Troupe sketches out serious issues

The Chicano comedy troupe Culture Clash performed Wednesday at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center as part of Cal State Long Beach's College of Liberal Arts Conference, "Affirmative Action: Learning from the Past, Planning for the Future."

The audience, made up mainly of Chicano students and faculty members, had the opportunity to enjoy satiric comic sketches depicting the life of Chicanos in the United States.

With lively humor and explicit candor, Culture Clash touched upon issues of immigration and politics during their performance.

One of the sketches portrayed the struggles of an immigrant trying to find a job after arriving to Los Angeles. However, even though the immigrant had clerical skills all he was able to find was a job as a janitor.

The images presented in the different sketches made the audience analyze the Chicano experience in the United States, while allowing them to laugh whole-heartedly at themselves and the people and institutions that surround their communities.

In their performance, Culture Clash was able to bring together an element that is characteristic of the MexicanAmerican people, which was finding laughter at the irony of their of their own distress.

James Sauceda, director of the Multicultural Center, described Culture Clash as one of the few Chicano comic groups to make a national impact, while representing empowerment for Latinos in the entertainment industry.

Rick Salinas, a member of Culture Clash, said that he and the other two members of the group, Richard Montoya and Herbert Siguenza, are a comic group that uses political satire in their humor. He said the group tries to give a cultural representative voice to the Chicano community.

"Our shows are a lot like old Mexican vaudeville, or carpas, but we also try to strengthen the Chicano movement through our shows," Salinas said.

The members of Culture Clash are also involved with the United Farm Workers, a union group that represents a vast number of migrant farm workers throughout the country, particularly regions of California such as the San Joaquin and Cochella valleys.

The show ended with a tribute to the late Cesar Chavez, former leader of the United Farm Workers and political activist.

"I'm glad to see performances by people such as Culture Clash in our campus, they entertain while educating people about cultural issues," said Armando Contreras, executive assistant to President Maxson.

Salinas, who along with the other members of Culture Clash, was helped by the Educational Opportunities Program in college, said that their performance at the Carpenter Center during the week-long Affirmative Action conference on campus, could not have come at a better time.