Posted on 01/27/2006 7:19:40 AM PST by Nevadan
KLAS-TV, Channel 8's new anchor, Denise Valdez, was included in a 1996 Los Angeles Times story about a trend among newscasters who changed from Anglo to ethnic names to take advantage of federal affirmative-action rules designed to benefit minorities.
The practice was questioned, the Times said, by news professionals and minority activists, "who argue that it cheapens the concept of affirmative action and raises troubling issues of journalistic ethics."
Valdez, who worked in San Antonio and Dallas before going to KNBC in Los Angeles, acknowledged to the Times that she had changed her last name for professional reasons, saying it was "advantageous in this business."
She said she considers herself part Latina, and "I'm sure I'm one of many people who have done it." She added that it was "not something I want to broadcast to the public."
Valdez, who fills the vacancy left by the death of Polly Gonzalez in a traffic accident, will co-anchor the noon broadcast with Gary Waddell and the 4:30 p.m. newscast with Dave Courvoisier beginning Monday.
Bob Stoldal, vice president of news at KLAS, did not return calls for comment by deadline.
Changing names like Jerry Rivers to Geraldo Rivera?
"Valdez, who fills the vacancy left by the death of Polly Gonzalez in a traffic accident"
Accident? Hmmmmmm...
"She said she considers herself part Latina"
Considers? Either you are part or you are not. Or is she part Latina like Ward Churchill is part Indian?
AFAIK the legal name of the protected category is "hispanic surname" NOT "hispanic". that's the loophole.
this name changing business has been going on for some time. I remember a lawsuit 20 years or so ago on this topic - the guy who changed his name won because the category was SURNAME.
>>>Changing names like Jerry Rivers to Geraldo Rivera?
Is that true???
So I have a question. Does being Scottish qualify under affirmative action? Or is there a list of countries that Affirmative Action applies to as acceptable?
Or, maybe it's just the same phony artifice that is the underlying premise of affirmative action and political correctness? It's hard to make a shallow pool and criticize people for wading in it.
I went to Univerisity with Miss. Valdez (nee Chardon). I knew Denise very well... Never knew she was latin... Chardon was French I thoght... Denise was great though...Very sweet soul...
He's a nice Jewish boy who probably didn't want to be mistaken for a relative of Joan Rivers.
Is she another one of those reporters who speaks with perfect, accent-free, English until she gets to her name, which she pronounces with an exaggerated accent?
Where did she get the name?
I remember her when she was in San Antonio, but I did not know she had changed her name. Always liked her.
Well, if there's a risk for being mistaken as French, then I think she's justified in hiding behind the faux-latin facade ;)
"his name was not Jerry Rivers: his given name was indeed Gerald, and his surname alternated between the family name, Rivera, and his mother's "continentalized" spelling of it"
http://www.snopes.com/media/celebrity/geraldo.asp
Saturday Night Live had a skit about that years ago.
Yeah, Jerry did that a LONG time ago. These people are finally catching up.
Next, they have to become complete 4$$h0les.
Thanks for that. I stand corrected. Love the schtick about his mom altering the name - guess we know where he inherited his grand sense of interpretation.
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