Soledad O’Brien’s Latino In America On CNN Tonight
21 October 2009, 6:46 PM. By Alex Alvarez
This is an open post for Soledad O’Brien’s Latino in America on CNN - the documentary highlighting the Latino experience in America - which premieres tonight at 9 PM EST. We’ll be reviewing the show tomorrow, but feel free to use this open forum to share your thoughts.
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shiz (Soledad) the bomb! I am really looking forward to see this documentary tonight.
i wish i could afford cable :(
There might be a live stream of the program online. Search via Google.
Just finished watching it. Honestly, I was pretty disappointed. I think she just kind of presented all of these issues but didn’t follow up as to any of the underlying causes. The explanation for every issue faced by “latinos in America” seemed to be a clash between “latino culture” and “American culture.” Also, it was very general in describing “latinos”…kind of had the impression after watching it that we are all pregnant obese disease-ridden highschool dropouts like Alex would say…except for one obnoxious chef and a family whose Dominican kids would rather deny being latino than be called Mexican.
Maybe tomorrow’s will be better…
One thing that I noticed NO ONE has mentioned is the fact that this show WASN’T MADE FOR LATINOS…..get it?
Did you know that the largest viewership of CNN are Blacks and Whites??? Hispanics viewership for CNN is about 5%, if not less.
What does that mean? When they made this program/show, they made it with the intent to scratch the surface about Latinos in America to give all the blacks, whites and asians a little understanding of us instead of sitting in the dark.
In addition, I attended a private screening of the show and the Exec. VP Producer of the show was there and he mentioned that they will be creating a Latino in America 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7….UNTIL they have covered every single topic possible about Latino’s in America.
Geez people……be grateful that a big network like CNN even bothered doing a documentary on Latinos…..because until further notice the only people that “cared” about us was UNIVISION AND TELEMUNDO; yet they haven’t even bothered doing a documentary on Latino’s in America or documentary’s about Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Venezuelans, Cubans, Guatemalans, etc….because they are too busy getting all their female hosts under the knife and botox for their male hosts and talk about how 300 people were murdered daily in our countries!
Before you judge, get the facts…Before you complain, look into the details to make sure you don’t sound like the typical ignorant Latino.
Interesting stuff. Thanks. Then again, most Mexican Americans were probably instead watching the Dodgers getting their asses kicked by Philadelphia last night.
I was watching Gustavo Dudamel on KCET.
Sweet.
Actually guest, there is tons of mainstream coverage of Latinos, even on CNN itself. The problem is it mostly revolves around shows like Lou Dobbs that make sweeping generalizations about Latinos and focus on fear and distrust of immigrants. Then there’s the fact (briefly explored on last night’s show) that most Hollywood coverage pigeonholes Latino actors into menial roles. So yes, I was quite happy to hear there would be a factually reported 4 hour special on latinos in America. I’m concerned only because I think it did little to dispel those stereotypes that are already so prevalent within the media. It is precisely the fact that this show’s primary viewers aren’t Latinos that concerns me. What do you really get out of watching all of these hardships? Do you gain a better understanding of the underlying socioeconomic factors that lead to high statistics of teen pregnancy or low graduation rates? Do you understand the reasons that people cross borders and choose to work as undocumented migrants? Or why so many immigrants live in the United States for years without learning English?
I realize that 2 hours is little time to provide a nuanced treatment of such a broad topic, but I would think that especially if this is a “Latinos 101″ piece for a non-Latino audience it would want to provide some kind of context and an overview of key issues, rather than unfocused vignettes (many that just reinforce mainstream views about Latinos) that provide little background.
I’d be happy to engage in a discussion of the show but calling me a typical ignorant latino because I’m critical of certain aspects of the first segment seems to reflect rather ignorantly on yourself.
I agree that Latino in America was made for whites and blacks. Look at the host. And why should I be grateful to CNN? For exploiting us? I wish they would stop misrepresenting us.
I love it how you mention that CNN is exploiting latinos when Univision and Telemundo do that daily. How about them apples?
I will agree, Lou Dobbs is a SOB BUT (A BIG BUT) Lou Dobbs doesn’t represent the entire network. And it’s sad that they would let someone like that on their network, but yet we forget that money talks.
