this upcoming film, it did. It is a Latino rags to riches story and it was the Latino creative community’s story to tell. And what a story it is! All under the direction of actress, entrepreneur, producer and mother Eva Longoria who makes her feature film directorial debut with Searchlight’s upcoming Flamin’ Hot, the story of how Richard Montañez, a janitor, rose up to be Pepsico’s top Latino to head marketing initiatives at Pepsico, the parent company for Frito-Lay.

The new year kicked off with an exciting sneak peek in the People Magazine January 4^th article of Longoria’s film, Flamin’ Hot, which will premiere June 9 on Hulu. The film is based on the real life of Montañez, a Frito-Lay janitor who created the Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and, subsequently, rose to a high-level company executive position to market the brand. The movie also features film and TV show veteran actor Pepe Serna. Both Montañez and Serna serve as advisors to the Hispanic Coalition of Small Businesses (HCSB) and its Arts & Entertainment Committee, which is chaired by Bel Hernandez, Founder & CEO of LatinHeat Media.

“I had the privilege to be asked by Eva Longoria, my hometown (Corpus Christi, TX) star, producer, and first-time movie director, to play Richard Montanez’s mentor, his grandfather,” Serna told us and added, “This and many more stories like it must be told on screen! I intend to do my part as a contributing member of the HCSB Arts & Entertainment Committee to make this happen.”

“HCSB is proud to be a leading resource and voice of Hispanic and diverse small businesses as they pursue their dreams and goals, especially in this film and entertainment industry where minority voices are too often not heard nor heeded. Flamin’ Hot is a story about ALL of us, not just Richard,” said Frank Montes, HCSB Chairman of the Board. “Eva, Richard, Pepe and so many others in front of and behind the cameras in this industry are small business owners in their own right. HCSB is here to support these small businesses and help them succeed,” said Montes. 

The mostly Latino cast also features, in addition to Serna, Annie Gonzalez (Gentified, Vida, Shameless) as Judy Montañez, Richard’s wife and is co-creator as she was the one trying to get the recipe just right; Emilio Rivera (Mayans MC) who plays his dad and also Tony Shalhoub, Bobby Soto, Brice Gonzalez and Fabian Alomar.

Flamin’ Hot tells the story of how Montañez came up with an idea – adding hot sauce (a spicy food staple from his Mexican-American heritage) – to the company’s Cheetoes to create Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, the No. 1 snack in the world, which is a billion-dollar brand. The rest is history.

But Montanez simplifies it by saying, “It’s not about how smart you are. It’s about how are you smart.” Montañez spent his early childhood years in a migrant farm camp in Guasti, a town that borders the City of Ontario in the Greater Inland Empire region of Southern California. Then he moved to Ontario and grew up in the barrio. “I never went to school for a formal education,” said Montañez, “but I earned a PhD from the streets – Poor, Hungry, and Determined,” he jokes. On a more serious note, Montañez sends a message to the Latino community, small business owners, and all our children, “Come out and support the movie! If you have an idea, don’t let anyone tell you it can’t be done!”

Flamin’ Hot is produced by DeVon Franklin; written by Lewis Colick and Linda Yvette Chavez for Searchlight Pictures.

The post Richard Montañez: From Janitor to Marketing Executive In Eva Longoria’s Feature Film Directorial debut, ‘Flamin’ Hot’ first appeared on .

“After eight successful years of bringing unique, independent cinema to Northeast L.A., the Highland Park Independent Film Festival is looking forward to our busiest and best year yet,” said HPIFF Co-Founder Mark Reitman.

Kicking off the celebration of the independent film scene, HPIFF’s Opening Night on October 7 will pay homage to the 30th anniversary of Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs that was originally filmed locally throughout Highland Park. The red carpet to open the fest begins at 6 p.m. and the opening night program will follow with the free screening of the film itself preceded by a special presentation of the short film Abuelo, starring Pepe Serna (Scarface) and Izabella Alvarez (Euphoria). 

Previously presented to notable actors like Danny Trejo, this year’s Highland Park Independent Film Festival Humanitarian Award will be presented to Executive Producer and life-long Activist, Dolores Huerta, preceding the screening of her work on Feature Documentary, Backstreet to the American Dream on closing day of October 8 at 4 p.m. Directed by award-winning filmmaker and journalist Patricia Nazario, the bilingual documentary explores the modern-day American Dream and takes a deep dive into the birthplace of the food truck revolution – Los Angeles – which juxtaposes the experiences of American entrepreneurs and Mexican immigrants in the industry.

For the first time in its history, HPIFF will showcase a block of short Horror films, Horror in the Hood, featuring three world premieres screening on Friday night at 9:30 p.m. following the screening of Reservoir Dogs. 

An impressive line-up of short blocks including award-winning short films screens on Saturday from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.  These films represent the best of independent cinema from across the country and the world with a focus on local, Latinx, and LGBTQ+ voices. 

This year’s award categories include, Best Documentary Feature, Best Short Film, Best Performance, Best Cinematography, Best Musical Composition, Audience Awards and Honorable Mentions, among others. 

