hello and welcome to "comunidad del valle." i'm damian trujillo. find out about a great international holiday on this show, "comunidad del valle." ♪ >> we begin today with the documentary impacto about the chi cano movement back in the '60s and how it relates in modern day bay area area. with me is rudy coronado. welcome back. tell us about this. you have been working on this for a while. we talked about this a while

back but we need to raise funds to make sure this production comes to fruition. >> right, right. we have been very successful in obtaining sponsorships from the san francisco film society which allows us to raise money and allows us to seek funds where the public and donors such as foundations, corporations, and individuals can donate money to the film and get a tax write-off. so it's a very, very positive step that we're undertaking now with that step that we have taken, and we have an event coming up where we're trying to raise money for the film as well. we have an agreement with the san francisco film society to raise certain percentage of the money for the film. it's a $1 million film budget, so we're raising about 10% through grassroots efforts, and we have an event coming up november 15th that we hope to

raise some money through. >> all right. we'll put that information up in the next couple segments. we do have some video images of the chicano movement. but talk, if you will, about the man next to you, and what he means to the movie and what he means today to this community. >> well, rudy coronado is a veterano from many, many years of struggle here. he has led many causes and has inspired many people, including myself. he's an original member of the black berets and marched with chavez and did a lot of activism in the community, and he is one of the people that we are featuring in the filming to show the young people where a lot of the doors that were opened that opportunities now exist for people really not only were

knocked on but were tore down and kicked open by people like rudy, and individuals like sofia mendoza and other people in the community. >> you're still a young man, mr. coronado, but what keeps you going and why the interest in keeping the word, if you will, the word alive? >> the way my life has been, this kind of brings a little laughter to ourselves, you know, is that every time that i tried to retire, because i retire from my work 21, 22 years ago, and i said, well, okay, i'm going to retire and i'm going to take it easy, but every time i say that, the good lord jesus says, uh-uh, you're not ready to do that. >> i have another assignment for you. >> a lot of things to do yet. so that's what kind of pushed me to this now.

i'm also, a little story, i'm a master of martial arts, and i have worked with the monks from hong kong, china, and, in fact, i was the one that organized them when they came here in 2005 to do tournaments here because they were not allowed to do tournaments. >> and this project now was something you said i want to roll up my sleeves and help. >> right. and then in 2006, the big march we had where all the nation, all the mex canos and everybody latinos, got together and we marched for the immigrants, you know. so this is not something new to me because i came here from texas when i was 15 years old in 1945, and i saw -- well, i came

from a discriminated area in texas. i knew what discrimination was. i came to san jose looking for a better life for myself and for my mother and my dad because they used to work a lot, you know, and so i thought i was a musician already by that time professional because i started music professionally when i was 12 years old, and a lot of people don't believe that until they see pictures that i have at that age playing -- >> i think everybody from the rio texas and here, everybody -- >> all the people left and came here. >> give us a synopsis again of why this project is important. >> okay. that march we did in 2006 in the park we finished from tropicana, then i told -- they told me to

say something in the microphone, excuse me, and i remember one thing about the lord jesus christ, that jesus didn't start his ministry until he was 30 years old. okay? they always had the image of us mexicanos with a guy with a sombrero, serape under a cactus and that we are lazy. but what happened is, like jesus, all those years that nothing was written about him until he was 30 years old when he started his ministry, okay, all he was doing was observing all the soldiers that were passing through his land where they lived and, you know, the whip masters and all that with the slaves. well, this mexican person, which was the giant, he was observing everything that was going

through his eyes there, everybody that was being unjustly done, you know, things done to them. and now when he woke up, we have seen it now. that's why i said, he has awakened. now you see the younger generation all over the country demonstrating for their rights. when did we ever see that before? >> you're right. you'dy coronado is part of this great documentary called "impacto." fund-raiser on november 15th will showcase a couple films. >> the title of the film for my first film documentary which i borrowed the phrase from rudy's speech that he gave that day, and it truly is a historical film itself. >> let's talk about that in the next segment, and we'll see you

on the 15th at the mexican heritage plaza. we'll be back in just a few. speech that he gave that day,

we're talking about the documentary "impacto" on "comunidad del valle." give us a synopsis. give us your sales pitch. >> okay. well, on november 15th we're going to be showing two film documentaries by the two local chicano filmmakers here in san jose that have produced films for distribution. both of these films will be shown at the mexican heritage plaza theater at the school of arts and culture on king and alam rock avenue in san jose. tickets are $25 in advance, $35 at the door. it is a fund-raiser. and people can obtain their tickets in advance by going to

galafilms@event mississip galafilms@eventbright.com. >> we saw that on the screen. >> there will be tickets at the door so if people want to spend a little extra money and give a little more, they can also provide for funding with tickets at the door. >> and the person to contact if you want to do some sort of sponsorship is maria. welcome to the show, maria. >> thank you. >> give us your role and why it's important to logon and donate. >> my role is a marketing consultant and also the executive management, helping with the production. what we do is we're promoting the film of "impacto" to generate sponsors and also individual donors that want to be part of this creation of the legacy documentary that we're promoting from the '60s to the current, and also i am part of that legacy. so i'm speak for my mom and dad's heritage of the mexican

