SNOOKI AND JIONNI LAVALLE CONFIRM PREGNANCY AND ENGAGEMENT

March 7, 2012 by Jessica Marie Gutierrez 2 Comments

THE HISPANIC BLOG IS THE LATEST HISPANIC NEWS BY JESSICA MARIE GUTIERREZ

Snooki & Jionni LaValle Confirm Pregnancy & Engagement

The “Jersey Shore” can officially add another “babino” to their crew.

US Weekly has confirmed exclusively that Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi is 15 weeks pregnant and engaged to boyfriend of a year and a half Jionni LaValle.

In the cover story for the magazine, both Polizzi and LaValle addressed the speculation that has been surrounding the rumors and the two’s abilities as parents.

“I have different priorities now,” the famous party girl said. “I don’t care what anybody else thinks. As long as I know I’m ready and he’s ready.”

Her fiancé LaValle added, “We are not going to screw this up.”

The Chilean mom to be revealed that she discovered she was pregnant in the beginning of January.

The “Jersey Shore” star told the mag, “‘S–t, I’ve been drinking!’ I was worried. It was New Year’s Eve and we were in Vegas, so I did go crazy.”

Earlier this week, Polizzi was spotted wearing a giant diamond on her ring finger which only fueled the pregnancy rumors.

Until today, Snooki had kept mum and had not confirmed nor denied the engagement.

While Snooki plans her wedding, she is also continuing to shoot her “Jersey Shore” spin-off with BFF Jenni “JWOWW” Farley.

WILMER VALDERRAMA IN NEW THRILLER ‘AWAKE’

March 6, 2012 by Jessica Marie Gutierrez Leave a Comment

THE HISPANIC BLOG IS THE LATEST HISPANIC NEWS BY JESSICA MARIE GUTIERREZ

Best known as his character Fez on “That 70’s Show,” Wilmer Valderrama will take on a very different role this season as Detective Vega, on NBC’S new thriller “Awake.”

The thriller premiered Thursday, March 1st.

“I’ve never played a cop before,” the actor told FOX News Latino. “I do a lot of stunts on the show and there is a lot of action that requires me to be very physical.”

“Awake” follows detective Michael Britten (Jason Isaacs) who finds himself awake in two separate realities: one where his teen son, Rex (Dylan Minnette, “Saving Grace,”) died in a car crash and his wife, Hannah (Laura Allen, “Terriers”) survived, and another where Hannah has perished, leaving Michael and Rex to pick up the pieces. In order to keep both of his loved ones alive, Michael begins living in two dueling realities.

In the one-hour network drama, the Venezuelan actor plays two roles.

“In one reality I’m his partner as Detective Vega,” Valderrama said. “In the other world I play an LAPD officer.”

Valderrama said “to be able to play dual realities and have a character that’s alive in two different worlds,” has “proven to be one of the most fun and challenging characters I’ve played in my career.”

The actor continued, “in every episode we solve two cases that intertwine with both realities,” “watching the episodes reminds of the feeling that I got when I first saw the X-Files.”

From playing a foreign exchange student in “That 70’s Show” to voicing an animated character in “Handy Manny” and hosting “Yo Momma” on MTV, Valderrama’s versatility cannot be denied.

For Valderrama shared with FOX News Latino his secret for surviving the movie-making industry.

“I came to America to work, I didn’t come to ask anybody for anything,” Valderrama said. “I came here to earn it.”

“I’ve been given an opportunity to go out there and prove that I definitely belong in this industry,” he added.

“I’ve been around it for many years [and] as long as I’m having a good time with it then people will buy it.”

Aside from acting, Valderrama has also created his own production company, WV Enterprises, whose main mission is to produce programming for both cable and network television.

His most recent producing project will premiere on MTV3 in March. The show, called the Ricardo Laguna project, focuses around a Mexican BMX biker who comes to the States in search of the American Dream.

Valderrama keeps in constant contact with his fan base through his twitter handle @WillyVille.

“I’m flattered that people follow me on twitter,” said Valderrama. “It’s important to keep a direct line with your fans.”

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Filed Under: LATINO ENTERTAINMENT Tagged With: Dylan Minnette, JESSICA MARIE GUTIERREZ, Laura Allen, Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, Ricardo Laguna, That '70s Show, Voto Latino, Wilmer Valderrama

TR3S PRESENTS THE RICARDO LAGUNA PROJECT

March 6, 2012 by Jessica Marie Gutierrez Leave a Comment

THE HISPANIC BLOG IS THE LATEST HISPANIC NEWS BY JESSICA MARIE GUTIERREZ

Tr3s presents the bilingual/bicultural life of Mexican-American BMX pro &

Las Vegas’ ‘most eligible bachelor’ on “The Ricardo Laguna Project”

photo of Ricardo Laguna / photo credit

Wilmer Valderrama & RelativityREAL Executive Produce new docu-series.

