Latinos Will Not Be Televised...

We all know that Latina faces and voices are few and far between in any popular media, though as I am quickly learning we are quite a force in cyberspace. This became more evident to me when I sat to do a research paper in which I surveyed televisions shows from the beginning of the boob tube to today and noted that only a small percentage of actors, performers, or television shows starred known Latinas or were geared to the Latino audience. I did not cover radio however, and being from New York where today you find a range of Latino music radio stations (on FM no less) I felt perhaps we are at least acknowledged. That is until I moved to Philadelphia and nary a salsa or merengue was to be found on the FM dial. In moving to Philly I quickly resorted to my grand collection of CDs and mixed tapes, and finally to Itunes for my dose of musica Latina.

Upon moving to this town I also found myself drawn to NPR. I started to enjoy Car Talk and Fresh Air and This American Life until I realized, I almost never heard stories about Latinos (that wasn't about immigration) nor did I hear the familiar sonido of our voices reporting the news or any other cultural event.

I remember oh so long ago as a teenager meeting Maria Hinojosa when she came to interview students participating in a NYC teen newspaper summer program. I remember to this day her distinctive voice, her tape recorder, and how she pronounced her name "Ma-rrreee-aa Ino hosa" and how embarrassed I became of my own lack of a distinctive Latino voice (or so I thought). Since our meeting I followed her trajectory through the media world up until now when I have the pleasure of hearing her once again on the show, Latino USA. Thankfully the Internet is providing a bridge where other popular media has forgotten or continues to diminish the needs of the community of Latinos eager to experience their culture by any means available...