Posts Tagged ‘latino’
VL At The Cine: Machete
6:38 pm By BiancaLaureano · Arts|Immigration|Movies · 8 Comments
2 Sep 2010
***SPOILERS***
I’ve been waiting for Machete to hit theaters for a long time. When SB1070 had been signed into law, I remember the film trailer being a hit and reaching various communities of practice within days. One of the reasons the trailer became so popular is because there is a social commentary woven into one of the first Latino superhero films. Check out the trailer below:
In a small room filled of mostly men, I was one of maybe three people whose gender expression and identity I read as women. It’s not often we see character actors of Color gain leading roles. We did see Samuel L. Jackson emerge from such a space, but it is a rarity. One of the many reasons I’ve wanted to see Machete was because of lead Danny Trejo. If you don’t know who Danny Trejo is I really don’t know what to tell you about yourself. He’s been in as many films as James Edward Olmos but rarely gets the recognition, which he seems all right with. I’ve noticed that many character actors feel this way and are happy to be able to get work on a regular basis. Trejo does play the same character in many of his roles, but that’s why I love him: he don’t play. He plays himself and I believe he can murder someone with his bare knuckles even if he is tied to a chair.
Friend to the VL familia and the brains behind the PANIC! series in which our own Mamita Mala has performed, Charlie Vázquez is releasing his second novel this month. Contraband is available April 15, 2010, below is the synopsis, which I have to say is intriguing and I’m excited to get my hands on this book:
Inspired by Latin-American revolutionary struggles, this riveting work of Latino noir follows the paranoid underworld exile of Volfango Sanzo, a man so haunted by his secrets that he escapes to sprawling networks of underground tunnels and labyrinths in near-future America—where dissidents and “lunars” are seeking refuge from the smoldering ruins of a nation plagued by a deadly civil war and revolution. Volfango is certain that renegade genes in his DNA will be exposed by government-mandated “gene tests,” so he vanishes before his scheduled test date, terrified of being discovered and executed. He also suspects he is being hunted by a government ministry, who wishes to silence him before he speaks. What will he find in those dangerous underground worlds populated by rebels and pariahs? And what secrets does he keep? Will he survive against bleak odds in an underworld where sunlight, food and water are scarce?
Seriously, don’t you want to read the book….like right this second! You can reserve your book now by clicking here.
Below is a video of Charlie reading his bilingual poem “Bronx Dharma” while learning to use his new video camera from his Youtube channel.
Can Movies Create a “Latin@ Community”? Do We Want them To?
3:18 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Movies · 2 Comments
10 Sep 2008Spike Lee’s new movie, “Miracle at St. Anna” is coming out September 25th and already getting reviewers tied in a knot. Some people find it lumbering and dull, others find it amazing and refreshing. Briefly, Miracle is the story of a battalion of black soldiers during WWII. Apparently all the usual themes are in the movie, racial conflicts, soldier angst, haunting magical realism, etc.
But the thing that I was interested in reading about the film is that it works to create a ‘black community’ in the U.S.
Need Some Reasons to Hate Hispanic Heritage Month
8:38 am By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Culture|Latin America|Politics · 1 Comment
2 Oct 2007I was searching for an image to include with this little post but the images ranged from the stereotypical (maracas anyone?) to the narrow (since when does Hispanic Heritage Month mean a flamenco dancer or a Mexican dancer). Fellow Boricua blogger Liza over at Culture Kitchen gives some good reasons to hate Hispanic Heritage Month.
Hispanic assumes that all people in Latin America speak Spanish. Hispanic assumes all people in Latin America have a Spaniard and European ascendancy. Hispanic somehow has come to mean WHITE in this country.
I don’t use the term Hispanic for some of the same reasons as Liza. It’s just an ugly, dirty word that someone else stuck on.
Read all of Liza’s post and excellent explanation over at Culture Kitchen.
AOL targeting growing Latino market online
7:30 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Internet|Marketing · 3 Comments
5 Dec 2006
I’ve often questioned why there isn’t a more decent offering online for Latinos. In fact, when VL was created, it was partly born of that question. I’ve asked time and time again why — in spite of compelling data that shows that Latinos are online en masse — online businesses don’t make more of an effort to extend their tailor their services to the Latino market.
This may end up being a blip on the screen given AOL’s decline in popularity, but the company has just re-launched AOL Latino:
AOL has opened its Spanish language services to the general public through the launch of the new AOL Latino, complete with search (powered by Google), antivirus, antispam, email, instant messaging, blogs, photo sharing (AOL Latino Fotos) and calendars.The site offers more than twenty areas of Spanish and bilingual content and will cover original news articles from Spanish language news sources like EFE, Nomex, and the Associated Press, plus music from artists like Daddy Yankee, Ricky Martin and RBD in the “Sessiones @ AOL” section, and updates about the latest Hispanic Hollywood celebrities like America Ferrera, Sofia Vergara and George Lopez. The site also features a community area called Tu Gente complete with blogs, message boards, and chat.
Who will use AOL Latino? I’m not sure, since I don’t know anyone who uses AOL non-Latino. What it all comes down to is offering great content that they can’t find anywhere else, which will keep them coming back for more.
One company that’s doing it incredibly well isn’t a portal at all: Apple’s iTunes Latino has impressed me. I love Apple products, but I predicted that they would slap “Latino” on iTunes, translate it and voilá. Apple went above and beyond; they’ve researched the various Latino music genres, history, etc. and created playlists that I would buy without even listening to: an essential history of Argentine rock, for example. Upon closer inspection, they got it right. They did their homework. They’ve also done a great job in getting hot Latino celebs on board to share their personal playlists, including Julieta Venegas and Ozomatli.