The Highland Park Independent Film Festival program consists of the following films and screening times:

Opening Night Films, Friday October 7, 2022 at 7 PM, Theater 2

“ABUELO”

Directed by Kayvon Derak Shanian

Reservoir Dogs

Directed by Quentin Tarantino

Horror In the Hood Friday, October 7 at 9:30 PM, Theater 2

“I’ll Be Back Tomorrow”

Directed by Summers Brothers Slabaugh

“Worm Food” – World Premiere

Directed by Joel & Shane O’Loughlin

“Something in the Garden”

Directed by Marcos Sánchez

“7 MINUTES IN HELL”

Directed by Jacob Rosenthal

“A Little Dead”

Directed by Ben Richardson

“Kickstart my Heart”

Directed by Kelsey Bollig

“Hell Hole”

Directed by Gregory Shultz

“Midnight Screams” – World Premiere

Directed by Sean Menendez

“Relax With Draco” – World Premiere

Directed by Julia Zanin de Paula

“Survivers”

Directed by Carlos Gómez-Trigo

SCI-FI ON FIG, Saturday, October 8, 2022 at 12 PM, Theater 2  

“Talk to Me”                                                                 

Directed by Daren Dien      

“See You On The Other Side”

Directed by Summers Brothers  

“Empiricism” 

Directed by Nate Hapke 

“ZER0 0NE ZER0”

Directed by Graham High   

“Sophie & Stephen” – World Premiere

Directed by Rob Perri                                                                            

“Another Night Out” – World Premiere

Directed by Jamie Connors

“Twenty Four Heaven”

Directed by Anna Tes                                                                  

“Keep/Delete”

Directed by Kryzz Gautier

ARROYO SECO Shorts, Saturday, October 8, 2022 at 2:30 PM, Theater 2 

“My Summer Vacation” 

Directed by Kelly O’Sullivan

“The Great American Short Story”                                                     

Directed by Daniel  Maggio  

“Car Stealers”                                                

Directed by Christopher Guerrero

“Uqi” – World Premiere

Directed by Peter Cameron

“Dog Lover” –  World Premiere                                                                 

Directed by Anne-Sophie Bine

“What a Harvest” – World Premiere                                                                          

Directed by Austin Davison

“Return to Sender”

Directed by Russell Goldman

“Out and Back”

Directed by Chad Corhan                                                                      

Los Filmmakers ’22, Saturday, October 8, 2022 at 5 PM, Theater 2

“La Macana”                                     

Directed by Maria Mealla

“CANCELED”

Directed by Christopher Guerrero

“Calabaza”

Directed by Stephanie Osuna-Hernandez 

“No Soy Óscar”                                                                 

Directed by Jon Ayon 

“Borders”                                                                 

Directed by Frank Velasquez 

“Huella”                                                                     

Directed by Gabriela Ortega

“Hey”                                                                                

Directed by Felix Martiz

“Chico Virtual”

Directed by Olivia De Camps

“Lodo”                                                                   

Directed by Alessandro Gentile                                                                                      

ROUTE 66 Shorts, Saturday, October 8, 2022 at 8 PM, Theater 2

“UNBOUND”

Directed by Sarah Moshman

“Frank & Emmet”

Directed by Carlos F.Puertolas

“The Lonely Store”

Directed by Amy Roy

“Hotter Up Close”

Directed by Leland Montgomery 

“White Now Please”                                                           

Directed by Kyle Lau

“Madness Incarnate” –  World Premiere

Directed by Olivia Wong

“Lead/Follow” – L.A. / California Premiere

Directed by Colby Day

“The Weight of It”

Directed by The Weight of It

“So Much More to Offer”

Directed by Sheila Sofian

“These Hands Were Made For Knockn’”

Directed by Laura Herring                                     

Documentary Features, Screening in Order Saturday, October 8, 2022 in Theater 3 at 12, 1, 2:30 and 4 PM             

Échale Ganas: The Villa’s Tacos Story   

Directed by Shirley Yumeng He

UNIDAD: Gay & Lesbian Latinos Unidos                                           

Directed by Gregorio Davila

Sound of The Surf                                     

Directed by John Blair

Backstreet to the American Dream                                                                  

Directed by Patricia Nazario 

The post The Highland Park Independent Film Returns to the Highland Theater October 7-8 first appeared on .

Farmworker Justice is a nonprofit organization that seeks to empower migrant and seasonal farmworkers to improve their living and working conditions, immigration status, health, occupational safety, and access to justice. Farmworker Justice’s Los Angeles Awards provide an opportunity to bring together supporters and contributors from the business, legal, government, and nonprofit communities to report and highlight its important work. They also serve to recognize individuals, businesses and other organizations that have demonstrated leadership, commitment, dedication and sacrifice to address the ongoing plight that farmworkers face each and every day in America. For more information visit the Farmworker Justice website at www.farmworkerjustice.org and follow #FarmworkerJustice.

This year’s honorees are:

DeVon Franklin, (Flamin’ Hot) award-winning producer, New York Times bestselling author and renowned motivational speaker, recipient of the Social Justice in the Arts Award for his commitment to diversity in film, securing and producing a major motion picture with a majority of Latinos in front and behind the camera. Flamin’ Hot highlights the life of a child farmworker who made it to the upper echelons of corporate America through innovation and marketing. Actor Emilio Rivera (Mayans M.C., Flamin’ Hot) will present the award.

