‘Que Pasa’ John Vargas Hosts A Local Weekly Spanish-English Talk Show

He’s no Larry King or Phil Donahue, but to Spokane’s Spanish-speaking community, he’s somewhat of a godsend.

As host and director of “Que Pasa,” Spokane’s only weekly bilingual community television talk show, John Vargas is taking his cues at an opportune time.

Latinos continue to be the fastest growing population in the United States, and they’re becoming an increasingly important market. In Spokane County, they number more than 8,000. Vargas’ show “grew out of a community need,” he says. “There are a significant number of Latinos/Latinas that are mostly Spanish-speaking here, and we need to reach those folks to share community and cultural events.”

As the numbers of Spanish-speaking residents continue to climb, so too does interest in Spanish-English TV programming.

Shows such as “Que Pasa” are the wave of the future, says Alex Nogales, chairman of the L.A.-based National Hispanic Media Coalition.

In L.A., where Chicanos make up about 42 percent of the population, some bilingual shows air in prime time.

“This is a big market,” Nogales says. “If anybody wants to sell cars, Wheaties or soap, they’re going to have to target us.”

“Que Pasa” (which means “What’s Happening” in Spanish) debuted in 1993 after Vargas brainstormed with other Latino/Latinas about creating a forum where the city’s Spanish speakers could share information.

Vargas, who teaches an automotive technician class at Fairchild Air Force Base, pitched the idea of a television show.

But local network TV station managers said there wasn’t a big enough commercial base to launch the project.

Staff at Cox Cable told Vargas he should start a 15-minute pilot show on the community access channel.

Weeks later, Vargas and a crew of five taped the first “Que Pasa” show, which dealt with cultural diversity.

Since then, they’ve met monthly for six-hour taping sessions at the Cox Cable station in Northeast Spokane. They all volunteer their time.

Vargas doesn’t have the means to attract big-name stars. And the studios at Cox are too small for an audience. But what he does offer are intimate interviews with local people which he conducts in Tex-Mex, a mix of English Spanish.

“Que Pasa” hasn’t hit the mainstream, and it’s not one most families would crowd around their tubes to watch on a Friday night.

But it’s sparking more interest. The show has been rebroadcast in parts of Texas and California and may soon air in Seattle. Some teachers have shown “Que Pasa” to their classes, and Cox Cable staff members say they’ve received several calls from people in the community who want copies.

Vargas says he does the show because he wants “to be a part of the progressive movement of Spokane.”

He also says he wants to help the city’s Latino community. Vargas says he can empathize with Latinos and their struggles in America.

“You have them coming here with dreams,” Vargas says. “All they want to do is survive and dream.”

Part of surviving is learning the language. Vargas says his show helps Spanish-only speakers learn English.

Cox workers say there’s no way of tracking how many people watch “Que Pasa.” But Vargas measures the show’s success by longevity rather than popularity. The show continues to thrive in a region where 93 percent of the population is white.

“Cultural programming is somewhat lacking here,” says Kimbo May, a community productions trainer at Cox who works closely with Vargas.

May says he’s seen several people start up shows that die out in a couple of years or less. He says the fact that Vargas has kept the spotlight for so long is in itself impressive.

Vargas is undaunted by the show’s low profile. His mission, he says, is “to share with the Spokane community a piece of our culture.”

Viewers can get a taste of it, too.

Vargas often includes cooking demonstrations where local Latino chefs show off their culinary crafts, preparing anything from homemade tortillas to quesadillas.

His show is more than just flipping fajitas and chatting with people, though.

“I would like to showcase how we’re alike, in family values, music and food,” Vargas says.

One of Vargas’ goals for his program is to point out similarities between cultures rather than dwell on differences.

In the Latino community, “la familia” (the family) is all-important, Vargas says. Many of his guests speak about family values - something anyone, regardless of race or culture, can identify with, Vargas says.

Nogales says shows like “Que Pasa” make an important statement in the community.

“Everybody brings something to the equation of culture here,” Nogales says. “In doing shows bilingually, we’re accepting the fact that we’re here and rejoicing and reaching out.”

Carlos Maldonado, director of the Chicano Education program at Eastern Washington University, says shows like “Que Pasa” provide an opportunity to increase representation of the Chicano/ Chicana community in television.

“It’s one of the very few opportunities that we’re part of the public media,” Maldonado said. “It really reflects the growing diversity here, however small.”

Vargas’ crew members continue to be impressed by his dedication and unrelenting enthusiasm for the show - an enthusiasm that follows him home.

Vargas has two studio sets at his Cheney home and is working on building a third. He has taped some shows from home.

Vargas doesn’t have plans to turn his hobby into a full-time career, but he does consider the show a second job, putting in as much as 40 hours a week.

Vargas hopes to reach out in more ways than through his show by starting a scholarship program for local Latino/Latinas who show a dedication to cultural diversity issues.

Looking back over the past few years, Vargas thinks fondly of his favorite show - an interview with Ricardo Sanchez. Sanchez transcended race and personal struggles to become a reputable Chicano poet.

A month after the show aired, Sanchez, a Washington State University professor, died of cancer.

“He was able to diffuse the pain, some of the suffering,” of being an immigrant, Vargas says. “Because of him, I share the joy of being Latino in this land.”

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