Journal Article

The Postcolonial Identity

ar — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 13:30:59 +0000

The Postcolonial Identity

January 28, 2022

ar Mon, 02/28/2022 - 14:30

Natalia de Leon '22

Growing up in Guatemala, I never realized the postcolonial environment that surrounded me until I left for university. My postcolonial identity permeated unto little things. When a friend was proofreading an essay of mine, she brought to my attention that I had not capitalized the word "Indigenous." It did not come from any sort of malicious intent. However, I am proof that little things like that are so subconsciously in your head as an effect of being raised in a postcolonial environment with a privileged postcolonial identity. "The distance enables us to actually more clearly see how our countries operate," says ��ӰԺ's Postcolonial Studies Professor Kate Roy. It was until I left Guatemala that I noticed the lasting effects colonialism has in the country and even on my identity. Of course, I knew that there was strong Spanish influence in Guatemala, but I could not clearly visualize the legacy that colonialism had left absolutely everywhere; from the language to the ethnicities to the social structure to the architecture. Guatemala is a country founded on colonialism, but this is not unique to only Guatemala.

When discussing with Professor Roy, I was able to reflect on the fact that people from different postcolonial environments often have similar experiences, despite their countries having a different former colonizer. None of us were alive to experience colonialism, yet many countries still evidently feel the legacy it has left upon them. This is reflected in its people’s identities. Prof. Roy is from Aotearoa, the Māori name for New Zealand, which is key to note because of the way we discuss colonialism; using a certain vernacular truly affects our perception of postcolonial states. Granting me an academic point of view, Prof. Roy was able to draw many links between her identity and colonialism. “ New Zealand is... obviously… a postcolonial country… and it is a postcolonial country where the traces and the framework of settler colonialism are very very strong,” said Prof. Roy. who is a Pākehā, a term coined in Māori for New Zealanders of European descent. She has an unparalleled awareness of how colonialism affects her identity greatly. She states that “there's a… terrible lack of recognition among Pākehā in Aotearoa or New Zealand of the lasting effects of this colonial framework that privileges them.” For Prof. Roy, it is clear that, due to this colonial framework, it is more difficult for Indigenous natives to gain upward mobility in the social ladder, particularly in larger cities like Auckland. According to Prof. Roy, her Pākehā status has granted her more access to education and an ability to escalate the social ladder. Class relations are also greatly affected by colonialism because according to Prof. Roy, class and ethnicity are greatly correlated in a postcolonial framework. It is almost as if the more Pākehā, the higher class one is. Unfortunately, this colonial framework is “going to continue to benefit the population that is descended from the colonizers” unless there is a change in the acknowledgment of privilege from the Pākehā. Prof. Roy states, “I think of how aware and how careful we need to be when we talk from our position about colonial and postcolonial issues because our identities are marked by it from the side of Sydney colonial, so from the privileged position.” This is true. Both Kate and I cannot discuss the native identity in our respective postcolonial environments because we do not partake in that experience. However, we can only discuss our own postcolonial identity and how it benefits us in comparison to other, more Indigenous, populations of Guatemala and Aoteroa.

Similarly, Mexican-raised Ana Cristina Centeno, who lived in Puebla, considers herself a white-skinned Latino. Centeno is more than well-aware of how her postcolonial identity gave her a huge benefit in Mexican society. The fact that the tone of my skin is not too dark, the fact that I could…just pass as a white person helps me a lot to not go through all of this discrimination and through all of this prejudice that people have of pre-Hispanic, native people,” says Centeno.

I come from Guatemala, another country formerly colonized by Spain, it is evident that in the Latin American region one of the biggest by-products of this colonization is the ethnic repercussions it had on society. Mestizo ladino people, mixed with Indigenous roots and European roots too, are one of the greatest effects colonialism had in Latin America. Latin people would not exist otherwise. As a result, in Latin America, there is a sense of pride in being more European than Indigenous.

