Countywide : Coalition to Battle TV Show Stereotype

A coalition of Orange County Latino and Asian community groups, students and educators is forming to urge producers of the new television comedy “House of Buggin’ ” to stop airing what they call offensive portrayals of ethnic minorities.

“The show promotes racism and negative stereotypes,” said Javier A. Cortez, a Latino rights advocate who is leading the coalition STAARS (Students, Teachers and Activists Against Racial Stereotypes). “There’s plenty of room to make fun of one’s culture without being offensive, but these people aren’t even trying and it seems they don’t know it hurts. We want them to know we don’t approve.”

Executive producer and star of the program, John Leguizamo, said in a telephone interview from New York that the show is meant to offend.

“We offend everybody equally,” he said. “I will keep mocking everybody. That’s what this show is about.”

Leguizamo said he believes that by satirizing stereotypes, viewers will realize “we’re all really the same.”

Members of the coalition against the show include the local League of United Latin American Citizens, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Los Amigos of Orange County, the Alliance Working for Asian Rights and Empowerment, children’s advocacy group Para Los Ninos and the Chicano Poet Society.

Cortez said coalition members will hold a news conference next week to criticize the half-hour program and to encourage people to write letters to “House of Buggin’ ” producers and the Fox television network in an effort to stop “the insensitive and offensive skits about women and minorities.”

“By exploiting negative stereotypes about minorities, you only confirm beliefs of those who think one ethnic group is better than another,” he said.

“There is a fine line between funny and offensive and many of the skits on ‘House of Buggin’ ’ are not funny.”

Carlos De Rosas, co-founder of the Chicano Poet Society, said that while some of the program’s sketches are in good taste, a disproportionate number demean Latinos.

De Rosas said the show does not provide positive role models for women or minorities.

“When comedians perform, they should get laughs over what they say. They should not be laughed at because of their race,” said Alfonso Aguilar, a STAARS organizer.