For this week’s article, I wanted to tell you about a show I have really been enjoying lately. Party of Five is a series about the Acosta family, and focuses on the lives of five kids after their parents get deported to Mexico. The children range in age from 24 to only a few months old. They own a family restaurant that then falls on the kids to run after their parents leave. All of them suddenly realize that they’re not sure how to handle a restaurant, go to school and be normal kids. There are many storylines going on about each child and how they deal with their new situation. The oldest, Emilio, was part of a rock band, expecting music to be his career. He has to grapple with the reality of losing his parents and having to assume the role of father to all of his younger siblings. Then there are twins, Beto and Lucía, who are dealing with having a full time job and still being in school. Valentina is the second youngest, but is still put in the position of being a mother to the baby, Rafa. The story centers on the sacrifices and hardships felt by a family that was not expecting these roles so soon.
This show was originally made a while ago, in 1994, focusing on the same issue but having the parents die in a car crash. Now, it takes on a different tone, especially with the current immigration climate and how, for many families, deportations and ICE raids are the norms in their communities. The show also brings other relevant topics relating to the DACA program and how it affects young people, the hardships faced by undocumented or greencard holding citizens and the racism people in our country face everyday. The show also touches on topics such as LGBTQ+ awareness and PTSD. The characters are kids that remind me of me and my friends and it’s hard not to get completely wrapped up in the plot. Seeing these current issues makes the show even more important because you’re watching things happen to the Acosta family that have happened to many other families in the United States and around the world.
The show is only in its first season, and has about 7 episodes (at the time of me writing this.) It airs on Freeform, but you can also stream it on Hulu. Time to start watching!