George Lopez To Host Annual 'Rhythms' Show

Move over, Queen Latifah. Here comes George Lopez.

The Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations announced yesterday that Lopez, a Mexican-American actor and comedian, will host this Saturday’s 19th annual Cultural Rhythms show at 3 p.m.

During this weekend’s performance, the Foundation will also honor Lopez—the co-creator, writer, producer and star of the ABC network sitcom “George Lopez”—as the “Cultural Artist of the Year.”

Lopez said the Foundation’s award was “especially nice because it’s from Harvard.”

“I actually wasn’t aware that I was going to be hosting anything until now, but a cultural show is my kind of show,” he said.

President of Concilio Latino and Latinas Unidas Martha I. Casillas ’05 said the decision to have Lopez host the show is a “huge milestone” because it will mark the first time a Mexican-American will receive this honor.

“George Lopez is an awesome comedian and humanitarian in general. He will be a great guest of honor. The show is going to be awesome,” she said.

According to S. Allen Counter, the director of the Harvard Foundation, Lopez earned the award through his dedication to humanitarian causes. Lopez’s charity, the George and Ann Lopez-Richie Alarcon Care Foundation, supports community arts and education programs. Lopez has also been an active fundraiser for earthquake victims in El Salvador and Guatemala.

“To think that Harvard would honor me for being a decent human being, I think that’s great,” Lopez said.

Lopez was the top pick in a pool of nominees that included Adam Sandler, Michelle Yao and Salma Hayek, according to Counter. Counter said that the choice of Lopez as this year’s host was unanimously supported by both student and faculty members of the Foundation.

“George Lopez is one of the most exciting talents in American performing arts today,” Counter said.

“He is one of the most widely admired artists in America and a model source of inspiration for young people of all backgrounds.”

Lopez said that the award was particularly meaningful given his bumpy childhood in California. Growing up in San Fernando Valley’s Mission Hills, he said he struggled with dyslexia.

“I didn’t go to college. Nobody I knew ever went to college. Nobody ever decided I was college material. To us, ivy was only the shit that grew on walls,” he said. “I struggled through school, but the one thing that got me through was my sense of humor.”

When asked how he planned to outdo Queen Latifah, last year’s host, Lopez asked if she rapped during the 2003 show.

When he heard that she hadn’t, he let out a sigh of relief and said he had a chance.

“I don’t know how, but I will [trump her] somehow. I’ll tell jokes or something,” he said. “Either way, I’m not coming all the way to Harvard to be boring.”