The Latino community is abuzz over rumors that Century Cinemas is bringing the long-awaited movie biopic “Cesar Chavez” to Burley. If so, kudos to the cinema owners for recognizing that Latinos are members of the community, and we, too, have a history.
The last Latino-themed movie shown in the Mini-Cassia area was “Selena.” We lined up and paid to see this movie more than once. We Latinos knew Selena, and many of us had seen her in concert. The film made $15 million its first weekend, and in 100 days, it earned $35 million nationwide.
The Latino community hoped this would start a trend. It didn’t. Other Latino movies — such as “Instructions not Included” with Mexican film star Eugenio Derbez and “Pulling Strings” — did not make it to Burley. These were American-made movies financed by American producers.
“Instructions not Included” was the highest-grossing Spanish-language movie of all time, making $44 million. The Oscar-winning movie “12 years a Slave” grossed $56 million. Latinos bought 25 percent of domestic tickets despite comprising only 17 percent of the population.
I hope Century Cinema owners realize they are sending a positive message. Latinos are not the only moviegoers who will benefit from seeing a film about the life of a Mexican-American labor leader. This is American history. Our children should know their history. Cesar Chavez spoke English, the movie is in English with, of course, some subtitles.
If the rumors are true, then the theater owners are celebrating our commonalities, not our differences. Latinos are teachers, principals, lawyers, counselors, nurses, doctors and other hard-working members of this community. And we support our local theaters.
Thank you, Century Cinema, for not following other Idaho moviehouses, such as Boise theaters that have declined to show the Cesar Chavez biopic in Ada County. Instead, Canyon County showed the film. Perhaps someone thinks only a place with more Latinos will support this movie. Not true. Latinos from Boise and Meridian traveled to Caldwell to see the movie, and they’re still talking about it. Somebody lost out.
Such actions prevent Latinos from being regarded as community members, instead treating them as outsiders whose movies would only be seen by them. So those who aren’t Latino don’t get the chance to see this movie either. This is a missed opportunity. This is sad. We watch movies about African-Americans, such as “Mandela,” “Malcolm X” and “Ali.” I can count the African-Americans in the Mini-Cassia area on one hand, but still these movies come to Burley.
For Century Cinema, bringing in this movie would be good business. Cesar Chavez was the Latino version of Nelson Mandela, the Rev. Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi — all of whom practiced non-violence to make positive changes and lived through violent times to make peace. Latino history has a different perspective than the ones others may know.
Damian D. Rodriguez is a DJ and talk show host for the Spanish language radio station, La Voz Latina 91.9 FM, in Burley.
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