In the February issue of Vanity Fair magazine, columnist Edna Everage answered a letter from a reader about what she thought of the Spanish language and its use in the real world.
Everage responded with “Who speaks Spanish that you are really desperate to talk to? The help? Your leaf blower?”
Her response criticized the Mexican culture and spurred Texas A&M’s Committee for the Awareness of Mexican-American Culture to host a two- day program Monday and Tuesday in response to the writer’s claims.
CAMAC concluded its efforts Tuesday night by hosting a panel made up of professors and journalists that addressed the negative images of Latinos in the media, how these stereotypes are created and how to deal with them.
After CAMAC sent a letter to the magazine expressing their offense, the magazine responded with an e-mail apologizing for any “distress the article caused the Latin American community and there was no intention to mock any stereotypes.”
Dr. Manuel Martin-Rodriguez, associate professor in the Department of Modern and Classical Languages and author of works on Chicano literature and Hispanic culture, said the media must not use the ‘get out of jail free’ card, meaning the media uses the same excuse every time a problem arises.
“We must confront and analyze all things that the media puts out there as so-called innocent and fun,” Martin-Rodriguez said. “If we do not, then who will?”
Martin-Rodriguez expressed his concern that more than 30 percent of the Latino population is under 18 so it can be easily influenced by such media pieces in what he calls “Vanity Fairytale”.
Dr. Edward Murguia, associate professor in the A&M Department of Sociology, said joining a group is important because it is the way in which power is gained.
Nora E. Lopez, criminal justice editor at the San Antonio Express News and Region 5 representative for the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, said “diversity is the key because everything is achieved through having people on staff who understand different cultures and being aware of your actions and words.”
CAMAC’s mission is to teach people about the heritage of the Mexican-American culture.
CAMAC is circulating a petition requesting that Vanity Fair run a feature on Mexican literature and philosophy because of the columnist’s claim that “there’s nothing in that language (Spanish) worth reading.”
This is an issue of context and tone, Martin-Rodriguez said. Individuals should not stereotype an entire race of people, especially if they are not a member of that particular group, she said.
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