mimigonzalez
Mimi Gonzalez was once told by her mother, "You're such a beautiful girl, but then you open your mouth and spoil it all." Mimi graduated from high school as the class clown and then received a bachelor's degree in Journalism from Central Michigan University. A move to New York slapped the corporate smirk off her face but quickly resulted in a spot on the TODAY show featuring "The Funniest Person on Wall Street." Even temps have dreams. But New York's a tough place to start a dream.
So Mimi Detroit headed west and discovered her new comedy identity in San Francisco and became the political comedian, Mimi=Freed. Launched at Josie's Cabaret and Juice Joint, within a year Mimi emceed part of the 1993 March on Washington representing the "bi-nority" element of the LGBT.
Music festivals and Prides across the country followed including Stonewall '94, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Nashville, San Francisco, San Diego, her hometown of Detroit and Michigan's Pride.
Television shows and movies have contributed to the growing presence of this out, loud and proud Latina. She embraced Gonzalez, half of her given last name, upon moving to Los Angeles and her credits have grown to include Comedy Central's Women Aloud, Ellen, Maury Povich, Que Loco, Funny is Funny and Bravo's The Gay Riviera. Look closely and you'll see her in the movie Bound.
The journalism degree has even made an appearance and her freelanced pieces range from nterviewing Camille Paglia for On Our Backs, an op-ed piece for the Advocate, columns in SF's ICON which resulted in a nomination for a Cable Car Award and biotechnical reporting for Office.com. She remains committed to all communities of freaks, liberationists, pagans, the ACLU, People for the American Way and anyone else whose independence terrifies the Fright Wing. Despite the misinformed (and unhip) stance of those who think being politically correct is uncool, she says "I'm proud to call myself a feminist — because I'm sick of calling myself a bitch".
Lecture
Gazing into the Crystal Brown Ball: Tales, Truths and Predictions of a Post-Modern Latina Explorer
In it she reveals what can happen when a marginalized, subjective point of view is honed to a fine sense of perspective. Being on the outside looking in has given her a keen sense of observation. And what she reflects to the mainstream is a version of a vision of themselves they’ve never seen before.
Included is an historical timeline of the three major Latin-American cultures influencing this country starting with the most populous and significant Mexicans, followed by the Puerto Ricans whose population in New York City exceeds the Latino population of any major city in America. Then she moves to the Cubans who are the third most easily-identified “sub” culture in America. The post-script details the rising cultural immigrations from Peru, Columbia, and war-sponsored countries from the Central American region.
Long known for a reputation of irreverence and politically-flavored comedy, Mimi Gonzalez brings a background in journalism to all her presentations. She’s a voracious student of media, books and stories about the so-called “emerging” culture of Latinos that’s always been here in the form of indigenous people and the first wave of European invaders being the Spanish.
Her prediction: a completely bilingual America in the coming decades. Disbelief? Look no further than the Spanish names of the following states: Nevada, California, Colorado, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Montana. Still doubtful? This vocal critic of being labeled a minority, armed with statistics, including the 2000 census adds this prediction: “LA will soon stand for Latin America.”
The most recent census illustrated a fall in the white population to 49% of the overall California population, leaving “minorities” in the majority. Hello America. Or should we say, "Hola?">