Teresa Romero, President of United Farm Workers (UFW), recipient of the Dolores Huerta Award for her decades-long activism, dedication and commitment to farmworker rights and living conditions.

Enrique Castillo, (Weeds, Blood In Blood Out) actor, writer, producer, activist, and former child farmworker from Calexico, is the recipient of the Farmworker Justice Award for his social justice activism, beginning with his work with El Teatro Campesino, Zoot Suit, and his play Veteranos: A Legacy of Valor about Latinos in the military, and Congressional Medal of Honor recipients who fought for America’s defense, and his activism thru film.

Shura Wallin, border activist and co-founder of humanitarian group Green Valley-Sahuarita Samaritan, recipient of the Shelley Davis Humanitarian Award, for her unparalleled dedication as a leader in the fight to secure border relief to immigrants in peril and reconnecting families of those who have perished from the harsh conditions crossing the border. Legendary singer Linda Ronstadt will present the award via video.

Farmworker Justice CEO Ron Estrada will provide keynote remarks on the state of farmworkers and proposed solutions to the numerous challenges they face as well as the work of Farmworker Justice and its allies across the nation to fulfill its mission.

“I am delighted to start my tenure at Farmworker Justice by honoring these four individuals who continue to fight for justice for America’s farmworkers,” says Ron Estrada. “Through their work, they remind us all of the important role that our trabajadores agrícolas play, picking the fruits and vegetables that American families consume every day. Farmworkers are too often invisible to the general public, yet they are the frontline heroes that feed America. This event is about farmworkers, their families, and all who have worked in the fields so the rest of us can eat.”

Iconic Hollywood actor and activist Pepe Serna (With Love, Flamin’ Hot) will deliver the keynote presentation.

This year’s Presenting Sponsor is PepsiCo.

Click to buy tickets. NOTE: Proof of COVID vaccination will be required to attend the event.

The post Farmworker Justice L.A. Awards To Honor Social Justice Leaders first appeared on .

By Bel Hernandez Castillo

David Damian Figueroa is an artist, storyteller, and activist at heart.  He is also a producer and an author whose second book “El Oz”, a new children’s book loosely based on “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” is top on the Fiction Bestseller list at publisher Lulu.com.

Four years ago David Damian moved from Los Angeles to La Quinta in the Coachella Valley, a two-hour drive East of L.A.  Since then he has written two books, produced a TV talk show pilot, three independent films, poetry, and digital art exhibited in museums. He is currently also working on developing two reality television shows.  The move definitely suited him.

We wonder how he finds the time to do all this when he is also working full-time as the Director of Development with the non-profit organization Farmworker Justice whose work helps to improve farmworker’s living and working conditions.

His mother’s untimely early death left a void in his heart, a need to live more fully.  “When she passed away it left this longing in me,” Figueroa explained.  “Life is to be enjoyed, life is to be experienced. Whatever amount of time we have we need to say, ‘I can do this. I can be that…why can’t I have that?’”

Loosely based on “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” by L. Frank Baum, “El Oz” tells the story of a young girl from El Pueblito de Los Milagros, Dolores, and her Chihuahua, Pepito.  They live on a ranchito with Tia Tonia and Tios Ozvaldo, Wilfredo, Pablo, and Leonardo. Dolores’ simple life is filled with dancing, chores of feeding the farm animals, laundry, and cooking meals for the family. Her Tia and Tios struggle to make ends meet and pay the rent to Señora Vicenta the landlady.  When a sudden rainstorm hits Dolores and Pepito take cover falling asleep under a large tree. When they awake, they find themselves in a strange land. A place where flowers with faces sing and her dog, Pepito, can now speak. 

El Oz is Figueroa’s personal tribute to one of his heroes, civil rights activist and co-founder of the United Farm Workers, Dolores Huerta, as well as his farmworker family back in Yuma, Arizona.  “They have taught me the value of hard work and never giving up on one’s dreams.”

In the book, a hummingbird guides Dolores (named after his hero Huerta) to the guardian Necaxa, who gives her a red heart-shaped necklace for protection and instructs Dolores to follow her own heart, down a Talavera-tiled path to Ozlandia to meet El Oz. Only he can help her to return home. Along the way, Dolores and Pepito meet Necaxa, Los Chiquitos, El Empresario, and befriend Welo, Hierro, and El Leon. They help protect Dolores from the evil and wicked La Chaquetza and Los Malalas.

David Damian is executive producer of  “Pepe Serna Life is Art,” a documentary about the amazing life and career of veteran actor Pepe Serna. The film was an official selection of The Palm Springs Film Festival. David Damian also produced Abuelo, a short film starring Serna which was accepted into the 2022 Cannes Film Festival’s Market Section. He is also an executive producer on Food Chains, a documentary about the plight of U.S. farmworkers that premiered at Berlinale – The Berlin International Film Festival.

David was recently interviewed on Latin Heat’s Hollywood Talks by Bel Hernandez.

El Oz is available at all retailers including lulu.com, Barnes & Noble, Walmart, Amazon, Google Books and Apple Books

Product Details:
ISBN-13: 9781678011451
Publisher: Lulu.com
Publication Date: 02/22/2022
Pages: 118
Dimensions: 6 X 9

The post Producer/Activist David Damian Figueroa’s New Book ‘El Oz’, A Journey of Discovery first appeared on .

