Janet Murguia on the 2012 NCLR ALMA Awards: "Latinos Are Not Just the Next Big Thing — We're Already Here"

Janet Murguia said it plainly: "Jennifer Lopez received her award for Selena when a lot of people didn't really know who she was at the time. That reall…" — and Premier Guide Miami was in the room when it happened.

On September 10, 2012, Janet Murguia — President and CEO of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) and executive producer of the NCLR ALMA Awards — joined a press call ahead of the show's September 21 broadcast on NBC and Mundos. Premier Guide Miami's Daedrian McNaughton asked the panel about Latino representation in media; Murguia answered first.

The Latin community certainly gets a lot more exposure through your efforts. How do you feel about the way they are presented in terms of their profile? Do you feel like there still needs to be more emphasis on elevating the roles they have — to get rid of stereotypes?

For us we just want quality stories told. Depending on the role that the Hispanic figure or personality is featured, it just depends on the story and if it's an authentic story. We want more of those stories to be at the forefront. And for us it's really important to see more opportunities for Hispanics in all of these mediums. We hope that the ALMAs showcase the contributions that have been made in the past, what's happening today — but we want to keep advocating for more opportunities for diversity and inclusion in the future.

The political moment behind the 2012 show

Murguia opened the call by framing the 2012 ALMA Awards against the backdrop of a presidential election year. "As you saw in recent weeks at both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions, our community was front and center. This makes sense — we are the fastest growing group of voters in the country and are poised to make a real difference in this year's election." She cited the demographic reality: 50 million Latinos in the US, one in every five Americans ages 18–49, and $1 trillion in annual buying power. "Latinos are not only the next big thing when it comes to voters — we are also the next big thing when it comes to media consumers and audience share."

Jennifer Lopez, Selena, and the ALMAs as a launch platform

Murguia was emphatic about the ALMAs' role in launching careers before the mainstream caught up. "Jennifer Lopez received her award for Selena when a lot of people didn't really know who she was at the time. That really helped to launch her career." She also pointed to Christina Aguilera's first televised appearance on the ALMA stage and a young Eva Longoria as examples of the show's track record. "We hope that the ALMAs will continue to be a platform and a pivot point upward for so many of our younger talent as well."

The Linda Ronstadt tribute

Asked about her most memorable ALMA moment, Murguia chose the Linda Ronstadt tribute: "Winona Ryder was part of it, Lou Settle was part of it. To me that was a really terrific moment where we saw that someone who was talented in our community and had basically a long legacy behind her — and others were eager to come and honor her." She also praised Antonio Banderas's tribute from the previous year as another standout.

The 2012 show: Christina Aguilera, the Olympians, and Lupe Ontiveros

This year's show honors Christina Aguilera with a special achievement award for music and her philanthropic work, pays tribute to the late Lupe Ontiveros, and features a special segment honoring American Latino Olympic medalists from the 2012 Games. Pitbull wrote and performs the new ALMA theme music; Flo Rida will perform a collaboration featuring Roselyn Sanchez. Presenters include America Ferrera, Michael Peña, and Robert Rodriguez. The 2012 NCLR ALMA Awards air Friday, September 21 on NBC and Mundos.

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