A to Z of Latino Americans Latinos in the Arts Steven Otfinoski ialtfm.indd i 3/23/07 8:14:33 AM Latinos in the Arts Copyright © 2007 by Steven Otfinoski All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. For information contact: Facts On File, Inc. An imprint of Infobase Publishing 132 West 31st Street New York NY 10001 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Otfinoski, Steven. Latinos in the arts / by Steven Otfinoski. p. cm.—(A to Z of Latino Americans) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-8160-6394-9 (alk. paper) 1. Hispanic American arts—United States—21st century. 2. Hispanic Americans— United States. I. Title. II. Series. 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You can find Facts On File on the World Wide Web at http://www.factsonfile.com Text design by Annie O’Donnell Cover design by Salvatore Luongo Printed in the United States of America VB CGI 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 This book is printed on acid-free paper. ialtfm.indd ii 3/23/07 8:14:34 AM Contents ĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎ List of Entries iv Acknowledgments vi Author’s Note vii Introduction ix A-to-Z Entries 1 Bibliography and Recommended Sources 247 Entries by Area of Activity 249 Entries by Year of Birth 255 Entries by Ethnicity or Country of Origin 257 Index 259 ialtfm.indd iii 3/23/07 8:14:34 AM list of entries ĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎ Aguilera, Christina Cisneros, Evelyn Garza, Carmen Lomas Alcaraz, Lalo Climent, Elena Gil de Montes, Roberto Alfonzo, Carlos Colón, Willie Gomez, Thomas Almaraz, Carlos Cruz, Celia Gómez-Peña, Guillermo Almendros, Néstor Cruz, Penélope Gonzalez, Myrtle Anthony, Marc Cugat, Xavier Gonzalez-Gonzalez, Pedro Aranda, Iris Nelia Dawson, Rosario Gormé, Eydie Archuleta, Felipe del Rio, Dolores Gronk Arnaz, Desi Del Toro, Benicio Guerrero, Lalo Arreguín, Alfredo Del Toro, Guillermo Guevara, Susan Arriola, Gus Diaz, Al Guzmán, Luis Azaceta, Luis Cruz Diaz, Cameron Hayek, Salma Baca, Judy Diaz, David Hayworth, Rita Baez, Joan Elizondo, Hector Hernandez, Ester Banderas, Antonio Emilia, María Hernandez, Juano Barela, Patrociño Esparza, Moctesuma Herron, Willie Barretto, Ray Estefan, Gloria Huerta, Salomón Bernal, Louis Carlos Estevez, Emilio Ichaso, Leon Blades, Rubén Feliciano, José Jimenez, Flaco Bojórquez, Charles Fender, Freddy Jiménez, Luis Bratt, Benjamin Fernández, Rudy Juliá, Raúl Brito, María Fernández, Teresita Jurado, Katy Camnitzer, Luis Ferrer, José Lamas, Fernando Carey, Mariah Ferrer, Mel Lamas, Lorenzo Carr, Vikki Ferrer, Miguel Legorreta, Robert Carrillo, Charles M. Ferrer, Rafael Leguizamo, John Carrillo, Leo Fresquís, Pedro Antonio León, Tania Carter, Lynda Gamboa, Harry, Jr. Limón, José Casas, Mel Garcia, Andy Lopez, Alma Castellanos, Carlos Garcia, Jerry Lopez, George Charo García, Rupert López, George iv ialtfm.indd iv 3/23/07 8:14:35 AM List of Entries v Lopez, Jennifer Page, Anita Schifrin, Lalo Lopez, Lourdes Pelli, César Secada, Jon López, Ramón José Peña, Elizabeth Selena Lopez, Trini Perez, Rosie Serrano, Andres Lucero, Michael Phillips, Lou Diamond Shakira Marin, Cheech Portillo, Lourdes Sheen, Charlie Marisol Prinze, Freddie Sheen, Martin Martin, Ricky Prinze, Freddie, Jr. Sierra, Paul Martínez, Agueda Puente, Tito Smits, Jimmy Martínez-Cañas, María Quesada, Joe Tacla, Jorge Mendieta, Ana Quinn, Anthony Tapia, Luis Mesa-Bains, Amalia Quintero, José Torres, Liz Miranda, Carmen Renaldo, Duncan Torres, R aquel Molina, Alfred Rivera, Chita Treviño, Jesse Montalbán, Ricardo Rodriguez, Adam Treviño, Jesús Salvador Montez, Chris Rodriguez, Johnny Trujillo, Irvin L. Montez, Maria Rodriguez, Michelle Underwood, Consuelo Morales, Esai Rodriguez, Paul Jiménez Morell, Abelardo Rodriguez, Robert Valadez, John Moreno, Antonio Rodríguez, Santiago Valdez, Horacio Moreno, Rita Rodríguez-Díaz, Angel Valdez, Luis Moroles, Jesús Roland, Gilbert Valdez, Patssi Muniz, Vik Roman, Phil Valens, Ritchie Nava, Gregory Romero, César Vargas, Alberto Norton, Barry Romero, Frank Vargas, Kathy Novarro, Ramón Ronstadt, Linda Vater, Regina Ochoa, Victor San Juan, Olga Vélez, Lupe Olmos, Edward James Santamaria, Mongo Welch, Raquel Osorio, Pepón Santana, Carlos Zermeño, Andrew Acknowledgments ĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎ he author would like to especially thank the National Museum of Women in the Arts; Wash- Tfollowing people for their invaluable help and ington, D.C. support in putting together this book: Yolanda I would also like to thank the following artists and Retter Vargas, from the University of California– their representatives for providing photographs and Los Angeles (UCLA) Chicano Studies Research information about themselves: Iris Nelia Aranda; Judy Center Library and Archive; Elizabeth Ferrer, Baca; Carlos Castellanos; Elena Climent; Al