Transcript
Peter Padilla
Vice President/General Manager, Azteca America Television and KREN-TV,
Reno
It's interesting how history can repeat itself so many times. If we go back
not too far to the 1960s we might well have a roomful of African-Americans
in this room who are talking about immigration issues and equality. What's
interesting about the African-American immigration issues is that they
fought for equality even though they came to this country unwillingly.
The Mexican-Americans and Hispanics are fighting for equality even though
they come to this country without being welcomed in many cases. So we
all have similar issues to face as our African-American brothers faced,
20, 30, 40 years ago, and maybe to some extent even today. But I do believe
things are getting better in the United States. I think people are beginning
to realize that America stretches from Argentina to Canada. We're all
Americans. We're all after the same objectives, the same goals. We all
want a great life. I think it's commendable that FocusWest has put on
a program like this. I think the media does play a serious role in communicating
to all society the challenges, the successes, the benefits, the struggles,
of being an American, whether you're white, or African-American, or Hispanic.
I'm hopeful there will be other programs like this that other stations
do, so that there's more awareness of what's happening in today's society
and that things will improve and that in 20 or 30 or 40 years we won't
need programs like this because this is going to be what our society is
about.
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