Posted on 05/24/2004 4:52:39 PM PDT by chance33_98
Movie Asks: What if Every Latino Vanished from State?
May 21, 2004
Emily Bazar -- Bee Staff Writer
Picture waking up one morning to discover that all of California's Latinos - about a third of the state's population - had suddenly disappeared.
Restaurateurs would have to wash their own dishes, Major League Baseball teams would lose some of their best players and the lieutenant governor would be missing in action.
Those scenarios play out in director Sergio Arau's new film, "A Day Without a Mexican," which opens today in Sacramento.
Arau calls the film a "mockumentary" and employs an outlandish plot to make a serious point: Without the more than 12 million Latinos who live and work in California - originally a part of Mexico - the economy would crumble.
The movie is Arau's first feature-length film. The West Hollywood resident has worked in music and video and is the son of Mexican director Alfonso Arau, best known in the United States for the movie "Like Water for Chocolate."
Sergio Arau, 52, traces the roots of his movie back to 1994 and Proposition 187, the initiative that would have banned public services for illegal immigrants. Though its provisions later were gutted by the courts, it spawned a generalized anti-immigrant sentiment that focused on Mexicans and other Latinos.
Yareli Arizmendi, Arau's wife, co-wrote the screenplay and stars in the film. She hopes state lawmakers will listen to the movie's message, and that moviegoers will recognize the contributions Latinos make to society.
"This is a dialogue opener, to change the terms of the debate," Arizmendi, 40, said. "People fail to stop and think how many people of Latin descent or Latinos you meet in your regular day. It's not like you have to go to the Cinco de Mayo parade. It's day-to-day."
The point was driven home to state Assemblyman Abel Maldonado as he ran his mind over a recent morning's activities.
Arriving at the Capitol on Tuesday, Maldonado watched as he passed the men tending to the park and wielding leaf blowers. They were Latino.
The Santa Maria Republican then went to the Hilton to receive an award. The food servers laying out the buffet were Latino. "If you want to take it another step," he added, "who harvested all the food that was on the buffet table?"
Maldonado is of Mexican descent. Born and raised in Santa Maria on the central coast, he and his family grow broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce and celery on 2,000 acres. During peak harvest times, the farm employs about 250 workers - mostly Latino.
The lawmaker said he likes the concept behind the movie and notes that he, himself, would disappear should "a day without a Mexican" ever come to pass.
"Latinos, Hispanics, Mexicans, we come here looking for an opportunity. We don't come here looking for handouts," said Maldonado, who is expected to win a seat in the state Senate in November. "What we don't have in wealth, we make it up with our values."
In the movie, there's no explanation for why Latinos disappear. They just do, as a thick fog surrounds the state's borders, cutting off communication with the outside world.
Without Latinos, the state descends into chaos.
It's a thinly veiled political statement cloaked in humor and hyperbole.
While the film may spur discussion and debate, it likely will have little effect in the political arena, said Eric Smoodin, professor of American and film studies at the University of California, Davis.
"It wouldn't surprise me if you could find some films that helped to establish or inspire a public discourse about things," said Smoodin, referring to movies such as "Erin Brockovich" and "Silkwood."
"But I think you'd be hard-pressed to find an instance when a film, even indirectly, led to some government action."
In addition to Sacramento, the film opens today in parts of the Central Valley and Texas.
It debuted last week in Southern California, promoted by an eyebrow-raising ad campaign that included billboards exclaiming "On May 14th there will be no Mexicans in California."
Glenn Garland, partner and creative director for Eleven-Eleven Advertising in Santa Monica, said billboards are expected to go up in Northern California in the next two weeks. The movie's radio and newspaper advertising started in Sacramento on Thursday.
An ad that is expected to hit Spanish language press will say "Un Día Sin Mexicanos 'La Movie': Los Gringos van a llorar" or "A Day Without a Mexican 'The Movie': Gringos will cry."
The film is opening in Sacramento even before it opens in the Bay Area, a strategy based on a view beyond box office receipts.
(Excerpt) Read more at hispanicbusiness.com ...
