Gentefied, the new Netflix original, aims to represent Latin culture, but actually transcends borders and becomes relatable for all.
The show was released on late February, and was created by Marvin Lemus and Linda Yvette Chàvez. Ugly Betty actress America Ferrera also produced Gentefied, which is set in the Los Angeles neighbourhood of Boyle Heights. The show follows the Morales cousins, a Mexican family, trying to keep their grandfather’s restaurant afloat amid the increasing gentrification of their neighbourhood.
Despite being a Filipino immigrant living in Canada, I found the show’s storylines to still be relatable. I could see a bit of my mom reflected in the mother of Ana (Karrie Martin), a gay artist and one of the Morales cousins. The notion of overworking yourself while being underpaid so that your children can have a better future is a belief that most immigrant parents cling to when coming to a new country.
A lot of second-generation immigrants will relate to the character Chris Morales (Carlos Santos) who struggles with not being Mexican enough among his community, but looking ‘too’ Mexican outside of it. His family constantly calls him white and his co-workers even devise a test to prove his worthiness of the Mexican culture. It’s something that can resonate with people of colour who have been ridiculed for not knowing how to speak their native language.
The main characters are well developed and the issues they tackle are complex. There’s no easy black and white solution for their problems. In episode nine titled, “Protest Tacos,” the restaurant tries to grow their business by inviting “hipsters” on a food tour, angering local residents including Ana’s girlfriend Yessika (Julissa Calderon). When Ana is caught in the middle, it’s hard to tell who is in the wrong at the end because you come to understand where both sides are coming from.
While the show excels in certain respects, it still has its problems. Residents of the actual Boyle Heights neighbourhood were sceptical about the making of the show because a big company like Netflix using their real life stories and neighbourhood for profit sort of feels like a form of gentrification in itself.
As reported in the Los Angeles Times, a Facebook group called Defend Boyle Heights spoke out against the show last fall. The post claims that the show’s filming in the neighbourhood and the actual story of cultural struggle is actually appropriation on the show’s part.
In the same article, the show’s creators express their internal conflict, stating that they want to be allies and advocates but were aware that sometimes they might be hurting more than helping.
Another issue people had with the show was the way that the El Salvadorian character was represented. Norma (Brenda Banda) is one of the people who works at the restaurant, though she’s not part of the Morales family. Because of this, she never becomes anything more than a supporting character.
In the episode “Bail Money,” there’s a scene between Norma and Erik (J.J. Soria), another Morales cousin, where Erik is grabbing cash from the register and Norma promises she won’t tell because she comes from a long line of Salvadorian guerrillas and knows how to keep a secret. She also mentions that she has a cousin in Tulum who can hide him. These comments are meant to be funny but are actually just stereotypical and a hurtful representation of Salvadorian people.
Also, idk about gentefied. Like it was cute until the Salvadoran woman character. That accent was all wrong.
— Tracy (@tuhracy10) March 1, 2020
Gentefied is a show that is promising and has a lot of heart. If given a second season, the show will hopefully be able to work out its more problematic aspects, but for now, it lays a pretty solid foundation.