A Telling of the Story of the Americas After Columbus

Thanks to Council member Jacque Robinson for coming to the screening. Kathie, Gerda, and she had a great time last night at KPCC.
The video was thought provoking and the conversation between Ruben and Adolfo was stimulating. Lots of ideas were shared in the documentary and concepts were explored in their conversation. They are both interested in doing something more with us in the future.

Thanks to Cherry Blossom Festival, NAACP (Altadena, Pasadena), and YWCA Racial Justice Committee for helping to spread the word. The auditorium was standing room only.
Next up: Photo and ephemera exhibit in the Pasadena Central Library. (3/1 - 4/1)

Partners in work and in history

Cherry Blossom Festival Southern California is one of the organizations with which we regularly partner. If it were possible for groups to be friends, they would be one of Latino Heritage's Best Org Friends. We have been doing things together supporting each other's missions for close to a decade.

Executive Director Wendy Fujihara Anderson has helped us with the jamaica. She is a gifted producer, who is talented in many ways, and has used her skills to help us with everything from exhibitors to press releases. We have helped as we can, and been happy for doing so.

We have valued the similarities of the Latino and Japanes American experience. Folks of my generation who self identified as Chicano/Mexican American have often experienced being neither here nor there; our identities are often set by being a part of the United States and a part of our Mother Country. Individuals and segments of our community sometimes have to think hard about what that means to each of us on a day to day basis. Mestizo, hapa, mulatto - all ways of defining where we come from and who has helped us define who we are.

Adolfo Guzmán-López shares similar thoughts in the link below.

http://www.kcet.org/updaily/socal_focus/commentary/movie-miento/mix.html

In the Crawford Family Forum

Lucky us.

KPCC/SPCR's mission is to "strengthen the civic and cultural bonds that unite Southern California's diverse communities. So they host events that engage an audience as part of programming through community engagement and building cultural awareness".

So when we approached them about a screening of "When Worlds Collide", co-written and narrated by Rubén Martínez, they were not only open to the idea - they were most enthusiastic.

The documentary is focused on the latino experience but many of the topics covered in the documentary are issues that folks from any heritage can relate to with some ease.

Because of this groups like the Cherry Blossom Festival, NAACP and YWCA join us as outreach partners. As Cherry Blossom's Wendy Fujihara Anderson shares "When you step back you that our cultures may be different, but historically we've dealt with many of the same issues.

Again- lucky us.

KPCC reporter Adolfo Guzmán-López will join Rubén Martínez in a conversation after the screening. I don't know what tack they may take with the conversation but do know that it will be insightful and that it will contain ideas that will have audience members thinking about identity in ways that may be new and exciting.

Latino Heritage is proud to be one of the hosts of this event.

Lucky us.

Friday, January 21st, 2011 - When Worlds Collide screening

On January 21, come watch your Friday night film – admission-fee free, with complimentary munchies and water besides – at The Crawford Family Forum. The Crawford Family Forum is located at 474 South Raymond Avenue,
Pasadena, CA 91105

Latino Heritage, in partnership with Cherry Blossom Festival, the NAACP Pasadena and Altadena Branches, and the YWCA Pasadena-Foothills Valley, and 89.3 KPCC’s Crawford Family Forum presents a screening of When Worlds Collide: The Untold Story of the Americas After Columbus.

When Worlds Collide is a vivid exploration of the first century after the “Old World” encountered the “New World”. Beginning on the streets of Los Angeles in 2010, this 90-minute documentary travels back to Spain and Latin America in the 16th century, when contact between Spanish conquistadors and native peoples first occurred.

The most important consequence of that era – the development of an entirely new "mestizo" or mixed culture, which is a significant part of the heritage of 30+ million Latinos in the U.S. today – was a radical change experienced by both worlds. When Worlds Collide presents an extraordinary and unexpected account of the foundation of modern Latino culture.

6:30pm – Doors Open
7:00pm – Film Screening
8:30pm – Q&A

A post-reading Q&A will be moderated by KPCC’s Adolfo Guzmán-López and will feature Rubén Martínez, co-writer and narrator of When Worlds Collide.

Admission is FREE, but RSVPs are required.

Reservations will begin on Friday, January 7th.

Call Phone: 626.583.5215 or click on the following link to secure your seat(s):

http://www.scpr.org/events/2011/01/21/when-worlds-collide/

You are more than welcome to forward this message to family, friends, and/or colleagues who may be interested in joining us for this screening and discussion.