Teen's film explore city controversy, Latino leadership
By: SHAYNA CHABNER - Staff Writer | ∞
ESCONDIDO ---- It's an image many people have a hard time erasing from memory: Nearly a hundred Latino and white residents, heavily separated by race, squaring off against one other outside City Hall in protest and support of a controversial rental ban that was taking form inside government halls.
Carrying religious symbols and picket signs on one side, American flags and photos of fallen officers on the other, a divided community pitted against each another throughout the fall.
"It was very sad," said 18-year-old Diego Reyes, who was one of eight Orange Glen High School students working on a documentary featuring two Latino activists, Carmen Miranda and Consuelo Martinez, at the time. "I wasn't aware of everything that was happening outside my home. It really opened my eyes."
After months of coverage by media outlets around the county, however, that contentious tale has been told, Diego and his fellow teenage documentarians said.
The untold segment is what's behind the protests and debates: The story of how two Latino women rose up from adversity and obstacles in their own life to unite a community and bring a voice to those who typically go unheard, he said.
It's a tale that Orange Glen filmmakers captured in a nine-minute documentary that highlights the life and political campaign of Carmen Miranda and Consuelo Martinez. The film, titled "Poder Escondido" or "Power of Escondido," will be shown Tuesday at the Latino Film Festival, as part of the Media Arts Center San Diego's Teen Producers Project.
The public is invited to the premiere of "Poder Escondido" and two other short documentaries done by teens in Barrio Logan at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the UltraStar Mission Valley Cinemas at Hazard Center, by Highway 163 and Friars Road.
"I want them (the community) to notice that there are people out there that are trying to make a difference for them," said 17-year-old Edith Leon, who helped direct the piece. "I just want them to see the importance of voting, of being a voice for the community and stepping up for what they believe."
Through a series of interviews with the two Latino leaders, coverage of City Council meetings where members debated the rental ordinance that would have prohibited landlords from renting to illegal immigrants, and discussions with activists on both sides of the issue, the teens recount what happened in Escondido and show the roles that Miranda and Martinez played in it.
Miranda, a teacher's assistant with no previous political experience, joined the seven-candidate race for two City Council seats after the ordinance was first proposed. Martinez, who founded the grass-roots immigrant rights group called the Escondido Human Rights Committee, rallied behind her with campaign advice and assistance.
"It was really nice to go back and remember all that and share with people what I've learned and how my life has changed," Miranda said of the filming. "It was kind of weird. I never thought that I would be in a documentary ... but it was a good time because of everything that had been happening."
She added that one of her favorite aspects of the film now is the title.
"For me, that means power of the people," she said. "If the community gets together on an issue of importance, we can make a difference."
And that's exactly the message the teen filmmakers said they were trying to convey.
"I think that we should all watch these movies and get along with each other," said Diego, who became involved in the project and took a place behind the lens after being the subject of a former student film on the Advanced Placement program. "We are all here for the same reason."
With the help of Fuensanta Lopez, a secondary school adviser for migrant education with the Escondido Union High School District, the documentary was filmed, directed and edited by the students throughout the fall. Students would meet for several hours each week after school to work on the film.
This is the fifth year that Orange Glen's students have participated in the teen producers project and been involved in the film festival, organizers said. In past years, students have made a 18-minute documentary that captured the experiences of Mexican immigrants, as well as three- to four-minute pieces about such topics as teen pregnancy, housing, the limited access to health care for Latinos and a lack of Latino political representation in Escondido.
All of the equipment needed for the documentaries was provided by the Media Arts Center and the district's migrant education office found students who had an interested in the program.
Edith, for instance, has been involved with the documentaries all four years of high school.
"I like to hear the stories and how people have overcome so much stuff," she said, adding that the program has pushed her out of her comfort zone and into a leadership role similar to the women she has covered.
"I like to be a part of the one that communicates to the community that it is possible to overcome stuff and make a difference," Edith added.
Contact staff writer Shayna Chabner at (760) 740-5416 or schabner@nctimes.com.
San Diego Latino Film Festival
Youth Visions
When: 6 p.m. Tuesday
Where: UltraStar Mission Valley Cinemas at Hazard Center
Highway 163 at Friars Road, San Diego
Information: www.sdlatinofilm.com or (619) 230-1938
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So what else is new? wrote on Mar 10, 2007 3:30 AM:The spin starts here; catch them early. Is it any wonder that AP test scores in U.S. history are so abysmally low? These kids should have been required to have attended the pre-election debates as it may have opened their eyes. Carmen Miranda was a one-issue 'candidate?' and had no clue outside of this one issue. She embarrassed herself and her whole cause. You need facts and not just emotion. It is still a bit premature to think that the legal voters are ready and willing to include the illegals in head counts for representation. Not even close but see what top film school this gets you into. Sorry - no cigar.
Send them back to Mexico! wrote on Mar 10, 2007 12:39 PM:Illegals are just that ILLEGAL!
Oh Goodie! wrote on Mar 10, 2007 12:45 PM:My tax money's being used to train teens to make propaganda films. Why not throw in a few flag burning lessons while we're at it?
kudos to kids wrote on Mar 10, 2007 2:00 PM:Sounds like a huge task to put all this craziness into one film. I'm sure their perspective will be fresh and look forward to getting it off Netflix :) Best of luck to them
Why do you people have wrote on Mar 10, 2007 2:14 PM:a problem with these students making a film about what happened? Oh Goodie if this was a film about the Minutemen you would not have a problem with your tax dollars being used. Because it is Latino students speaking about Latinas who are trying to make a difference in their community, it's a "propaganda film". How typical.
