La Cena 2025: 'Baby Reindeer' star Nava Mau, Dolores Huerta, more Latino icons honored

USA Today

24-02-2025

La Cena 2025: 'Baby Reindeer' star Nava Mau, Dolores Huerta, more Latino icons honored
LOS ANGELES — Put 200 Latinos in a room and they'll do nothing but toast to each other's work until the clock strikes midnight.
On Friday, Latino movers and shakers in music, television, movies and other creative industries came together for La Cena: Celebration of Latino Culture at NeueHouse in Hollywood. The event, created by media executive Ruben Garcia, was postponed from Jan. 11 due to the devastating Los Angeles wildfires.
It was a night to be in community and celebrate the wins rather than focus on what's lacking when it comes to Latinos in Hollywood. "No presentation, no fireside chat, just dinner," Garcia said of his intentions for La Cena during opening remarks. "Now more than ever we need to continue to remind the people outside of this room the power of community."
The night was also marked by a defiant rejection of President Donald Trump's administration and his attacks on the Latino community and other people of color.
"Your very existence is a political act and whenever you show up on TV, that is an act of resistance," said actor Tonatiuh, star of the upcoming "Kiss of the Spider Woman."
"And we are here to consistently remind everyone the price and value of Latin gold. Don't sell yourself short."
Ahead of La Cena (which translates to dinner), a bustling red carpet saw the likes of multigenerational talent including Edward James Olmos ("Stand and Deliver," "Selena"), Barbie Ferreira ("Euphoria," "Bob Trevino Likes It"), Constance Marie ("Mi Familia," "George Lopez"), Gabriel Luna ("The Last of Us," "Terminator: Dark Fate"), Danny Ramirez ("Captain America: Brave New World," "Top Gun: Maverick"), Jose Velazquez ("Griselda"), activist Dolores Huerta, singer Becky G and more.
Aside from honoring Latino representation across culture in 2024, the event recognized Huerta with the Luminary Award and actress Nava Mau with the Culture Catalyst Award for her role in "Baby Reindeer."
Additionally, "The Long Game," "In the Summers," "Los Frikis, "One of the Good Ones," "American Historia" and "Rez Ball" were Spotlight Honorees.
Here are more highlights from the night.
'Baby Reindeer' star Nava Mau on power of unity during political hardship
Before Saturday's 2025 Independent Spirit Awards, where the "Baby Reindeer" actress was nominated for best supporting performance (and won), she was honored with La Cena's Culture Catalyst Award.
"I've had a year that I could've never predicted and I don't think any of us that worked on 'Baby Reindeer' and anyone in my life could have predicted what was going to happen," Mau said during her speech. "It was overwhelming, it was very exciting and it was a lot of change, very quickly, and so I'm very grateful to have people alongside me to help me through that journey."
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During her speech, Mau also addressed the current political landscape and urged attendees to uplift each other, especially during the presidency of Donald Trump.
"I wouldn't be here without coalition," Mau said. "Mexican Americans, Mexicans, Latinos have always uplifted me, have always been alongside me. I'm only here as well because of the support of so many Black people in my life, that's my community," she said.
She continued: "We're facing times now that we cannot imagine, so we have to look to the past to see what has been the answer through, and it has always been coalition moving. It has always been coming together and uplifting each other and resisting anything that tries to divide us."
More: Laverne Cox, 'Baby Reindeer' star Nava Mau tear up over making trans history at Emmys
Becky G honors activist Dolores Huerta with Luminary Award
Becky G called Huerta "one of the greatest labor and civil rights activists leaders of our time."
She listed the 94-year-old's lengthy resume, which includes leading a boycott movement in the 1960s that got millions across the country to halt their consumption of grapes, as well as bringing justice and attention to the plight of farm workers" and establishing the United Farm Workers Union with the late Cesar Chavez.
The Los Angeles native singer called Huerta "precious" and "kind" before welcoming her to the stage. Director Gregory Nava helped the small but still fiery Huerta up the stage as she thanked Becky G and those in attendance for the standing ovation.
Like Mau, Huerta also addressed the Trump administration. "To think of this evening tonight that we're all gathered here, eating together, getting the nourishment that we need for the fight ahead of us, right?" she said.
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Latino veteran actor Edward James Olmos' advice to young artists
Oscar-nominated actor Edward James Olmos, best known for his roles in "Stand and Deliver," "Selena" and "Mi Familia," chatted with USA TODAY on the red carpet and gave advice to young Latino actors hoping to break into Hollywood.
"They have to be able to understand that as long as you stay in (the industry), you'll be in it," the 79-year-old Hollywood veteran said. "Don't stop. Don't ever stop living your dream."
"And if you have to work outside of the industry to stay in the industry, do that," he added. "That's what I did, everybody that's ever been in the industry has had to have (another) job … so I say to you, stay strong and stay healthy."
A stand against the presidency: 'We have to stand together to fight against authoritarian rhetoric'
For Bamby Salcedo, founder and CEO of the Los Angeles-based TransLatin@ Coalition, Trump's stance on the LGBTQ+ community − specifically the transgender community − is personal.
"To the beautiful and amazing, trans and gender-non-conforming, intersex people, to know that there are organizations like the TransLatin@ Coalition who are fighting for you," Salcedo told USA TODAY on the red carpet.
"Please be you, always. Don't let any political institutions or people denigrate us because we are powerful as people, we are powerful as a community."
Throughout the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump frequently attacked transgender Americans, claiming there should only be two recognized genders and arguing trans women athletes are a threat to their cisgender counterparts. His rhetoric fits firmly in a growing pattern among members of the Republican party who have ramped up attacks on gender-affirming care and transgender people in the past few years.
With a flurry of executive orders, Trump took aim at trans people in his first 100 days of office, barring student-athletes from competing alongside their gender if it differs from their sex at birth and directing federal agencies to take a closer look at hospitals providing gender-affirming care to patients under 19.
More: Hunter Schafer says passport now lists sex assigned at birth after Trump executive order
"In the Summers" director Alessandra Lacorazza, while receiving a Spotlight Honoree award, said onstage: "We have to stand together to fight against the authoritarian rhetoric."
"Now more than ever, it's very important to stay in community and to continue to tell our stories in a bold, loving and brave way," the Colombian American filmmaker continued. "Latinos are here to stay and we are going nowhere."
'Mi Familia' cast reunites for film's 30th anniversary
At nearly midnight, the night capped off with a heartfelt speech by director Gregory Nava, who accepted the Legacy Award for his work in the 1995 film "Mi Familia (My Family)."
U.S. Congressman Joaquin Castro and actress Francia Raisa introduced the cast comprised of Benito Martinez, Edward James Olmos, Jimmy Smits, Constance Marie, Maria Canals-Barrera and Jenny Gago, a reunion 30 years in the making.