“Where I'm from there's this Spaniard club and you're only allowed if you have a Spaniard passport, or if one of your relatives is Spaniard, so there's this kind of division in society due to colonialism today,” says Centeno. Therefore, having more Spaniard, or European, roots tend to be seen as something positive. Unfortunately, Speaking the Indigenous language Nahuatl in Mexico makes people seem, as she puts it, “quote, unquote, naco.” Naco a colloquial Spanish term is synonymous with someone being lower class, unprofessional, and uneducated. There is a huge stigma with being Indigenous in Mexico, just as there is a huge sense of privilege with being considered more European.

“In colonial times, it was obviously the Spanish people who were at the top of the class system, top of the hierarchy,” says Ana Cristina. “They were the landlords, they were the government. They were the ones who would rule and then as you would come down the social ladder, you would find the mestizos. You would find the mulattoes, like you would find all of these mixes of races, and then at the very bottom there was the native Mexicans.”

Unfortunately, this same model, with Indigenous people at the bottom of the social and class ladder, has been prolonged for years as a result of colonialism. This is the same case in Guatemala, where we see that the more money you tend to have, the lighter your skin tends to be. This seems to be a huge effect of colonialism because it's always Indigenous people who are at the end of both the economic and social ladder. And it's a system that was implemented by the Spaniards. Because we are light-skinned Latinos of predominant European descent, Ana Cristina and I both garner a sense of privilege from our status. Besides the sense of privilege that Ana feels from her postcolonial identity, she also feels a sense of juxtaposition.

Centeno states, there is “A slight contradiction between me being so proud and embracing my traditions so much in my culture when I already mentioned that most of the culture, most of the customs, most of the practices that are done in Mexico culturally come from pre-Hispanic groups,” she says. “So it's just me, like that part of me that embraces my culture so much feels a little bit incomplete or feels a little bit dumb. Yeah, a little bit of a contradiction… or just by the fact that I don't speak the native language of Mexico… instead I find myself speaking the language of the colonizers. Like, there's this slight version of myself that is not too happy about it… that finds this contradiction in my identity.” Language and the postcolonial identity was something Moroccan Majda Halim, also discussed in-depth in the context of the Moroccan postcolonial framework.

Halim states, “An effect that France had on the colonization of Morocco is definitely the language as well as culture and even the economy…. But in Morocco, the native language in the constitution is Arabic. Some of us were the first people in Morocco, which is also Berber. However, when France colonized, now French is considered the native language.” The Moroccan identity has forever been affected by French settlement in Morocco. Similar to what Centeno stated, Halim stated that when one speaks French and has more European cultural links, one is viewed as more intelligent, cultured, and somewhat superior in comparison to more native people. Halim even states, “There was more pressure for the French language in my school. So if we did not know French at the end of the day, we were considered hopeless.” Due to the pressure of learning French, “Berber is not a dominant language in Morocco.”

French influence has permeated into every sphere in Morocco: the language, the infrastructure, the roads, etc. Most importantly, there is a clear idealization of France that, due to the countless cultural links, makes the Moroccan youth want to immigrate there at all costs. Majda describes that colonialism affects her identity because she was always taught to leave Morocco at the age of 18. French colonialism made Morocco seem helpless and dependent, she says “France colonization on Morocco kind of gave us that perspective of saying, ‘oh Morocco is not good enough. We needed someone to colonize us for us to be better, feel like having the financial means or you know, support from another country.’” Therefore, Moroccan identity is blurred due to colonization. There are two spheres of influence: those Moroccans who dream of moving to France and those Moroccans who despise France, according to Majda, that are often located in northern Morocco, where you could even get beaten up for speaking French. Once again, similarly to what Ana Cristina mentioned about Mexico, we see a sort of juxtaposition: the clashing of the native aspects of a postcolonial state and the colonized aspects of the postcolonial state.

