Army Wives: Por Fin, Latinos Cast!

Alyssa Diaz

After six seasons, Lifetime’s Army Wives finally includes a Latina wife (Alyssa Diaz) and her husband (Joseph Julian Soria), also a Latino. Finally, the show is heading toward a more balanced image representation.  Bravo, I’m not complaining, but dang, why didn’t this happen back in 2007 when the show premiered?

I’m reminded of how veteran comedian/actor Danny Mora would end his shows back in the day when he was still on the road, it went something like this:

“Do you realize that President Bill Clinton was the first president ever to hire Mexicans/Latinos in the White House Kitchen… how come it took so long? What were they afraid of?

That we were going to hijack the presidential limo and go low riding?
Put Tequila in the White House Ballroom punch ball?
String a burro Piñata in the middle of the Oval Office?
Or worse spray paint our names on a wall?”

Let me tell you something… ladies and gentlemen there is a wall in Washington DC with more of our share of names—not sprayed painted—but etched in granite in the order in which they fell serving our country, and it’s called the Vietnam Memorial. Next time you’re in nation’s capitol, check it out.

Joseph Julian Soria

Alyssa Diaz (Shark Night3D, Red Dawn/MGM 11/2012 release) and Joseph Julian Soria (CSI: Miami, Lincoln Heights, The Shield) portray married couple Hector and Gloria Cruz and it is obvious they’re Latino so the fake accent (especially on Gloria’s part) is just plain annoying.

Hollywood has consistently made errors of omission throughout the years. I had a friend tell me he had a hard time justifying WW11 to his grandkids because after watching Saving Private Ryan a few years ago, there isn’t one Latino visible and when the cameras panned the military cemetery, not one Latino surname was visible.  Steven Spielberg didn’t get his facts right here. From one street alone, over 105 Mexican Americans served in WW11… Google “Hero Street USA.” According to the National World War 11 Museum between 250,000 and 500,000 Hispanic Americans served in the U.S. Armed Forces!  I won’t even get into Vietnam and the Afghan/Iraq war. Latinos have been part of the U.S. military since the formation of this union!

And today the U.S. Latino population tops 50 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and am thrilled that finally, Army Wives has a Latino couple and hopefully, their roles will grow touching upon the trials and tribulations of the stress, drama and trauma of being in the military and how it strains and/or strengthens relationships.

Listen, I’m pleased as punch that Army Wives has included in its casting a pair of super talented Latinos… and trust me I’m not complaining, I’m celebrating this fact, but TV writers and movie makers, if you’re interested, there is a wealth of books in the library perhaps you’ve missed these titles to capture the reality. Like it or not, there is a growing generational shift in which Latinos continue to gain political clout and, by 2050, could make up a third of the U.S. population.

Remember, a full 12.6 percent of the Army is comprised of Latinos, and it's high time we are acknowledged on television for our contributions to American society.

Army Wives, airs Sundays at 10PM (EST/PST) on Lifetime TV
Stars: Alyssa Diaz, Joseph Julian Soria, Catherine Bell, Kim Delaney, Sally Pressman, Wendy Davis, Drew Fuller, Terry Serpico, Brian McNamara, and Sterling K. Brown.

Latinowood / Elia Epsarza
Army Wives: Por Fin, Latinos Cast! July 11, 2012 © All Rights Reserved

TNT’s “Dallas”Verdict: A Hit! 2 Patas Up!

Best English-Language Telenovela Ever!

Hollywood, CA—I decided to watch last night’s premiere of TNT’s Dallas revival with a bit of trepidation because I am so tired of network executive snobs turning their noses up on fresh and new ideas especially Latino themed storylines. I wasn’t thrilled about another failed remake by the network vultures who are clueless as to the viewing audience—the Generation X’ers who now make up the center of the coveted adults 18-49 demographic.

So when I made myself cozy and comfy in bed, I watched not as a critic or a frustrated Latina working in the entertainment industry, no I watched strictly for entertainment reasons. I was happy that the show had cast a couple of Latinos in significant roles-- Jordana Brewster (Elena Ramos) and Marlene Forte (Carmen Ramos-- who play daughter and mother respectively.

