BREAK OF DAWN

100 minutes

Director: Isaac Artenstein

Country: USA

Year: 1988

Language: English

Overview:

Oscar Chavez, a great Mexican singer and actor, is the leading role in this story about the life of Pedro Gonzalez, the host of a radio show in 1930s Los Angeles. His life was filled with romance and music until he challenged a powerful and corrupt political system.

Previewing Activities

• What do you know about American sentiment towards Mexican immigrants in the 1930s?
• What do you know about immigration and its politics?

Post-viewing Activities

• How did Pedro become famous in Los Angeles?
• What was the name of Pedro’s radio show?
• Who was the radios show’s main sponsor?
• How did he get put in prison?

Class Projects

• Research a Hispanic radio station in your area, and write a report on the major aspects of the station.

How to Borrow this Video:

The videos owned by the UNC-Duke Consortium in Latin American and Caribbean Studies are housed in the Outreach Office of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  They are lent free of charge.  For information on films and reservations, please visit http://isa.unc.edu/film/films_main.asp.

Suggested Readings:

• Borjas, George J. Immigration and the Work Force: Economic Consequences for the United States and Source Areas. University of Chicago Press, 1992