Two Years of The Latinx Comedy Pachanga
So I guess it’s been two years since the Pachanga formed.
Two years ago, I was with Richee on a house sketch team at the Pack. We bonded like a mofo because of our shared experiences being Latinx dudes trying to break into Hollywood.
With Richee, man, I could open up in a way I could not with other people. For years, I had been a token, or the only brown guy in the room (except for some great pockets of diversity in Orange County), and mi gente, I’ll tell you this: it does something to you. It fucks you up. It makes you turn off a side of yourself that you shouldn’t turn off.
But with Richee, through our conversations and blossoming friendship, I was able to access that part of myself I had to turn the volume down on to fit into white LA comedy spaces.
And then one day, I texted Richee, “Let’s do a Latinx Sketch Show.” I was pissed off, frustrated, and looking for a solution to my problems. It seemed like a Latinx Sketch Show would be the magic pill that would cure me of my “I’m tired of being a token in this white-ass comedy community” dilemma. And then Richee was like, “Yeah, let’s do it.” Some time passed. Nothing happened. Then one day Richee texted me, “So when do you want to do this Latinx sketch show?” Thus, The Latinx Comedy Pachanga was born.
I’m not trying to make it a myth everytime I share this story, but I can see how some would say that. I share this story, not to market Richee and I as visionary leaders, but to remind myself why we started this project to begin with: to create a space for Latinx voices to shine and be focused on; to create a community where we could just be who we are without having to code switch constantly or pretend to be something we’re not: to create a place of friendship, empathy, caring, and love for people of a shared identity. Now I know that sounds pretty idealistic, but hey, sometimes you gotta be idealistic!
It’s been a great two years. There’s been ups and downs, and everything in between, and I got a gut feeling there’s more yet to come. To everyone who has made the Pachanga what it is, thank you! Honestly, none of this would get done without you, and we are all so very lucky to have met one another.
Cheers to another two years! And two after that, and two times infinity after that one!
Gracias,
Fernando & Richee
