This film examines how corporate efforts to profit from the "Latino market" are shaping America's perception of Latinos. The focal point of Brown is the New Green is actor/comedian George Lopez, who also narrates the film. As Bill Cosby did for African Americans decades ago, Lopez normalizes the image of Latinos through entertainment. Lopez, whose ABC sitcom was the longest-running show with a Latino lead in the history of television, strives to represent Latinos in a manner true to their realities and aspirations.

Numbering 44 million, Latinos are not only this nation's largest and fastest-growing ethnic group, they are also big business. According to The Selig Center for Economic Growth, Latino buying power will grow to $1.2 trillion by 2011.

"While these numbers are impressive, Americans are in a collective state of confusion about Latinos," says filmmaker Phillip Rodriguez. "The Latino image is stage-managed by marketers and media companies. Latinos are caught in a netherworld. Mainstream media have largely ignored them, while Spanish language networks and Hispanic ad companies have served up an exoticized image that has no basis in contemporary American reality."

Brown is the New Green features interviews with a variety of influential Latinos, whose voices, often with conflicting opinions, weigh in on the role of marketing and media in shaping Latino identity. Interviewees include Advertising Executive Hector Orci, actor Bill Dana ("Jose Jimenez"), author Arlene Davila, media activist Alex Nogales, and George Lopez producer Bruce Helford (who also produced Roseanne and The Drew Carey Show).

Wednesday, 9/12/07 from 10:30-11:30 p.m. ET