In regards to the actual documentary, once again…..there isn’t enough time to talk about ALL THE FACTS….and you know what: it is a true honest fact that latinas are dropping out because of making stupid decisions, and it is a fact that latinos in general are dropping out because their parents can’t work 60 hour shifts anymore to feed a family of 6, it is a fact that single latina mothers have to work 3 jobs to feed their daughter or their children and leave their children with a feeling of abandonment, it is a fact that many latinos hate being stereotyped as mexican when they are colombian or ecuadorian or costa rican, it is a fact that there is a huge population of undocumented latinos which is unfortunate but it’s true.
Everything that will be covered in the 4 hours is the truth and nothing but it. But instead of just stating facts, they are putting faces to the statistics so that the 33% of african americans and the 48% of whites that watch cnn can see that it’s not some bullshit stats that Terra.com or Univision or Telemundo or etc took out. It’s the truth…..
BTW, Black in America had the same issue….that’s why they created Black in America 2 and that’s why they are currently finishing filming Black in America 3.
And starting in February of 2010 they are going to start filming Latino in America 2….so if you have any suggestions instead of sitting here and bitching about it on a blog send an email to the producers so they can hear your voices out and possibly consider your changes.
p.s.: this question…why so many immigrants live in the United States for years without learning English? was answered last night…obviously you weren’t paying attention to all the details….watch it again.
You’re not going to change my mind. I don’t like Soledad O’Brien and I don’t like CNN. Only an idiot would believe anything they show.
That’s fine that you don’t like CNN but then you also have to say that you don’t like Telemundo or Univision because they are also doing the same misrepresenting the Latino population. They are also exploiting us. Have you watched the news on their networks lately? It’s all bad news about ourselves….sad, pathetic actually. The only time good things are mentioned about latinos is during national holidays like mexican independence day.
I don’t watch Univision or Telemundo. But I bet they don’t have anybody like Lou Dobbs!
I don’t know if Univision or Telemundo have a Lou Dobbs-type person, but they do have segments where adults dress up like children, which is just as offensive.
I am not a Latino .I have a few questions though..First is ,Why is it that the latinos think they do not have to know how to speak English?And second,I forgot the name of the girl featured in the show,who is not able to graduate high school because of financial problems and too many chores to do at home.I felt really bad for her ,but that is until she said that she was pregnant.What’s with all the teenagers?The show reported that 70% of those high schoolers never graduated.Its hard enough for her to take care of herself and her family and now with all that poverty,she is gonna have a baby! She is gonna bring that baby into 1000 times more misery than she already is in now.Is it so hard for people to use their commom sense?Is it so hard to refrain from sex until u graduate or make a life on ur own?That was ridiculous.I have absolutely no pity for the likes of her……And finally in Arizona there are legal Latinos defending Illegal ones.Does that even make sense?Do you think the rest of the immigrants who first get their h1b’s and then follow all the procedures to finally get a green card after 10 or 12 years dumb idiots?Please people,I am not a racist,but these topics really got my blood boiling.
You realize you’re asking why Latinos don’t feel the need to learn English on a site geared towards English-speaking Latinos, right?
PBS and WLIW in New York have produced great documentaries on Latinos, and not about “Latinos” as some sort of monolithic group, but about Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, and various Latino historical figures and Latin American events.
You make it seem as if we should be glad that the nice white people at CNN chose to pay attention to us for a little while. How patronizing. Yes, you can say that there remains a paucity of Latino topics and characters on mainstream TV, but it is not a total absence. Lots of popular TV shows feature Latino actors and characters, news programs and news channels feature Latino anchors, etc.
In the larger scheme of things, CNN’s 4 hour follow up to “Black in America” (and don’t fool yourselves, “LAtino in America” is a direct offspring of that show, probably playing on Soledad’s many cultural and racial identities) is not that important or influential. The consensus on “Black in America” is that it was a horrible joke, and this show is no different. There is no real acknowledgment to the large diversity of experiences in the Latino community. Everyone is poor, and brown (but not too brown!) and struggling with everything: if the troubles are not financial they are cultural or legal or whatever else. Jesus. Expect more uneducated, impoverished, pudgy, heavily accented young people of dubious legal status on today’s show, probably with a sprinkling of immigration raids and racially motivated hate crimes. Ugh.
I watched the first episode tonight and I’m going to wait for a full opinion mañana… I guess the only thing I wonder is how this is the first time mainstream America hears about Latinos, and if so, is this what we really, really want to showcase?
