Before comedian Debi Gutierrez landed hot spots on Showtime, HBO, NBC and CBS, and before she hosted the popular parenting show called “A Place of Our Own” on KCET in California, Debi was a public school educator for sixteen years.  

"I really depended on my sense of humor when teaching high school," the Mexican-American mother of three remembers. "On tests, I'd include jokes like, 'Who's your favorite teacher? And list my name for options A, B, C and D!"  

Her stand-up may have started in a classroom, but today she's a star comic garnering large followings at L.A.'s top comedy clubs. Gutierrez recently shared some insights with us on how humor can be used to diffuse tense moments and improve marriages:

You Could Cut the Tension with a Laugh: "Having a sense of humor and warmly accepting the playfulness of others gets us through anything! If I can get you to laugh, I can get you to listen. If I can get you to listen, I can get you to learn."

What Women (and Men) Want: "My act has been called 'blame-free couples counseling'!  I am not going to make a bad marriage better, but I believe I can make a good marriage better for an evening. I explain to women that we are nothing like men and show them how to recognize a man's love language. During my act I actually see couples getting physically closer. It's no marriage seminar, mind you. It is rowdy, bawdy and even naughty!"

The name “Janet Murguía” may not be known in Latino homes across the country -- but it should be. From Sofia Vergara to Selena Gomez to Zoë Saldana, more Latinos than ever walk the red carpet each year. And we can thank Janet Murguía for that.

As the President and CEO of National Council of La Raza, the largest U.S. civil rights and advocacy organization, and the producer for the annual Alma Awards, Murguía has empowered la comunidad through voting and increased visibility in the media. We recently asked this trailblazer to spell out how showcasing Latino talent in music and entertainment is changing the lives of Latinos across the country.

“[Our country] is incredibly diverse,” Murguía says. “But you wouldn’t know that based on the amount of Latino representation in the media.”

Hispanics, she points out, are just as much a part of the American fabric as any other group. “We think it’s important that Latino faces are fairly represented on television, in the movies and in music, as well as behind the scenes in the entertainment industry.”

That’s why Murguía founded the annual ALMA Awards, which celebrates Latinos in the entertainment industry. There were just a few Hispanics on television when the awards were created. But today there are more than 40. Having an awards show during primetime hours on a major network provides huge exposure for la comunidad.

Murguía hopes that increasing the visibility of Latinos in the media will inspire others to pursue their dreams. “Seeing somebody that looks like you on television or on a stage at a concert sends the message that, ‘If they can do it, why can’t I do it too?’” she says. “Having these forbearers is in a sense both comforting and inspiring.”

All this just goes to show there’s no reason a viewer with the talent and drive shouldn’t follow their dreams, says Murguía. “Who knows, maybe they’ll be on stage accepting an ALMA one day?”

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (pictured right)

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of death among Hispanic women. In recognition of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we asked Olivia Fe, executive director and founder of the Latina Breast Cancer Agency (latinabca.org) -- an advocacy group based in San Francisco -- about what Latinas can do to reduce their risk of breast cancer. 

1.   Do Self-Checks. “Early detection is critical to survival,” says Fe, whose organization educates Latinas on breast cancer and helps them get access to early detection and timely treatment. “While a breast self-exam is not a substitute for an exam done by your physician, you know your body best so by doing monthly self exams you’re more likely to detect any changes in your breasts.”

2.   Know Your Family History. Knowledge of your family’s history of breast cancer will help you and your doctor decide on the best course of preventative action for you.

3.   Be Your Own Advocate. Speak up, ask questions -- and get a second opinion if you’re not satisfied with your doctor’s responses.

4.   Get Yearly Exams. Annual clinical breast exams performed by a physician are recommended for women ages 40 and older, and every one to three years for women ages 20 to 39. Yearly mammograms are also recommended for women over 40. Enhanced breast cancer screening -- such as more frequent clinical breast exams, annual MRIs, or mammograms before the age of 40 -- may be recommended for women at high risk of breast cancer.

5.   Live a Healthy Lifestyle. Studies show that eating healthy and exercising at least 30 minutes every day can help lower your chances of breast cancer. Eat a variety of antioxidant-rich vegetables and fruits, nuts, legumes, whole grains and oily fish (like salmon and tuna). Avoid foods high in saturated and trans fats, avoid smoking and excessive alcohol -- all of which can increase your risk of breast cancer.

Angela Rosas has been volunteering since the age of fourteen. And over time, she began noticing that many of her fellow Chicanas weren’t giving back to the very organizations that helped them.

"Often I hear people say that they are struggling themselves and have nothing to give," explains the 28-year-old Mexican-American, "but everyone has something to give, whether it's time, money, a meal, a lesson or just comforting words." 

So in April 2009, Angela founded Chicas Latinas de Sacramento, a social group in Sacramento, California, that coordinates volunteers who want to give back to various organization. The impetus to launch her group stems not only from a desire to see her community connect in an affirming way, but from the hope of learning more about Latinos. 

"I was inspired to reach out to my community because of my own lack of cultural knowledge," Rosas confesses. "I'm a fourth-generation Latina. I spoke Spanish as a toddler, and I wanted to learn and explore my culture in a supportive and positive atmosphere."

Rosas also hopes to dispel the negative stereotypes of poor, uneducated or incarcerated Latinos. "This negative image is not who we are," she laments, adding, “it's important to correct that message, not just for others, but for ourselves through the kinds of outreach that our organization does."

Chicas Latinas now boasts 150 members and provides regular volunteers to nonprofits, fundraisers, drives, shelters, crisis nurseries, ESL education and cultural events that serve the Latino community. "The overall goal," says Rosas, "is to make these positive resources accessible to Latinos in the Sacramento area." 

Get involved at ChicasLatinasdeSacramento.com

As a child in Venezuela, Lumareli Marcaccio often accompanied her abuelita, a retired nurse, to volunteer at local medical institutions. Caring for the bed-ridden and hospice patients taught her one valuable lesson: that elderly care was a family’s and a community’s responsibility.

So when Marcaccio’s other grandmother, “Nonna,” as she calls her, showed signs of dementia and Alzheimer’s, Marcaccio immediately got her round-the-clock help. She hired and trained the staff herself, stayed abreast of medication disbursements, and assisted with meal planning and grocery shopping. But when Nonna's children took back the reigns and placed her in a facility, Marcaccio watched Nonna "deteriorate drastically” outside “of her familiar surroundings."

Later, after moving to the United States, Marcaccio saw many of America’s elderly lagging in facilities; they needed better care. She was galvanized to open Boston's ComForcare Senior Services in July 2011. Her goal? To improve the quality of life for the cognitively challenged and the elderly within their own homes.

Marcaccio, a civil engineer by training, thought of everything. Not only does ComForcare provide home remodeling services to help clients with mobility issues, they also offer personal care suited to each person's particular needs. For example, ComForcare provides “services in different languages, retrofitting services for accessibility and safety, and training caregivers in different chronic diseases so that we can tailor our care plan to any person regardless of their health issue," says Marcaccio. When asked how other entrepreneurs could turn personal tragedies into triumphs, she responds simply: "Faith…everything in life happens for a reason."