If AOL can give Latino consumers half the quality that Apple does in the online music sector, they’ll be just fine.
Via / Adotas
Could a Latino be our next President?
10:49 am By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · New Mexico|Politics · 7 Comments
9 Nov 2006
New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson was overwhelmingly re-elected this week with a whopping 68% of votes cast in his favor. Richardson (born in Mexico City born in Pasadena, raised in Mexico City, son of an American father and a Mexican mother), is the only Latino governor in the United States and las malas lenguas say he’s going to try to run for President in 2008. With the recent shift in public support toward the Democrats, could Richardson pull off on a national level what he pulled off in his own state?
Hefty majorities of men and women, Anglos and Hispanics, all age and income groups backed Richardson, according to the exit poll.The governor also won the political middle ground. Majorities of moderates and independents favored Richardson. Those groups are considered key swing voters in New Mexico elections. About a third of conservatives defected from Dendahl and backed Richardson, according to the survey of voters as they left polling places across the state.
In spite of a relatively liberal philosophy on immigration (he’s reviled by anti-immigrant organizations) and other hot button issues, Richardson seems to have pulled from all walks of life and political affiliations to get this win, which is the kind of appeal that could make him a great candidate for the White House.
Would the Democratic party get behind a Latino candidate for President? And is this country ready for a Latino president? Tell us what you think.
Via / El Paso Times
Apple goes Latino
1:53 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Entertainment|Marketing|Music · 2 Comments
2 Nov 2006
Good news for Latino music fans: Apple (oh, how I love Apple) has just inked an agreement with Telemundo for a Latino version of iTunes, which is already up and running. Órale!
Apple’s iTunes Store, the market leader in music downloads, has inaugurated iTunes Latino, a dedicated space devoted to Latin music, music videos, TV shows, audiobooks and podcasts.
And apparently it’s not all about music — you can download your favorite novelas on Latino iTunes, too!
The first offerings include the telenovelas “Pasion de Gavilanes” and “El Cuerpo del Deseo,” the reality show “Decisiones” and the mun2 reality program “The Immigration Special.”
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Apple wanted to take advantage of the launch’s timing lining up with the Latin Grammy Awards today.
Via / Yahoo! Entertainment
Anticipation builds in media around May 1 protest
11:42 am By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Activism|Media · Comments Off
1 May 2006
The media is buzzing with anticipation as the big day kicks off. No one knows what this day will bring as of yet, but everyone has an opinion. Here’s a round up of coverage as it stands right now:
CNN quotes organizers as saying “There will be tens of millions from coast to coast.”
The New York Times reports on employers who are bracing for the shock. The NYT also reports on other unrelated workers rallies around the world.(Reg. required)
Telemundo.com visitors voted in a poll and believe that the national anthem should be sung in English (41%) or that the Spanish version “is offensive (31%), while Univision.com visitors answered the question “What should be done on May 1st?” with an overwhelming 61% saying “a total strike”.
The LA Times published the march route for their city’s protest and talks about the businesses in the midst of the route that are preparing to be affected.
MSNBC.com visitors are voting overwhelmingly against the rallies.
Spain’s “El Mundo” invites those of us living in the U.S. to opine about how our daily lives are being affected by the strike. (Spanish)
Stay tuned into VL as we bring you more throughout the day.
MTV goes Spanglish
10:51 am By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · Bilingualism|TV · 4 Comments
4 Apr 2006
Just when you thought the world had enough MTV channels — with what seems like millions in Latin America, Asia and Europe — MTV has announced its new venture, MTV Tr3s.
Tr3s is a new channel catering to the much underserved US Latino market, aged 18-34, an untapped demographic which advertisers have been waiting to target, but up until this point haven’t been able to do en masse because of the lack of content available to support them.
The channel is said to have a “Spanglish” format, which put in the hands of MTV makes me a bit wary, as I commented on another blog today. I am cautiously optimistic, however.
What would be really interesting to see would be Tr3s with content similar to that of MTV, which goes beyond videos to offer reality shows, gossip, celebs, etc. Not because I am particularly inclined towards that kind of programming, but because I think viewers will be. A TV version of VivirLatino might be a good idea, no, MTV? Gimme a call.
Via / Reuters
Latinos and blacks more entrepreneurial
1:18 pm By Jennifer Woodard Maderazo · business|race · Comments Off
30 Mar 2006
According to a Florida International University study, Latinos and blacks are more likely to be entrepreneurs than the rest of the population. From Black Enterprise:
According to Entrepreneurship in the U.S., a report by Florida International University, blacks are more inclined than whites of the same gender or educational background to start a business. Among blacks, those with college degrees or graduate experience are most likely to be involved in a business startup.The dramatically higher entrepreneurial tendency is true only for startup businesses, those with no payroll history for more than three months. For new businesses, those running three to 42 months, degreed blacks and Hispanics have a smaller lead in probability of business participation over their white peers. For established firms, those operating more than 42 months, degreed blacks and Hispanics have similar or lower probabilities of participation than their white peers.
The article also suggests that the corporate “glass ceiling” may be a source of frustration for black and Latino business people, compelling them to start their own business endeavors.
Via / Black Enterprise
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VivirLatino is a daily publication published by Mamita Mala Media, dedicated to featuring all the latest politics, culture, entertainment of interest to the diverse Latin@ diaspora.
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