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YouTube TV now offers a streaming plan featuring only Spanish-language channels and is also beefing up the lineup of Spanish-language content with a new add-on for the virtual MVPD’s base package.

The new option, called Spanish Plan, costs $34.99 per month (with an intro rate of $24.99 per month for the first six) and features 28 channels in Spanish including ESPN Deportes, Fox, Cine Latino, CNN Español, Discovery en Español, Tastemade en Español, Nat Geo Mundo, and Estrella TV, among others. Users of the Spanish Plan don’t need to subscribe to a basic YouTube TV plan. READ MORE AT FIERCE VIDEO

The National Museum of the American Latino will debut its inaugural gallery in the National Museum of American History on June 18. The new American Latino museum likely won't open in its own building for at least another 10 years, but the Smithsonian will roll out exhibits until the museum finds its permanent home. READ MORE AT CNN

More than being an excuse to treat oneself to nachos, tacos, mezcal and margaritas, Cinco de Mayo has a history that runs deep and continues to serve as a vehicle conveying Mexican culture, pride and values.

Here are a few things to know about the day. READ MORE AT THE NEW YORK TIMES

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
December 10, 2021
CONTACT:
DCASE Communications, dcase@cityofchicago.org
Jamey Lundblad, Jamey.Lundblad@cityofchicago.org

MAYOR LIGHTFOOT AND DCASE ANNOUNCE NEW “CHICAGO MADE” INITIATIVE TO STRENGTHEN CHICAGO’S TV & FILM INDUSTRY

Innovative workforce development program and public awareness campaign are outcomes of Mayor Lightfoot’s COVID-19 Recovery Task Force

CHICAGO—Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and the Chicago Film Office at the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) today announced a new initiative to strengthen Chicago’s TV and film industry. The new “Chicago Made” workforce development program and public awareness campaign are based on recommendations from the City of Chicago’s COVID-19 Recovery Task Force outlined in the Forward Together advisory report. “This initiative will play an important role in the resurgence of our city’s TV and film industry, which remains one of the largest and most diverse in the country,” said Mayor Lightfoot.

“Chicago’s growing film industry not only ranks our city first in the Midwest for production, it also highlights the diverse culture and immense talent
found throughout our 77 neighborhoods.” The Chicago Film Office at DCASE has partnered with management consulting firm XD-TECH to deliver an innovative workforce development program that aims to transform the region’s TV and film workforce — by offering job training and placement to Chicago residents ages 24 to 50, primarily from underserved areas of our city, to help meet the industry’s increasing demand for skilled workers. Many of the positions are entry-level and do not require a college degree including carpenter, costumer, grip, lighting tech, production assistant and set decorator.

Twenty-five participants will be selected for the first cohort, across 12 career pathways. More than 20 industry partners are providing training or other supports for the program. Chicagoans interested in this opportunity should register for a virtual info session on Friday, December 10 at 6pm CST and can learn more (including eligibility criteria and pre-requisite requirements) at XDTechIndustry.com/ChicagoMade. Applications to participate in this free program are due by December 15.*

*Participants with previous training and/or specific pre-requisite skillsets will be prioritized in order to maximize the effectiveness of the condensed training period.

“Chicago film production is on track to hit an all-time high this year,” said Kwame Amoaku, Director of the Chicago Film Office. “The new ‘Chicago Made’ initiatives will increase our capacity to serve and accelerate the growth of the local industry — building our workforce while supporting residents in every neighborhood.”

The Chicago Film Office led the City’s efforts to bring a record 15 productions to Chicago this summer, at an estimated economic value of well over $700 million this year alone. In 2019, the Illinois film industry employed 20,000 people and 51% of local crew hires were women or minorities. NBCUniversal, Netflix, The Walt Disney Company and WarnerMedia will provide onset training for the workforce development program. The following partners consulted on the curriculum and will provide direct training support: Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP) Midwest; Brittanni Perkins, production
accountant; Chicago Filmmakers; Essanay Studio & Lighting Co.; IATSE Local 476; IATSE Local 600; IATSE TWU Local 769; Keslow Camera; Last Looks Chicago; The Mill; ONE at Optimus; Panavision Chicago; and Periscope Post & Audio.

