The Waltons Season 8, Episode 23: "The Medal"

Even today Latinos are underrepresented on American television. A study conducted by CAA and Parrot Analytics indicated that Latinos were represented in only 5%  of all scripted television debuts from 2017 to 2019, even though Hispanics and Latinos make up 18% of the population. While Latinos are currently underrepresented on American television, the situation was much worse in 1980. In 1980 Latino characters rarely appeared on American television and, when they did, they were likely to be portrayed as immigrants or cholos. It might surprise some to learn that on February 28 1980 an episode of The Waltons aired that prominently featured a Chicano character. 

For those unfamiliar with the TV show The Waltons, the show centred on the family of that name living in Virginia during the Great Depression and later during World War II. John Walton (played by Ralph Waite) ran a sawmill. His wife, Olivia (played by Michael Learned), was a strict Baptist. The children were: John Boy (played by Richard Thomas), an aspiring writer as the show began; Mary Ellen (played by Judy Norton Taylor), the headstrong tomboy who later becomes a nurse; Jason (played by Jon Walmsley), the musician of the family; Erin (played by Mary Elizabeth McDonough), who became a telephone operator and later a factory supervisor; Ben (played by Eric Scott), the entrepreneur of the family; Jim-Bob (played by David W. Harper), who was a mechanic; and Elizabeth (played by Kami Colter), the youngest, imaginative and intelligent daughter. The Waltons did much of their shopping at the local general store ran by Ike Godsey (played by Jon Conley) and his wife Corabeth (played by Ronnie Claire Edwards), who was John Walton's cousin.

"The Medal" centres on a paratrooper, Sgt. Eddie Ramirez (played by Enrique Castillo) who is sent to Walton's Mountain to deliver a medal posthumously awarded to Mary Ellen's husband, Dr. Curtis Willard, who died at the attack on Pearl Harbour. As soon s Sgt. Ramirez gets off the bus at Ike Godsey's store, he finds himself assaulted by some sailors (who apparently aren't from Walton's Mountain). In defending himself, he breaks one of the sailors' arms. As the episode progresses, romance develops between Eddie Ramirez and Mary Ellen.

Eddie Ramirez was played by Enrique Castillo early in his career. Mr. Castillo would be among the founding members, along with Lupe Ontiveros, of the Latino Theatre Company. Still later he would found Four Brown Hats Entertainment, a film and theatre production company. He may today be best known for playing Montana in the cult film Blood In Blood Out (1993, also known as Bound by Honour).

"The Medal" is not only remarkable for featuring a Chicano character in a major role, but in that it confronts the racism that Chicanos often faced in 1943. The sailors who assault Sgt. Ramirez make reference to the Zoot Suit Riots, and one of the sailors even refers to Sgt. Ramirez as a "pachuco (the term used of the young Chicanos who dressed in zoot suits and listened to jazz and swing music)." It is to the credit of The Waltons' production staff and Enrqiue Castillo's performance that Sgt. Ramirez is never portrayed as a stereotype, but as an intelligent and sensitive young man. He does have a temper, but it is played as a part of his personality and at no time does Sgt. Ramirez come off as a "hot blooded Latino."

To some it might seem unusual that The Waltons would be one of the few shows to feature a Chicano character in an episode, as well as to tackle the topic of racism against Mexican Americans. That having been said, in many respects The Waltons was a very progressive show for its time. Among its cast of recurring characters were Blacks, including Verdie Grant (played by Lynn Hamilton). "The Medal" was not the first time The Waltons had dealt with the topic of racism, as it had previously dealt with racism against its Black characters.

While "The Medal" was a remarkable episode for its time in dealing with racism against Mexican Americans, it would not change the face of American television. The episode more or less aired without comment. It would still be years before Latino characters regularly appeared on television and, even then, they would still be underrepresented. As mentioned earlier, they are still underrepresented today. That makes "The Medal," airing in 1980 when Latinos were even more unseen on American television than they are now, all the more noteworthy.