fore him. Some of his jokes have poked fun at the characteristics of various ethnic groups. He has been criticized for this, but it’s this kind of cutting humor his loyal fans love most. “My point, when I make fun of any ethnic group, is to unify us in laugh- ter,” says Mencia. “When people laugh, it is because they can relate and they know exactly what I’m talking about.” Mencia believes humor like his is accepted “only in America, because
of the multi-cultural
connection that we all share, which people in other countries just can’t understand.” He must be right—Mencia has proven time and time again that he has an ability to con- nect with diverse audiences all around the country. He was the winner of the 2007 Na- tional Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC) Vision Award for Best Actor in a Comedy and was nomi- nated twice, in both 2007 and 2008, for a National Council of La Raza (NCLR)
from the destructive influences of LA’s gangs. Mencia returned to the U.S. a few years later, showing such academic excel- lence that he was quickly promoted to the tenth grade. After graduating from Garfield High School, he began performing stand- up comedy on amateur night at The Laugh Factory and was later showcased at The Comedy Store, soon becoming a regular nightly performer.
Finding success in comedy clubs gave
Mencia the confidence to compete for and win the title of International Comedy Grand Champion of Buscando Estrellas (the Latin version of Star Search). The win led him to cameo roles on such popular television shows, as In Living Color, The Arsenio Hall Show, and Moesha. A big step was hosting the HBO comedy series Loco Slam, where Mencia stole the spotlight. His biggest role yet came in 2005 when he was given his own show, Mind of Mencia,
another, but a career is always a journey.” Being a celebrity is not always easy, and he knows many people harbor misconcep- tions about him. In his everyday life, Men- cia is just a typical guy. He doesn’t under- stand why, when people meet him, they assume he’s going to act the way he does on stage. He wants fans to know that his act is not who he is, it’s “just a fraction of who I am, blown up for a comedic perfor- mance.” He explains, “Clowns wear make- up and big, stupid shoes to accentuate their comedy. So I don’t wear makeup, I use my voice and my body, but for some reason, people just can’t seem to separate that from the real me.”
Despite a very busy schedule, this star
and writer of Mind of Mencia finds time to contribute to some of his favorite organiza- tions and charities. And he does it purely for the satisfaction of having helped. He says, “Go on the Internet—you won’t find
“If you aren’t laughing, you aren’t living.”
ALMA Award® for Outstanding Actor. Although he’s loved by audiences of all
ethnic backgrounds, Mencia himself has sometimes had a hard time accepting his own success. He says his biggest obstacle has always been himself: “I wish I could have a more trusting mentality.” He still struggles with being just a little cynical, looking skeptically at most situations, and being slow to think the best of people. “When I was younger, if I saw a car cruise by slowly, my first thought would have been—rightfully—‘S***, a drive-by!’ But fast forward to today, now it’s somebody wanting to say ‘Hi’ to me. It’s difficult to change my thinking, to remember that times have changed, and to welcome that thought,” explains Mencia. As the 17th of 18 children, Mencia
came to the United States as a baby and lived with relatives in the Maravilla Proj- ects
in Los Angeles, California. As he reached junior high in this neighborhood where the odds of staying on the straight and narrow were low, his relatives sent him back to Honduras in an effort to save him
still airing on Comedy Central. He knows that as a Latino, his success is magnified: “If a white guy becomes president, it’s just another president. But if a Latino becomes the president, it would be a huge thing be- cause he would be the first.” He’s happy to be one of the “firsts” that young Latinos can look up to, and he wants them to know not only that anyone can be successful but also that every success counts. He says he has no words to express his appreciation for the support of his fans over the last 24 years, but he’s deeply grateful. Without them, he would not be living his “phenom- enal” life.
Mencia knows that with success comes
criticism, and he doesn’t let it bother him. “I try to be the best human being I possibly can. What I have learned in my life is that people will judge for themselves and come to their own conclusions, either wrongly or rightly.” His trip to fame, which might ap- pear relatively quick, was actually quite a journey, he explains. “People think that you go from obscurity to superstardom, but it’s not like that. You get there one way or
anything about me donating time or money because I don’t do it in front of the camer- as. That’s not me.” But Mencia’s life is built around other people, he says, and making people happy—not just an audi- ence, but his family, friends, and strangers in need, too. With a son of his own, Mencia is especially inclined to help children whenever he gets the chance. Mencia says, “When a child gets cancer, I don’t know how to put that in my head. I just help and do what I can.”
Carlos Mencia believes “happiness is
work, and it’s a choice you make when you wake up in the morning. You can either choose to be sad, bitter, and angry, or you can choose to go about your day and be happy.” He chooses happiness every single day, and with his busy performance sched- ule, he’s certainly spreading a lot of that to the rest of us. You can catch him perform- ing at clubs nationwide through the end of this year—check his Web site at carlos-
mencia.com/tour for dates and locations. And don’t miss his new comedy special, airing December 4th on Comedy Central.
www.hnmagazine.com
Celebrating 19 Years of Diversity
HISPANIC NETWORK MAGAZINE 65
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