Starz drama ‘Vida’ aims to shred TV’s Mexican stereotypes

Mexican-People are sometimes portrayed as stereotypes on TV, however the brand new Starz present “Vida” aims to change that. “What attracted me to the venture was having Latin characters on the forefront and having them not be the token attractive Latina, or the gardener, or the maid, or the drug supplier. That’s how we’re [usually] offered as on tv,” says Melissa Barrera, 27, who stars within the present. In “Vida,” Barrera performs Lyn, a younger lady residing in LA who reunites together with her estranged Chicago-based sister Emma (Mishel Prada) after the sudden loss of life of their mom. (“Vida,” the Spanish phrase for “life,” can also be their mom’s title.) Over the course of six half-hour episodes, the sisters grapple with their rocky relationship, gentrification within the East LA neighborhood they grew up in and their mom’s legacy. That inheritance consists of an condo constructing geared up with a bar that they need to now share with Eddy (Ser Anzoategui), their’s mom spouse. Whereas some critics have in contrast “Vida” to Showtime’s groundbreaking drama “The L Phrase,” the sequence is extra of a household story. “It’s a multigenerational present,” says Barrera. “I really feel like older generations will need to watch it as a result of it has telenovela elements which are so interesting to us as a tradition. However millennials can even establish with these women.” Emma (Mishel Prada, left) and Lyn (Melissa Barrera) be taught their mom’s secret on “Vida.”Starz Prada hopes the sequence, which was created by Tonya Saracho (“How to Get Away With Homicide”), will spark a dialog about Vida’s secret life with Eddy. “Queerness remains to be so taboo in our group, much more so than others,” she says. Each leads are newcomers to American tv. “That is my first huge TV factor,” says Prada, 28. “The producers took an opportunity on all of us. For the entire forged that is our first huge factor, so it’s very cool to share that.” Prada is American (she was born in Miami) with Mexican, Dominican and Puerto Rican ancestry. Barrera, who has appeared in telenovelas corresponding to “Tanto Amor,” is Mexican. Taking part in a Mexican-American was a studying expertise. When she met Mexican-People who couldn’t converse Spanish, she admits, “I might robotically form of decide them a little bit. After which right here I’m taking part in a personality that doesn’t know the way to converse Spanish!” Her opinion modified as she ready for the function and talked to some Mexican-People. “I realized that when a grandparent determined to come to the States, it was as a result of they needed a greater life for his or her household,” Barrera says. “They need you to not be ostracized and one of the best ways to do that’s [for you] to converse the language completely. Now I see [raising Mexican-American kids to speak English] as an act of affection.” Barrera says that “Vida” is for folks of all completely different heritages. “The present is a love letter to the Latin group, however I really feel prefer it’s so common.” “Vida” Sequence premiere 8:30 p.m. Sunday on Starz Share this: https://nypost.com/2018/05/02/starz-drama-vida-aims-to-shred-tvs-mexican-stereotypes/ The post Starz drama ‘Vida’ aims to shred TV’s Mexican stereotypes appeared first on My style by Kartia.