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Manuel "Manny" Mendoza (September 21, 1936 - May 4, 2007) was a Cuban-American sociology professor at Miami Dade College and co-creator of WPBT television series "¿Que Pasa, U.S.A.?

Education and professorial career
Mendoza was born on September 21, 1936 in New York City, New York to Cuban parents Elvira (1915 - 2002) and Manuel Mendoza (1909 - 1973). In 1950, at the age of 14, Mendoza moved from New York City to Tampa, Florida. Mendoza stayed in Tampa, where he would eventually complete his undergraduate degree. Mendoza obtained a Bachelor's degree in History from the University of South Florida, and was a member of the university's first graduating class in 1960. Mendoza moved from Tampa, Florida to Baltimore, Maryland to complete a graduate degree. Mendoza received a Master's degree in International Relations from John Hopkins University in 1965.

Soon after graduation, Mendoza returned to Florida and began teaching sociology at Miami Dade College, where he stayed until his retirement in 2005. Mendoza was an associate professor of political science, and co-wrote a social science textbook titled Systems of Society with fellow professor Vincent Napoli.

¿Qué Pasa, USA?

 * Main article: ¿Qué Pasa, USA?

Conception
Mendoza was the co-creator of 1970's sitcom ¿Qué Pasa, USA? . The 30-minute sitcom aired on WPBT-PBS 2 from 1976 to 1980, and was the first bilingual sitcom in the United States, as well as the first sitcom produced for PBS. The show originally stemmed from a $250,000 Health Education and Welfare grant that Mendoza was asked to apply for in 1975. Local Channel 2 television executives asked Mendoza to write a proposal for a television program that would deal with Cuban-American adolescents, and help them deal with some of pressures they were experiencing as minorities.

Background research
Mendoza, along with Paul Rothman, a grant writer, and Julio Avello, a Miami Dade College administrator, spent time researching and investigating the "cultural phenomenon" that was present in the Miami-Cuban community. The group conducted interviews with individuals whose expertise was with troubled young adults, including religious leaders, counselors, and executives of a local youth group named Youth Co-Op. Their goal for the program was to present the "quirks" and "peculiarities" of Cuban culture, while, simultaneously, helping others better understand the Cuban-American culture. After meeting with a government representative from the Office of Education in Atlanta, Georgia, Mendoza proposed the idea of a sitcom format for the program. His idea for a bi-lingual sitcom about a Cuban-American family was approved, and Mendoza received the grant.

Mendoza's vision
Mendoza wanted the sitcom to revolve around a three-generation Cuban-American family, something that was normal in the Miami-Cuban community of Little Havana. The sitcom also looked to spark the production of other minority focused television programs. Mendoza reached out to Jose "Pepe" Bahamonde to help produce the sitcom. Bahamonde was responsible for the program's casting, as well as the addition of Luis Santeiro as lead writer. Mendoza's overall goal for the project was to bridge a gap between American culture and Cuban culture, which is why the sitcom is a bilingual one.

Death
Manuel Mendoza died from a heart attack in his Valrico, Florida home on May 4, 2007 at the age of 70. Mendoza had two sons, Manuel and Daniel, and a daughter, Tanya. Mendoza also had three grandchildren. Miami Dade College presently awards a scholarship tilted the "Manuel Mendoza Memorial Scholarship" to students in his honour.