The documentary “Latinos Living the American Dream” produced and directed by Eva Longoria Parker in partnership with the Pepsi YO SUMO initiative premiered yesterday, October 21, at the Grauman’s Chinese Theater in LA. The documentary highlights the accomplishments and impact that Hispanics have in shaping the landscape of the United States. The feature is a culmination of Pepsi’s YO SUMO (I Add Up/I Count) movement which encourages Latinos to go beyond being counted and show how they add value to this country, in the year of the Census.

Eva Longoria Parker and Pepsi partnered to develop a documentary to present the Latino identity from a fresh point of view. To create “Latinos Living the American Dream,” Longoria Parker selected stories from a pool of over 600 submissions to www.pepsiyosumo.com, shared by Latinos from all parts of the country. Working with Cevallos Brothers Productions, Longoria Parker combined the entries to show a fresh perspective of the Latino community. “Every story entered was so inspiring, that identifying only a few to highlight was a difficult and intense process,” said Longoria Parker. “We hope that by shinning the light on some Latinos who are leading successful lives—getting an education, pursuing a career and giving back to their community—we can encourage people everywhere to make their own impact locally and nationally, further proving the drive and power of our culture.”

The celebration of the Latino experiences will continue on after the premiere. On October 30th, the documentary will air at 4pm on mun2 (Telemundo Communications Group, a division of NBC Universal). Screenings will be held in cultural centers and college campuses to foster a bigger dialogue on the state and representation of Latinos across the country.

Visit the website for more information on the initiative and join Facebook fan page and/or follow @PepsiYOSUMO on Twitter for daily updates on the program’s progress.