Discovery en Espanol Explores Hate Crimes and the Harsh Reality of
Homeless Hispanic Families
MIAMI, Oct. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Discovery en
Espanol presents "Caras del odio"
and "Desamparados", two new original productions that expose two
realities that have a devastating effect in the Hispanic community:
hate crimes and the high incidence of homeless families.
"Caras del odio" premieres
Sunday, October 28 at 9 PM E/P, and "Desamparados" will air on
Sunday, November 4 at 9 PM E/P.
For many, the immigration debate going on in the country has
aggravated the divide and the intolerance level in some sectors and
communities in the United States.
The documentary "Caras del odio"
investigates this controversial topic, its causes, effects and its
long-term ramifications, through two emblematic cases: the death of
Mexican immigrant Luis Ramirez after
a fight with a group of high school teenagers from Shenandoah, Pennsylvania in 2008; and the case
of Juan Varela, a United States citizen and fifth-generation
Hispanic, murdered in 2010 by his neighbor Gary Kelley after an argument over Arizona Law
SB1070 against illegal immigration.
The production describes the circumstances surrounding both
incidents as well as the legal aspects of the trials determining
the guilty verdict of the perpetrators. "Caras del odio" includes never-before-seen
interviews and statements from family members, eyewitnesses and law
officials, who all contribute their different points of views and
opinions to both sides of the conflict; among them: Crystal Dillman, Luis
Ramirez's girlfriend; Frederick
Fanelli, defense attorney for Brandon Piekarsky (one of the accused); and
Eileen Burke, witness to the fight
that ended the life of Luis Ramirez.
The case of Juan Varela includes
testimonials by his widow Maria
Varela; Darren Udd, the
detective in charge of the investigation and ex County Attorney for
Maricopa County, Rick Romley.
The original production "Desamparados", that will air
November 4 at 9 PM E/P, follows the daily lives and the state
of several Hispanic families that have seen how their lives have
changed drastically after they lost their homes and jobs, and today
live in shelters, parks and even their cars.
In the past decades, statistics have shown that the majority of
homeless people were single men, with a history of drug and alcohol
abuse. Nevertheless, today the majority of this vulnerable
population is made up of families. One of these is
Jennifer Marrero's, from
Orlando, Florida, who has been
unemployed for almost a year, and found herself living in her car
with her three children after she lost her home. Jennifer managed
to stay at a modest hotel with the help of the program, "Families
in Transition", but her money is running out.
Another case included in the documentary is that of the family
of Elizabeth Morales Cardenas, made
up of three children, two grandparents, Elizabeth and her husband.
They live in Modesto, California
and have been living in a rented home after suffering from a long
and painful repossession of their home by the bank. Elizabeth's
husband is about to cash in his last unemployment check and that
will only be enough for a month of living expenses.
"Caras del odio" and
"Desamparados" are original productions by Discovery en Espanol
under the supervision of Michela
Giorelli and Irune Ariztoy. "Caras
del odio" was directed by Guillermo
Galdos y Luis del Valle,
while "Desamparados" was under the direction of Alfredo De Villa.
To learn more about Discovery en Espanol programming and for
interactive games and news about the channel, visit tudiscovery.com
or follow us at facebook.com/discoveryenespanol.
About Discovery en Espanol
Discovery en Espanol is the
Spanish-language voice of Discovery. It is the premier network
dedicated to offering the finest in quality programming in the
areas of science and technology, world culture and history, nature
and wildlife as well as real-life drama. The network creates an
indelibly enriching experience by collecting the best of what
Discovery's networks have to offer in combination with its own
original Spanish-language content. Created by the world's most
trusted media brand, Discovery en Espanol translates not just the
words, but the feeling of Discovery, educating and engaging
audiences nationwide with fascinating glimpses into the incredible
world they inhabit. For more information, visit tudiscovery.com or
follow us on facebook.com/discoveryenespanol.
SOURCE Discovery en Espanol