representation of minorities in the the media, whether it be on the small or big screen, are slim. for being one of the biggest demographics of 'minorities' in the states, there are few shows that focus on latin@ characters let alone their culture. on network television there are less than 10 latin@ characters, (if i'm wrong please correct me; i really hope i'm wrong.)
the roles for a latin@ are slim to non, so when i saw ads for hulu's east los high featuring an all latin@ cast and focusing on a group of young latin@s high school students in east los angeles, a predominant hispanic neighborhood, i was all for watching the series. the full series is available on hulu+ so i binged watch the whole thing over two days. to my defense they were short 30 minute episodes and i have no self control when it comes to television. so after being immersed in the drama east los high for a couple of days here are three things i enjoyed most about the series:
- the show is very candid when discussing birth control. at times it can be too campy, ala brenda hampton's the secret life of the american teenager. sex, birth control, and abortions are discussed in at least every episode. this all made sense when i looked more into the series and discovered it worked with the california family health council to produce the series. i often found myself saying 'we get it. wear a condom, take the pill. you have options.' but the reality is that these things are rarely discussed in the latino community. a reason it isn't discussed is because the latino community tends to be heavily religious, with a majority of the community being catholic. the reason these things aren't discussed with young latin@s is because they aren't supposed to be occurring therefore there's no need to discuss it which is ridiculous of course. when young latin@s have the opportunity to watch themselves on screen its amazing that the series was socially responsible enough to talk about these issues. the series' brash and candid approach to the subject of sex, birth control, and abortion allows for the audience to be comfortable with the subject matter and allows for young latin@s and young viewers of all ethnicities to see all sides of the situation.
- an honest representation of the latino family. the series does a decent job at portraying the good and ugly that can occur in latino families. the ugly being how many families still to this day kick out young unwed teen mothers once they find out their daughter is pregnant; putting shame and responsibility on the girl when it takes two to make a baby. on the other hand the series also takes time to show the tremendous support and love latino parents have for their children. they don't want their children to worry or suffer, they want their children to focus on education and have fun; parents work hard and struggle so their kids don't have to. they also show how family sticks by each other most of the time and are there for support when needed the most. its refreshing to see a good balance of the latino family.
- its strong emphasis on education. the character soli is the most education driven character, reiterating that she wants to go to college and become a journalist; she doesn't want to be like her tias and cousins who had children at a very young age and live paycheck to paycheck. jessie's mother, lupe, constantly tells her to not worry about fiances or her health, but to focus on her education so she can live a better life. jacob has the potential to be the first in his family to go to college. his father too constantly tells him not to worry about the family business, that his only worry should be school; once again reiterating that he needs to focus on his education and better himself. even maya, who doesn't necessarily have the best attendance or grades, is encouraged to continue her education. the show doesn't necessarily preach attending a four year university, but encourages all the characters to further their education whether its attending a university or learning a trade. showing characters explore these different options will hopefully encourage young latin@s to finish high school and continue their education to better themselves.
overall, the show is worth a watch if you can get past some of its more campy moments and a boom appearing in the frame. it'll be interesting to see whether it impacts network television's future scheduling and what it means for the future of latin@ representation in the media.
have you tuned in to watch east los high? if so what did you think of it?
