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Manny Garcia was still a toddler in the early 1960s when his parents and grandparents suddenly fled the rule of dictator Fidel Castro in Cuba. They left everything – their cars, furnishings, and even the food in the refrigerator – to start a new life in the United States.
Because of that moment and the countless stories of what was lost told by his parents and grandparents, Garcia knows how fragile democracy is. So he devoted his career to protecting journalism and is now the editor-in-chief of the Austin American-Statesman in Texas.
“I have a deep appreciation for the freedoms this country upholds – especially the First Amendment,” he said. “I can openly practice journalism in the United States, where there is no freedom of the press in Cuba, my birthplace. In Cuba reporters are locked up and silenced. “
Garcia, 60, of Austin, will join four other Americans on Wednesday June 9th to share personal stories as part of the USA TODAY Network’s storytellers project “I am Hispanic”.
Watch at 4:00 p.m. PT / 7:00 p.m. ET. Register in advance to receive a reminder and see it on USA TODAY’s Facebook page, YouTube channel or website.
Garcia will share his story as part of an ongoing series of “I Am” storytelling nights that will focus on how race and ethnicity weave American identity.
Part of parent company Gannett’s broader commitment to justice, diversity and inclusivity, the series will feature shows about black, Asian and indigenous experiences in America, among other things.
Garcia will join by:
- Christy Haubegger, 52, from Los Angeles.
- Marilyn Torres, 62, from Laveen, Arizona.
- Lily Be, 42, from Chicago.
- Charlie Echeverry, 42, from Los Angeles.
Haubegger started Latina magazine in 1996 because she said she hadn’t seen herself or other Latinas represented in the American media.
“The magazine’s readership grew into the millions because people like me were starving to see themselves,” said Haubegger, now Executive Vice President of Communications and Chief Inclusion Officer at WarnerMedia.
Inspired by the success of her magazine, Haubegger switched to the entertainment industry, where she took the opportunity to exert more influence and produced the films “Chasing Papi” and “Spanglish”.
“With my story I want to convey that representation is important. Specifically, media and entertainment representation as there are billions of people who may never visit the US but will likely see our movies and TV shows, “she said.
“We all look for reflections on ourselves in the media, but we also look for ourselves at work and in our communities. Through this reflection we know that we are important. “
As a Catholic deacon and founder of the Black // Brown Collective, Echeverry will share his work with the poor for the past 20 years. He says his wife’s experience in a hospital waiting room inspired his story as well as his work in helping the homeless.
Torres, a professor at the South Mountain Community College Storytelling Institute in Phoenix, will share how she got to her roots.
“I grew up as a kid traveling between Borinquen Island, Puerto Rico and Brooklyn, New York in the 1960s,” she said. “My family was a rainbow of colors, rooted in the culture associated with Africans, Spaniards and Tainos, rich in musical expression, art, education and ‘curanderismo’.”
Be, founder of Chicago-based storytelling platform The Stoop, will tell a fun story about Latino teenagers who fall in love while thinking they are of a different ethnic background.
Their prejudices are on display, she said, when they learn the truth.
CLOCK: Episodes from the Storytellers Project
Learn more about the Storytellers Project and apply at https://www.storytellersproject.com/ to tell a story.
You have to know
Upcoming shows
- June 15: paternity
- July 13th: Stories upon Stories
- August 17th: Travel and Adventure overseas
- September 14th: outdoor adventure
- Oct 19: At home
- November 9: Veterans
- November 16: Food and family
- Dec. 14: Holidays
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