WHEREAS, LULAC, the oldest and largest Hispanic civil rights organization founded in 1929 to protect the rights of Hispanics in the United States, and
WHEREAS, it was widely reported on the national media outlets that Mr. Letterman made derogatory, offensive, and insulting remarks against the Colombian candidate for Miss Universe, Ms. Andrea Noceti, showing total lack of respect for Latin women, and
WHEREAS, Colombian women and all Latina women are the core fabric of Latin American culture and society, and they are positioned as the most sacred component of the family, and
WHEREAS, careless, defamatory, insulting and denigrating remarks against Latin women go against the most sacred symbol in Latin American culture and beliefs,
WHEREAS, the Colombian people have suffered for forty years as a result of the effects of illicit drug consumption in the United States which finances both guerilla groups and paramilitary groups, costing us 40,000 lives and hundreds of thousands of displaced people;
WHEREAS, Mr. Letterman's apology to Miss Colombia as an individual does not satisfy the harm that he has brought upon our Latin community by his disparaging remarks,
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that LULAC castigates and chastises
Mr. Letterman for his offensive remarks toward Hispanic women
and demands an opportunity to present our point of view to the
American people and bring this to the attention of all Spanish-speaking
peoples in the United States and other countries.
Furthermore, that LULAC at the national level form a committee
to find ways to educate the American people on the Colombian tragedy
and change the image of Mr. Letterman has so carelessly portrayed.
No Hispanic can sit back and allow for these stereotypes to be
created and maintained. The committee will request an audience
with Mr. Letterman and demand that he provides us an opportunity
to present our point of view to the American people and to apologize
not only to Miss Colombia but also to all Hispanics.
Submitted by:
LULAC Council #5071 and Armando V. Pomar, Florida State Director
Approved this 9th day of June, 2001.
Rick Dovalina
LULAC National President