Identity is not something simple to discuss, especially in a postcolonial framework. One of the strongest legacies of colonialism is the effect it has on the identities of the people living in the postcolonial environment, whether it be in New Zealand, Morocco, Mexico, or Guatemala. I came to the conclusion that in all postcolonial countries there are parallels left by the colonial framework that are the same. These parallels are mainly the use of language, ethnicity, and class as colonial devices. In all the aforementioned countries, language is used as a form of nationalism. When one speaks the language of the colonizer, one is seen as smarter, more professional. And, therefore, learning native languages has become unpopular. It places into question whether or not teaching the native language should be a government’s responsibility in a postcolonial state. The effect that colonialism left regarding ethnic groups is unparalleled in comparison to any other effect, especially because in many postcolonial environments, the more “European” one is, the more privilege one has. Lastly, this permeates over into the economic and social ladder of the respective countries because Indigenous populations, who have been oppressed since the establishment of the colonial framework, still remain at the bottom of the economic and social ladder as a result of this horrendous colonization. My interviewees and I all come from a postcolonial country, but we all have a certain privileged identity. The legacy of colonialism can be felt when one speaks to people who come from postcolonialism countries, therefore it should be a topic discussed with utmost importance. The only way that we can improve conditions for Indigenous societies in postcolonial countries is by discussing these kinds of issues and by using our privileged identities to acknowledge and reform the colonial frameworks that use language, ethnicity, and class as methods of control no matter if one is located in New Zealand or Morocco or Latin America.

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Journal Article

Student Ana Cristina Centeno

Student Majda Halim

Prof Kate Roy

This article is part of an assortment of student-written journalistic pieces from Fall ‘21 semester’s “Issues of Journalism” course with Professor Elettra Fiumi.
Learn more on this exciting project here.

Loving on Cloud Nine

ar — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 10:50:50 +0000

Loving on Cloud Nine

February 28, 2022

ar Mon, 02/28/2022 - 11:50

Sofia Rojo-Kratochvil '24

Describing love, ��ӰԺ student Natalia de Leon calls it “heavenly” and as if “you’re on cloud nine.”

Open to receiving and giving love, Natalia enjoys this sentiment and affirms that “there are different types of love.” She emphasizes that knowing what type of love is being received can curate a better understanding of how you show affection towards your loved ones.

Well versed in this, Natalia listed some examples including:

Nurturing Familial Love
Affectionate Friendship Love
Romantic Partnership Love

Each type nurtures each aspect of Natalia’s warm-spirited soul. The “common denominator in all of these types of love is happiness,” she states. “Effortless.” With mutual respect and understanding, love brings a soft breeze of “peace” and “no stress.” She emphasizes the importance not only lies in recognizing the type of love but how one loves.

She places high importance on how others receive love as she believes it is a tool that helps “set clear boundaries to develop a healthy relationship”, as Natalia mentions. Using these principles as her guide allows her to understand, not only her loved one's emotional needs but, her own as well.

Natalia is part of the 20% of the population that states that quality time is her love language. She enjoys spending time with those she cares about as this is a key indicator for Natalia. She mentioned that “if you keep wanting to be around them, it's because they bring positivity to the table.”

“I am just not an extremely touchy person... But I enjoy having someone’s presence with me, just enjoying the simple things of life together.” She values this time as she likes expressing her love with undivided attention. This previously is the reason why Natalia recently broke up with her ex-boyfriend. She explains that she and her then-boyfriend, Andre, were dating for three months but decided to break it off. Putting her needs first, Natalia made the mutually difficult decision to not proceed with the long distance between Guatemala and Switzerland, as their lives would be night and day. Quite literally.

“I think long distance can be done for short periods of time,” Natalia states, “But in my situation, it would be difficult to sustain a romantic relationship when two individuals can't even communicate with each other because we are both so busy.”

According to Natalia, she was saving her relationship as she wanted to avoid a bad breakup and continue a friendship because of a mutual understanding of timing. But her close friends think otherwise.

