Lalo Rios: Mexian American Movie Pioneer

Lalo Rios may not be a familiar name to many these days, but he was a pioneering Mexican American actor. In the space of two years, he appeared in two movies dealing with the Chicano experience, playing a central role in The Lawless (1950) and, for all extents and purposes, the lead role in The Ring (1952). His career never quite took off, but he remains a truly groundbreaking Chicano actor.Lalo Rios was born on February 7, 1927, in San Miguelito, Sonora, Mexico. He was nine years old when his family moved to East Los Angeles. He attended Albion Elementary School and Lincoln High School. Following high school, he became a carpenter in the heavy construction industry. It was through actor Don James that Lalo Rios would find his way into acting. Don James and his wife had been hired to stage a Christmas play with a social club of young Mexican American American men and women 18 to 20 years old. One of the young men in the club, Lalo Rios, became close friends with Don James. Don James…