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Hispanics Hope Series Translates Into Clout

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By ANNA GORMAN, Los Angeles Times

Published: November 22, 2007

LOS ANGELES - Juan Garcia makes the same resolution every New Year's: Learn English.

Despite being in the United States for 15 years, the Mexican immigrant knows only a few words and phrases. Too busy with work and family, he has put off enrolling in a class.

"The days pass and the years pass, and I don't do it," said Garcia, 63, who lives in Los Angeles.

Garcia will get a little help keeping his resolution in January when the Spanish-language television network Azteca America launches a series aimed at teaching English to its nationwide viewers. Called "Survival English," the show will focus on basic language skills for real-life situations such as renting an apartment, shopping at a market and visiting a doctor's office.

The television program represents a major departure for Spanish-language media and one that Azteca officials hope will foster assimilation of Hispanic immigrants and boost their political and economic clout. It also addresses concerns of some elected officials and other critics who assert that speaking English should be a priority for all immigrants.

"Our community will be more powerful politically if they can be more culturally assimilated," said Hector Romero, operations director for Fundacion Azteca America, the company's nonprofit arm.

The benefits won't be only for the immigrant community. The program might attract more viewers and more advertising dollars for Azteca in a market in which networks compete for a share of the Spanish-speaking audience. Last week, an average of 140,000 viewers tuned into Azteca America during prime time, compared with 4.1 million for Univision and 1 million for Telemundo, according to Nielsen Media Research.

Proponents say the English program, which is being produced in collaboration with the National Autonomous University of Mexico, could empower Hispanics to start businesses and to pursue further education.

Speaking more English also would help Hispanics defend themselves against fraud, said U.S. Rep. Grace F. Napolitano, D-Calif. Napolitano said she hoped other Spanish-language networks would follow suit. After years of making money from their Hispanic viewers, it's time they gave back to the community, she said.

"They garner money from their advertisers to reach all these individuals," she said. "Try reaching them with a helping hand."

Telemundo said it was not considering similar programming. Univision declined to comment.

For many Hispanics, especially newcomers to the United States, Spanish-language media outlets are their main source of information, said Felix Gutierrez, a journalism professor at the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication. Networks cater to their audience by offering legal advice, health tips or help preparing for citizenship tests.

The TV lessons are ideal for immigrants who don't have the time or money to enroll in courses, he said.

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