 |
LEAGUE OF UNITED LATIN AMERICAN CITIZENS National Office |
2000 L Street, NW, Suite 610 PRESS RELEASE |
| For Immediate Release February 6, 2003 |
Contact: Lorraine Quiroga |
Washington, DC-LULAC is appalled by Vanity Fair's decision to print Dame Edna's column this month, which clearly denigrates the Hispanic community, our language and our literature. LULAC calls on our members to boycott her show called A Night with Dame Edna, which is being performed in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Hartford, Connecticut this month. In addition, LULAC calls for a formal, printed apology from Vanity Fair.
When Dame Edna stated that there is "nothing in the [Spanish] language worth reading except Don Quixote" she insulted the 37 million Latinos that live in this country. Not only that, she also proved her ignorance because there are in fact numerous prize-winning works of Spanish literature. While we realize that the article was meant to be humorous and not to be taken seriously, it still went too far. Humor does not excuse such blatant bigotry.
"Dame Edna's comment that only 'the help' and leaf-blowers
speak Spanish is beyond offensive and simply not true. We are
a community made up of many professionals, including congressmen
and doctors, to mention a few," said Hector Flores, LULAC
National President.
It is hypocritical for Vanity Fair to print such an insulting
and ludicrous column and have the very same issue sport the top
Latina, Spanish-speaking star, Salma Hayek, on its cover. "If
Vanity Fair wants to insult us, they should do so directly on
the front cover, instead of hiding behind Salma Hayek, a critically
acclaimed actress and businesswoman. I believe the Hispanic community
would be better off spending their dollars elsewhere, instead
of on a magazine that offends us," added Flores. "While
LULAC members value free speech, we also value choice, and Vanity
Fair can expect to lose readers, unless they offer a formal apology."
The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) is the oldest and largest Latino civil rights organization in the United States. LULAC advances the economic condition, educational attainment, political influence, health, and civil rights of Hispanic Americans through community-based programs operating at more than 700 LULAC councils nationwide.