Who Was Cesar Chavez? Movie About Most Famous US Mexican-American a Hard Sell in Mexico Katherine Corcoran - The Canadian Press
go to original May 3, 2014

Cesar Chavez, right, in 1972 is portrayed in film for the first time by Michael Pena, left, in "Cesar Chavez: An American Hero" directed by Diego Luna. (movieclipsTRAILERS)

MEXICO CITY - The title in Spanish of the new biopic movie about Cesar Chavez sums up how little known the Mexican-American labor leader is in Mexico.

The movie that opened Thursday, Labor Day in Latin America, is called "The Mexican who defied the United States," with the subtitle "Who the hell is Cesar Chavez?"

That Chavez is barely unknown in Mexico shocks most Americans. That he was a U.S. civil rights hero with streets, schools, parks and a day in his honor surprises many Mexicans. Most of the moviegoers interviewed before an afternoon showing of film in Mexico City said they only knew about Chavez because of Mexican actor Diego Luna, who directed "Chavez" as his first English-language film.

"I only know he was an activist and I know it because I read about the movie," said Pedro Penaloza, 48, a sports coach.

The movie's producer, Pablo Cruz, said it was tricky coming up with a marketing strategy to draw a Mexican audience and admitted that license was taken with the title to do so. Chavez wasn't a Mexican citizen. He was born in Yuma, Arizona.

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