Page 29 - ARUBA TODAY

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PEOPLE/ARTS Tuesday 24 OcTOber 2017
Satirical ‘Ask A Mexican’ column to end after decade run

By RUSSELL CONTRERAS “When I had my meeting Tex-Mex dishes.
Associated Press with Duncan McIntosh ... Arellano responded with
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) he said he was open to me history and humor while
— The “Ask A Mexican” continuing the column on also challenging stereo-
column, a satirical weekly a ‘contract’ basis,” Arel- types about Latinos.
installment about U.S. Lati- lano said. “That’s when I “Ask a Mexican was my
nos that once ran in more realized he was planning to way of confronting the rac-
than three dozen alterna- keep the trademark on the ism that Americans have
tive weekly newspapers column instead of giving it thrown at my culture for
across the country, is com- to me.” over 150 years,” Arellano
ing to an end. McIntosh did not immedi- said. “It wasn’t just enough
The column’s founder, Gus- ately return an email from for me to yell and protest —
tavo Arellano, told The As- The Associated Press. I needed to do it with stats
sociated Press on Monday Arellano said he opted not and satire.”He became
that the final version of the to continue the column un- one of the few Latino col-
humorous installment will der a different name and umnists in the nation where
appear online for Albu- logo because it seemed Hispanics remain underrep-
querque’s Weekly Alibi. The like he would be “clinging resented in newsrooms. A
column will not appear in onto the past.” survey released this month
the OC Weekly of Fountain The column, which began by the American Society
Valley, California, the pub- in 2004 in OC Weekly and of News Editors, for exam-
lication where the column appeared in other news- ple, found that less than This 2015 photo provided by writer Gustavo Arellano shows him
standing outside of Alebrije’s taco truck in Santa Ana, Calif.
began, he said. papers two years later, 6 percent of newsroom Associated Press
The move comes after Arel- drew national attention for staff is Latino.As alternative
lano resigned from the OC asking readers to submit newsweeklies shrank and other ethnic groups and contradictions of being La-
Weekly this month after he questions to Arellano about reduced pages and staff, gays and lesbians. tino in the United States.
refused a request by news- Mexican immigrants and the number of newspapers Alexandro Jose Gradilla, “He didn’t rely on heroic
paper’s owner, Duncan Mexican Americans. that ran the column fell to a Chicana and Chicano representations or nice
McIntosh, to layoff half of Questions ranged from just five as of this month. Still, Studies professor at Califor- and neat ones,” he said.
the publication’s staff. readers asking why Mexi- it remained popular online. nia State University, Fuller- “(Arellano) instead spoke
Arellano says the OC Week- can immigrants park their Arellano sometimes an- ton, said Arellano brought about the people and
ly owns the column and he cars on their lawns to why swered questions through a new perspective to identity they have with all
has rejected an offer to Mexican Americans in Tex- video, even challenging media on Latinos that at- the messiness that is part of
continue it as a contractor. as use yellow cheese with Latinos’ stereotypes about tempted to embrace the the experience.”q