Jordana Brewster

As a self-proclaimed expert of the original Dallas, I felt sufficiently confident I would know instantly if this new century greed loving-cheating-lying-scheming-psycho-women loving- men loving show was true to its legacy….

And, Yes! WooHoo! This viewer was entertained and addicted enough to stay up for the second hour! I breathed a sigh of relief the instant I realized this new show was being true to the original.

TNT’s Dallas opened nostalgically embracing the past. I didn’t think of the show as a remake but rather as a sequel, as another reviewer mentioned. This new show brings back three original cast members (Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy and Linda Gray) from the super-hit CBS original soap and they play prominent roles in the new one. I’m not sure if the new show would be as appealing if the three originals were not present. It would have felt like how I felt watching Hawaii 5-O (CBS)... cheated.

The new Dallas telenovela unfolds with the introduction of John Ross Ewing (Josh Henderson) and Christopher Ewing (Jesse Metcalfe) who have are perfectly cast as JR and Bobby Ewing’s sons. Both handsome young men are chips off the old block. Their loves are Elena Ramos (Jordana Brewster), the Ewing long-time cook’s daughter and who was once engaged to Christopher and is now with John Ross. Then there is the sweet Rebecca (Julie Gonzalo), Christopher’s bride… but don’t let her sweet demeanor fool you, there’s a lot more here than meets the eye.

My niece, who is here from Mexico visiting for a few weeks, was absolutely captivated! She speaks just sufficient English to understand. She never saw the original version but loved where the storyline is heading. It was interesting to get a Spanish-language viewer’s feedback. She’s hooked! Listen up, TNT marketing executives, here’s another demographic you can tap into: Spanish-language viewers! They love telenovelas! Trust me, they’ll understand it enough to get hooked!

The new story works because the show catches up with the original Kane and Able brother rivalry. Seeing J.R. and Bobby again brought back many memories, not just of the show, but also of my life during the 80’s… a time dealing with so much backbiting, office politics, envy… Ah, but that is a story for another time.

In the series premiere, John Ross (Henderson) is secretly drilling for oil on Southfork—a Ewing family absolute sin that dates back 100 years. Uncle Bobby (Duffy), who inherited the ranch and has hopes to turn it over to a land conservancy, blows a gasket when he finds out and orders the drilling stopped. And, the legal war begins on the day Bobby’s adopted son Christopher (Metcalfe) is getting married.

John Ross is exactly like his father JR, greedy, conniving, will stop at nothing to win or get his way or get any woman he wants. Christopher, on the other hand is like his father, a good man who is looking for a breakthrough in alternative energy.  The green factor is woven into storyline… that’s good. Christopher, however, doesn’t agree with his dad’s conservation plans. Not yet, any how.

The show promises to sizzle in a love triangle that I wish had held back a little in the premiere. Refreshing and beautiful is Jordana Brewster who plays Elena, the daughter of the Ewings’ cook Carmen (Forte). Elena grew up on Southfork and is educated and loves mining for oil. As an engineer she has set her sights on land leases she believes will yield her oil to take her and her mom to new heights (financially that is).  Although the women play an important part like the original series, it is the men the storyline is centered on. It will be interesting to see how these young Ewing sons develop without being clones of their father.

Marlene Forte

Can’t wait to see what other twists and turns this new Dallas has in store for its faithful fans. This “sequel” is built with a potent addictive soap-hooking storylines and new characters that do not embarrass their predecessor.

Latinowood’s buzz for Dallas 2012 is “Southfork never looked better!” Especially with Jordana Brewster and Marlene Forte and all the other Latinos on the show!

I would be remiss not to mention Executive Producer, Cynthia Cidre (Cane/CBS), another Latina who from behind the scenes gives us hope for purity of storyline when ever it concerns Latinos. Oh, and one more thing, for any complaints about another Latina cast in a domestic (maid/cook) role, well, baby you're in Texas working with billionaires... I bet our Carmen Ramos makes a fat six-figures, carries an American Express Platinum card, and will probably later reveal she owns some of Ewing stock. Not concerned that this character is suffering too much with her image.

Dallas broadcasts Wednesday nights, 9 p.m. on TNT.