Carleen L. Hsu and John J. Valadez, while teaching in Michigan State University’s School of Journalism (College of Communication Arts and Sciences) and Film Studies (College of Arts and Letters) produced the documentary “American Exile,” which recently won the Imagen Award for Best Documentary and the Ruben Salazar Award in Journalism: Excellence in Broadcast Journalism. The film uncovers the deportation of United States Veterans and aired nationally on PBS in November 2021.
The documentary, which was a co-production of WKAR Public Media and Latino Public Broadcasting, tells the story of Valente and Manuel Valenzuela, brothers that fought in the Vietnam War and returned home to the U.S. with threats of deportation. After realizing that thousands of other Veterans were faced with the same dilemma, the two became Veterans’ rights activists.
MSU students were involved throughout the process of making the film, from telling the story of the Valenzuela brothers to helping shape national policy through conversations with legislative staff. The film itself aided in halting Veteran deportations and creating a process to return deported Veterans and their families to the U.S., both of which were ordered by the Biden administration on July 2, 2021.
“I just keep thinking about the MSU students that worked on ‘American Exile’ in California, Arizona, Mexico, Colorado, Illinois, Washington, D.C. and Maryland,” said Hsu. “The skills they developed working with us can be used to change the world.”
The Imagen Foundation, founded in 1983, was created to support and encourage the inclusion of Latinx talent, executives and voices in the entertainment industry. “American Exile,” nominated with five other programs, won the award for Best Documentary. This is Valadez’s third Imagen award.
The documentary showcased the close partnership with WKAR Public Media in producing award-winning films on national television to help make a social impact.
“The WKAR partnership creates extraordinary world-class opportunities for students and faculty, and it is a critical way to reach millions of people,” said Valadez. “It sends the message that MSU is dedicated to building a more peaceful, equitable and prosperous future for all Americans.”
The Latino Journalists of California, or CCNMA, is a nonprofit, professional organization dedicated to promoting diversity in the media and aims to foster an accurate portrayal of the Latinx community and aid the advancement of Latinx journalists. Each year, it presents the Ruben Salazar Journalism Award to journalists who have exemplified excellence while contributing to a better understanding of the Latinx experience.
The award was named after Chicano journalist Ruben Salazar, columnist for the Los Angeles Times and the news director of television station KMEX, who was killed by Los Angeles police while covering the Chicano anti-Vietnam War Moratorium protest. Now, Salazar is an icon for his courage and commitment to the truth, social justice and the advancement of democratic principles for the Chicano community.
“Winning these awards during a year in which WKAR is celebrating a century of service to our community is such an honor,” said Shawn Turner, WKAR general manager. “The core mission at WKAR is to connect people to powerful ideas that inspire personal growth, exploration of our world and positive change. This documentary is one example of our work to fulfill that mission.”
Both prestigious awards are granted to journalists for their work in amplifying the voices and accurately portraying Latinx experiences in the U.S. Hsu and Valadez did this with their work on “American Exile” by exposing the truth about the deportation process of Veterans and furthering the progression of their road to citizenship.
Both Hsu and Valadez have since taken roles at the University of Michigan and have raised $150,000 for their next documentary project. They hope to partner with WKAR toward elevating positive social change and teaching students how to use film to create a better world.
The 37th Annual Imagen Awards winners were announced on Oct. 2, 2022, and broadcasted on PBS SoCal on Oct. 29 and Nov. 2. The winners of the Ruben Salazar Journalism Award were announced on Nov. 4 at the CCNMA 50th Anniversary Celebration Dinner.
