CHCI Gala Awards Video Voiceover: Cheech Marin, Latino Role Model
Every now and again a project comes in that dovetails so perfectly with our mission of building cross-cultural bridges using our voices that I jump up and down for joy. This is definitely one of them. I had the honor and privilege of recording the voiceover for this video honoring actor, comedian, visual artist and activist Cheech Marin (of Cheech and Chong) for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s recent Awards Gala ceremony!
Click on the video to learn some secrets about Cheech’s interesting family roots, plus all he has done to break down cultural stereotypes, promote arts as a tool for social change and mentor Latino youth. He is truly an extraordinary role model, as CHCI asserts so eloquently in this video. I hope you enjoy watching it as much as I enjoyed voicing it.
CHCI’S Mission
For nearly 40 years, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) has forged a critical pathway to Educate, Empower, and Connect our nation’s future Latino leaders, creating a transformative and lasting Impact on Latino youth and our nation. Learn more at CHCI.org. It was my pleasure to collaborate with seasoned producers O’Keefe Communications, who really captured the essence of the honorees’ contributions and histories. I also voiced videos honoring Ana María Chávez and Arnaldo Avalos. The timing was perfect, as this awards gala took place during Hispanic Heritage Month.
Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month
As you may know, each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America. The observation started in 1968 under President Lyndon Johnson and was extended to a month by President Ronald Reagan in 1988. It was enshrined in law on August 17, 1988.
The growth of the Hispanic population in the U.S. (