Additionally, BTECH Studios and Creative Cypher are working with XD-TECH on program outreach and implementation. Bloomberg Associates, Columbia College Chicago and Kennedy-King College provided consultation support. Additionally, DCASE is launching an ongoing public awareness campaign using the “Chicago Made” brand to highlight the vital role Chicago’s TV and film industry plays in the city — benefiting Chicago residents in all 50 wards (both residents affected by filming in their neighborhood and Chicagoans interested in film production jobs) as well as industry stakeholders. The campaign will showcase the industry’s enormous economic impact, introduce local film workers as neighbors and friends and
highlight the diversity of “reel” jobs available across our city. The campaign’s creative will emphasize the grit and authenticity of Chicago’s film industry and its unique style of filmmaking — via digital billboards, advertising on CTA trains and busses, advertising at O’Hare, social media, community news and more. Learn more at ChicagoMade.us (launching soon; Music and other creative industries to be added in 2022) and join the conversation on social media using #ChicagoMade.

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Chicago Film Office
The Chicago Film Office is part of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) and leads the City’s efforts to attract and enhance the production of feature films, television series, commercials, documentaries and all forms of local screen entertainment. For filmmakers, it is a one-stop liaison for all City of Chicago production needs, including permits, City services and logistical support. For more information, visit chicagofilmoffice.us.
Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) is dedicated to enriching Chicago’s artistic vitality and cultural vibrancy. This includes fostering the development of Chicago’s non-profit arts sector, independent working artists and for-profit arts businesses; providing a framework to guide the City’s future cultural and economic growth, via the Chicago Cultural Plan; marketing the City’s cultural assets to a worldwide audience; and presenting high-quality, free and affordable cultural programs for residents and visitors. For more information, visit chicago.gov/dcase.

A majority (62%) of Hispanic adults say having a darker skin color hurts Hispanics’ ability to get ahead in the United States today. Colorism is a form of discrimination based on skin color, usually, though not always, favoring lighter skin color over darker skin color within a racial or ethnic group. While it can be tied to racism, it is not necessarily the same. READ MORE AT PEW RESEARCH CENTER

Florida is one of the many states in the U.S. whose name is Spanish in origin. “La Florida” which can be translated to mean “the flowering” references the beautiful flowers that grow and blossom here. Florida’s name is not the only mark that Hispanic people have left on the state, especially South Florida.

Although the arrival of Spanish-speaking people came long before the 1930s, most Hispanic contributions can be traced to large immigration groups of Cubans, Venezuelans and Nicaraguans. READ MORE AT THE CURRENT

Hispanic Latinos are the fastest growing population in the United States accounting for roughly 18% — 60.6 million — of the nation's total population. Latinos continue to contribute to American culture as musicians, small business owners, chefs, veterans and many other professions.

Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, honors the contributions that Hispanic and Latino Americans have made to U.S. society and the fabric of its culture. READ MORE AT NBC WASHINGTON

Maybe you first heard about National Hispanic Heritage Month from a friend or scrolled across an informational post about it on social media. You're familiar with the celebratory month, but if you had to take a pop quiz on the subject? Let's just say... you probably wouldn't walk out with an A+.

These facts about National Hispanic Heritage Month will not only deepen your knowledge of this celebration, but enrich your life overall. READ MORE AT WOMEN'S HEALTH

Despite liberal Hollywood's best intentions, every other decade becomes the emerging "Decade of the Hispanic," as if the group exists in a perpetual state of arrival. Even as the big-budget film adaptation of the Lin-Manuel Miranda musical "In the Heights" hit theaters and HBO Max last week to rave reviews, Latinos in Hollywood say they face outsize obstacles in getting stories that reflect their experiences to the screen. READ MORE AT GAZATTEXTRA

The Indy 500, held every Memorial Day weekend, is draped in Americana. Thousands of fans attend the “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” decked out in stars and stripes attire. They stand tall when the the colors are presented, take off their hats for the National Anthem and cheer when a colossal American flag makes a lap around the track on a flatbed.

But the quintessentially American Indy 500 also is a showcase and celebration of international racing talent. In the 101st Indy 500 held Sunday, 21 of the 33 drivers who raced in the event were from countries other than the U.S., including six Latino drivers. READ MORE AT NBC NEWS

My picks: HispanicPro celebration and Cinco de Mayo parade in Little Village

By Claudia Urbano, Chicago Urbanite

It has been a while since I last posted, but I am back to tell you where to celebrate the next big holiday in the Chicago. On May 5, Chicago and other cities in the United States celebrate Cinco de Mayo. This  is a holiday that celebrates Mexican culture. My recommendation is to network and socialize with a great organization that will be hosting a huge Mexican-American celebration in Chicago:  the Cinco de Mayo event put on by HispanicPro. If you haven’t heard of them, HispanicPro is the premier networking organization for Hispanic professionals in Illinois and the largest producer of networking events targeting the Hispanic professional community in Chicago.

