Can A New Year Change Your Perspective Of What It Means To Be Latino?

   By Joe Castro – Zubi Advertising I never sleep better than during the holidays that now seem a faded distant memory. The new year has brought with it the reality of potentially great political change on the horizon, and with all the political rhetoric a reawakening to the disturbing truth of how Hispanics are viewed by many other Americans in this country. So, I’m back to my pre-holiday state of insomnia, ruminating into the wee hours of the night, over how in today’s American multicultural-multiracial stir-fry, so many educated, intelligent people in corporate America still cling to the antiquated and simplistic stereotypes of Latinos in the U.S. I say in today’s America, but I mean in today’s world where the electronic bridge we call the Internet fosters connections, relationships and understanding for all who have the desire to clic aquà and expand their knowledge and perspective of this critical segment of the population. True to the American concept of “e pluribus unum,” Latinos in this country are from many different ethnicities and corresponding native cultures, yet we are a group that shares many defining cultural values and a Spanish heritage, whether you believe it’s a good thing or not. We see ourselves as both different and the same in many ways from non-Latinos but also from other Latinos in the U.S., and from other countries, further debunking the convenient generalizations associated with being “Hispanic.” So for all of us that are Latino, and for all others interested in benefitting from a better understanding of this new American that is driving both population and economic growth in this country, there’s a list of 11 films from 2011 courtesy of our friends at NALIP.org (National Association of Latino Independent Producers) and Remezcla.com, that you shouldn’t miss. These films are by and about people that are native to the Americas and/or of Spanish descent, or from Spain. They are pretty much a crash course full of “Hispanic insights” about who we are, how we see ourselves, how we live, our struggles politically and socially, on this side of the border as well as in our countries of origin, what we aspire to, what we take pride in, what we’re afraid of, what we believe in, how we speak, what makes us laugh and what makes us cry. All you have to do is clic aquÃ. Watch the trailers, put these at the top of your Netflix cue, then grab a drink, grab una merienda, grab some family (friends count), and find a place to watch together. In some cases, you may want to have a box of tissues nearby, y también un tequilita o una botellita de ron. I guarantee these films will provoke thought, discussion and growth, and possibly an explosive outburst or two. One thing’s for sure: they will increase your understanding and if you’re lucky maybe even induce a good night’s sleep, which to those of us that lose sleep over the big issues facing our industry, is bliss. Courtesy of Zubination