http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepubli ... can05.html

Project targets Latino stereotypes

Yvonne Wingett
The Arizona Republic
May. 8, 2006 12:00 AM

A middle-age Hispanic man pushes a mower across the lawn of a giant home in an affluent neighborhood. An attractive middle-age blonde pulls up driving a BMW.

"Can you please come here por favor," she said, sticking her head out the window. "I was wondering how much you charge to landscape this home?"

The man stops and asks: "Why would I charge to landscape my own yard?"

She blushes and drives off. The commercial clip later freezes and an on-screen message appears: "I am an American."

The stereotype-shattering commercial is being filmed for a new Web site created by two 30-something Phoenix Republicans frustrated by the political rhetoric over illegal immigration. Inspired by the string of recent pro-immigrant student walkouts, marches and demonstrations in Phoenix, Bettina Nava and Max Fose have launched www.iamaproudamerican.com can.com.

It aims at breaking down stereotypes some people have about Hispanics by attacking those stereotypes through at least four short commercials. Links to government sites and civic organizations encourage people to become politically active by helping them register to vote, find elected officials and write letters to the editor.

Today, they'll send out their message to 2 million registered voters via e-mail.

"I'm concerned that this anger over illegal immigration is turning into possible discrimination against Latinos," said Fose, of north-central Phoenix.

"It's wrong, and we have an obligation as Americans to say this is wrong. The marches have shown that there are hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people that feel the same way Bettina and I do."


Groundswell movement


Their project is one example of a groundswell of social activism kindled in March when millions of people protested federal legislation that would make it a felony to be in the country illegally, according to national immigrant advocates.

The movement was powered by the millions of workers and students who have taken to the streets from coast to coast to rally for legalization of undocumented immigrants living in the country. Examples of activism like theirs abounds.

In Tucson, 34-year-old Chris Miranda, an American-born Latino, is marketing a T-shirt encouraging Hispanics to vote. In Orange County, Calif., Vietnamese immigrant Newton Hoang and his college buddies are making T-shirts to raise awareness about the Dream Act. And in Revere, Mass., Colombian immigrant Carlos "Chapu" Pemderthi is recording a hip-hop album that incorporates rhymes on his experiences as an undocumented immigrant.

"What has happened around this country with this immigration movement is motivating people who have never been involved in civic engagement to a level of participation in a way we have not seen," said Germonique Jones of the Washington-based Center for Community Change. "Everyday people not connected to any organization or group are coming out to the rallies and wondering how they can help."

It's too early to determine if these projects will change people's views about illegal immigration or stereotypes, experts said, but they allow people to express themselves and be a part of the debate.


Politically experienced


The Arizona pair are not political novices. Nava is a political consultant. Fose is a Web designer who created a campaign Web site that helped Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain in his 2000 presidential run. They met in 1993 while working for McCain and became friends.

The Proud American project was born over backyard barbecues in Phoenix, where lately the topic of illegal immigration has dominated. They had grown tired of the back-and-forth between politicians and frustrated over simplistic assumptions some people have about Hispanics. Each has close Hispanic friends who are successful business owners, politicians, lawyers, nurses and corporate vice presidents.

They wondered how they could challenge those stereotypes: that anyone with brown skin must be a maid, landscaper, nanny or gang-banger.

"We took our talents we had, and asked ourselves, 'How can we reach the most people possible, and have a conversation about this?' " said Nava, a third-generation Latina who was raised in Florence.

Fose could create a Web site. Nava could use her perspective as a Latina to write the message. Fose could take voter lists, match them to e-mails and send them out. They could use the real-life experiences from their friends as commercials. The law enforcement officer who had been mistaken by the blonde in a BMW for a landscaper. The marketing professional and mother of two who had been mistaken by another mom as a nanny. And Nava could tell her own story: the time a few weeks ago at a swanky hotel when a shuttle bus driver told her she couldn't get on because it was for guests only. Not employees.


Posting grievances


They have hired a local production company to find actors and shoot the commercials. They will spend $20,000 to $30,000 of their own money on the project, they estimated. Today, they will blast 2 million registered voters across the country, including 160,000 in Arizona, with advertisements for their site, which they are still tweaking. They plan on posting the commercials at the end of May.

Fose said he and Nava hope the site will cross ethnic, class and social lines, hooking young and old generations. Fose will test the response to the e-mail blasts to gauge what demographic will work best. In their own way, they hope to make people talk, and think, about themselves, their neighbors and co-workers.

"We're hoping it's edgy (and) it's controversial," Nava said. "I don't know what the impact this endeavor's going to have in the end, but we couldn't sit back and hear this rhetoric. It really came down to, do we do nothing, or do we do something. I hope it causes people to pause, and question stereotypes."