I’ll pass! When CNN hires some reporters of Mexican descent then maybe I’ll watch them again. When do we get to tell our own stories in the media like everybody else?
I want to see interviews with astronauts Jose Hernandez, Daniel Olivas and Ellen Ochoa. I want to see Nobel Prize winner Dr. Mario Molina, and brain surgeon Dr. Q, and conductor Gustavo Dudamel.
Instead they focus on B and C list actors and dropouts. I feel sorry for anybody who thinks this is an accurate depiction of Latinos.
http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/090824-sts128-jose-hernandez.html
http://www.poder360.com/article_detail.php?id_article=2530
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/1995/molina-autobio.html
http://www.gustavodudamel.com/
eek. bad. way bad.
Re: “Maybe tomorrow’s will be better…”
It won’t be. Get a clue. I wish Soledad O’Brien would get lost. She’s not Latino, and I wish she would leave us alone. I HATE CNN.
Whoa. I understand that this program wasn’t your cup of tea, bro, but saying that Miss O’Brien isn’t Latino is a bit harsh. I think she probably did the best she could within a limited amount of air time.
I don’t think it’s harsh at all. She’s a fraud. She’ll say she’s anything to get a story. I wish she would go away. UUgghh.
I’ve met her before, and she seemed nice, sincere and humble. Like I said, I get it that you have a low opinion about the program, CNN and Miss O’Brien, but I don’t understand how she is a fraud.
I guess I should take you at your word when you say that you are self loathing. Gee, Mr. Chicano, wouldn’t you like to see a Chicano reporter tell our story? Soledad O’Brien knows little or nothing about the majority of Latinos, and it shows!
Next: Asian in America hosted by Soledad O’Brien. LOL
First, I’m not Chicano. Second, I wouldn’t care who is actually doing the reporting on this type of show, just as long as they were accurate with a sampling of the supposed population targeted. And the program that aired this evening I felt did not do that, but I also know that not everyone is going to be satisfied because, a) Latino/Hispanic is not a monolithic group, and b) there just isn’t enough time. If I was the host of this show, you’d probably call me a fraud as well.
No mention of any Jews. And aside from that one family that moved from New York to North Carlina, no mention of any members of the middle class; mostly focused on the poor, someone fighting for immigrant rights, or celebrities, which is fine, I guess, but those story lines are stale. Perhaps tomorrow will be better.
Yes, and when they did move into the middle class of North Carolina their kids were ashamed of being latinos because that was associated with being “Mexican.” They could of used that moment to go into all sorts of issues about “latino identity” and how its a flawed concept since “latinos” is an umbrella term for people that differ widely in every region of the country, depending on their country of background, along racial and class lines…just so much that could of been said but wasn’t.
Case in point: Miami and Lorena Garcia who seemed completely oblivious to the fact that any Latinos in the country face any kind of hardships or contempt. She kept talking about how there’s never been a moment of greater acceptance for Latinos and that most Americans find Spanish accents “cute” (which ps…ughhhh)
But I mean, can you really go from undocumented immigrants and Joe Arpaio in Arizona to Lorena Garcia’s lovefest in Miami without providing some kind of context?
These portraits are not in any context because Soledad O’Brien doesn’t know anything about Latinos. She can’t connect the dots.
If CNN were serious about this project, they would have used a team of reporters of different Latino backgrounds reporting from different parts of the country.
I never agreed with the entire concept of the show. I mean, is CNN going to have a program called “non-Hispanic Whites in America” next? When is the segregation going to end? Why not include the stories that were on the program in CNN’s everyday news programming? Furthermore, having different reporters from different so-called Latino backgrounds is a lame idea. I am what people call Mexican-American, but I can tell you that a lot of people who self-describe as Mexican-American aren’t going to want to hear my point of view, or if they do, they might get confused.
I agree that they should incorporate coverage of ALL Americans in their programming. Because that’s what we are–Americans. If you were born here, you’re an American, but if you were born anywhere in this hemisphere, you’re an American. We’re from this country and this hemisphere, but we’re the only ones not called American. It’s insane.
True on that.
Yes, something on racial identity regarding Latinos/Hispanics would have been a great educational tool.