Feature titles include: Going Rogue, Hometown Proud, Illegal, In the Defense Against Tyranny, La Llorona, Linda and the Mockingbirds, Sound Of Justice, The Horror Crowd, Tu Me Manques, Tuscaloosa, and Phoenix, Oregon. 

This year’s festival also presents several Orange County filmmakers, programming partnerships with the cities of Denver, Colorado and San Antonio, Texas. It also offers a special focus on democracy. The program showcases movies from Mexico, Bolivia, United Kingdom, Italy, Taiwan, Macedonia, The Republic Of Moldova, Ghana, Tunisia, India, Iran and Iraq.

Conversations with filmmakers, workshops and special programs are also part of the festival’s 11th annual edition.

The OC Film Fiesta is a program of Media Arts Santa Ana, MASA, a project of the nonprofit Community Partners.

For tickets and more information, visit www.masamedia.org

—CESAR ARREDONDO

The post Leguizamo’s Latest Movie to Screen at OC Film Fest first appeared on .

Rep. Joaquin Castro, (TX-20),Chair of the Hispanic Caucus along with Congressional Black Caucus Chair Rep. Karen Bass (CA-37), and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Chair Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27) brought forth the House Judiciary Committee hearing on Diversity in America: The Representation of People of Color in the Media which was open to the public on youtube as well as the Judiciary Committee’s website.

Testifying virtually before the hearing were Actor/Director Erika Alexander, Actor/Director/Producer and activist Edward James Olmos, Actor/Producer Daniel Dae Kim, Recording Artist/Actor/Author Joy Villa, Jason Whitlock, Sports Journalist, Stacy L. Smith, on behalf of the Annenberg school of Communications and Journalism and Karyn A. Temple, Sr. VP and Global General Counsel fo the Motion Picture Association, Inc.

Veteran actor Pepe Serna submitted his Statement; and Alma Martinez’s statement is below in its entirety:

STATEMENT

I am Dr. Alma Martinez. I am an American film, television and stage actor and, as well,  a university professor and published author. I hold a PhD  in Drama from Stanford University, an MFA in Acting from the University of Southern California, a Dartmouth College Cesar Chavez Dissertation Fellow alum, a Fulbright Scholar and a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Actors Branch (AMPAS). 

My induction into AMPAS reflects my extensive body of work in the films Zoot Suit, Under Fire, Barbarosa, Born in East LA, Cake, Transpecos, Crossing Over, Ms. Purple, Clemency and in TV programs such as Gentefied, Undone, Queen Sugar,  The Bridge, American Crime Story: People vs OJ,  Elena of Avalor, The Terror Infamy, Corridos Tales of Passion and Revolution, among others.  I have acted on Broadway, Off-Broadway, in regional theatres across the country and on Mexican and European stages. These combined projects have garnered; Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Awards; Oscar, Golden Globe and Emmy awards/nominations; Tony Award and;  Los Angeles Drama Critics and New York Drama Desk awards. 

In my decades of working in the entertainment industry, I have shared the screen and stage with distinguished acting colleagues Gene Hackman, Edward James Olmos, Alfre Woodard, Lupe Ontiveros, Ed Harris, Jean Louis Trintignant, George Takei, Liev Schreiber, Diane Weist, Danny Trejo, Nick Nolte, Jennifer Aniston, Cheech Marin, Frances Conroy and worked with directors like Zack Snyder, America Ferrera,  Ryan Murphy, Ava DuVernay, Luis Valdez, Chinonye Chukwa, Roger Spottiswoode, Peter Medak, Jill Soloway, Fred Schepsi, Daniel Barnez, among others.

In my acting and professorial career, I continually work to move our Latino community and our country,  closer to becoming a true Democracy that affords the same opportunities to all. Prior to coming to Hollywood, I was a member of El Teatro Campesino, one of the most important political theatre companies of the 1960’s and 70’s. Founded by Luis Valdez as an organizing tool for the burgeoning Farmworkers Union led by Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta,  the company went on to win an Obie and for Luis Valdez, countless awards. For four months, we did a bus and truck tour across Europe playing in large Roman and small amphitheaters,  town squares, under tents and at international theatre festivals. In the U.S. our bus and truck tour crossed the Southwest for 6 months. We played at union. meetings, church halls, schools, school cafeterias, outdoor squares, and occasionally, a real theatre. Our play, La Gran Carpa de los Rasquachis, (The Grand  Tent of the Underdogs) with its message, demanding  human and labor rights for farm workers, rallied audiences and standing ovations in the U.S. and Europe. Up until that point, I had never experienced the power of theatre to change mind, hearts and lives. As a young actor in Hollywood, I joined NOSTROS the Latino Professional Actors organization founded by Ricardo Montalban to support and guide actors in Hollywood. As a member of SAG, I ran for office on a platform with other Latino actors, the first such effort in the union’s history. I have given presentations on  “The Evolution of  Latino Images in Film” at over 100 university, colleges, high schools and conferences across the  country. As a member of AMPAS I have reached out to other professionals of color to encourage and guide them through the nomination process which, up until ten years ago, had been a process closely guarded by existing members, the majority of whom where white men. To date, I have helped 10 entertainment professionals of color become members. 

