For much of the Fifties and Sixties, Mexican Americans were absent from American television screens outside of Westerns. This began to change in the latter half of the Sixties when locally produced Chicano public affairs programs began appearing on public television stations. Among these shows were ¡Ahora! on KCET in Los Angeles, Fiesta on KUAT in Tucson, and Periódico on KLRN in San Antonio. An exception was Canción de la Raza, which aired on KCET in Los Angeles. Canción de la Raza (Song of the People) was not a public affairs program, but instead a telenovela. It was KCET's first television show directed towards the Chicano community.
Canción de la Raza can be traced back to Chuck Allen, programming manager at KCET in 1969. His master's thesis at the University of Denver was titled "Feedback from Advancement" and dealt with the idea of assembling a group of actors, directors, and producers for a Spanish-language soap opera. Chuck Allen's master's thesis then formed the basis for Canción de la Raza. Chuck Allen submitted the idea for Canción de la Raza to the Ford Foundation, which then gave KCET a grant of $600,000 to fund the show.
Canción de la Raza debuted on October 14 1968 It was a half-hour program that aired twice daily, once at 3:00 PM and again at 7:30 PM, five days a week. The show was set in East Los Angeles and followed the lives of the fictional Ramos family. At a time when many American shows tended to be escapist in nature, Canción de la Raza dealt with the issues of the day. The very first episode dealt with the Chicano student walkouts of 1968. Canción de la Raza also dealt with such issues as police brutality, education, and labour abuse. Unlike other dramas on American television at the time, viewers were able to provide feedback on Canción de la Raza. From 3:00 PM to 9:00 PM, viewers could call a "Linea Abierta (open line)" to let KCET know what they thought of the show. Each Monday night there would be a special panel that would discuss both viewer feedback and issues of concern to the Chicano community. KCET made an effort to let the Chicano community in Los Angeles know about Canción de la Raza and that they could leave feedback about the show. Viewer feedback would actually be used to help in writing the show.
The Ramos family and other roles on Canción de la Raza were portrayed by both professional and amateur actors. Unfortunately, there seems to be very little information on the cast. It is well known that Emilio Delgardo, now best known as Luis on Sesame Street, appeared on the show. Other members of the cast included Robert De Anda, Priscilla Garcia, Robert Yniguez, Mike De Anda, and Tina Menard. Among the directors on the show was Victor Millan, an actor who had appeared in The Ring (1952), Giant (1956), and Touch of Evil (1958), and would appear in the movie Boulevard Nights (1979). Another director was Lamar Caselli, who had directed episodes of such shows as Lamp Unto My Feet and Insight. Actor Abel Franco was Executive Producer and a writer on Canción de la Raza. He had guest-starred on such shows as I Love Lucy, Mister Ed, Death Valley Days, and The High Chaparral. He would go on to appear in the movie Zoot Suit (1981). Among those who worked behind the scenes on Canción de la Raza was Jesús Salvador Treviño who directed documentaries on the Chicano movement, including Chicano Moratorium Aftermath (1970), The Salazar Inquest (1970), Yo Soy Chicano (1972), among others, and later episodes of such shows as Babylon 5, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Bones, and others.
After 65 episodes, Canción de la Raza ended its run in January 1969. The show would air outside of the Los Angeles area. According to the January 28 1969, issue of Tucson Daily Citizen, reruns of Canción de la Raza began a 13-week run on KUAT on February 3 1969. It also aired on KQED in San Francisco, KRLN in San Antonio, WVIZ in Cleveland, and other public stations in 1969.
Canción de la Raza would have a lasting impact. It was viewer feedback on Canción de la Raza that would lead to the creation of ¡Ahora!, the Mexican American public affairs program on KCET. Many who worked on Canción de la Raza would go on to bigger careers, including Emilio Delgado Ricard Yniguez (who appeared in Boulevard Nights), and Jesús Salvador Treviño, among others. It seems quite possible that Canción de la Raza inspired others to go into film or television, or to become politically active. Although it is not well known today, Canción de la Raza certainly left a mark.
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