Netflix and the Latinx Narrative

Close your eyes, when you think about a young Latinx man, is the first thing that enters your mind a drug dealing cholo? Well if that’s the case, it’s because your brain has created a product of the media you are consuming whether you know it or not. We as a society have been bombarded with narratives that are only based on stereotypes. Continuing these narratives only incite fear as well as cause cultural and racial divisions to deepen. As you many know there are several shows on Netflix that specifically have all diverse casts and share narratives of marginalized groups but instead of celebrating these cultures and people many these shows only further stereotypes that channels like fox news spread to divide us and strip people of their dignity. I think it is more important now than ever to flood media with Positive Latinx narratives in widely consumed media. They are essential because of the narratives based on fear like undocumented immigrants and drug dealing gang members. Let’s discuss Netflix's original shows that incorporate positive Latinx narratives.

Orange Is the New Black

Orange Is the New Black is a series that followed a series of inmates at the Litchfield correction center in upstate New York. Although this is an ensemble-based show the first season primarily follows a white woman named Piper Chapman who got arrested for transporting a suitcase full of drug money. Throughout the seven seasons as the audience, we get to know and love the other inmates who honestly have more interesting backstories and side plots then Piper. For example, Gloria Mendoza, who is played, Selenis Leyva. Gloria’s backstory is that she was a victim of domestic abuse and was planning to run from her abusive boyfriend. Before this could happen she was arrested for fraud for allowing customers to exchange food stamps for money at the bodega she ran. Although this show doesn’t portray Latinx and other people of color in the best light all of the time it does a good job of showing cultures and what people have to do if they are not given another choice. This is also showing how they can always build themselves back up after they have hit their lowest point. I personally really like this show because it has a cast of primarily female actors and was able to bring a lot of different voices to the forefront of media. They were able to discuss a lot of issues that are intertwined with the prison system like police brutality and immigration issues. Although it did feel like they were taking narratives they saw on the news and not what goes on in the prison system.

One Day at a Time

One day at a Time is about the day-to-day life of a Cuban-American family living in Los Angeles. The main character in this show is Penelope Alvarez, played by Justina Machado. Penelope is a recently divorced single mother of two, a full-time working nurse, and a veteran suffering from PTSD. Penelope manages her life with the help of her Mother Lydia, played by Rita Moreno. Lydia is a former dancer from Cuba, she came to the United States as a child to flee from Castro’s regime. Lydia is helping Penelope raise her children, Elena and Alex, and keeping their apartment in order. Elena Alvarez, Penelope’s daughter, in season one is preparing for her quinceanera and is discovering herself. Elena comes out to her family as a lesbian, even though she was nervous about what they would say. Luckily, Elena was accepted by most of her family and can date publicly. Alex, Penelope’s son, is a suave young man who wants to be popular. He deals with a lot of struggles that young Latinx men have to deal with like trying drugs for the first time and being harassed and bullied based on the color of his skin. I love this show because it deals with topics surrounding mental health, religion, the LGBTQ+ community, and the pressures of growing up in a Latinx family. These are all big issues in the Latinx community that often get pushed to the wayside and are not talked about.

On My Block

On my Block is about four friends, Monse, Cesar, Ruby, and Jamal, from a rough-inner city Los Angeles neighborhood. They have to deal with the pressures of high school and the worsening Gang violence in there neighborhood. Monse is the leader of the group and although she tries to hide it, she is in love with her best friend, Cesar. Cesar is the muscle of the group, he is a sweet, intelligent, and loyal friend. He is forced into the Santos gang when his brother, Oscar gets out of prison. Cesar’s gang affiliation makes his relationship with Monse difficult. Ruby or Rueben is the brain of the group. He comes up with a plan to get Cesar out of the Santos gang, that ultimately doesn’t work out how they wanted. He falls for a girl named Olivia who is murdered by a rival gang at her quinces. This causes Ruby to develop PTSD and depression. Jamal is the nerd of the group and while his friends are worried about saving Cesar, Jamal and Ruby’s Abuela are trying to find the folklorish treasure that is buried in the neighborhood. This show is important because there are a lot of young people who are forced into the cycle of gang violence and difficult situations. However, I do have a problem with people thinking that gang member Cholos are what all young Latino men are like. Many of them are like Cesar, they are sensitive and don’t want to be trapped into a cycle of violence.

Gentefied

Gentefied is about three Mexican-American cousins who are trying to chase their American Dreams and help save their grandfather’s, Casimiro, Taco Shop, Mama Fina’s. Erik Morales is living with his grandfather and is the one who is desperately trying to save his grandfather’s shop from a landlord pushing them out. Erik is also trying to be a good man and do the right thing for his ex-girlfriend and currently pregnant baby mama. Ana Morales is an aspiring artist living with a less than supportive mother. Although she lives with her mother she still has to pay rent and has several jobs trying to make ends meet. Ana’s grandfather has been paying her rent but now that he is struggling to keep himself afloat, Ana has to decide if she wants to give up on her dream and get a “real job”. Chris Morales is the most assimilated of the Morales grandchildren. He went to business school in Idaho and is now trying to save money to go to culinary school in France at Le Cordon Bleu. Chris is constantly put down and ignored by his cousins because they feel he has betrayed their culture. The thing I like about this show is that Casimiro almost exclusively speaks Spanish, while his grandchildren are bi-lingual. They answer him in either language. I love seeing second or third generation narratives and how they are the glue that connects families between the home country and the new lives in America. I appreciate these second and third generation narratives because that is my narrative, I will never be an immigrant in this country but I come from an immigrant background. That is a part of my story, but I am also trying to achieve my dreams all while making my family proud.

Mr. Iglesias

Mr. Iglesias is a sitcom about a loveable high school history teacher Mr. Iglesias, played by comedian Gabriel Iglesias. The series follows Iglesias as he is trying to show the students at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach California, that even though they are not automatically set up to succeed like their rich, white, honors student counterparts if they push themselves and believe; they will go much farther in life than they ever thought they would. I find this show heartwarming because Mr. Iglesias has been in the same place as his students when he went to Wilson. He knows that someone needs to believe in these kids because someone believed in him when he was young. Even when the administration wants them to fail. I think this idea needs to continue because all students need teachers to believe in them, not just the ones that come from privilege.

As you can see this it is important to see that many of these narratives continue to perpetuate harmful narratives for white audiences to latch on to, but they are important because they are getting Latinx stories in the zeitgeist of the American culture. Even though it should have always been there because we have been in this country longer than most white people. Please, please, please go and support Latinx art in any sense of the world, tv shows, movies, music, plays, books all of it. Our voices and narratives need to be told and excepted.