By Kelly Quintana
Growing up, I didn’t see many people on TV with a skin tone like mine. I used to get home from school and watch TV like any other kid; I enjoyed “Zoey 101,” “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody” and “That’s So Raven.” The classics.
When I did see Hispanic or Latino people on the screen, they were rarely portrayed in a good light. I know they had Esteban in “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody,” but he was the comedic relief —a token character.
Netflix, however, has created an entire show, “One Day at a Time,” about a Cuban family. It is a comedy show much like any other, except this one doesn’t have a token Latino or Hispanic character. Instead, the whole show revolves around the Alvarez family. It also tackles important issues occurring in the Latino/Hispanic community such as immigration, feminism and sexual orientation, all the while being a hilarious show with a beautiful family in the center of it all.
Elena Alvarez, the daughter of the family, is a social justice warrior, as her grandma calls her. Throughout the first season we see Elena deal with her friend Carmen moving away, who is sent to live with her relatives in Texas because her parents are deported. As such, the Alvarez family has an important discussion about immigration, touching upon the right way and wrong way of coming into the country. What’s important about this scene is that Elena’s grandma argues for people coming in the right way and shows a Latina woman looking down on another Latino family for immigrating illegally.
Elena also has to deal with realizing she’s gay and coming out to her family. She gets kissed for the first time and realizes she sees her friend as only a friend. What’s beautiful about this is how normal and natural coming out to her friend is for her. Usually, when it comes to representation for LGBTQ+ members, there’s always need for some kind of dramatic flair. When Elena comes out to her mother, it’s a sweet and intimate moment. Even more beautiful is how the show allows Elena to realize her sexuality without the need of a love interest.
Penelope, Elena’s mother, is a single mom, a veteran and a nurse. We see Penelope deal with sexism at work. We see her getting help for her PTSD. We see her accept her daughter when she comes out to her. We see her deal with the aftermath of her husband Victor, a man who doesn’t know how to deal with his own PTSD, coming back into their lives and leaving behind a mess. We see different sides of being a veteran as Penelope gets help and Victor doesn’t.
Penelope is a strong woman who stands her ground and asks Victor to leave when she sees he isn’t going to be good for her kids. She is a determined woman who wants to advance her education. She is a mom who listens to her kids and sits calmly with Elena as she comes out. She helps her son, Alex, with his school projects and helps him learn to shave.
Elena and Penelope aren’t the only amazing characters. There is so much richness and life to this show. It is funny and heartbreaking. Netflix shows have had their ups and downs, but “One Day at a Time” is definitely an up. It’s a show that we need. It’s a normal Latino family onscreen, dealing with everyday events while still being funny and heartwarming. As a Hispanic woman, it is incredible to see good representation on my TV screen, representation that feels honest and true. Representation that doesn’t make me want to roll my eyes.
Netflix released the second season of this beautiful show Jan. 26. Those who have not seen the first season will have the opportunity to binge watch both seasons, without having to go through the pain I went through while I waited for season two.
Whenever you have the time (so after the quarter), and you want to watch a comedy, watch “One Day at a Time.”
