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'The Cheech' is fitting legacy for Chicano trailblazer

Ruben Navarrette Jr. on

That's a lot to say grace over for this son of a police officer, who grew up in the working class of Southern California and went on to make his mark by making people laugh.

Even amid the COVID-19 crisis, work on "The Cheech" continues. For the comedian, the crisis has exacted a heavy price. His sister died recently of a non-COVID-related illness. Because of the coronavirus, he wasn't allowed to enter the hospital to say goodbye. As he shared the story, hunkered down in his home in the California desert, his voice cracked.

I changed the subject. I asked him how his daily routine has changed since the Golden State went into lockdown mode.

"I'm contacting everyone I love by phone, every day," he said. "That's the first thing I do every morning."

The country's 59 million Latinos are not just America's largest minority, one of the fastest growing ethnic groups in the nation, and a primary engine of the U.S. economy with $1.7 trillion in buying power and a GDP of more than $2.3 trillion. They're also a favorite target of COVID-19. In densely populated Northeastern cities like New York, Boston, Newark and Philadelphia -- not to mention, out west, in the overwhelmingly Latino city of Los Angeles -- Latinos account for more than their share of coronavirus patients and casualties.

One reason is that Latinos suffer from health problems that weaken our immunity, such as high blood pressure.

I asked Marin what could be shortening our lives by stressing us out.

"Like the white man," I joked.

"And menudo," he shot back.

 

I should have known better than to try to trade one-liners with a professional.

For his part, Marin thinks the virus is a "reset" that could allow humanity to catch its breath.

"It gives us a chance to ask ourselves: Are we going to be better off after all this is over with?" he said. "What will we be like coming out of this? I hope we'll be more compassionate, and kinder to one another. That's my hope, at least. We'll get through this."

He's right. And, when we get to the other side, I know the perfect place for people of all colors to gather next year and celebrate the victory. I'll see you at The Cheech.

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Ruben Navarrette's email address is ruben@rubennavarrette.com. His daily podcast, "Navarrette Nation," is available through every podcast app.

(c) 2020, The Washington Post Writers Group


 

 

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