filipino, but it's also covering so much culture of san jose, and i want all the public to know there is so much information in this documentary that will be placed in the schools, the libraries, and it's just an explosion to go international. so welcome. the doors that open for "impacto" for all of you that are listening to this program and thank you, damian, for having us on today because we are on a journey that will come to fruition. i thank all of you. if you're hearing of this program today, do connect with casa vargas production as soon as possible and join our journey. thank you. >> did you say this is something we got to do? >> when we talk about film, of course -- >> you want to do it right. >> you have to do it right. we've been working on it for a couple years, and, you know, my background is in theater.

it's not like rehearsing for three or four months and then put on a play and you perform a piece for a month and then you go on to the next play. film is more like a marathon run, theater is like a sprint. but we keep at it, and we make progress along the way. we have a lot of people that are coming forward to support. we do have the sponsorship of four cs, gardner health network. so we're hoping that people will come out and support on november 15th, bring all the family. it will be an enjoyable time.

the soldado focuses on the experiences of chick canos during vietnam and afterwards after they came home. >> you're going to get people angry with attendance because it's reality. it's what -- >> it's reality. what we're saying is -- ] speaking spanish ] what was going on in the '70s and the '60s, what's going on with immigration today, it's all related to the same social economic conditions that create and cause those issues. >> what -- one quick question. i have a third grader. why do you think she should watch this film? >> i think a third grader,

particular would see the multitude of people, the express ion of multiple people, multicultural people coming out to the streets for something they believe in and being united. like somebody said in the film because a lot of kids walked out and joined the march and skipped school -- >> i remember. >> one of the parents was saying in the film that, yes, they left school, but in one day of missing school for eight hours and being here, today they may have learned more than they could have learned all week. >> that's a good way to put it. it's a fund-raiser for "impacto." they need to raise quite a bit of money. araise the fund-raiser on november 15th at the mexican heritage plaza. there is the web address and the event bright also on the

website. thank you all so much. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> my pleasure. up next, more "comunidad del valle." ♪

♪ ♪ ♪ i ♪ know i can't deny... ♪ that i got a new feeling ♪ deep inside... ♪

[ female announcer ] with five perfectly sweetened whole grains... you can't help but see the good. you -- we want to thank our newspaper for being our supporter. last week we were supposed to show you a special. we had some technical difficulties. we will show you the significance of this international holiday. with me on "comunidad del valle" is tamara, the head of the school of art and culture at the mexican heritage plaza in san jose. welcome to the show. >> thank you, damian. >> we put together this alter amongst ourselves. i'm going to have tamara because she's the expert on the day of the dead kind of go through what we have. the water behind me here is not here because i'm drinking it. it's actually part of the tradition. go ahead before we talk about

the school of arts and culture, tell us about what we have here so that when folks are watching the segment, they know what we're watching. >> sure. well, right away right here in the middle we have a skull, and it's highly decorated. they're two other ones right here because right away we want to make sure that everybody knows as mexicanos in our community, we have fun with this. that's one of the thing about days of the dead, it's a very solemn time, a time to remember those who have gone on. we also want to remember a little fun. they are painted. there's beauty in death, right? other elements we have here, for example, are pictures -- excuse me. we have a couple pictures here. we have your dad. we have my dad. we have your wife's grandmother who has passed on. so these are the people who have passed on in our families. these alters are very personal. you always bring the personal element of photography. we have flowers to celebrate.

>> tell us about that. >> this is actually where -- you will see this a lot with aztec dance. this is where the incense you see burning, this is where it's held. so in mexico often times you will see in the graveyards, in the cemeteries where people are burning it to honor their loved ones who have passed on. >> it's fascinating. again, the water, the idea behind -- i do know this part. we're supposed to have some bread because the idea is during these traditions, those who passed on, they will come and visit your alter and you want to have a sip of water for them and maybe some bread along their journey wherever it is their journey has take be them. >> it's typical to place things they liked. for example, maybe they had a little chocolate, some water, making sure when they come and visit, there's food and there's water to drink. so the idea is that they're coming to visit us during these days and we want to be hospitable, of course.