Natalia still is in communication with Andre, “they text each other I love you every day” and continuously update each other on their day-to-day lives. Her close friends state that they “would prefer that they were in a long-distance relationship then have this pseudo-like friendship.”

Natalia values people's advice as she knows it comes from a place of love. “They’re telling you this because they care about you,” states Natalia. But in this particular situation, Natalia is choosing to listen to her heart and she has to take herself “into consideration.” “I feel like relationships are really important, and they are between two people. So at the end of the day, you need to do what feels best in your heart.”

Natalia continues to text Andre and is happy with her decision.

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Shopping sustainably, locally, and consciously across the world

lucano — Thu, 23 Dec 2021 13:56:17 +0000

Shopping sustainably, locally, and consciously across the world

December 3, 2021

lucano Thu, 12/23/2021 - 14:56

Jenna Jordan '23

It's 8 AM on Tuesday morning and the sun is rising over Napa, California in the United States. The ice on the vines is defrosting, the birds are beginning to chirp, and the locals are heading to do their grocery shopping. About nine hours prior, and 6,000 miles away, in Lugano, Switzerland, these locals had already done the same. However, the commonality of this morning routine is not in the rising sun or the necessary grocery-run, but in how and where this shopping takes place. These Tuesday morning grocery markets are made up of local farmers, butchers, and bakers. The colors of red, pink, and vibrant green help in differentiating the fruits and the veggies, demanding for consumption.

There is no question these sensations are not from the industrial supermarkets in these cities, but this is the description of a farmers’ market. However, a descriptive illustration cannot do these markets justice. Though Napa and Lugano differ in geographic location, they are similar statistically. Farmers markets around the world, including in Napa and Lugano, build community, have loyal customers, and promote sustainable practices, all maintained through the COVID-19 pandemic.

There is a sense of relief and gratification knowing where and how your food was grown. This is rooted in the common phrase “farm-to-table”, which is the promotion of the source of food directly from the growers to the consumers.

The community of people living in both Lugano and Napa value the importance of togetherness. Most recent statistics, according to a Google data source, states that the population of the lakeside Swiss city as of 2017 was 63,932. Comparatively, this population lacks around 15,000 from Napa’s 79,246 as of 2019. However, these numbers seemingly have changed since the recent pandemic.

“You will have many more social interactions compared to a supermarket”. Highlighted in the Napa Farmers Market mission, there is never a lack of interaction or connection between the customer and the seller. Access to farmers markets is not globally available but shopping at larger supermarkets both in Switzerland and California have become a mundane experience, extracting what could be the joy of connections and shopping.

Lugano-based 20-year old university student Peyton Chipman is a frequent market shopper in both the United States and Switzerland. “They'll tell me what is in season right now”. Says Chipman. “And every time I go they give me extra vegetables for whatever is in season.” The charismatic vendors at the markets in Lugano, are one example of the strong sense of community at the market.

When discussing with a local farmers market shopper from Napa, she explained how the market strives to advocate local environmental and social injustices. She quoted the website by saying “the Napa Farmers Market is on a mission to fight food insecurity by increasing access to local fruits and vegetables by our low-income neighbors”. Napa and Lugano markets take grocery shopping to a higher level because farmers markets are inherently sustainable by simply selling what they do.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the percentage of mass production of meats and primary crops has risen over 50%, in addition to a 30% increase in pesticide usage. From simply a one-dimensional perspective that consumers have of the vendors' stands, it is clear that these meats, fruits, or vegetables are not being produced harmfully towards the farmers, consumers, or the environment.

In a capitalist society based on the digitalization of our world, it is necessary to have a business and technological perspective when thinking about the future of these farmers markets. A farmers market is a business within itself, organizing the logistics of the market's functions. The Napa market staff is successful in the continual promotion of the market. A key aspect to a successful business is in relenvency online and offline. The Napa market has tools that are proven to increase awareness of the market as well as education on its importance. These tools are the website, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Comparatively the Lugano market may be popular to some, but raises the question of relevance online.

