Opinion on bullying

With the release of the new film Bully I can't help but think about my days in high school. I saw lots of bullying in my small high school in Plainfield but didn't really pay it any attention. Of course the bullying happened because people were different. Although the school was predominately African-American, most bullying occurred not because of "race" but because of other reasons: sexual preference, clothing worn, etc. Yes I was made fun of at times but it was never a big thing. High school is that time in your life when social norms are introduced and society puts you in a box.

I recently also red an article in NBC Latino about two Puerto Rican students being bullied in a Connecticut high school. Then it hit me. Do most bullying incidents occur when the school is predominately white? I know this accusation may sound horrible at first but it could be true. Regardless of whether or not race is involved, bullying is a serious issue. These hurtful words can damage a child's mind and the future consequences might not be reversible. Words are hurtful; it's that simple.

Glee is a great program which portrayed bullying at a small and large scale. In various episodes, Glee touched on certain character's sexual orientation (men and women). Some were strong enough to move on with life and some were not. Suicide is probably the last thing on anyone's mind but it's possible. There's also a fine line of bullying and being made fun of. However, there are still hurtful words being used. Remember, being different is cool :). Don't let society tell you where you need to be; you make your own decisions in life.

Sofia Vergara tries to win over SNL fans

So I was excited to hear that Sofia Vergara was going to host Saturday Night Live last weekend. However, she wasn't that great. Vergara who plays a phenomenal charater on ABC's Modern Family was not able to capture that same humor live. Although it was pretty obvious the stereotypical segments were going to happen, they fell at deaf ears.

Al Dia's publisher made these remarks, "The truth is that the rest of us are sick and tired of being portrayed in American TV and movies, over and over again...It is an industry with few Latinos at the top and, consequently, callous to our concern for a more accurate representation of who we truly are." I would like to argue that we don't know whether these skits were Sofia's idea or they were just given to her. We also don't know if Sofia even gave 100% consent to the skits...she could have argued. But remember, the average American will do anything for money.

Do you believe Sofia's skits were justifiable? Remember, this is a comedy show. You can't really take any of these segments seriously, especially when they make fun of EVERYONE regardless of who's hosting. If you think about it, there's a 50/50 split between Latinos and whether or not they liked the segments. Everyone else most likely just found the show hilarious. SNL = comedy program. Not news.

Are you Hispanic, Latino or American?

That's the question that always seems to come up. Latinos living in the United States at times struggle with identity issues...I know I do. Why? Because society tends to put you in a box a.k.a. the Census. Depending on what part of the country you live, you're also categorized into other cultures. Live in Florida? You're all Cuba. Live in Philadelphia? You're all Puerto Rican. Live in Texas? You're all Mexican.

A recent Pew Hispanic Survey says, "A majority [of Hispanics] (51%) say they most often identify themselves by their family’s country of origin; just 24% say they prefer a pan-ethnic label." What's more interesting is that Hispanic is preferred over Latino. In Philadelphia, I've heard a good number of colleagues/friends prefer Latino since it embraces all cultures. Things are quickly changing. The older generation of Latinos versus the new-aged Latino is a battle that will go on for a while.

My favorite results from the survey find that 38% of all respondents are Spanish dominant, 38% are bilingual and 24% are English dominant. Among U.S.-born Hispanics, more than half (51%) are English dominant. Cue brand new English-language media geared towards the new-age American Latino. Our culture is changing. And although I do not want our language to be forgotten, I do want America to embrace this new trend. The new-age Latino is different.

Minority journalists keep losing jobs

Sometimes I ask myself whether or not it was a good decision to study journalism. Although I don't directly work in the field, that questions bothers me a little too much. The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) recently reported, "The number of Hispanic journalists working at U.S.dailies went from 1,889 to 1,650, a 0.47 percent decrease (4.54 to 4.07 percent). The total loss of minority newsroom positions is at 5.7 percent." These numbers come from the most recent American Society of Newspaper Editors’ annual newsroom census. NAHJ's mission is to increase the percentage of Latinos working in our nation’s newsrooms and to improve news coverage of the Latino community. Talk about a tough job right?

And it's not just Latino journalists. The same report that covered Latino journalists stated that the number of African American journalists declined for the fourth consecutive year. African Americans in the newsroom workforce fell from 4.68 percent in 2011 to 4.65 percent. The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) reported, "Since 2002, African American journalists have lost newsroom 993 jobs – more than any other group of minorities, including Hispanic, Asian and Native American.
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 There have been numerous pushes by both parties to adopt a hiring policy that requires at least one candidate of color among the top three candidates under consideration to fill newsroom openings. Is this really happening? And even if this "candidate of color" becomes a top three candidate, it doesn't necessarily mean they will get the job. I wish I could speak on behalf of journalists everywhere but unfortunately it's not what I do full-time. Minorities need to represented in front of and behind the cameras.

Tucson's Mexican-American Studies Ban in a nutshell

Ever wonder why the Mexican-American Studies program was banned in Arizona? Well the Daily Show decided to pay the Arizona school board a visit and demand answers. Although the interview (below) are hilarious, it raises the issue of how people think. The mentality that "you people are going to damage the U.S." is unacceptable.

Enjoy!

The Daily Show
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William Levy salsas away for a possible win

So last night during Dancing with the Star's our Latino heart-throb William Levy went with the cha cha and salsa. And amazing right? Dancing to Celia Cruz's "La Vida es un Carnaval," Levy sure did the Latino community good by showcasing our culture. The best part was that it wasn't stereotypical. Not one moment did I think, "Egh he's Latino so he'll just do this with no trouble." America will not put him in a box because he will surely do well in each challenge. Sure the stereotype is that Latinos are great dancers, but that's not necessarily true. Either way, I hope Levy represents Cuba and are culture to the max.

Our 100 Most Influential People

It's time for Time Magazine's 100 Influential Leader's list. The list will include leaders, artists, innovators, icons and heroes we the people believe have committed to our worlds's best interests. So should there be any Latinos on the list? Well according to Being Latino there should be. In a recent post, BL added Chef Jose Andres, Shakira, Marco Rubio and Juan Manuel Santos to the list. Surprisingly these are the only Latinos on Time Magazine's proposed list. Should there be more? Can we even name a Latino leader which has made a difference? I honestly don't believe we give our local leaders enough credit. Sure this list isn't about local, but if you think about it, how many of us think locally vs. nationally?

Official voting ends this Friday, April 6. The complete TIME 100 list will be chosen by their editors and revealed on TIME.com on Tuesday, April 17.

Philadephia's Latin American Film Festival?

Wow. Philadelphia has it's own Latin American Film Festival? Didn't know this until about a couple of days ago. I can't find any information about all the films nor who is presenting the festival. However, the International House Philadelphia is hosting a reception and film screening of Found Memories/Historias que so existem quando lembradas. The film brings a photographer into a small town in Brazil to capture those untold stories. These stories are what a lot of artists look for in a great story. In fact, it's what I like about this crazy world. Some people find themselves in fast-paced cities like New York City and Philadelphia yet forget there are small (unknown) towns in the world. These small towns are filled with intelligent and creative human beings but have not found a way to escape; some don't event want to leave. I hope other venues open their doors to these films. And I don't mean your traditional Latino venues; these films should be presented everywhere.

If anyone has any more information about the film festival please feel free to e-mail me. 

7:00pm Reception
8:00pm Film Screening and Discussion
10:00-Midnight After Party with Food and Live Music
Admission includes reception, screening, and after party.
For more information or to purchase your ticket: http://ihousephilly.org/events/foundmemories/