Diaz; independent curator and writer; Kathleen Adrian Maria Emilia; Robert French; Harry Gamboa, Jr.; Guill- and Joan Stahl, of the Smithsonian American ermo Gómez-Peña; Robert Legorreta; Alma Lopez; Art Museum (SAAM); Dustin Belyeu, director Jesús Moroles; Victor Ochoa; Lourdes Portillo; of Nedra Matteucci Galleries, Santa Fe, New Frank Romero; Jorge Tacla; Irvin L. Trujillo; Con- Mexico; and Dr. Judy Larson, director of the suelo Jiménez Underwood; and Andrew Zermaño. vi ialtfm.indd vi 3/23/07 8:14:36 AM Author’s Note ĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎĎ n 2003, the U.S. Census Bureau declared Lati- ies such as New York and Los Angeles, while many Inos to be the nation’s largest minority group, upwardly mobile young Latinos have successfully making up 14 percent of the population. Experts integrated themselves into U.S. society. Many have predicted that by the year 2100, one in three younger Latinos were raised without a speaking U.S. residents will be Latino. knowledge of Spanish. Everywhere you look in the United States Another reason why Latino culture may be today Latinos are exercising their newfound overlooked may be the great diversity it encom- power. Economically, the Latino market is esti- passes. Unlike many minorities in this country, mated at more than $636 billion annually. In Latino Americans do not come from one country or politics, Latino Americans are becoming a pow- region but from 18 different nations and the Com- erful voting block. Mexican-American governor monwealth of Puerto Rico, a part of the United Bill Richardson of New Mexico is a leader in the States. While the great majority of Latino Ameri- National Democratic Party. In 2004, the first cans trace their roots to Mexico, Puerto Rico, or Latino senators in 25 years were elected in Florida Cuba, there are significant numbers of them from and Colorado. In May 2005, Democrat Antonio Central and South America and the Caribbean, Villarigosa was elected mayor of the country’s especially the Dominican Republic. second-largest city, Los Angeles (LA), California. Each of these peoples has its own culture and He is the first Latino mayor of LA in 133 years. traditions, although they all, with a few exceptions, Latino culture, arts, and architecture are a domi- share a common language, Spanish, brought by the nant force in the Southwest, southern Florida, and explorers and missionaries of Spain who first “dis- much of California. covered” and colonized these lands. But it is not Yet, a visit to your local library will reveal only a language that they share. surprisingly few books about Latinos. While the The 178 artists in this book represent both per- section devoted to African-American culture, lit- forming artists (actors, musicians, singers, dancers, erature, and issues is a full one, that for Latino comedians) and visual artists (painters, sculptors, Americans is bare in comparison. How can this be filmmakers, photographers, and other fine artists). for the nation’s largest minority? The selection is not exhaustive and is meant to be There are a number of reasons for this neglect. a cross section of Latino artists, not a definitive For many North Americans, Latinos are the invis- list. That would take a much larger book, if not a ible minority. Socially and culturally, many older series of them. The author has tried to highlight Latinos have largely kept to themselves in large cit- artists who have been pioneers or innovators in vii ialtfm.indd vii 3/23/07 8:14:36 AM viii Latinos in the Arts their field and those who reflect Latino culture and onized their lands in the 16th and 17th centuries. traditions. For many contemporary people, Hispanic smacks While the greatest number of people in this of a colonialism that they would rather forget. book are Mexican, Cuban, or Puerto Rican in Latino does not apply to Spain but rather to the ancestry, Spain is also represented, as is nearly every Latin ancestry of the Spanish language. Of course, South American country and several Central Amer- there are people, including some of the individuals ican nations. At the same time, the author has con- in this book, who reject the term Latino as well. fined himself to artists who were born in the United But, in general, it seems to be the more acceptable States or who settled here permanently after emi- term in today’s world. When speaking specifically grating from a Latin country. Puerto Rican artists of a female artist, the word Latina is used, and who reside in Puerto Rico and not on the mainland Latino is used for a male artist. have not been included. Several Brazilian-born art- Finally, there is Chicano. The word is more ists have been included even though Brazil, settled than a short form of Mexican American. It is also by the Portuguese, is not a Spanish-speaking Latino a political and historic term that became popu- country.