We held a special private screening of Told They Can’t, narrated by Xolo Maridueña on July 22nd at the Hill Center in Washington, DC where six of the ten professionals featured in the film attended: Congressman Raul Ruiz, Lisa Ramirez, Fernando Mendoza MD, Ramon Resa MD, former Congressman Tony Cárdenas and Enrique Diaz. Also in attendance were California Senator Alex Padilla, TTC consultant Jack Pitney and our intern/sound assistant Joshua Pitney.
The goal of these screenings is to change the narrative about farmworkers, Latinos and immigrants. We need as many people as possible to see the stories in this film to humanize these groups and show their value to society; the end goal is to allow them to have the same opportunity to succeed as any other American. Here are a few takeaways:
On Narrator Xolo Maridueña
“We LOVE XOLO!!” – Gen Z girls swooning over the star of Cobra Kai and Blue Beetle, as girls did in 1964 over the Beatles, making heart shapes with their hands
“Is that the real Xolo?” – asked the young nephew of Lisa Ramirez
Congressman Raul Ruiz – on knowing what really hard work is:
“Look, you know what? You just think you know what hard work is. I want you to go to work in the desert picking grapes from 6am to 6 p.m. every day in a 115 degree weather. So don’t complain to me about this is hard work. You’re in an air-conditioned room reading a book.” – he said to his fellow UCLA students.
Former Congressman Tony Cárdenas – on fighting back against being told you can’t in school:
“What upsets me is here are two people who got told they can’t by the same teacher ten years apart – then I become the United States Congressman and he [Sen. Padilla] becomes a United States Senator. But how many children in between?” – after describing how the same teacher at their school told each of them they can’t succeed in college.
Ramon Resa MD, Pediatrician – on being a role model:
“Growing up, I only had one teacher, my kindergarten teacher, who was a Latina. Otherwise in elementary school, high school and college, medical school and in residency, I never saw another Latina or Latino professional person growing up. I never saw a Latino be a cop or judge or lawyer or store owner or anything. So I told myself the best thing I can do in my life is to go back to school to show those kids who are brown and Latino that they can be a doctor.”
Enrique Diaz, Former Apple Engineer – on paying it forward:
“My wife and I manage a couple of donor advised funds in the tune of $100,000 to benefit teachers in our school district. I was able to give money back to my elementary and high schools. The cycle continues with with our kids that are going on in their education: my son went to MIT and our daughter just graduated last month from Johns Hopkins University and is going into the medical field.”
Fernando Mendoza MD, Professor of Pediatrics, Stanford School of Medicine – on thinking BIG:
“I remember meeting with a former student of mine – and also someone featured in the film – Esteban Burchard when he entered Stanford Medical School. I asked him what he wanted to do. He said he wanted to be a family practitioner. I told him, ‘I don’t want you to be just a family doctor. I want you to lead all of that.'”
Lisa Ramirez – on having gratitude:
“I have gratitude for every single person who has helped me; that has made me more compassionate about others and given me a desire to pay it forward by helping them.”