Latino movie producer builds theaters in low-income California towns
“For nearly 10 years, residents in a California farming community have had to drive nearly 40 miles to see the latest film, a rare trip for some in a place where a third of the population lives in poverty. That all changed in May when Moctesuma Esparza, a Latino movie producer, opened his latest Maya Cinemas theater in Delano in his ongoing effort to open theaters in poor, rural areas in the United States that lack entertainment options. The $20 million project gives Delano’s 53,000 residents access to recent movie releases in a high-end experience with luxury seating. In 1965, Delano helped spark Cesar Chavez’s farm worker union movement.”