As a director of theatre, I select plays that I feel speak to our place in time. Over the past three years, I’ve directed; Facing Our Truth: Plays on Trayvon Race and Privilege (multiple playwrights);  Luis Valdez’s Los Vendidos, Vietnam Campesino and Los Militants and I am currently directing Anna Deavere Smith’s play Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992. 

I received my first union card (Actors Equity Association) in 1978 when I performed in the play Zoot Suit written and directed by Luis Valdez. The play was the first entirely Chicano/Mexican American production,  including the playwright, cast and director, ever produced at Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles. Zoot Suit  broke all existing box office records and then moved to the Aquarius Theatre for an extended 10 month run. For the first time in the history of Los Angeles professional mainstream theatre, Chicano and Latino audiences flocked to the Music Center, filled the 750 seat Mark Taper Forum and 1, 200 seat Aquarius Theatre,  to capacity. They sat enraptured by a play that depicted one of the darkest untold stories in Los Angeles history, the Zoot Suit Riots and the Sleepy Lagoon Murder Trial (circa 1945-47). What had for decades been a silenced and pained memory, became a celebration and vindication in the hands of master playwright Luis Valdez. In Valdez’s telling, Latinos aka Zoot Suiters were not the perpetrators of violence but rather victims of a judicial system that had historically failed to protect its most vulnerable citizens of color. 

The story of Henry Reyna and the 38th Street gang was story telling in its highest form. Each night, Chicano-Latino audiences were enraptured by Mr. Valdez’s mastery of the written word. The magnetic draw and almost breathless attention  as audiences saw for the first time, empowered, arrogant,  defiant, sensual,  and proud American of Mexican descent, the Pachuco, played by Mr. Olmos, completely control the stage and the theatre. For one magical light, audiences heard the little-known history of El Pueblo La Reina de Los Angeles de Porciuncula, the original name of the City of Los Angeles,  told from a perspective that they were fully familiar with and,  was completely their own. 

When the Zoot Suit run finally ended, I was on cloud 9,  hopeful and excited for what lay ahead for me. At 27, and after the unprecedented success of Zoot Suit,   I  believed with all my heart that Hollywood was finally ready to represent the real America,  in all its diversity,  and to accept Chicana actors, like myself. Time Magazine even heralded this change of tides and dubbed the 1980’s the “Decade of the Hispanic”. Time  covers made pronouncements of,  “Yo Decido. Why Latinos Will Pick the Next President” “Magnifico! Hispanic Culture Breaks Out of the Barrio,”  “Immigrants. The Changing Face of America”, “Hispanics Americans. Soon: The Biggest Minority” that  heralded a new era in Hollywood’s representations of Latinos. 

Very soon after Zoot Suit, I booked my first feature film. A western. We shoot in Brackettville Texas for 1 week and 2 weeks in Big Bend National Park also in Texas. The location was so remote, we flew in by private plane. The location was beautiful. High arid mountains that gleamed in the hot sun. Dry, arid and cacti dotted landscapes. And constantly, the flowing waters of the Rio Grande River to remind me that I was only yards away from where I was born. I thought to myself, “this film will be another great story about Latinos. Another Zoot Suit?” Once the film moved to the isolated location of Big Bend, everything came crashing down. 

The producer and leading actor in the film started to make unwelcomed sextual advances toward me. I became anxious as these persisted. I deflected as much as possible but at one point, he  used the guise of “rehearsing” to come to his cabin, 2 miles from basecamp. I asked that we rehearse during the day, but as the producer, he made me feel I had no choice. His driver picked me up at basecamp at about 8pm. I was feeling worried, not knowing what to expect. We arrived at his cabin and there were 3 crew members there, playing music and drinking. I immediately felt a sense of relief, “I was safe.” The producer then entered the room and said, ” let’s rehears in here (the bedroom).” With that the crew members that I got to know well, stood and left without saying a word. My anxiety level rose even higher and I thought, “what did they think was going to happen?” 

As he got up and walked to the door, I stood up grabbed him by the shoulder, turned him around and slammed his body against the wall. To add some levity to this dark story of sexual harassment, I have to add I am 5’2′, the producer was 6′ and double my weight at that time. I proceeded to throw every profanity I was raised to “never say” as I held him against the wall. Once I depleted my barrage, I stormed out of the cabin and started to hurriedly walk back to base camp. The driver that had brought me to the cabin, of course, was not to be seen. I walked, almost running, to get as far from there as I could but slowly, I began to realize that base camp was 2 miles away. There was no paved road, no streetlights, only the moon and large looming black silhouettes of the mountains that had days before had been gleaming like gold in the sunlight. I had a choice that night to return to the cabin or to walk to camp. After what I had gone through, I was not going back. 

There were two beds in the room. He sat on one and I on the other and we faced each other. I immediately got my script and found the scene pages. He pulled out a guitar. He went on and on about how he had fallen in love with a Latina actress on location and how he loved Latina. This went on and on as I kept trying to urge him to rehearse. Finally, I had reached my limit and told him angrily, “I don’t know what you want, but I came here to rehearse.” To which he responded just as angrily, “You Mexican women are all the same”. With that he stood up from the bed and started to walk out to the living room. I had ever in my life been pushed to do what I then did and today, knowing what I know, I would never again allow anyone to put me in that position. His remark, which I took as highly disparaging, since the producer was a white male and I personally grown up hearing remarks like that in films and television programs that portrayed Latinas stereotypically, as saints or prostitutes.

