Say Goodbye To Cantinflas Say Hello To El Joven

By Victor Escalante

The Latino identity has been shaped to a large part by the environment of the past and the flux of the present day. In some respects, it’s like a trick mirror that reflects  a distorted perception. In short a  capirotada of many different elements.

When Andy Griffith was a household name, Latino boomers idolized and identified with the golden era of movie stars such as Pedro Infante, Lucha Villa, Cantinflas, and the rest. Today’s college educated Latino may not identify with those characters. However they cannot disown them either since they were their parents’ idols.    Why is this relevant?

The Latino DNA is a blend of many rich and powerful elements to be proud of. We are a passionate people full of hope and dreams of a better tomorrow. My mother’s influence still serves as a moral compass to do the right thing because that’s what we do. Violate your Latino parents’ values and expectations at your own risk. Our ancestors  came from an era of chivalry and chasteness that was to be honored in our culture. A mythological Mayberry where goodness triumphed at the end of the day.

Some of the negative elements that are influencing the present Latino identity need to be questioned and discarded. Comics have gotten rich mirroring  their own family dysfunction. While it makes us laugh, when it strikes a chord of truth we need to get rid of the   pendejo complex. Latinos are some of the hardest working class in America. Per capita, you will find extremely rare  brown color beggars panhandling on the street corner. Latinos have been instrumental in building the modern cities in America. An example of this is when cities are devastated like New Orleans, Latinos rush to rebuild.

At the collegiate level, we have a long way to go but more and more Latinos are seeking a post high school education. The time to showcase our rich heritage and industriousness is now.  I will be bringing you stories I have personally witnessed of the positive role models and many unsung heroes. I invite you to send me your story to weave a new tapestry of the “Modern Latino.”