Why do.... wrote on Mar 10, 2007 4:08 PM:left wingers always respond to questions about the misuse of taxpayer funds to support their causes with strawman arguments and phone cries of 'racism'? Typical.
American woman wrote on Mar 10, 2007 5:17 PM:Did anyone proofread this piece? Not very well written, but one does get the gist of it. I don't like the concept of down-talking any young person's attempt at bettering himself, no matter the medium. BUT...and this is HUGE...everyone involved must recognize the 'illegal' part of illegal immigration. Many on the Latino/Mexicano side of the Non-debatable debate insist on lumping those who came to America legally with those who have unlawfully ended up here. Yes, it is wrong that greedy Americans lure these folks with offers of "better paying jobs," but that doesn't excuse the act of breaking into this sovereign nation! It's against the law. Period. Mexico doesn't allow illegal entry. True, our government is corrupt and even more self-serving than the greed-mongers who entice these foreign workers to come here...with the blessings of the Mexican government, I might add. This isn't Mexico any more, and it never will be again. The tired old adage that the Mexicans were here first doesn't fly. The U.S. government bought this territory which makes up the Southwestern U.S., FAIR AND SQUARE! It's been bought and paid-for, folks. Those who have worked hard and waded through the bureaucracy and costs for the privilege of American citizenship are part of our country's cultural diversity! All ethnicities who come here legally and with the intention of making this place their home, by becoming American citizens are a welcome and valuable asset to America. The problem lies within the obvious unlawful efforts of countless unknown, unvetted foreigners' apparent disregard for the American Rule of Law. We cannot sustain these millions of intruders. At least not without damaging the very fabric of our country's short history. Why can't people "get" that? Why doesn't Mexico take care of her own?
Bravo American woman! wrote on Mar 11, 2007 9:03 PM:It is unfortunate that the left wing, open border, Libs insist on spinning this situation to their own end: To have a totally indoctrinated, slave class, supported by the dwindling middle class, who will forever vote them into office. They are incapable of telling the truth in their blind lust for political power. Bye bye America, Rest in Peace.
Hateful Propaganda and Empty Babbling wrote on Mar 12, 2007 12:07 AM:by a couple of non productive paper pushing Hate Mongers! I cringe at Prime Time News scenarios that detail a 1 solitary Hispanic male criminal story while simultaneously running a film that depicts a large group of individuals crossing the border illegally. Goebbels techniques so skillfully employed by LD and BO. The working class (Regardless of Country of Origin) are preoccupied with their particular daily survival struggles and prefer the same CRIME FREE environment we all hope and pray for!
The only hardship they endured was standing in the hot sun waiting to apply for their FREE PASSAGE to SAN DIEGO! wrote on Mar 12, 2007 1:55 AM: She stood in line in the heat with them for hours outside a United Nations office as they attempted to apply for REFUGEE FREEBIE STATUS. According to American woman we are to view this influx of Political/Criminal/Religious? Refugees along with it's TAX BURDEN as a privilege that enhances our country's cultural diversity. Like many Iraqi-Americans, K------ and her parents, who also live in San Diego, would like to bring their relatives to the United States. After admitting only a handful of Iraqi refugees in recent years, the U.S. State Department announced last month that an additional 7,000 Iraqis would be accepted under REFUGEE STATUS ( With ALL the FREEBIES) compliments of the Tax payer. Iraqi immigrant organizations in SAN DIEGO and elsewhere that have lobbied for the admittance of more refugees say they are grateful for the allowance, They are disappointed the numbers aren't higher. Those with relatives appealing to them for help feel frustrated. “Everyone has several family members that they would like to bring, because it has become completely unbearable,” Route through Mexico The State Department has proposed accepting a maximum of 70,000 refugees in fiscal 2007, with the greatest number coming from African countries. Last year, 10,357 refugees were admitted from Somalia. Meanwhile, some of the exodus has made its way to the U.S.-Mexico border, where customs inspectors for several years have encountered Iraqis who seek asylum after having been SMUGGLED through Mexico. Noori Barka, head of the San Diego-based Chaldean American Foundation, said one reason he supports admitting more refugees is to prevent Iraqis from resorting to smugglers. “We are trying to stop the process of them coming through Mexico,” Barka said. “It is not a healthy situation.” Not all Iraqi immigrants see allowing in more refugees as a solution. Imam Husham Al-Husainy, the Shiite head of the Karbalaa Islamic Center in Dearborn, Mich., said he would prefer to see the U.S. and Iraqi governments restore stability. “Creating a better security environment is much better than taking the Iraqis out of Iraq and locating them around the world,” Al-Husainy said. PS. to BO and LD: Distortion of FACTS with disrespectful descriptions and judgmental assertions with audacious conjectures and coarse logic is the lowest form of Gobbellian Brainwashing in the GUISE of NEWSCASTING! Undoubtedly our everyday encounters with with the criminal element and the crimes they perpetrate on their victims is something every citizen (Documented, Undocumented and Refugee Status) would like to see eradicated. Hate mongering and Racial profiling needs to be replaced with humility, empathy, kindness, patience, Mercy, Justice and Faith .
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