It took me ten years to tell my partner, then husband, what had happened. I kept it to myself for decades. Afraid, my husband would retaliate in some way or my agents would file a complaint and hinder my and his careers. When I finally did speak out, I made a joke of my experience. I  was the first to laugh when I retold my response to situation, hurling this tall man against the wall. A very funny image. Very funny. And everyone laughed. Then the #MeToo movement happened and it all began to sink in. In 1980, this was my first film, I was 27, and I was sexually harassed. So why was I laughing? On reflection, this was the only way I knew to live with the trauma, the humiliation and the explosive response, my loss of control. Today, in this Congressional Statement, I want to for the committee to realize that our young actors of color who continue to harass and discriminated against to this day and remain quiet, feel disempowered on the set because they feel disempowered in their lives. 

I am a brown skinned woman born in Mexico. I identify as both a native of the Americas and a mestiza (Indian/European/African descent). Like our Black brothers and sisters, our history as an enslaved and colonized people set in motion U.S. laws that to this day, continue to keep large factions of our community in poverty. As late as 1935, a state law prohibited a person of half Indian blood (a Mexican American) and half Spanish blood from becoming citizens or owning land. Legal precedents like these and others like the Dawes Act, the Indian Removal Act and, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo have systemically deprived generations of Latinos from full economic, social and judicial parity and from accruing legacy wealth. One has only to look at the Tulsa Massacre of 1921. 

As a University Professor, I am in a position to attest to how Latino students,  living as a people of color in our society are struggling to make it through college. Latinos enroll in high numbers, but the completion rate is proportionally, dismal. Many holds 1, 2 even 3 jobs, live at home and oftentimes have to financially help support their families. Many are first generation college students and come from poor working class and/or blue-collar families. Our educational system has propagated the “myth” that a college education is the key to a solid financial future. The truth is that because of the burden of student loans, we are creating a new class hierarchy: the poor debt-burdened college graduate. Given the disproportionate lack of wealth legacy among Latinos, many will carry this debt burden for most of their adult lives. We must make a college education an attainable “American Dream”. To do this we must eliminate student loan debt. 

You cannot talk about inequities in higher education without discussing the disproportionately low rate of Latinos with PhD’s and, the even lower percentage of  Latino Professors with PhD’s,  that are denied tenure. The few Professors that make it to the highest levels of education are denied entry in numbers that warrant further examination.

My own education did not come easy. I was born in Mexico and immigrated with my family to the U.S. when I was only months old. My father was a mechanic and my mother eventually studied and became a beautician. I have 4 other siblings and I am the only one that went to college and completed a degree. 

My father only completed 6th grade and my mother 8th grade. Coming from poor families they were expected to complete elementary school, learn a vocation and go to work so their expectation for my siblings and I was simply to finish high school without getting arrested – my brothers – and not getting pregnant – my sister and me.

All of us finished high school to my parent’s relief. I personally, always liked school and learning. It was a refuge from a homelife that still embraced old world Mexican values and that I found was at odds to where my education was leading me. I was always at the top of my class, so I received scholarships throughout my years of study at Whittier College, USC and Stanford. But college life was not easy. I found it very hard to adapt academically and culturally.

I received a full scholarship to USC after high school but dropped out my second semester. My tuition was paid for, but I was not told that I needed to pay for books. My family did not have the money, so I looked for classes that had the least amount and cheapest books. When I was invited to go to a movie or dinner with classmates, I had to decline because I never had more than a few dollars in my purse. Neither my family or I knew that I would need more “pocket money”. I was also used to being an A-B student so when my grades dropped to B-C, and I continued to find myself isolated because I had no money, I began to question if I belonged. In the middle of my second semester, my closet friend on campus overdosed on LSD. I called a doctor and left USC that same day. I lost my scholarship. In the ensuing 4 years, I made my way to the University of Guadalajara Theatre Dept. and then the National University in Mexico City Acting Conservatory. When I returned to the U.S. I reapplied and was awarded a full scholarship and I enrolled in Whittier College to where I completed my undergraduate degree. Stubborn by natural, I returned to USC and completed my MFA in Acting in 1995. To this date,  all campuses, libraries and lecture halls I visit anywhere around the world, always give me a sense of peace and possibility. A world of knowledge is literally waiting for me in the library “stacks”. I relish learning and will always be a student. 

It’s been 40 years since Times Magazine proclaimed the “Decade of the Hispanic” when the impassioned hope of the Latino community and entertainment professionals, was at its peak. We thought the class ceiling had cracked, the walls had been breached and the gate was flung open. It was a new day. We waited, and waited and to this day, we continue to wait. 

On September 23, 2020, the Norman Lear Center at USC Annenberg issued a report  entitled Change the Narrative, Change the World. The report analyzed depictions of 129 immigrant characters in 97 episodes of 59 scripted narrative shows that aired between August 2018 and July 2019. The study found that that “half of the immigrant characters on television were judged to be Latinx” and “63% of characters with identifiable statuses overall being undocumented or asylum seekers.” The report then stated that, “In reality, only 24% of the U.S. immigrant population is undocumented”. 

