“Nuestro Barrio” Educates Latinos
By Alex Villarreal

The growing Hispanic population in our area now has a television program of its own.

The local newspaper Que Pasa calls “Nuestro Barrio,” or “Our Neighborhood,” “entretenida y educative,” or “entertaining and educational.”

And that’s exactly what the miniseries aims to be.

Assistant director Luke Barrow says the show is not only educational for viewers, but for cast and crew as well.

"It's a very diverse cast and crew — the most diverse crew I've ever worked with — which has been the best part,” says Barrow. “You know, there's so much to learn about other people and other ways of life that I just haven't been exposed to, especially within the Latino community."

Mexican actor Alonso Rodriguez plays Ramon Diaz on the show.

Rodriguez says he knows firsthand the importance of "Nuestro Barrio"’s lessons for Latinos.

"It's important that people know these things, that for some of us, now are very basic,” Rodriguez says. “But I remember that when I arrived here, I didn't know anything about how to set up a bank account, about what I needed to do, and if I should carry my cash with me all the time, or keep it at home."

If you'd like to watch but you don't speak Spanish, the show has English subtitles. Tune in to WB 22, Channel 10 with Time Warner Cable, Saturdays at 1 p.m.