We’ve all had that experience of feeling like the worst Latino in the room, if not on the planet. Senior producer A.C. Valdez talks with several Latinos about the insecurity of being Latino, how buzzfeed lists and stereotypes reinforce it, and asks listeners to speak out about it.
Photo courtesy of Flying Saucer Diet
A.C. Valdez is Latino USA’s Senior Producer. A.C. Valdez comes to Latino USA by way of public radio shows like America Abroad, The Diane Rehm Show, WAMU-FM’s The Kojo Nnamdi Show, and Tell Me More. He’s worked with reporters from around the world, coordinated performances with groups like The Noisettes, and done in-depth work on the U.S. military’s counterinsurgency strategy in Iraq and Afghanistan. A native of Washington, D.C., A.C. Is a graduate of Emerson College. He looks a lot like Pitbull.
The worst moment I ever experienced as a Latino was when I heard several (Latino) members of my radio listening audience were deriding me because I was fortunate to be hosting a talk show on a major Los Angeles media outlet. Their comments like, “He thinks he’s a big shot because he’s on radio,” were the typical comments I heard.
Considering I was the first Mexican American ever to host a talk show on an English-language, commercial radio station (August 1971, at KABC-AM Radio), a person who was finally able to break into that “white” only fraternity, would receive support rather than derision. Even though it hurt, I was able to maintain my poise and never lashed back. Being the first, I knew I was under a microscope and had to maintain the highest degree of professionalism, if for no other reason than to establish a broadcasting template for future Latino hosts.
By the grace of God, I was able to parlay that first year experience into a 40 year successful run on a variety of radio (and TV) stations as a talk show host, news reporter, newspaper columnist, and now a bloggrer.
Great story and really interesting. This white guy loved it. 🙂 Gavin