I was invited to their April event for financial industry professionals and while enjoying some light food and beverages from one of the sponsors of the event, I had an interesting conversation with the president of the Chicago Symphony Latino Alliance (CSLA). CSLA is another great organization and they host a pre-concert networking event with special guest artists who give insights into the evening’s concert. After enjoying  the light food and beverages from CSLA’s networking event, you get to enjoy  a concert from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO). I also learned a lot about their membership (it’s free!) and some of the interesting events they offer.  If HispanicPro hadn’t invited me to their professional event, I would never have learned about this unique experience from CSLA (you can learn more about CSLA here).

After attending an event for myself, I can say HispanicPro functions are not only great for networking, professional tips ,and discovering unique opportunities, they’re also festive events to attend. For example, at the end of the event I attended, many of us took to the networking floor and turned it into a dance floor! This organisation definitely strikes the perfect balance between function and fun. So, if you are new to the Chicago area, looking to make new connections, or want to attend more enjoyable professional events go to the next HispanicPro function. If you want to find out more about them, visit their website at www.HispanicPro.com. It’s free to join, you get access to some of the coolest venues in Chicago and meet interesting people from different professions.  I am sure their upcoming CInco de Mayo party will be as fun as the one I attended.

A couple of days later, on May 7 at noon, head to the Cinco de Mayo Parade in Little Village, one of the signature Mexican neighborhoods in Chicago. It is one of the largest Cinco de Mayo celebration in the city. The parade goes from  Cermak Rd. and Damen Ave to Marshall Blvd.

Culture tip: did you know that Little Village retail strip is the second highest grossing shopping district in Chicago after the glamourous Magnificent Mile on Michigan Avenue? #LaRazaPower

In the history of Hollywood, is America Ferrera the only young actress to have launched a successful career by hitching herself to the word “ugly”?

A 27-year-old Californian actress with no formal training, Ferrera made her name as the star of Ugly Betty, the hit American television comedy series which followed her frumpy character’s unlikely rise at a New York fashion magazine. It ran for four years and won her a Screen Actors Guild award, an Emmy and a Golden Globe.

Ferrera, who took her first acting jobs while reading International Relations at the University of Southern California, had already tackled the issue of body image as Ana Garcia, a Mexican-American girl rebelling against an overbearing, weight-obsessed mother in the 2002 film Real Women Have Curves. She was only 17 when she landed the role, and her performance won her the Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival in 2002.

“I don’t think I meant to challenge an industry as a whole,” she says, sitting in the empty auditorium at New York’s Ambassador Theatre where she is rehearsing for her new role, as murderous showgirl Roxie Hart in the London production of Chicago. “I didn’t see any fear in playing Betty.” READ MORE

A decade after Ricky Martin and Jennifer Lopez helped Latin music explode into the mainstream, Latina chefs are doing the same for food.

From Food Network’s Marcela Valladolid and Evette Rios on ABC’s “The Chew’’ to uber-restaurateur Michelle Bernstein and cookbook author Lourdes Castro, these senoritas are proving to be the new face in cooking — especially on television.

The stereotype of Latina mothers living in the kitchen makes sense to these Latina chefs.

“We all grew up around mom in the kitchen, that’s just how it was,’’ said Bernstein, who is of Latin and Jewish descent and runs Sra. Martinez and Michy’s restaurants in Miami. “And maybe that just better represents what Latin food is, coming from the momma.’’

“It speaks to Latinas,’’ said Lisa Navarrete, a spokeswoman for The National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization based in Washington. “You have a lot of talented women, very personable, very telegenic, who are also great cooks.’’

Like music, food is a gateway to people learning about another culture, she said. And in this case, one that is expanding. Hispanics are the fastest growing population in the country, accounting for 50 million people, or 1 in 6 Americans.

Also fueling the rise of Latina chefs is the fact that Latin cuisine is no longer considered “exotic’’ or difficult to cook. More people today are comfortable cooking at home with ethnic ingredients such as jalapenos and cilantro, or marinating meats with Cuban mojo or chimichurri. READ MORE