LUIS VALDEZ DISCUSSES CULTURAL INCLUSIVENESS AND INDIAN ROOTS IN THE UNITED STATES
On occasion of Día de la Raza (Day of the Mixed People), Radio Bilingüe broadcasts a speech by film director Luis Valdez, the founder of modern Chicano theater and film in the United States.
The speech, originally delivered before the graduates of National University in Sacramento this last summer, airs on Thursday, October 12, at 6:30 PM Pacific Time on Satélite Radio Bilingüe.
In this special holiday program, Valdez talks about what it means to be an American, who is a Native and who is an alien. He discusses the term "Hispanic" and the Indian roots of the mixed peoples of the Americas. He discusses the continent's name, America, and proposes instead the Indian name "Amaruca." Valdez proposes that inclusiveness, freedom, and equality, are some of the values that glue America together.
Luis Valdez is the son of migrant workers. He grew up in the fields of California's San Joaquin Valley. He joined Cesar Chavez in 1965, founding El Teatro Campesino. In 1977, he produced a play called Zoot Suit, the first play by a Chicano to be produced on Broadway. In 1987, he directed La Bamba. National University is now the second largest private university in California.
National University is recognized for its success in graduating Latinos with master's degrees.
The program can be listened on Radio Bilingüe, 91.5 in Fresno and live on the Internet at www.radiobilingue.org.
For more information about carrying stations, contact Jessica Hernandez, 559-455-5782.