On October 17, the Eastern Diversity Steering Committee (EDSC) virtual meeting contained a double feature of the short presentation, What's in a name? Understanding the Latino/a/x Diaspora with Director Rachel Raimist; followed by the discussion, A Million Miles Away: Transcending Latino Stereotypes, with Director Alejandra Márquez Abella moderated by Director Carmen Marrón.

Raimist’s presentation explored Latino/a/x identity by breaking down the language used to describe them. The presentation was followed by a robust discussion with attendees.

Following the opening session, Marrón moderated a discussion with Abella about her new biographical feature, A Million Miles Away, which tells the story of Jose Hernandez, who traveled an unlikely path from his start as a farm worker to becoming an engineer and an astronaut.

Described her feelings upon first reading the script, Abella said, “I loved the emotionality. I couldn’t escape it. I’m always drive to pathos, darker despicable stories, but this one was something I couldn’t escape. Maybe because I have my grand family who went to Chicago in the ‘70s, the same as Jose’s family. This was like the good version of everything my family had to go through, so I couldn’t say no.”

About the Speakers:

Director Rachel Raimist (presenter) Raimist’s directorial credits include the pilot of the series Wild Life; episodes of the series CSI: Vegas, Fantasy Island, The Sex Lives of College Girls, Nancy Drew, Greenleaf, Queen Sugar and Roswell, New Mexico; and the documentaries Stories of the Storm and Nobody Knows My Name. A DGA member since 2018, Raimist is currently a Co-Chair of the DGA’s new provisional Disability Committee and has served on the DGA Special Projects Committee, as an alternate Co-Chair of the Latino Committee and as a Co-Coordinator of the Women’s Steering Committee’s Activities & Events Committee and its WSC Squad Mentorship Program. She is also a Ph.D on the faculty of the Chicana/Latina Studies program at Cal State Los Angeles.

Director Alejandra Márquez Abella Abella’s directorial credits include the features A Million Miles Away, Northern Skies Over Empty Space, The Good Girls, Semana Santa and Mal de tierra; and episodes of Narcos: Mexico. She has been a DGA member since 2022.

Director Carmen Marrón (moderator) Marrón’s directorial credits include the features Go for It! and Endgame; and episodes of Queen Sugar. She has been a DGA member since 2019.

 About the Eastern Diversity Steering Committee

The Eastern Diversity Steering Committee represents the concerns of Guild members of African, Asian, Native American, Arab-Middle Eastern or Latino descent residing in the East. Committed to improving the employment opportunities, working conditions and the skills of ethnically diverse Guild members, the Committee sponsors workshops, seminars, round-table discussions and networking events to showcase the talents of its members, recognize their contributions and increase their visibility in the industry. The Committee’s current Co-Chairs are Directors Seith Mann and Bertha Bay-Sa Pan and UPM Canella Williams-Larrabee.

• For more information about the Eastern Diversity Steering Committee, click here to visit their webpage.