They were ahead of their time then. Who knew showing bumcrack would be a fashion statement?
I just want to be me, Christopher - American. This country has changed remarkably, I sometimes don't recognize it as the one I grew up in, and I like LEGAL immigrants, the ones who play be the rules. I have very little else but citizenship and the Constitution as armor in this world, and I won't let cheaters take American jobs, homes, and lives, including mine, ever.
All the states problems are due to democrats being there. A Calif. without any democrats would be a far better place. if that includes 90% of the latinos, so be it. Democrats are parasites or enablers of parasites. California has parasites hanging on it like Vampire Bats sucking the life out of it.
Perhaps, but then again maybe you not sensitive or serious enough. Our lives are at stake, like recently when an illegal traveled around murdering people by train; and let there be no confusion with my nationality should I ever visit Hispanic American countries and denied re-entry to America. I would literally go ballistic.
Crack Kills.
(Good to see you!)
Well then hope the government starts taking their responsibility seriously to defend/provide for the general welfare before their own selfish interests. I don't see much going on, but I hope after this election they actually do something.
"People think I'm latina all the time."<P<BTW, if you are Italian then you ARE Latin. Mexicans are Hispanic. And thanks for acknowledging my right which is given by God not man and does not exist in many of these Hispanic countries.
You're an American?! Then why did you identify yourself as an "Italian" earlier?! So the ancient Romans considered the Spanish provincials barbarian, huh? (I wonder why you would bring that up, when we're talking about here and now? Hmmmm....) The ancient Romans got their asses seriously kicked by some German barbarians in the end. But it really doesn't matter. Certain Americans of Italian ancestry can't trade on 2,000 year old history to puff up their sense of self-importance forever, you know.
Pssst...cyborg: Did you notice? "Hispanic" equals "Wetback illegal" to some people?
OK, when's the celebration ? I don't want all mexicans gone, just the scumbag illegals.
I'm worried about terrorists mistaken for poor work-less Mexicans getting in here with a nuke, but sadly I'm disappointed with the whole 3-years-after-9/11-borders-still-wide-open-TROP tripe I've heard from the Admin. They may not care about my life, but I do...
Latin yes, but nothing I can do about misuse of the term. I suppose people can call themselves whatever they want. Nothing wrong with being just 'American' either. Should be done more often I think. You're right that expressing one's opinion isn't necessarily endorsed in many latin american countries.
I'm got my flame suit on, here goes: Columbus was Italian and I'm proud he was the first "American", what are you, German? English? Are you proud?. The barbarians are at the gates, and there's millions of 'em on the way. Don't like Italians? Then stay away because I don't care, I've heard it all. Funny you didn't question that Spanish were provincials, just barbarians (I've obviously offended you, lol), next thing you know you'll be telling me they invented the aqueducts and baths and what it meant to be Roman(lol).
I very rarely hear people use that term, only frustrated ranchers from Texas.
To quote Reagan: There you go again! But it's okay, that's what they teach us in school, but it's up to us to do the critical thinking.
I'm in Chicago, you should get out more.
My great-grandparents probably said the same thing when your great-grandparents came over here, whether they were legal or not. I don't have any problem with legal immigration myself, but sometimes people tend to equate all Hispanics with illegal aliens and then start disparaging the whole culture. My husband is Hispanic, a LEGALLY naturalized American citizen and veteran, has no accent whatsoever, and just because of his name, people give him grief over the phone tell him they want to talk to a "regular American", or even more absurdly, to "someone who speaks English", without even realizing they're talking to someone who speaks better English than they do.
I was just thinking about where I hear that word often said. It's strange to hear someone from Chicago say that, considering the only people I hear use it are Texans.
talk to a regular American *LOL*
* Poof *
So let it be written, so let it be done!
It happens when people refer to YOU(me) as a wetback or an illegal. It's obviously never happened to lucky you. And you drew inferences about what I said, I don't like that because you are ad-libbing and attributing characterization to my writing. I also believe you can be proud of your heritage AND protect it. And I believe Columbus makes Rome much more relevant than some minds will admit. I'm waiting for the apology I'll never see.
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