Fear and Sacrifice

Andrew Valcin explains that the purpose of the show is to represent more than just gentrification, they represent the fear they have for being deported. As well as the sacrifices that had to be made for loved ones.

The representation of not only Gentrification but deportation and sacrifice that Gentefied presents is one that hooks watchers. As the show goes on watchers continue to get to know not only what is going on with the characters restaurant but the characters' back stories as well. They do the best they can to save the restaurant, putting in their time and energy. Stress building up and the characters having a hard time trying to make it through. Which causes the grandfather to go for a drink, with this drink he finally tries to relax and when he’s done he drives back home. The cops pull him over and as that happens the grandfather was doomed from the beginning.

In the beginning of the show they highlight one of the key issues being gentrification. The characters within the show take care of their family owned restaurant which at this point is a part of them. They try their best to keep up with the new people coming into the neighborhood as well as appeasing their old customers. Which they find very difficult as they can’t make enough money for rent. Bringing the beginning of their neighborhood facing gentrification. When talking about gentrification the text states “Once this process of ‘gentrification’ starts in a district it goes on rapidly until all or most of the working class occupiers are displaced and the whole social character of the district is changed.(Glass, 1964). In addition to Glass, Redfern also examine’s the history of gentrification. Redfern also argues that gentrifiers “gentrify because they can.”(Redfern, 2003) The quote gives a better understanding of what’s happening to their home and why they're trying their very best to not only keep up but to keep a part of them alive.

As the show goes on you learn more about the family and their backstory, especially the grandfather. The grandfather which is the heart of the family has been through a lot. He started the restaurant with his wife which he lost. You see that he’s in pain but he still keeps going for her sake and for his grandkids. Though it is hard for him to keep up with everything new that’s happening his grandkids try their best to provide support for him. Everything that’s going on the grandfather just gets more and more stressed even with the help. Which leads him to do what he can to lose it, which would be going to get a drink. The authors really help visualize what he’s going through when just one drink isn’t enough. He keeps drinking and ends up getting drunk. Too drunk to drive honestly but he does it anyway which prompts his erratic driving that gets him pulled over. As much as he tries to pull it off and seem as though he’s not drunk, he gets caught and gets thrown in jail. It was also previously stated he’s also not a legal citizen and because of that he gets deported which not only changes perspective for him but also destroys the family. Now that the family doesn’t have the grandfather close by anymore they’re just lost and even worse they’re struggling even more. Deportation isn’t something simple either, it’s actually terrifying for people that go through, as the text states “ There is nothing quite like it. A murderer is given a death sentence. It may be commuted to life imprisonment, and with good behavior the man could be on the street in eight or ten years. A murderer, and he’s paid his ‘debt’. But banishment is a different story, and no crime has been committed!” (Lerner, 1987). Even reading that quote gives a real insight on the unfair treatment people get when being deported when they really just want to be in a better place. Not only that but the effects that it has on the families as well.

The family does their best to continue working to keep the restaurant alive while at the same time trying to get their grandfather back together. It continues to be a struggle for the family to do so and as much they want to keep it alive, they can’t. When trying to finally get their grandfather back, they succeed but at the same time were unable to keep the restaurant afloat. Because their grandfather was gone they had decided to sacrifice the restaurant in order to put their focus on their grandfather and eventually get him back. He wasn’t very happy to hear this, in fact he was ready to stay in Mexico in order for them to do their best and focus, but he knew that it was a sacrifice that had to be made. As the text states “There is no such thing as a story without struggle. And no struggle without sacrifice”(Dams, Dhian ho, 2021). The authors of the show demonstrate this quote perfectly when reaching this part of the show. As stated previously the characters struggled with the loss of their grandfather due to deportation and because of that they weren’t focused enough and in the end had to sacrifice their restaurant.

As much as I talk about the difficulties, struggles and sacrifices that they faced within the show. For a time they were able to actually make improvements to the shop, which not only made them money for rent. They were also able to satisfy the gentrifiers making them gain customers. They were happier, they smiled more, and for a moment they had everything solved. There was no stress for them as they finally found a way to keep some things the same and at the same time keep up with the gentrification of the neighborhood. This is worthy of consideration because the show focuses on the struggles they face as a family. This moment shows that they were able to overcome the issue and prosper.

Gentefied gives a valid representation of how there's more to what is going on in plain view. There is always something going on in the background that some are just not aware of. Those things can lead to the fear of losing what you love that could affect not only you but your family as well. Even worse is having to decide what you’re willing to sacrifice in order to get what you want.

My name is Andrew Valcin, I am from Linden New Jersey and I study Sociology