Whitmore's Wisdom

N*gger - Wetb*ck - Ch*nk

Here's a play that's going to be opening April 15th at the Los Angeles Theatre Center that you won't want to miss! For those outside L.A., read on anyway....

N*gger Wetb*ack Ch*nk (NWC)".successfully debuted last May with great reviews. The three young actors are students at UCLA's School of Theater, Film and Television, and they just happened to be Black, Latino & Asian American. Why the outstanding success? It seems to have really struck a chord with audiences that don't usually have an outlet (especially on stage) to see issues of race (that perhaps they're all too familiar with) dealt with in such a funny way. Their faculty advisory, Jose Luis Valenzuela called the success a grass-roots phenomenon.

"People are hungry for an experience of this kind because [most] theater is so noninclusive," he says. "When students see this show, they feel free beacuse they realize we have to freely speak about these taboos, and that's what creates that release."

It seems that the title alone has created some controversy......but, what a fantastic opportunity to start the dialogue so people become a little more at ease talking about issues of race. Here's one of the actor's response:

"People ask us all the time, 'Why did it have to be these words? Couldn't you just call it "African American/Latin American/Chinese?"' My answer to that is why not these words? What is it that people are so afraid of? It's a shame that someone's day is ruined if they see a poster of ours. When people are offended it's because of their own experiences they've had with these words. We're not out to offend anyone, and we're not using these words against people. When the three of us got together, the title just came and it was perfect: These are the words we've been dealing with our whole lives."

When I read about the lives of these young theater students, it really drives home the point we hear repeatedly when we talk to young (multicultural) kids in focus group facilities, out on the streets, or in their homes. Yes, they embrace diversity like no other generation, and they are damn proud of their ethnic roots! But, they all talk about how much harder they have to work at everything, and how they have to prove themselves to mainstream America to get ahead. And, another issue that always comes up is how they hate being "pigeon-holed" into positions/roles that call for someone ethnic, as opposed to being recognized for their individual talents and/or skills, regardless of their race or ethnic background. Rafael Agustin, born in Ecuador but raised here in the U.S. from an early age makes this point:

"I auditioned for a play and someone told me, 'Your are amazing, you should audition for the Chicano Festival.' And I was like, 'Oh my God, that's the way my life's going to be for the rest of my career!' So I decided, 'You know what? I'm going to create a one-man show to show everybody that I can write good material and that I'm a great performer.'"

I look forward to seeing this one!

Tales of El Salvador

Last summer I had the honor of being invited by my friend Janine Warner, to speak at an internet conference in El Salvador, hosted by one of the major daily newspapers, El Diario de Hoy. When I came back, I couldn't stop talking about all the interesting experiences, beautiful countryside and wonderful people I had met. I was so truely impressed, and I loved every minute of it!

But, I was also shocked at some of the things I saw once I had a chance to move around and about, such as: the huge gap between the rich and the poor, the outrageous crime rates, their serious gang problem (youing kids emulating U.S. ganbangers!), and the overwhelming presence of armed body guards in front of almost every establishment, and accompanying people (obviously high level) everywhere they go. Our hosts insisted we shouldn't walk around the downtown area because of the eminent danger.

Anyway, this article in yesterday's LA Times made me reminisce.

It's about a family that immigrated to the U.S. during the war, who are now going back to El Salvador to monitor the upcoming elections between the conservative, right wing party Arenas, and the left wing FMLN. What's interesting is that they are also taking their 9 & 10 year old, U.S. born grandkids along with them. These kids certainly have a sense of pride about their Salvadoran roots, but they're also very Americanized:

"The boys, students at Vena Elementary School in Arleta, have not known the hardships of their elders. The live in a $410,000, three-bedroom home with three computers and two TVs. They thrive on basketball, swimming and video games with the support of a loving and close-knit family."

This is certainly an issue I talked about in my presentation at the conference, i.e., a whole new generation of kids that were born here in the U.S. whose relationship with the homeland will be different. It remains to be seen how much of a connection they'll have with El Salvador compared to their parents. And then what about their kids? Here's an area that could be severly impacted. Money transfers equate to 12% of the countrys GDP. A study by the Pew Center shows that 28% of the adult population in El Salvador receive money from relatives in the U.S. I would think political and business leaders back home would be interested in understanding if this U.S. born generation will continue to contribute at such high levels. Anyway, back to the article and how these kids feel about the homeland:

"But they appear no less committed to the future of their ancestral land. Miguel says the shocking stories of his father and grandfather have sparked a deep desire to help the people of El Salvador. If he becomes an NBA baseketball star as he hopes,...he will buy homes and toys for needy Salvadorans."

And these kids are also going to get an education when they see the place where their grandfather and father were almost executed, after participating in what was supposed to be a peaceful demonstration in February 1977, calling for the military government to step down. By the way, look at what's happening to some of those generals.

"But terror descended on the plaza.....the thunder of tanks rolling in and Salvadoran soldiers opening fire on unarmed civilians. He and Mario recalled people falling and fleeing with limbs blown off, screams and blood everywhere."

"When a panicked crowd broke into a nearby church for sanctuary, the soldiers broke the windows and started firing inside. Eventually, father and son were herded to a rock wall in the eastern part of the city with hundreds of others, facing a firing squad. Both were released, because neither had a history of political activity."

I felt this very strong sensation, that was very real - or more like surreal, when we drove around the country, as if the war had JUST ended....not 12 years ago, but like it was still a big part of the collective consciousness. Some people I spoke with had the habit of looking over their shoulders and lowering their voices when they started to talk about the war. An older anti-government guerilla fighter talked very openly about his experiences, but with tears in his eyes. I also got to meet Juan Jose Dalton, a journalist/correspondent who covers El Salvador for the California News Media, and the son of the famous poet/political activist Roque Dalton, who was executed in 1975. He gave us a short but insightful tour around the capital, talking about what it was like during the 70s and 80s. One of the other speakers at the conference, Francis Pisani, a journalist who covered the war back in the 80s, told us stories of how they'd drive in from the airport, and there wouldn't be a soul in sight except for dead bodies along the side of the road. Going back to the LA Times article:

"The sons have heard these terrible tales, but struggle to imagine a world so foreign to their comfortable life of school and sports in the San Fernando Valley."

Wow.....are these kids going to get a history lesson! One that's very close to home. Maybe they will stay close to their parent's homeland. Will they keep a foot in each country? Will they end up voting in both countries? How will it effect how they vote here in the U.S.? Evident in the presentations and discussions during the conference were the business opportunities between El Salvador and the U.S. These second generation kids will have tremendous opportunities to stay connected if they choose, or if American ways don't completely wipe the slate clean, which is highly unlikely.

And according to the article, it seems there's tremendous hope in the air with the upcoming elections, obviously depending on which side you're on. We'll stay tuned to see what happens on Sunday....although as of this morning, The FMLN has evidently already claimed victory.