Back in the Dubya Bush era, I got interested in the injustices in immigration in America — and one of the most spectacular bloggers I encountered on the issue was Nezua, from The Unapologetic Mexican.
Nezua’s views on pretty much everything, his lyric and profound writing style, captured my attention and imagination, and I’ve followed him ever since.
On a recent episode of “News with Nezua,” he interviews the cartoonist and now writer of Fox’s new show, “Bordertown,” a historic show from “Family Guy’s” Mark Hentemann:
SHORTLY BEFORE FOX’S NEW SHOW ‘BORDERTOWN’ DROPPED, the online Xicano/Xicana/Xicanx chatter was fierce. I became aware, fast, that one of the writers included long-celebrated (and I am contractually obligated to add ‘controversial’) Chicano cartoonist Lalo Alcaraz—known mostly for his comic La Cucaracha. I also learned that the show would center two neighbors living in “Mexifornia,” a fictional town on a fictional US’ Southern border. Referring to the narrative structure, Lalo calls the show a ‘two-hander,’ adding that phrase ‘sounded dirty if you think about it too long.’ I tried not to.
The interview is fascinating. Just seeing a clip from this show brought my addle-brained self to wonder why I had never thought before about why the teevee hasn’t been reflecting the immigration issue insofar as it relates to our friends, neighbors, it’s all around us, and especially shown in the fact that Latina/o’s are one of the fastest growing demographic groups changing our national identity.
Why hasn’t this been appearing in pop culture until now?
Take a look at the interview. I think you’ll be glad you did — and if you haven’t “met” Nezua before, he is one-of-a-kind, brilliant, and a gift to us all.