Undocumented Latina makes Time 100 list
By Alyse Shorland, CNN
(CNN) - This week Time Magazine released its 100 Most Influential People in the World list. Among the presidents, CEOs and entertainers was a 27-year-old activist and undocumented Latina, Dulce Matuz.
Matuz has become a public face of undocumented students. She organizes protests and has been arrested. CNN.com profiled Matuz last year as part of its coverage leading up to the documentary "Don’t Fail Me: Education In America."
Racial bias suit filed against 'Bachelor'
By Jane Caffrey, CNN
(CNN) - A class action lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court on Wednesday accused ABC, along with an individual and the companies involved in production of "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette," of intentionally excluding people of color from lead roles on the shows' past 23 combined seasons.
The complaint alleges that ABC and the other defendants have only hired white applicants based on "the calculation that minorities in lead roles and interracial dating [are] unappealing to the shows’ audiences...a conscious attempt to minimize the risk of alienating their majority-white viewership and the advertisers targeting that viewership."
The suit was brought by Nathaniel Claybrooks and Christopher Johnson, two African-American men living in Nashville who applied to be on “The Bachelor” in 2011.
Engage: Is 'Think Like a Man' disparaging single women?
Engage with news and opinions from around the web about under-reported stories from undercovered communities.
Opinion: 'Think Like a Man' blames single black women for their singleness – Ms. Magazine blog
Vatican reprimands U.S. Catholic nuns for 'radical feminist themes incompatible with Christian faith' - The New York Times
New YouTube channel spotlights Hispanic celebrities, pop culture - The San Antonio Express-News
Opinion: Attention on lack of diversity in HBO series 'Girls' compounded by racial comments - Colorlines
Acura apologizes for seeking 'not too dark' actor
By Alan Duke, CNN
Los Angeles (CNN) - Acura apologized Wednesday for a casting document that called for an African-American actor who was "not too dark" in the car company's Super Bowl ad.
The controversial casting call document, published Wednesday by the celebrity gossip site TMZ, "pulls back the curtain" on the widely known practice of casting based on skin tone in Hollywood, a longtime manager said.
TMZ reported that it got the audition posting from "an African-American actor who didn't fit the profile, and who's pissed."
The role was for an "African-American Car Dealer" who would appear in a car showroom scene with Jerry Seinfeld. Jay Leno also appeared in the ad.
Rareview: Sports Illustrated model Jessica Perez on being a white Latina
Sports Illustrated model Jessica Perez is tired of defending her ethnicity.
She is constantly getting question like, “Where are you from really?" and “There’s no way you speak Spanish, right?”
No one believes her when she says “Yes, I am Latina,” because of the way she looks. Perez was born in Costa Rica and Spanish is her first language, but she has pale skin, blonde hair and blue eyes - features people don't typically identify as Latina.
Latinas are diverse, she says, and more than what's on TV or in magazines.
About In America
What defines you? Maybe it’s the shade of your skin, the place you grew up, the accent in your words, the make up of your family, the gender you were born with, the intimate relationships you chose to have or your generation? As the American identity changes we will be there to report it. In America is a venue for creative and timely sharing of news that explores who we are. Reach us at inamerica@cnn.com.
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