As a nation of immigrants with various backgrounds and cultures, many of us in the United States have grandparents, parents or relatives whose first language is not English. While they can get by with basic communication, watching a movie and truly grasping its plot, message and its humor is a whole different story.
In fact, "Saturday Night Live" has not had a steady Latina actor or writer since its debut. Now, a movement has been formed to change SNL, which has earned the nickname #StillNoLatinas.
The United States has embraced peaceful yet powerful heroes such as the beloved Martin Luther King Jr. by commemorating his life with an official holiday -- rightfully so, but there is a major piece of American history that has yet to truly come to light with national recognition -- the mission of Mexican-American farm worker, labor leader and civil rights activist Cesar Chavez.
The Black Eyed Peas' first lady and vocalist Stacy Ann Ferguson-Duhame, or Fergie, has decided to lend her voice to a valuable cause. She went Washington to announce a new global initiative with Avon Foundation, Vital Voices, and the State Department to end violence against women.
Adding celebrity guest judges to reality TV shows has become the trend these days for major networks to further compete for ratings. For example, NBC's The Voice has added guest mentors, such as Coldplay's Chris Martin and Panamanian singer Aloe Blacc -- and now ABC's Dancing with the Stars is adding a handful of new guest judges, including Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Ricky Martin and Good Morning America's news anchor Robin Roberts.
He's the first Mexican-American New York City Council member, and he's the first openly gay politician from Brooklyn -- and like many Latino leaders, Carlos Menchaca (Democrat for the 38th District) is inspired by the mission behind Cesar Chavez, a powerful biopic directed by Diego Luna, which hits theaters on March 28.
Mexican-American filmmaker Robert Rodriguez is on a roll lately -- he's known for his films From Dusk Till Dawn, Spy Kids and the upcoming Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, he's the founder/chairman of El Rey network; creator of From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series and he just launched a video-making contest with PepsiCo's Mountain Dew.So what does the impressive filmmaker tune into -- from apps, TV shows, music to his favorite reads, and how does he program for his netwok El Rey?
¡Viva Celia Cruz! The late "Queen of Salsa" continues to reign as she did in life; the iconic singer has been honored with a place on the Walk of Legends at New York's Apollo Theater.
Celia Cruz, the late and great Queen of Salsa and the "Guarachera of Cuba," will be the first Latina to be immortalized in the Walk of Legends by the famous Apollo Theater this weekend.
Directing a powerful biopic on the iconic, Mexican-American farm worker, labor leader and civil rights activist, Cesar Chavez, was one of the most moving chapters in the life of Mexican actor and director Diego Luna.In an exclusive interview with the Latin Post, Luna shares the impact the film and the powerful movement is having on his life and career.
"My father believed that workers just aren't workers. He knew that at the workplace, there was a whole set of problems that workers had -- working conditions, benefits, immigration reform and lobbying."But he also understood that when home, after a hard work in the fields, pesticide exposure, they went home to face a whole set of problems, the lack of affordable housing health care for children and educational opportunities," Paul Chavez, the son of Cesar Chavez and President and chairman of the Cesar Chavez Foundation told the Latin Post.
Coldplay's Chris Martin will help aspiring talent on NBC's The Voice by providing guidance and essentially musical 'parachutes,' so the contestants can land safely on their feet -- and not on their faces throughout the singing competition.
Kerry Kennedy, president of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, and human rights activist and attorney Robert "Bobby" F. Kennedy Jr. showed their support for the late Cesar Chavez and the continuing fight for farm workers' rights by hosting the New York City premiere of the film Cesar Chavez on Monday, March 17 at the AMC Empire 25.
On Monday night, New York City's AMC Empire 25 movie theater lit up brighter than Times Square itself with hope, inspiration, a sense of pride and a feeling of limitless possibilities for Latinos during the premiere of Cesar Chavez, a powerful biopic about the Mexican-American farm worker, labor leader and civil rights activist.
He's one of the best-selling Spanish artists in history with sales exceeding 100 million worldwide, he's teamed up with fellow Dominican/Puerto Rican crooner Romeo Santos and Cuban-American rapper Pitbull, and he's the son of one of the world's most romantic singers, Julio Iglesias -- so it's no wonder that Enrique Iglesias is on top of the world right now with his latest album, Sex and Love.
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and filmmaker Jose Antonio Vargas continues to shed light on the need for immigration reform through his powerful documentary, Documented, which will be released in select New York and Los Angeles theaters prior to its television broadcast on CNN.
Mexican-American director Robert Rodriguez is on a mission to discover raw talent - and we're not talking about the raw carnage that comes from his cult favorite, vampire-inspired films and recently launched TV series, "From Dusk Til Dawn."
Noticiero Univision news anchor Jorge Ramos has been described as "Walter Cronkite and Edward R. Murrow wrapped into one," according to ABC President Ben Sherwood, The New York Times reports -- and if you've witnessed his intensity when he delivers the news, then you will understand why.