This report is just one example of how the media has inflated and influenced their audience’s perceptions by creating  shallow representation and perpetuating stereotypes, that dehumanize Latinos and reduce empathy. This “overrepresentation in comparison to reality” has had dire and negative consequences for Latinos and the entire country. 

Will the entertainment industry continue to be defined by the prejudices of their audiences or by their better selves? Most would say the latter but without the will, we are at a stalemate.

Therefore, we must look to our elected officials to hear the collective voices of our diverse citizenry that yearns and hungers to see themselves represented with dignity and humanity. The power of the media reaches every corner of the world and with that power, it can be a medium for global healing and peace. 

https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/define-american-change-narrative-immigrant-characters-study-1234774879/ – Immigrant Stories on TV are Predominantly Latinx and About Deportation (Study)

The post Actress Alma Martinez Recounts Racial and Sexual Harassment In Testimony to House Judiciary Committee first appeared on .

On September 24, 2020 submitted his testimony to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and Chair Rep. Joaquin Castro (TX-20) which addresses the lack of inclusion of Latinos in Hollywood, both in front and behind the camera. Together with the Congressional Tri-Caucus—composed of Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Rep. Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Congressional Black Caucus Chair Rep. Karen Bass (CA-37), and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Chair Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27) to bring forth the House Judiciary Committee hearing on Diversity in America: The Representation of People of Color in the Media.

A veteran actor, Serna has appeared in over 100 films, most notably Car Wash and Scarface directed by Brian De Palma, where he played Montana’s friend Angel Fernandez (whose character was involved in the notorious “chainsaw scene”). In the award-winning comedy Aguruphobia, Pepe plays the charismatic guru Nanak. Pepe co-produced Aguruphobia. Aguruphobia had a limited theatrical run, and is now available on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play and Verizon Fios. He has also appeared on stage, including his solo show El Ruco, Chuco, Cholo, Pachuco which is Serna’s version of the panorama of Latino cultural history.

Serna has been honored by the Screen Actors Guild Heritage Achievement Award; the League of United Latin American Citizens, and the Estrella Award for Arts & Culture from the Orange County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Pepe played Señor Cárdenas in the movie Downsizing.

This is the Testimony given by Pepe Serna:

My name is Pepe Serna, I am a Mexican American film, television, and theatrical actor. I am also a visual artist and motivational speaker who believes that art is the essence of who we are as human beings.

My purpose for addressing Congress via this statement is to issue a CALL TO ACTION to address and resolve the lack of inclusiveness and diversity in the entertainment industry. I challenge each and every one of you become more familiar and aware of the struggles and challenges that we as Latino Hollywood actors, producers, directors, technicians, and others supporting our trade face in our day-to-day activities. While I’m addressing primarily Latinos in this statement, I also speak for our minority populations, who also face pay discrimination and prejudice in this industry. Diversity is not just black and white – like vintage films. Just as movies and television have transitioned to technicolor, so should the entertainment industry transition to represent all people of color and sexual orientation.

Let me set the stage so that you can judge for yourself that I know what I am talking about and that my Call to Action has merit.

For the last 50 years, I have worked with Oscar-winning producers, writers, directors, and actors in 100 films and 300 television shows. I have given hundreds upon hundreds of improvisational workshops around the country. My lifelong passion, next to being an actor, has been to teach character education through my “Pepefied Breakthrough Improv.” These workshops teach students and adults alike how to Connect, Communicate and Collaborate. I draw my teachings from my own life and how I was raised in the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s – to be an altar boy, cub scout, boy scout, dancer, Golden Glove champ, and a Marine. My character was being built from the inside out – no cheating, lying, or stealing.

I was born at the Corpus Christi, Texas, naval base on July 23, 1944. There  have been more than a few Mexican American actors and recording artists who are originally from Corpus Christi, including Freddie Fender, Selena, Eva Longoria, and myself.

In our Mexican American society, it is often said that you must work twice as hard to get half as far as our white counterparts. I disagree with that sentiment. I think in Hollywood Latinos must work 30 times harder.

My father was educated both in Monterrey, Mexico, and Laredo, Texas. While serving in the Navy, he became the interpreter for all the Latin American pilots who were training at the Corpus Christi Naval Base during World War II.

My mother, who was a hairdresser, filled our home with her singing every day. Together, they afforded my brothers, sister, and myself with a good life and a good education.

I had a dream of becoming an actor since I was 3 years of age. After a lifetime of my family’s support, I continued my education and studies, in New York City, The University of the Americas in Mexico City, and 6 months active duty in the Marine Corp reserves.

Despite having absolutely no connections or contacts, I finally made my way to my dream quest destination of Hollywood at 24 years of age. Despite all the hard knocks of homelessness, hunger, and rejection, I would not be deterred in the pursuit of my lifelong journey of getting to Hollywood.

I was able to keep fortified by the resilience in my convictions and because I was able to live off all the love and compassion I had been fed since my childhood. I recreate this love of family wherever I go.

In the 50 years of being a working actor in the Hollywood entertainment industry, which by the way has not been an easy feat, I have succeeded by acting in over 100 movies and 300 episodes of television. I have worked my way to the top of my industry and worked with a score of the most highly touted and Academy Award-winning directors, producers, writers, and actors in Hollywood.