>> now, talk to those people who might not understand the tradition and might say this sounds very morbid. talk to those people and kind of convince them that, no, it's not. here is a video of some celebrations across lit tatin america. >> this is a tradition that's rooted in an ancient tradition. it's several thousands of years old in the azt ec tradition. you will see a little bit of that later on. it's actually -- it starts in late august, early september. this is actually a period of celebration of death, and it happens across not only for humanity, but across nature. it's rooted in that, that we have to go back in the ground to have rebirth in the spring. >> we saw aztec dancers. it's centuries old tradition. >> also in the catholic tradition, like november 1st, it's actually focused on children.

children who have died. and then the never 2nd, the more traditional day of all souls day. >> all souls day. >> yeah. this is actually i think for our community it's a way for all communities, it's a way to take something that's very painful -- it's painful to lose a parent. >> absolutely. >> so this is a way that we can actually celebrate and honor their legacy and their impact on our lives. >> and it's even more fascinating from reading. my family did not celebrate this tradition to this depth, in reading the fact that in mexico a lot of families, they will go to the cemetery on the day of the dead and they will have a feast there at the plot of the person who they lost. some people who don't understand might think that sounds kind of morbid. no, it's not. >> absolutely not. it's something to say let's visit our loved ones who have passed on and bring some food and celebrate together. there's multiple ways. it's something a lot of families -- even in mexico, they say i didn't celebrate it in

that way. maybe we just set up a picture and a few flowers. certain elements are the same, food, the flowers, the incense. so there's a lot of things also across latin america in many countries it's also celebrated. not quite the same way in mexico and now here in the united states, but it's all a very beautiful tradition that all of us can actually enjoy. >> mary, who was with -- has written several books. you mention how the traditions do differ. you might want to give them a call. they're in san jose. it sounds like it's one of those traditions -- we're teaching our kids to celebrate the day of the dead. it sounds like that's how it's being passed on. >> it doesn't take much. we all have pictures. we all have people who have passed on. so put up a picture, get some flowers, maybe some marigolds.

they are available at this time. and some water, a little piece of bread. set that up and celebrate that with your children. >> i don't know if you know because i don't know at what point do you start taking down the alter? on the 3rd. >> ideally on the 3rd. on the 3rd or the 4th, but typically you start setting up the alters in these days. >> so some of these alters -- i think we may have seen some in the video are more elaborate. this is miniature compared to what a lot of families do even in their own homes. >> some alters are extremely elaborate. even the local artists that are putting things together. for example at martin luther king jr. library, the san jose mul multicultural artist guild put together some alters that are beautiful. >> the mexican school of arts and culture are having some fascinating events.

we will talk about other events happening throughout the south bay. there's the web address for more information. log on and find out more about day of the dead. we'll be back when we continue on "comunidad del valle."

we're back here on "comunidad del valle" celebrating day of the dead. we have our own miniature alter here on this show. and then our next segment we're going to be having some ethnic dancers perform and then we will close it out with some dance in the tradition of the day of the dead. a lot of events happening not only at your venue but throughout the south bay. >> there are several i wanted to highlight. one that already happened but i think is important to note is the run that we had at the school of arts and culture. we're looking forward to that tradition. mark your calendars for october

of 2014. >> and get your tickets early. tell us about the turnout. >> congratulations to them. they saw approximately 2,700 patrons come and see this show. it's based on the film, a classic mexican film. you can see it on youtube in its entirety. if you didn't catch the play, get on youtube, get ready for next year. we also know that yesterday there was a festival at national hispanic university. they're starting to have a tradition of a day of the dead event every year. so that's great. we also have [ speaking spanish ] it means the last stop. it will be a great program put on my local artists, barbara diaz, and also rick moreno whom i'm sure you know. he is a wonderful, wonderful artist that is also a master

at --. so you will be seeing a lot of that type of work. >> what does this tell you about the rich culture we have here. we celebrate kwanzaa, day of the dead. this area, if you're not fascinated by the melting pot that is the bay area. >> i think that's one of the biggest assets of the community in san jose and in the south bay and in the bay area is that certainly we have our issues and our problems and our differences but in terms of being around different cultures, there is a certain level of tolerance and actually celebration that i feel exists here that doesn't exist in other communities. there are many opportunities. all of these things we've been talking about are open to all nations, all races as i like to say. >> i mean, color, i would imagine has a lot to do with it. look how colorful this alter looks. we show you the video. look at the colors. that just gives the message of vibrancy and even though we're talking about day of the dead, it looks alive. it looks very festive.

>> it is. in death there is life, right? that's one of those common things you start hearing around day of the dead. it's important to celebrate, to help us understand that, you know, there's a lot of focus in mainstream media on live, live, live, live, live. we've got to look younger. we've got to look better. where is my botox? that kind of thing. this is part of the cycle. we are all going to die, so we might as well celebrating right now. >> we're going to have -- [ speaking spanish ] >> they will host their annual day of the dead in the parking lot of muy pueblo. it's really interesting.

♪ make way for noddy ♪ noddy ♪ he toots his horn to say ♪ [ parp, parp, parp ] ♪ make way for noddy ♪ noddy ♪ come on out and play ♪ make way for noddy ♪ noddy ♪ shout a big hurray ♪ let's get ready and steady ♪ ♪ go! ♪ it's a happy day ♪ noddy's on his way ♪ make way for noddy ♪ noddy ♪ he's driving in his car ♪ make way for noddy ♪ noddy ♪ toy town can't be far ♪ make way for noddy ♪ noddy ♪ shout a big hurray ♪ his bell is ringing ♪ we're singing ♪ it's a happy day ♪ noddy's here make way ♪