HispanicBusiness

The National Latino Media Coalition protested in 2000 that there was a lack of diversity on network primetime television programs, particularly with regard to Hispanics, now America's largest minority.

But is a show like "Kingpin," which begins at 10 p.m. Sunday on NBC, what the coalition had in mind?

The drama is the first network series to feature a predominantly Hispanic cast. That is progress for those who have pushed for more representation and opportunities for Hispanic actors. But there are concerns from others because the actors portray characters who are involved in the violent and destructive world of the Mexican drug cartel.

"The show has a very specific problem," says Alex Nogales, president of the Los Angeles-based coalition. "We live in times when there are hundreds of television shows on the air. But, generally, when you see Latinos, they are in very stereotypical roles.

"The show has a lack of balance," says Nogales. "In the pilot [the first show], you have 16 Mexicans killing each other and only one DEA agent to battle the forces of evil."

Nogales says NBC executives have been told about his group's concerns. He doesn't expect the first show to be changed, but he hopes that by the fourth episode the show will begin to feature a better balance between positive and negative characters.

"Kingpin" executive producer David Mills says a witch hunt is dogging his show.

"I am fed up with the notion that when it's a white character and white actors, it's a universal story. But when it's a Mexican character and a Latino actor, it's a story about Mexicans," Mills says. "We're telling a story about a human being. The audience is going to be touched on a human level and not a level of their ethnic category."

Mills understands programs that deal with ethnic groups. He wrote and produced the HBO miniseries "The Corner." The gritty drama examined the drug problem in Baltimore chiefly through the lives of African-American characters. No backlash materialized accusing him of creating a story filled with African-American stereotypes.

Manny Alfaro, executive director of the New York-based Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors, has divided feelings about "Kingpin." He is happy the show is giving Hispanic actors more work at a time when the number of original dramas and comedies has fallen because of the increase in reality programs.

Since the 2000 protest, network and cable channels have added a few shows with predominantly Hispanic casts, including "Resurrection Blvd." on Showtime, "American Family" on PBS, "The Brothers Garcia" on Nickelodeon, "George Lopez" on ABC and "Greetings From Tucson" on WB.

But Alfaro is worried that the few shows with Hispanic casts don't provide enough variety of images. His fear is that "Kingpin's" drug-dealing, murderous characters, no matter how much they are romanticized by giving them money, education and power, will be remembered negatively by viewers.

"I understand the problem with making a film or a television show is you have to have conflict. Where is the conflict? 'Kingpin' is the answer to the 'Sopranos.'"

Mills rejects the idea that "Kingpin" is a Hispanic version of "The Sopranos," although both shows deal with families involved in criminal activities.

He says all characters should have a good and a bad side. This creates conflict. The series will examine the struggle each character faces in dealing with these competing sides.

That's certainly not unlike HBO's megahit "The Sopranos." Tony Soprano is a vicious mob boss and a caring father. Such balance has not stopped Italian-American groups from protesting "The Sopranos," saying they don't like the show's negative images of Italian-Americans.

Angela Alvarado Rosa plays one of the few positive characters in "Kingpin." The Puerto Rico-born actress portrays Mexican-American DEA agent Delia Flores.

"What drew me to this character was not that she was Latina. It was not that it was a story about a Mexican drug cartel. It was the writing. It was the characters, the layers that the character has and the emotional struggles that she has to go through as a human being," Rosa says.

Bobby Cannavale, who plays Chato Cadena on "Kingpin," says it is important to remember that "Kingpin" is giving 20 to 30 Hispanic actors a job each week. He doesn't believe a single Hispanic actor would balk at landing a part on the new drama.

"Actors want good parts, and that's really the bottom line," Cannavale says.

Yancey Arias, whose character of Miguel Cadena is the central focus of "Kingpin," suggests there is an easy solution for people who believe that the show is forcing Hispanic actors to portray negative characters -- create programs about positive Hispanic doctors or lawyers.

For now, "Kingpin" is under scrutiny. George Lopez knew there would be that kind of scrutiny on him when he launched his self-titled ABC situation comedy in midseason last year. If the show failed, that could be seen as a signal from television viewers there was no room on television for Hispanic comedies.

"You can't carry the flag for anybody," Lopez says. "Hopefully people will start looking at Latinos as just people and not see color first. ABC is no different than NBC and CBS because the color that's important is the color green. And the brown generate a lot of green in this country."

Bruce Helford created "George Lopez" to be about any family. This season, the show has changed to examine issues that are more in line with a Hispanic family: racial profiling and image in the workplace.

"But this was never meant to be about the universal Latino experience because there is no such thing." Helford says.