chicanosontv

    As I glance at the new Fall 2009 TV schedule, I realize it’s all the same, nothing has changed. Again there are No Chicanos on TV. No significant TV programming for Chicanos, Asians, Blacks and other minoriites. Another year that the TV stations have an opportunity to be great but instead they chose to be small. Another year that Channels 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 and others receive an F.

   I don’t usually watch the awards shows, whether for movies, TV, or music etc. Mainly because it’s always the white folks who win the awards, the Oscars, the Emmys, the Grammys, the MTV awards and all of the other minor ones, the People’s Choice, Dancing with the Stars, American Idols or even America’s Got Talent. When have you ever seen a Chicano/ a or a Latino/a win the big one? Sometimes we are not even nominated. Which is why we Latinos started the Latino Grammys several years ago, so that you would have Chcano/ Latinos  win some awards.
    But last Friday night was different. I did watch an awards program. It was the Alma awards sponsored by the National Council for La Raza. Boy were there a lot of Chicanos On TV. I have to tip my hat to both the NCLR and Channel 7 for making it possible to see us on TV in primetime on a major network. And boy did the program shine! It was a who’s who of Chicanos/ Latinos On TV. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that there are more Latino actors on cable shows too.

Frank R. Castillo   © 2009

    This is the battle song for what we are trying to accomplish. If you haven’t heard it,  do yourself a favor and listen to it. If you haven’t heard it in a while please listen to it. I’m sure that it has a message for you. If you are a veterano Chicano, hear it every once in a while. I hope that it will inspire you with its message: NO CHICANOS ON TV. QUE VERGUENZA! 
    Both the message and the messenger, the late Chicano Lalo Guerrero, are incredible.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZt6lZ6RDAU

Frank R. Castillo  ©
2009

    Recently there have been several “big” names in Hollywood that have passed away like Farah Fawcett, Michael Jackson and Director John Hughes. While many people may miss them or think much of this, my question is what did these Hollywood people do for Chicanos/ as? What did they do for Chicanos on TV? The only exception is maybe Michael Jackson, but the question still remains. What did these Hollywood types do for Chicanos on TV? How did they advance our visibility on TV or the movies? 
    The answer is a sad zero, nothing. Most of these white, liberal people living or recently dead have done nothing to advance Latinos or other minorities on TV and in Hollywood. They only cared about their careers and the box office receipts.
    Regarding judgment after someone dies, in the Christian New Testament in Matthew Jesus says, “I was hungry and you did not feed me. I was thirsty and you did not give me to drink….” When did I refuse you food, drink, visitation etc.” the dead respond. Jesus says, “When you refused to the least of your brothers.” And Jesus casts them into the pit of fire.
    And similarly, “When did you help Chicanos get on TV or in Hollywood?  When did you help African Americans or Asians or other underrepresented groups get into the field that you were in?
    So why should we care about these Hollywood people and about their deaths when they didn’t do anything for us during their lifetimes?

Frank R. Castillo  ©  2009