On Thursday, President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden welcomed guests to the South Lawn of the White House for a screening of the new film Flamin’ Hot.
The film tells the story of Richard Montañez, a Frito-Lay janitor with an entrepreneurial spirit, who worked his way up to becoming a marketing executive. (Montañez is sometimes credited with inventing the Flamin’ Hot Cheeto, though critics say he may not have.) But what’s not up for debate is how he leaned into his Mexican American heritage in order to tap into new markets, earning him the nickname, “the godfather of Hispanic marketing.”
The president hosted 600 guests including lawmakers and cabinet members, as well as the cast and crew of Flamin’ Hot. Actress Eva Longoria, who made her directorial debut with the film, was in attendance.
“This truly is a people’s story,” Longoria said of the film at the annual Fast Company Impact Council meeting this week. “We are celebrating a story that celebrates the American entrepreneurial dream, without sidestepping the fact that the dream isn’t available in the same way for everyone.”
Biden said the screening was a historic moment, as it was the first time a film about the Hispanic community had been publicly screened at the White House.
“It reminds us of the power—I mean it sincerely—the power of diversity, hope, and opportunity, which is the American story,” the president said.
The screening appears to be part of a new effort to celebrate films telling culturally diverse stories. Last month, Biden held a screening of the upcoming Disney+ series, American Born Chinese, to honor Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander heritage month. Oscar winner and cast member Ke Huy Quan, who has spoken openly about his own immigration story, attended that event. When Quan accepted his Oscar for Everything Everywhere All At Once in March, he told the world during his acceptance speech: “This is the American dream.”
Last month, on the South Lawn, Quan said, “It is with profound humility and gratitude that I stand before you tonight. I do not take this moment lightly, because I know this building is a monument to a country that opened its arms to me once upon a time.”
Earlier this year, Biden signed an executive order for advancing racial equity and supporting underserved communities in the workforce, building on an executive order he signed on his first day in office.
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