'The Cheech' is fitting legacy for Chicano trailblazer

SAN DIEGO -- Comedian, activist, and television/film star Richard Anthony Marin has spent the last 50 years looking for the humor in everyday life. But the COVID-19 crisis is no laughing matter. And talking about it brings the jokester to tears.

Even if you don't recognize the name that's on his birth certificate, you probably will key in on his nickname: "Cheech."

Think one half of the 1970's comedy and film duo, "Cheech & Chong." Big mustache. Holding an even bigger marijuana joint.

I've been a fan since childhood. Growing up as a Mexican American in Central California, I would overhear the eight-track tapes of "Cheech and Chong" playing on my parents' stereo. Long before I ever heard of Mexican American comedians like Paul Rodriguez, George Lopez, or Gabriel Iglesias, there was Cheech. He's a true veterano in the world of Latino entertainment.

Today, the 73-year-old is at work on what he sees as his "legacy" -- which doubles as a gift for future generations of Mexican Americans. Marin prefers "Chicano" -- a term almost exclusively used by Mexican American baby boomers who live in California.

I asked the funnyman why he thought the term still resonates.

"I think it's because they faced their problem and tried to solve it," he said. "They were being excluded, Chicanos in general, from every aspect of society. Even their own kind, other Mexican Americans, excluded them."

The legacy, and Cheech's central passion over the last few years, is what will eventually be known as The Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art, Culture & Industry in Riverside, California -- about 50 miles east of Los Angeles. Part of the Riverside Art Museum, and housed in the soon-to-be remodeled building that once served as the city's main library, the 61,420-square-foot facility will be the new permanent home for more than 700 pieces of Chicano art.

The items -- which include paintings, sculptures, photography and video arts -- come from Marin's personal collection. He has literally spent decades putting all this stuff together. The exhibits have spent the last few years touring the United States and drawing record crowds at local museums.

Set to open in Fall 2021, "The Cheech" -- as the comedian has dubbed his baby -- is being billed as the first major collection of Chicano art in the world. It will host lectures, forums, artists-in-residence, and various educational programs.

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.