Guest, the gimmicky context was the whole “Garcias” thing. Ugh. There are times where I’ve grown tired of the whole mass ethnic pride thing and mass ethnic shaming thing. Spanish white dudes conquered about 70% of the Western world. How can we link so many people together over something somewhat inconsequential like spanish language ability? It’s like saying “You’re from a land mass? COOL! I’m from a land mass too! We’re the land massians!” I look at these people on this show and I really dont feel like I relate to anyone. I’m proud of my Latino heritage but it’s not the and all be all of my life. It’s not something I’m constantly thinking about. (I know the irony is that I’m visiting a website targeted at Latinos.) These shows just end up being lame to me in their broad sweeping generalizations that ultimately do more harm than good I’m sure. More coverage on the hyperfertility of Latinas definitely can’t be good. I’m done rambling now.
oops typo- “and all be all”
Perfectly put.
Eva Longoria is hot.
Grandenchilada here commenting as a guest, because I keep forgetting my password.
I’m happy to see such spirited discussion around the topic. I haven’t seen the show. I only saw the episode on internet about the teenagers who want to commit suicide because their moms don’t want them to behave like gringa sluts and who think the girl is also indentured labor, like them.
I have to say from that episode only, the whole thing seems like a lame attempt by CNN to quell the Latino discontent with the fact they make money with Lou Dobbs, a man who they should simply not have in their roster. So here come the broad stereotypes and the dealing with Latinos in America as if we had all just crossed the border yesterday. Lame.
WOW! Yea this show was meant to show non-”Latin” people the face of being “Latin in America”. Yet it fails on so many points- so far. I do not agree with the stories they did show, too stereotypical. Latinos that move to the “burbs and forget who they are, that is sad. Latinas preggers at 16, sad.Soledad being pushed on us as “Latin” brutal
I don’t see what is so sad about moving to the suburbs, other than the constant boredom, and how that pertains to forgetting who people are.
Sad that they forget their culture and turn into a white washed burb family. Their children have no clue about their heritage, no clue about culture. That is sad.
It depends on whose culture. Culture isn’t passed down genetically but rather through environment. My parents and I don’t share a culture, not only because we were brought up during different generations, but more specifically because we were raised differently; my mom’s parents spoke primarily Spanish and ate mostly Mexican cuisine and attended a Catholic church, whereas the same couldn’t be said for me. In short, we make our own culture. But we do pass down traditions. Perhaps that’s what you meant.
I think its very sad when parents and children do not celebrate or pass along traditions. We sure have we speak spanish and english and we eat Turkey at thanksgiving and Turkey and mole. Anyone can embrase the cultures if they want. I am the most mexican person I know and I am as white as most of you but have opted to change my culture to embrase the wonderful things the latino culture has to offer.
I find it funny that no one makes a fuss if a Latino embraces “black culture”, but if a Latino family practices social mores that are more upper class it is seen as selling out to white people. Frankly, that stinks of a inferiority complex on your part. It is not for you to judge what culture someone should or should not practice. The only thing that is worth denouncing are social mores that are a detriment to our society like for example,criminality or teenage pregnancy. Frankly, whether a Latino or a Latino family acts stereotypically “white” to you is really none of your business and again, it ultimately only reveals the giant chip on YOUR shoulder.
No, thats not what I meant.i was brought up different from my parents and we share a culture.I am the same as them and I raise my kids the same as I was.They are aware of their heitage and culture, and are proud of both.it is not generational, at least not in my family
Do you dress the same as your parents too? I can’t imagine doing that. Only because my father used to wear huge bell bottoms and wooden shoes and had long hair. But, whatever, to each his own.
WTF? Dress the same? don’t know what your deal is but I am officially bored with you, que te via bien,
Your poor parents. It must have been hard raising such a narcissist.
Eva Longoria is still hot.
Soledad O’Brien ain’t too shabby neither.
Well I can tell you that I think its great to get it out in the open. As a woman who married a Mexican almost 40 years ago and were still together people can talk smack all they want about Mexicans but until you live the life you never know how wonderful these people are. Ever wonder why when white people are in Mexico they are never discriminated against, Because only American’s discriminate. Its a shame. We have some of the most beautiful people in our culture and yet in all, all people want to see the bad in us. Viva La Raza is what I say. And anyone who lives in Shannandoa PA is a fool….
Let’s not make a sequel to this ….Let real reporters who dig deep into the source report…..Let Pbs do the job. Get Reporter John Quiones to do the job. He once went undercover as an illegal immigrant crossing into texas. now that’s a real reporter!