In fact, I was discovered by legendary Producer Hal B. Wallis, who produced the movie Casablanca. In 1970, Hal cast me in two back-to-back films, Red Sky at Morning and the western, Shootout, starring Gregory Peck, who was fresh off an Oscar win 7 years prior for To Kill a Mockingbird. Right off the bat, I was running in fast company.

Some of the critically acclaimed directors I have had the privilege of working with include Dalton Trumbo, John Schlesinger, Carl Reiner, Brian De Palma, William Friedkin, Mike Nichols, Lawrence Kasdan, Michael Shults, Clint Eastwood, Greg Nava, and Alexander Payne.

I have shared the screen with award-winning actors, including: Meryl Streep, Al Pacino, Kevin Costner, Steve Martin, Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Johnny Depp, Edward James Olmos, Raul Julia, and Clint Eastwood, just to name a few.

When it comes to equal pay, Mexican American and Latino character actors, in general, are positioned on the lowest rung of the pay scale ladder. We are like the farmworkers of the movie industry, but at least we get shelter, bathrooms, food, and drink. In the eyes of the producers, we have it good.

Mexican American veteran actors sometimes joke around with each other when we get acting work on big budget films. We call ourselves, “Miss Scale Plus 10” or “Mr. Scale Plus 10.” This means that the producers will pay you the lowest amount possible per the Screen Actors Guild (SAG). This is the union that is supposed to protect actors. The 10 percent means that you will receive extra pay, but it goes directly to the actor’s agent.

I wish my dear friend, highly touted actress, and activist, Lupe Ontiveros, was here to speak on behalf of all Latina actors. She used to joke around that on her tombstone would be engraved, “HERE LIES LUPE ONTIVEROS, SCALE PLUS 10.” Lupe Ontiveros had an amazing and accomplished body of work. She received Best Actress by the Board of Review. She received a television Emmy Award nomination for Desperate Housewives and was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Chuck and Buck. But Lupe never was accepted into the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), even though she had 71 film credits. Officials in the Latino entertainment industry, including MALDEF, took this as an insult to all the of the work that Latinos have created for the screen, both in front of and behind the camera.

The criteria by which you become a member of the AMPAS was compared to the criteria of a deep south country club membership. When the CEO of AMPAS was challenged in a meeting, her response at the time was that “AMPAS is an elite group of entertainment professionals.” When challenged, she did not budge. It was obvious that Latinos were not considered a part of this “elite group of entertainment professionals.”

Several years ago, Edward James Olmos was finally accepted into AMPAS as a voting member. Since then, he has sponsored many Latino actors who also have become voting members.

While this is a step forward, it is a baby step! Consider these findings from a study released in August 2019 – The Annenberg Inclusion Initiative at the University of Southern California:

“Latinos remain woefully underrepresented both in front of and behind the camera. The Annenberg Inclusion Initiative at the University of Southern California found that of the 100 top-grossing films each year from 2007 to 2018, only 3 percent featured Latino actors in lead or co-lead roles. Producers and casting executives fared badly, too, with Latinos making up only 3 percent. And they were equally rare in the director’s chair, helming four percent of movies studied during the 12-year period. In all, only 4.5 percent of the 47,268 speaking roles studied by researchers went to Latino actors.”

Another bottom line to consider is that Latinos are 18 percent of the U.S. population and represent 23 percent of the movie-going audience!

Lack of diversity also is grotesquely underrepresented in the area of entertainment recognition – Academy Awards, Oscars, Tony, etc. Hence, the social media hashtag #OscarSoWhite was created over 5 years ago to bring to light the severe disparities in front of and behind the camera. In social media, there are two hashtags that Latino actors identify with: #LatinoActorsLife and #LatinosInHollywood. These also speak to our experience dealing with unaddressed discrimination, microaggressions, blacklisting, sexual assault, harassment, hostility, and the list goes on and on.

Latino men have it bad in the industry when it comes to stereotypes, but women really have it much, much worse. As Latino actors, we are usually relegated to the playing the roles of maids, prostitutes, robbers, thugs, drunks, or drug addicts. These are all human beings dealing with emotional pain and in need of mental health treatment, mentors, education, or rehabilitation. The human angles are not accurately addressed on the big or small screen.

In 1997, a group of Latino actors representing The National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts traveled to Washington, D.C. to carry this message. Jimmy Smits, Esai Morales, Sonja Braja, myself and others presented our case to Congress. It is no surprise that, to date, very little or absolutely nothing has been done toward resolving this problem.

During my acting career, I have played more cholos and gangsters and have been killed more times than I care to remember. I came to Hollywood to work in film and television, and I have done it in spades. Fifty years later, Latinos are still being portrayed as these negative stereotypes. Now I am afforded much better character roles, because I like to give a helping hand to young filmmakers who are starting to tell our stories.

Washington is our last resource! Unless you in Congress stand up for us, nothing will change. I testify before you as an actor who has been in Hollywood and experienced the slings and arrows for half a century.

Again, I boldly challenge you!  Make the changes in the entertainment industry that we as Americans need! Do what you must do to ensure that Latinos and all other minority groups get the representation they deserve, both in front of and behind the camera!

Respectfully,

Pepe Serna

Film, Television and Theatrical Actor and Motivational Speaker/Teacher

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