Reader Criticizes Roybal and Applauds Latino Comedians

I have two comments. The first concerns Congressman Ed Roybal and his Congressional record. The article (Nuestro Tiempo, Jan. 28) briefly mentioned his involvement in the “Koreagate” scandal of the 1970s (for which he was censured by his House colleagues). This I believe was shameful and a bad example for the Chicano community.

I remember on the campus of Los Angeles City College, when I was a student and a member of MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan) and Mr. Roybal came to speak. We asked him why he never spoke out in the halls of Congress against the disproportion of Chicanos dying on the front lines in Indochina. He said that he had received only one letter proposing he do so. Therefore, he thought the people of East L.A. supported the war. This was in 1969, when the Chicano community was in the forefront of protests against Vietnam.

My second comment refers to the excellent article (Nuestro Tiempo, Feb. 11) on budding Chicano comedians and groups. I refer to the comments of Comedy Store owner Budd Friedman (who suggested that much barrio material may have held back some Latino comics). I find this attitude offensive because early Jewish comedians introduced Jewish Yiddish and Hebrew phrases into the mainstream of American culture. Budd Friedman would never refuse to hire a black comedian on the basis that he had too much ghetto humor And he had the temerity to say this in light of the article stating Chicanos make up a lot of the audience!

EUGENE HERNANDEZ

Lancaster