Tr3s: MTV, Musica y Mas, the bilingual/bicultural entertainment destination for Latinos in the US, announces the premier of the new docu-series The Ricardo Laguna Project under Executive Producers Wilmer Valderrama and RelativityREAL. The new series takes a look inside the outrageously amusing life of bilingual/bicultural BMX star Ricardo Laguna as he attempts to break 3 world records and start his own family business – all while balancing his close knit Latin family and the enticing social scene in Las Vegas. Tr3s will produce eight 30-minute episodes of The Ricardo Laguna Project, which premiers every Wednesday at 9pm (ET), starting March 14th, 2012.

“Ricardo Laguna is a relatable young guy who’s experiencing the same bicultural realities of our audience – striving to stand out, embracing his Hispanic and American ethnicity, conquering new opportunities and keeping his family unit strong,” said Charlie Singer, SVP of Creative & Content for Tr3s. “He is unbelievably passionate about life and will be an incredible role model for our audience.”

“I have a passion for riding and being a part of the community – whether I’m helping kids or building huge dirt jumps at events – and of course I have a lot of fun along the way as it is Vegas, but I’m trying to do it all while building my brand AND in a way that makes my parents proud,” BMX champ Ricardo Laguna. “There aren’t really any Hispanic riders in BMX that give back so I’m hoping I can be a role model to some of the kids out there. All in a day’s work and I can’t wait for the world to see it!”

“When I met Ricardo, I immediately discovered a disarming, charming and inspiring young man with a vision larger than even his whole family expected. I related to him on so many levels. Ricardo and his family remind me and all of us the reason why we move away from our countries and come to America to embark in the search of the American dream,” commented Valderrama.

Moving from La Paz, Mexico to the states at the age of 13 was a struggle but looking back Ricardo merits his familia for his extraordinary bilingual/bicultural experience. Even after turning pro at 21, Ricardo chose to continue living with his parents. Now at 29, he’s left the nest but didn’t stray too far from home or dinner time with family. Ricardo has been riding for more than a decade and holds multiple titles including the Best Latin-American Dirt Jumper in 2004. Since then, the BMX renaissance man has joined the X Games, competed nationwide and mentored youth across the country – all while keeping a steady (and responsible) presence in the Las Vegas social scene.

The Ricardo Laguna Project is produced by RelativityREAL and Myra Santiago, Director of Production for Tr3s: MTV, Musica y Mas. Wilmer Valderrama and RelativityREAL’s Tom Forman, Brad Bishop and David Brown serve as Executive Producers.

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Filed Under: FEATURED ENTERTAINMENT, LATINO ENTERTAINMENT Tagged With: Bicycle motocross, MTV, Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, Ricardo, Ricardo Laguna, Tom Forman, Tr3s, United States, Wilmer Valderrama

HAVE ANY HISPANIC ACTORS WON AN OSCAR IN ANY ACTING CATEGORIES?

February 27, 2012 by Jessica Marie Gutierrez 2 Comments

THE HISPANIC BLOG BY JESSICA MARIE GUTIERREZ

The Academy Awards were revealed as extremely white (94 percent), male (77 percent) and old (median age, 62), the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center issued a report indicating that Oscar winners seem to reflect the body.

The year 2002 was symbolic when Halle Berry and Denzel Washington won the top acting awards and Sidney Poitier was honored for lifetime achievement.

In the last ten years, there has not been a winner in the Best Actor or Best Actress category that has been Latino, Asian American, or Native American.

Javier Bardem is the first Spaniard to be nominated for an Oscar (Best Actor, 2000, for Before Night Falls, lost to Russell Crowe for Gladiator). In 2007, 2007, Bardem acted in No Country for Old Men, and played a sociopathic assassin, Anton Chigurh. For that role, he became the first Spanish actor and Spaniard to win an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He received his third Academy Award nomination, and second Best Actor nomination, for the film Biutiful.

In 2009, Penelope Cruz became the first Spanish-born actress to win an Oscar by taking the best supporting actress award for her role as tempestuous artist Maria Elena in Woody Allen’s romantic comedy “Vicky Cristina Barcelona.” She was also the first Spanish actress to receive a star at the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Oddly enough, Bardem began dating then co-star Penélope Cruz in 2007. According to the Associated Press, the two were married in July 2010 in the Bahamas. On September 14, 2010, it was announced that Cruz was four and a half months pregnant with their first child. The Hollywood Reporter quoted the Spanish magazine ¡Hola! that Cruz gave birth to a boy on January 22, 2011, three days before Bardem received his third Oscar nomination, for his role in Biutiful. The couple’s son is reportedly named Leo Encinas Cruz.

