Petition: Add Vanessa Marquez to the "In Memoriam" Segments of the SAG Awards And The Oscars Televised Shows

Yesterday the cast and crew of the classic film Stand and Deliver (1988) gathered at the Los Angeles Theatre Center for a celebration of the life of Vanessa Marquez, best known for playing Ana Delgado in Stand and Deliver and Nurse Wendy Goldman on the hit TV show ER. Most of the cast of Stand and Deliver were present. I would have liked to have been there myself, but I was unable to due to poverty and distance. That having been said, my heart was there. Indeed, Cheryl Hansen read the piece I wrote for Vanessa's memorial in South Pasadena last month.

In other news, someone has set up a petition to include Vanessa Marquez in the "In Memoriam" segments of the telecasts of the SAG Awards and the Oscars. I may be biased, but I believe that Vanessa is more than worthy of inclusion in both (as well as TCM Remembers, for that matter). Vanessa was an immensely talented actress who appeared in more than Stand and Deliver and ER. She appeared in several movies and several TV shows in the Nineties. At the time that she was playing Wendy on ER she was one of the few Latinas appearing regularly on American television. Because of her talent and her importance in the history of Latinos in film and television, I have to agree that Vanessa should be included in both the "In Memoriam" segments of the SAG Awards and the Academy Awards. You can sign the petition here.

As for myself, I am doing better than I was for much of September. That having been said, I still cry regularly, if not every day. And I sometimes feel overwhelmed by grief at having lost Vanessa and anger at what happened to her. I still miss Vanessa so terribly, but then I know that I will for the rest of my life. Our friends knew that we were very close, but I don't think many of them realised just how close. For my part, I loved Vanessa more than anyone else ever in my life, and I still do. I wanted so badly to move out there and be with her, but I never had the money. For the rest of my life, then, there will be this hole where she should be.

If you are one of Vanessa Marquez's many fans, then, please sign the petition for her to be included in the "In Memoriam" of the telecasts of the SAG Awards and the Oscars. Vanessa deserves to be remembered for her devotion to her art and for being the wonderful woman that she was. You would have my eternal gratitude.