Queridos! Oh what a wonderful line-up we have for you this week! Two years ago the pioneering Mexican American actor Victor Millan passed away.  We celebrate his wonderful contributions to American cinema in this Latinopia interview on his work in the film classic Touch of Evil.  Next,  Dennis Leoni, creator of the Showtime series, Resurrection Blvd. , tells us how the series came about.  A.P. Gonzalez, a director and producer of El Béibol shares his passion for baseball with a promo of his work-in-progress.  One thing for sure, the contributions we have made and are making as a people to American cinema and television is indeed something of which we can be very proud.  Hay, me da tanto orgullo! Also on tap this week,  a new Moment in Time. This  a surveillance photograph taken of  young Mexican Americans in Texas involved in what was considered a highly suspect criminal activity at the time: organizing Mexican Americans to vote.  Hay Dios Mio, I thought that was our right as Americans!

And I want to send a cariñoso shout out to all of the profes and profas attending the National Association of Chicana/o Studies in Pasadena, California this week-end.  Your Tia hopes you will take news of Latinopia back to your students across these great United States. Latinopia is for them, so spread the word!

Many of you have asked about the meaning of “Latinopia.” Where does the “opia” come from and what does it mean? And what about the “Ten” in Tia Tenopia? Well I am reprinting my answer. Pues, aqui les va!

The Greek suffix opia in medicine refers to eyesight. But that’s not the suffix we use at “Latinopia.” Instead, we go two key words which we believe best describes our Latinopia site. The first word is “Cornucopia,” in Greek mythology the “horn of plenty,” from the Greek Goddess of plenty, Copia. Like the horn of plenty, we think that Latino culture is limitless and abundant, and like the horn of plenty, which could give its owner all that he or she wishes, we hope Latinopia will provide our visitors with all they wish to know and appreciate of our wonderful Latino culture. The other word we like is “Utopia.” Coined by the British philosopher Sir Thomas Moore for the title for his 1516 book, it refers to a “good” or “ideal” place, or as we know it today, a perfect society. Latinopia strives to be a utopia of Latino culture, representing the very best of our community’s artistic and cultural creations. So why “Latinopia?” Because it is a CORNUCOPIA of the BEST of Latino artistic and cultural creations. As for the “Ten” in Tia Tenopia, have you taken a good look at me–what I’m not a ten? TT