Diandra Reviews It All- Gordita Chronicles Represents Latino Joy

Admittedly, watching the Gordita Chronicles’ HBO Max trailer, I did not expect the show itself to be funny. If anything the trailer makes it look like another ABC “family-fun” sitcom: banal and general. Still, this did not mean I was not going to watch. As a Latina, it is a communal obligation to show up when we are, finally, given a platform to show ourselves. Thus, I was so happy to find this show be hilarious, heart-warming, and absolutely original.

Based on the childhood of series writer Claudia Forestieri, Gordita Chronicles follows the life of a Dominican family immigrating to 1985 Miami, with particular focus on Cucu “Gordita” Castelli. When interviewed by Telemundo, her old stomping ground as a TV news reporter, Forestieri opened up about her desire to create a show that represented Latinos for their positivity and joyfulness.

So often when we are portrayed, it is only from a perspective of pain and sadness, displaying us as foreigners who are mistreated. Even though Latino representation has, actually, lessened in the entertainment industry, I wonder if the constantly pushed and sole image of us in pain is, in fact, why it is so easy to leave us in it, as if society is just leaving a people where they have always been: hurt.

Moreover, for a country that loves to be outraged by horrendous acts like the deaths, caging, and systemic trajmatizing of Latino children, we do not do much to prevent these acts, even if we do a lot to cover them via media. Thus, Gordita Chronicles not only stamps Latinos as vital to America’s fabric and dreams, but also its history and future in the form of big, vivacious personalities like Cucu and her family.

Executive produced by Zoe Saldana and Eva Longoria, with the latter directing the first episode, Gordita Chronicles shows Latinos are not only coming but we have always been here, and we are a magnificent, bright presence. Yet, culture shock not only stems from the differences in how people move and see the world, but also in how they define what is cool.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgCfoAn7IrY

Part of why I laughed so hard, and felt pangs of heartbreak, is that the Castelli family is truly trying to fit in and be a part of America: their new home. The series opens with them leaving the Dominican Republic with more hope than fear that the sadness of leaving all that you love will be worth it because, yes, America offers more chances of upward, social mobility. Yet, a loving, social life … well that is up for grabs. In Miami, they may find Latinos and a community, but nothing is the same as your home, especially if you feel you cannot afford your new one.

The irony of being an immigrant is that you leave your country out of monetary need but then are faced with the realization that your ambitions for your family and yourself will not come true in the place you love. In essence, it’s about dreaming big versus staying present, and for the Castelli family the former is what guides them to stay strong as they witness just how costly America can be.

From expensive, Madonna-inspired attire to housewives with a completely different view on how to make a “home” or a job that overworks you but underpays you, each of the family members are confronted with the existential lack that comes in a capitalist society’s view of personal gains as personal value. Still, this family is personality incarnate.

Cucu’s mom Adela (Diana Maria Riva) is such a warm, vibrant personality dripping with the strength and strictness of Latina moms. Riva is funny and fierce as her family’s anchor, while her husband and Cucu’s dad Víctor (Juan Javier Cardenas) gives a very suave, charming version of Phil Dunphy: the most lovable TV dad who also, in some ways, flubbed through the perils of the marketing world. Meanwhile, Cucu’s sister Emilia (Savannah Nicole Ruiz) gives 100% “pretty prima” vibes because no Latino family would be complete without that one cousin who is obsessed with trends and trending.

Moreover, Olivia Goncalves as Cucu is a star! I repeat, Olivia Goncalves as Cucu is a star! Cucu is the one of the first child leads that comes to mind, in terms of kid-led comedies, that exudes solidity and star-quality. She is not a shy, confused kid but a strong, smart girl who is finding her footing but could never get lost thanks to her spunk and confidence.

To put it plainly, I did not expect Gordita Chronicles to be so funny and genuinely great. It was silly, “feel-good,” and had some laugh out loud scenes that, in turn, felt like Latinidad.We are a welcoming, wonderful community, in part, because of our humor. So often we think of “culture” in terms of the art, food, and music that a community offers the world and itself, but there is also a particular comedy style that can come from a culture, especially an oppressed one.

For many Latinos, we were raised with a mentality that if you do not laugh, you cry, and our image as a cheerful people comes from our belief that resilience is based on, at some level, your ability to be happy and have fun. If someone knew my Puerto Rican family’s struggles in this country, they might see us as broken or tragic. Yet, Gordita Chronicles is about not breaking, despite all the reasons you might feel cracked open by life or a society that questions your existence.

Gordita Chronicles is streaming on June 23, 2022, on HBO Max.