Gentefied Is A Brilliant Comedy About Immigration and Gentrification That Is Mostly For The Latinx

Audrianna Ortiz explores how the show Gentefied is shown through gentrification and immigration and certain community members will relate while others may not.

In the Netflix original film, Gentefied, three Mexican American cousins chase their American Dream. The characters in Gentefied are Pops the grandfather, Ana, Erik, and Chris the cousins. All are very respectful and obedient to their community. They moved to the United States for one thing which is to chase their dreams even with threats that are life-changing to their family, neighborhood, and restaurant. Also to serve and share their love to everyone through food from their family owned taco shop. While Genetefied is a credible portrayal of immigration and gentrification in the Latino community, people outside of that community will not be able to see how groundbreaking it is, because it utilizes Spanish and references that might not be understood.

In the first episode of season one, there is a clip where a neighborhood guy from a Mexican band (mariachi) comes in to order some tacos, while speaking Spanish he starts to complain about the price. In this scene, it is very easy for Latin people to understand the language and the background as to why he was so worried about the price. On the other hand, it may be a little difficult for people who aren't part of the Latino community to understand because the scene was in Spanish. The prices at Mama Fina’s restaurant are affordable but some things were increased because they were looking for ways to improve the restaurant not only for themselves but the culture. Gentrification has been progressively changing the structure of the culture and neighborhoods, by increasing their economic value and modernizing their business to attract more affluent consumers. In the last episode of season one, while Pops was on his way to the hospital to be there for his grandson Eric's first baby birth, he was pulled over by the police and confronted to pay his fine for initial vandalism. He was going to do it but with no hesitation and without explanation ICE took him. Gentrification was dramatically shifted with this issue because it separated the family by moving in different directions.

In the source, “Netflix’s Sarp New Dramedy Gentefied Tells a Different Kind of Gentrification Story”, Berman explains how gentrification is often an issue between strangers. There are different classes that identify gentrification such as the working-class immigrants (Latinos) and other people of color. While Gentefied is a bilingual dramedy it is very clear and understandable for Latino members to watch this show. There are a lot of relatable issues that occur in this show and it is important that it is being filmed so others from different backgrounds can be aware of these situations. It is also a major deal because there are not many Latin shows that are filmed, which is not fair to us in the community or the society. In Gentefied the first episode of season 2, the main character Pops was finally released from detention after three months. He is the heartbeat and complete piece to the family and even the community because the whole neighborhood was there when he was released. The past three months were a struggle for the family, but they stayed together and got through it. This is such a powerful scene because of the way that it shows the neuonc on immigration and gentrification. Half of the scene was in Spanish so one community will understand the ins and outs and others who aren't in the community are left in the dark about how powerful the scene is.

Gentrification was shown in Gentefied as expressed at the end of the first season and ongoing to the beginning of the second season. This was the hardest time for the family because Pops was detained by ICE and the family was left behind in charge of the restaurant. Life at Mama Finas was not the same as Pops left it. There were no more possible ways to save it anymore, this was going to be the end of Mama Fina’s. It was too hard for the family to keep up with the payment and services. In season 2 episode 2 all of the workers at the restaurant had a meeting with Mrs.Castro about having a buyout with Mama Fina’s. In the end, they did what was best for them and the community, and went through with it. Their future goals are to pursue their business by opening up a food truck. Another part of gentrification is seen through Eric and Lidia's relationship, with them starting their own family and creating a healthy lifestyle for their baby. Both will be moving to Stanford where Lidia can pursue her degree and start working in order to be stable for their baby. Eric was contemplating the decision of moving with her because he has to leave everything behind and live for the baby and his own family now. He will do anything it takes to be there for his family and that is how most Latinx members are. The growth and importance of establishing a new lifestyle is a dramatic shift not only in the show but in reality. This gives people opportunities to change their lives, it can be for the better or worse depending on how you go about the situation.

Gentefied portrays gentrification and immigration in a powerful light with very clear focus and a range of a treatment of those topics. However, the show reaches a Latin audience really meaningfully but is probably more confusing and informative than an audience that is not in that community. Another area of research shows the relationship between immigration found in reality. In a source, written by Samyarup Chowdhury, he gives a rundown of the producer's thoughts and feelings of the Netflix film being canceled. This was heartbreaking to everyone who was connected in the show because as shown in the trailer of Gentefied, there are sneak peeks of the struggles and hard times they go through together. Chavez who was one of the creators of the show said in a tweet after Gentefied was being canceled, “Like the Morales family, no matter where we go, we'll always be family”. This was very true and touching to the heart of the producers and audience because it meant so much to not only the audience but the producers as well because they spent all those moments with them. Chowdhury discusses immigration in real world situations. In another scholarly source written by Varon, he explains the ins and outs of places that Latino cultures are accepted and the spaces that were established over time. During summer of 2018, the president Donald Trump changed the way undocumented children migrated to the United States. Veron states, “Minors, some as young as toddlers, were torn from their families and travel companions, forced into state custody or detained until foster care arrangements could be made.” The outcome of this policy was family separation, leaving parents, children, and their loved ones to be taken away from each other. Immediately people realized the effect this had on the global community and started to protest. In relation to the show Gentefied, the grandfather Pops originated from Mexico to the United States settling in Los Angeles, California, and he established a business with his grandchildren and they do everything in their ability to sacrifice this taco shop. Furthermore, Latino communities are the most meaningful and strongest support system. There is a purpose in everything that a community needs and the best way to follow through with it is by being with each other every step of the way.

The best outcome from the show Gentefied being streamed on Netflix is the attention given to the Latino community. Also the appreciation they deserve to receive after all the hard work and impacts they have made to the community and others lives. The negative effect on this show is that if you are not part of the Latino community it is tough to thoroughly understand these issues and heartbreaks. Also the Latin community is often overlooked because they do so much for others and don't get anything received or they are looked at differently because of their skin tone and their historical background. While I've been arguing that one of the downsides of this show is that it doesn't reach a wider audience. Others may think that it doesn't have to, because there are so many shows that are just focused on certain cultures and it should be fine for them to struggle watching it. They will never fully understand the feelings or experiences because they aren’t in their shoes. If we don't talk to these audiences we are not changing their minds or making them aware of this community. It's fine for this to just be a show for latino community.

Author Bio : My name is Audrianna Ortiz and I am from Southern California. I study Nursing at Bloomfield College, while participating on the softball team.