The Complete List of Latino Academy Award Winners:
1950 José Ferrer Best Actor Cyrano de Bergerac

in the trailer for Crisis (1950) (image taken from Wikipedia)
Ferrer was a Puerto Rican actor, as well as a theater and film director. He was the first Hispanic actor to win an Academy Award and the only one to win for a lead role.
~1952 Anthony Quinn won Best Supporting Actor for Viva Zapata!
~1956 Anthony Quinn won again for Best Supporting Actor in Lust for Life
Quinn is the first (and only) Mexican-born actor to win two Oscars in the same category
~1961 Rita Moreno West Side Story
Won Best Supporting Actress
~1991 Mercedes Ruehl The Fisher King won Best Supporting Actress and is the first Cuban-American to win an Academy Award
~2000 Benicio del Toro 2000 Best Supporting Actor Traffic
~2007 Javier Bardem won Best Supporting Actor for No Country for Old Men Bardem is the first Spanish (from Spain) actor to win an Academy Award for acting (male or female).
~Bardem is also the first Spanish actor to be nominated twice for acting (male or female).
~2008 Penélope Cruz Vicky Cristina Barcelona Won Best Supporting Actress and is the first Spanish female actor to win

STORY CONTINUED FROM SHOULD THE OSCARS BE DIVERSIFIED?

Oscar winners and nominees of color are less likely than their white peers to receive subsequent nominations. They also make fewer movies per year after their nominations than their Anglo peers do. Moreover, they are more likely to work in television, which is considered lower-status work. From 1990 through 2000, this increased and about 9 percent of the Oscar nominees in the top categories were people of color (Munoz 2002).

Furthermore, from 2002 through 2012, almost 20 percent of nominees were people of color, which is a notable increase.

According to the CSRC Latino Policy and Issues Brief March 2012, the authors’ recommendations:

-Diversify the Academy. Of the Academy’s 43 board of governors members only one is not anglo. A suggestion is to implement a diversity task force.

-Develop young talent of color. The paper states:

Each year Hollywood executives select unknown white male actors (such as Armie Hammer, Chris Hemsworth, and Andrew Garfield) and cast them in big-budget action films and prestige projects, grooming them to become the next Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise. Actors of color are routinely shut out of these game-changing roles.

-Diversify the ranks of Hollywood executives: Currently, there isn’t one minority who’s able to green-light major-studio projects.

Read the CSRC Latino Policy and Issues Brief March 2012 http://www.scribd.com/mobile/documents/82840623/download?commit=Download+Now&secret_password=
All photos were taken from Wire Image and Getty Images

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Filed Under: LATINO ENTERTAINMENT Tagged With: Academy Award, Hollywood walk of fame, Javier Bardem, Oscars, Penelope Cruz, Spain, Spanish actors win oscar, UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Viva Zapata

IS THERE A HISPANIC RACHEL RAY: LATINA CHEFS ON ABC’S “THE CHEW”

February 26, 2012 by Jessica Marie Gutierrez 1 Comment

THE HISPANIC BLOG BY JESSICA MARIE GUTIERREZ

Photo from ABC

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.”

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.

Rios, ABC’s “The Chew” correspondent, is of Puerto Rican descent. She’s a self-taught cook who defines “perfectly Latina” as a woman who can do more than cook: she shows you how to make a cocktail or a dessert, as well.

SNOOKI AND JIONNI LAVALLE CONFIRM PREGNANCY AND ENGAGEMENT

Snooki & Jionni LaValle Confirm Pregnancy & Engagement

WILMER VALDERRAMA IN NEW THRILLER ‘AWAKE’

TR3S PRESENTS THE RICARDO LAGUNA PROJECT

Tr3s presents the bilingual/bicultural life of Mexican-American BMX pro &

Las Vegas’ ‘most eligible bachelor’ on “The Ricardo Laguna Project”

Wilmer Valderrama & RelativityREAL Executive Produce new docu-series.

HAVE ANY HISPANIC ACTORS WON AN OSCAR IN ANY ACTING CATEGORIES?

IS THERE A HISPANIC RACHEL RAY: LATINA CHEFS ON ABC’S “THE CHEW”

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SNOOKI AND JIONNI LAVALLE CONFIRM PREGNANCY AND ENGAGEMENT

Snooki & Jionni LaValle Confirm Pregnancy & Engagement

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WILMER VALDERRAMA IN NEW THRILLER ‘AWAKE’

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TR3S PRESENTS THE RICARDO LAGUNA PROJECT

Tr3s presents the bilingual/bicultural life of Mexican-American BMX pro &

Las Vegas’ ‘most eligible bachelor’ on “The Ricardo Laguna Project”

Wilmer Valderrama & RelativityREAL Executive Produce new docu-series.

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HAVE ANY HISPANIC ACTORS WON AN OSCAR IN ANY ACTING CATEGORIES?

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IS THERE A HISPANIC RACHEL RAY: LATINA CHEFS ON ABC’S “THE CHEW”

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