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Kerger said she has met with several different organizations, including the American GI Forum, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, National Council of La Raza.

Several other organizations and individuals have voiced their concerns as well: the two Latino U.S. senators, Ken Salazar and Bob Menendez; California Latino Assembly, from Sweetwater Union High School District, the largest secondary school district in the State of California, and several others. She declined to share more details, but her tone was conciliatory.

Also, the news media coverage has reached a new level, as the Associated Press’s Suzanne Gamboa, a Washington bureau reporter, wrote a story for the “A,” or national, wire. It was printed in newspapers across the country.

BACKGROUND: THE WAR, a 14-hour documentary on WWII, is scheduled to air in September on PBS. Director Ken Burns and associates took six years to interview more than 40 individuals in four communities (Waterbury, Connecticut; Mobile, Alabama; Sacramento, California; and Luverne, Minnesota). The documentary features individuals in those communities, with two ethnic/racial groups given special consideration: Japanese Americans and African Americans. The film has no reference to the Latino contribution.

The documentary also has an accompanying book and educational materials.   PBS officials say, in a news release: “Serving our mission to educate and inform, PBS’s goal for THE WAR is to reach into every home and classroom -- so together we can better understand what we as a nation experienced in those difficult years and what we as a nation accomplished.”  Concerned individuals, including Rivas-Rodriguez and Chavez, and dozens across the country, have contacted PBS officials and Burns’ production company (Florentine Films) and told them that THE WAR is incomplete without the Latino experience.

—Weekly Update about Activities and Events Surrounding the Ken Burns PBS WWII Documentary, March 31, Email Update

1. Letters/Resolutions/Press Releases
a) The Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the American GI Forum met in Washington with Paula Kerger . Afterward, they issued this press release calling for a change in the documentary.

GI Forum National Commander Antonio Gil Morales said:

"Hispanics fought and sacrificed in WWII. This incident with PBS and Ken Burns reflects how our countrys historians have, either by omission or neglect, excluded our accomplishments from our history books. Our sacrifice in WWII is too important for too many people to be ignored in this fashion."

California Congressman Joe Baca, Chair of the CHC, said:

"We in the CHC know that Hispanic Americans served proudly and honorably in World War II, and Hispanics have been well-represented in our nations armed forces throughout history and presently. We will continue to work with the GI Forum and other organizations to make sure that Hispanic contributions are portrayed accurately."

b) California Latino Legislative Caucus wrote to Kerger and suggested that she "institute an immediate, comprehensive review of your programming and call on numerous Latino experts in academia, journalism and the civil rights community to ensure that this kind of incident is not repeated in the future. "

c) Sens. Ken Salazar, D-Co., and Bob Menendez, D-NJ, wrote to Kerger and said:

“As proud Americans, we believe it is paramount that every American have the opportunity to be exposed to those stories [of U.S. Latinos of the WWII generation] so that they learn our nation’s full history.”

Salazar and Mendendez asked that PBS provide them with the upcoming proposal of how it would address the omission.

d) Sweetwater Union High School District, the largest secondary school district in the State of California. Superintendent Jesus Gandara writes:

"We not only have a moral obligation to tell the truth but a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and be proud of the contributions made by our ancestors who not only loved this country but who committed acts of bravery and sacrifice beyond the call of duty!"

e) Letters from individuals also continue to pour into PBS headquarters. Among the petitioners was Juan Carlos Gonzalez, of Hutto, TX-- also beseeched Kerger to remedy the problem. Gonzalez, a veteran, whose father, grandfather, and four great uncles were also veterans writes:

"I am not asking that my family be mentioned in any documentary, but what I am asking and demanding is that you air a documentary that truly reflects the cultural diversity, the contributions and the heroism that the Hispanic/Latino community made during this very important time not only in American History, but in World History!"

2. Media Attention
The issue was the subject of stories in several publications, including the AP, the Albuquerque Tribune, and a Hispanic Link opinion piece that ran on the Scripps News wire.

a) Associated Press reporter Suzanne Gamboa wrote a story for the national wire that has been picked up in newspapers across the country. Gamboa quoted Joe Baca, D-Calif.:

“We know we've always contributed not only to World War II, but every war. But it seems like it's a typical oversight and this is unacceptable… The line ... has been drawn. Ya no mas. Ya Basta. (No more. Enough) You better do something. You better change."

Also LA cartoonist Lalo Alcaraz created two more Cucaracha cartoons this past week. See them under “Resources” on the defendthehonor.org website.

b) Albuquerque Tribune reporter Debra Dominguez-Lund wrote a story for Page 1 of the Thursday, March 29, 2007, issue. In it, Dominguez-Lund quotes Juan Jose Peña, state commander of the American GI Forum of New Mexico and a vice chairman of the Hispano Roundtable of New Mexico:

"I don't know if Burns leaving Hispanics out was intentional or we're just invisible to him, but the main thing is we were left out," said Peña, a Vietnam veteran. "What we'd like to see is them hold off on broadcasting the documentary until a segment on how Hispanics contributed to World War II is included."

c) Jorge Mariscal, of San Diego, wrote a column that ran in the Hispanic Link Weekly Report, and is now being circulated on the Scripps News wire. Jorge looked up a commencement speech Ken Burns made to Yale graduates in 2004, and noted some ironies between those remarks and the current situation. Mariscal closes:

"Mr. Burns, the Latino community will pursue our future by pursuing our past. Despite your obstinate refusal to recognize willful ignorance, we are insisting that we do indeed have a past whether or not you can see it from your isolated outpost in New England. Our collective future will not be understood without an acknowledgement of the service and the sacrifices that decades of Latinos have bestowed upon the nation."

d) Current, a newspaper about public television and radio, ran a page-1 story in its March 26, 2007, issue. Writer/senior editor Karen Everhart quoted Chon Noriega, a UCLA film professor about the possibility of changing the documentary.

“Realistically, it’s not that hard to change a documentary.. This is really a referendum for Ken Burns. His actions will signal what he feels about how important this issue is… As someone who’s known for definitive work, it’s worth getting right more than meeting a certain schedule. He’s come to this point because of a clear failure to do the research.”

[T]he most important development is PBS’ statement of the past week that they have reconsidered its position and that an announcement is forthcoming….

For more information, you can always visit defendthehonor.org. Otherwise, watch this page for further updates!