La Cucaracha Axed by LA Times
The Art of Exclusion
This is another event in a long list of measurers to exclude Latinos from the mainstream media and, in fact, exclude Latinos from history itself - we don’t exist in the eyes of many.
Spanish language TV and Radio News programs have been cancelled nationwide.
PBS aired a 14 hour show on World War II and completely omitted the military contributions that thousands of Latinos made during that war.
PBS aired a show on music of the Civil Rights Movement and completely omitted the musical contributions that Latinos made during that movement.
Latinos funded 80% of the American Revolution, supplied George Washington with food, weapons and clothing (the Colonists uniforms were hecho en Mexico and Aztlan). Latinos served as troops in the American Revolution. The city of Galveston was named after Galvez, one of the generals of the American Revolution and in my book a founding father of this US country - but you won't find that in any history books - the art of exclusion.
Please take action and write the Los Angeles Times demanding that La Cucaracha comic strip be reinstated!
Please send emails to: sherry.stern@latimes.com and/or david.hiller@latimes.com and cc laloalcaraz@ yahoo.com
Or call the Times at (877) 554-4000
Gracias!
posted by Ernest M. Saenz at 7:26 PM
3 Comments:
Dear Editor / Comics Editor / Publisher:
I read in today's paper that in you moved material from Monday through Friday to Sunday. Doesn't that create space? Yet, to make room on Sunday, the Times has eliminated Lalo Alcaraz' Monday through Friday comic strip, "La Cucaracha" and three others. Comic humor often comes from non sequiturs but this one by the Times is a real doozy that escapes me.
"La Cucaracha" was the second-best comic you were running, after Doonesbury. Why this one? Why not one of the duplicative "Far Side" clones like "Bizarro", "Ballard Street," or "Bliss"? Why not remove the pallid imitations of original strips like "Blondie" or "Dennis the Menace"?
The Times' coverage of Chicana Chicano culture and news, already dismally thin, had a single saving grace in your publishing Alcaraz' reliably amusing, sometimes outright hilarious, often outrageously pointed daily strip. The Times' unceasing promotion of Hispanic columnist Greg Rodriguez had a single counter balance in your publishing Alcaraz' Chicano view.
I understand neither your statement on page E12 about the change, nor your rationale in picking on the only Chicano cartoonist in the paper. I think at minimum you owe your readers a clear explanation, but really, you need to bring back "La Cucaracha".
Regards,
La Cucaracha Fan
Thanks for your email about "La Cucaracha."
I'm happy to tell you that because of notes like yours, we're bringing the comic strip back starting Wednesday in the daily Calendar section, and on March 25 on Sundays.
As you know, it was one of several comics we had recently dropped as part of a shift in our Sunday feature lineup, but when we heard from readers like you, we realized that the strip had such a large and loyal following that it should continue to appear on our pages.
Once again, thank you so much for telling us what you think. We're glad you care enough about The Times to take the time to write.
Sincerely,
Sherry Stern
Deputy Editor, Features
Los Angeles Times
202 W. First St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Mr. Saenz: I emailed you at the civicconsultants.com address re
literary representation. Is that still a good email address? Pls. contact me at ezlnunlv@yahoo.com
thanks. jorge corral
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