FORT BELVOIR, Va. -- Manny Monterrey, a local film producer, author and curator of Latino arts, visited Fort Belvoir's Community Center Oct. 15 for a celebration of Hispanic American Heritage Month at the installation.
Regarded by critics as one of the foremost authorities on Latino life in the U.S., Monterrey has produced several films, including the 2007 documentary "Act of Honor," which depicts the life and death story of U.S. Marine Sgt. Rafael Peralta.
According to Monterrey, Peralta unselfishly gave his life to protect eight members of his unit when he dove over a grenade fired by enemy insurgents during combat in Fallujah, Iraq in November 2005.
The documentary is part of a larger component created and produced by Monterrey titled "A Color of Honor - A Tribute to Latinos in the U.S. Military." Disappointed with the depiction of his culture in several major U.S. magazines, Monterrey was also inspired to write and produce the multimedia award-winning "Americanos: Latino Life in the United States." The project, released nearly 10 years ago at the Sundance Film Festival, included an HBO film and traveling photo and war artifact exhibition by the Smithsonian Institute.
"The film and pictures depict the laughter, joys, pride, sorrows and dreams of 'mi gente,' my people," Monterrey told audience members. "It captures Latino people in their everyday lives and includes portraits of celebrities like musician Carlos Santana, actor Andy Garcia and fashion designer Caroline Herrera. It remains one of the best things I've ever done in life."
While growing up in Shaw, a predominantly black neighborhood in northwest Washington, D.C., Monterrey said he got a history lesson in the plights of black Americans, as well as the seeds of his own culture. He learned from his parents to be proud of who he was and what he represented - not just to his family, but to others just like him.
Monterrey said he was proud to discover during his research that more than 500,000 Hispanics had served in World War II, with another 80,000 having served in the Vietnam War. Hispanics also hold the distinction of having the highest number of Medal of Honor recipients of any ethnic group in U.S. history.
"Latinos are often associated with being migrant workers, janitors, and having menial labor jobs. And, yes, we do have those jobs. I'll also tell you that we do those jobs without shame," Monterrey said. "But, we're also teachers, realtors, doctors and other business professionals. We entertain you and have fought in our nation's greatest wars. We want the same thing as everyone else. We want a good quality of life for our families and we want to be happy."
Monterrey added this year's theme, "Embracing the Fierce Urgency of Now," is an excerpt from a speech given by Martin Luther King and that it was his desire to "live the dream to change." Remarkably, Monterrey said, that theme is alive right now.
"America is changing and it's happening right down the street," Monterrey said, referring to last year's election of President Barack Obama. "In my experience, I can tell you that Latinos dream of making America stronger. We hope that one day it includes having the same address as our current president, and not as just the first lady."
Dr. Joseph Westphal, the under secretary to the Army and a native of Chile, also attended the celebration and followed Monterrey's remarks with a key reminder his parents instilled in him while growing up.
"Just like our special guest speaker, my parents taught me the value of embracing my heritage. More than anything, they wanted me to be proud of who I was and to never lose sight of that," Westphal said. "We're Americans, but we all come from somewhere else. It's important now more than ever to bond together and not let the economy, crime or unemployment tear us down. If we pull together, we will persevere."
Installation Commander Col. Jerry Blixt and Command Sgt. Maj. Gabriel Berhane thanked Monterrey and Westphal for their attendance, as well as members of the Los Quetzales Mexican Dance Ensemble for their performance earlier in the program. Having traveled around the world, Berhane said it's humbling to appreciate who you are and that there's no place like the U.S.
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