Filippo, a bread seller at the Lugano Farmers Market, raised an interesting point by saying, “I don’t see many young guys and girls at the market. I see other ages, 40, 50, 60 years old. We are not taught to take our time to go to the market and have a consumer's experience”. He continued to explain that as the “younger” generation, we have the power to begin to incorporate the markets into the fast-paced and economically driven world that we live in. The conclusion that can be made about the future of markets in California, Switzerland, and the rest of the world is education and awareness. At the end of her interview, Chipman summed up her thoughts for the future of farmers markets. “There is definitely a growing awareness of just knowing where your produce comes from and trying to support local businesses, but I am hopeful that more people would be informed.” Chipman finished by saying “And it is easy of course to find information online of where they are happening”.

The younger generation, generation z, now has the power and the tools to seek out more information and build awareness of the local community in their area. Having an understanding of the importance of farmers markets goes beyond eating healthy because it is “trendy”, but because it is sustainable and supportive.

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Journal Article

Appreciation of Arts in Lugano

lucano — Thu, 23 Dec 2021 13:47:18 +0000

Appreciation of Arts in Lugano

December 11, 2021

lucano Thu, 12/23/2021 - 14:47

Hannah Rose McNeely '23

“Everything you look at in life has a drawing underneath it,” says Clarice Zadanski, head of the art department at Franklin University in Lugano. “Art is not just something we do to blow off steam or relax, art is what makes us human and makes our world a form of expression.”

What does creativity do for society? Why should society care about creativity? How do the arts benefit our lives? Art is the universal language that has the power to build bridges across oceans of difference; it helps us discover the connective threads in our human tapestry. The importance of the arts is constantly being questioned, disregarded, and taken for granted in many ways, starting with a lack of knowledge, funding, and education.

With a population of only just over 60,000, Lugano is not necessarily known for the arts, therefore artists experience a lack of visitors and tourists. The LAC, Lugano Arte e Cultura, is the leading art museum in the city and has expanded Lugano's population in the past decade by providing numerous outlets to see music, art and culture. However, local companies experienced a huge setback and adjustments in business due to COVID-19. Our world has had to adjust to a digital platform that affects museums and galleries globally.

In the past decade, Lugano’s art scene has undergone a significant shift in popularity. “Creativity is something that's really important to fulfill for everybody,” says Tecla Riva, owner of Kromya Gallery. Located in downtown Lugano, Tecla shares her experience moving from Milan to Lugano and opening her gallery in 2018. Prior to opening her gallery, she was a flight attendant for Swiss International Airlines. Her love for art birthed collecting pieces around Europe with her husband. This made Tecla understand the importance of involving arts in every person's life and used Kromya to exhibit local artists and their talents. She describes how being in between southern and northern Italy, places that are known for fashion and arts, local galleries have to constantly promote their business in order to catch tourists passing through Switzerland. Promoting was more difficult before dealing with the pandemic but since society has evolved to a digital world, we depend on technology for communication and connection with others, even if it's from home. Clarice Zadanski, the head of Franklin University's art department, also shares similar experiences after living in Milan and working in Lugano for 25 years. She has seen a tremendous rise in Lugano's art life and tries to teach her students about how prevalent art is in Switzerland. In addition, she tries to show the importance of the process that underlies creating pieces.“We have to remember what underlies art. Also, the whole part of your psyche that you use when you do draw or make something pictorial is something that we neglect. Maybe by not being able to visualize things, and by neglecting the visualization aspect, maybe we're letting parts of our humanity not develop.” According to Zadanski, a lot of her students don't explore museums and galleries that Lugano has to offer. Clarice inspires her students to attend and also takes her students on class trips. Both Tecla and Clarice agree that a world without access to creativity is a colorless environment. Arts gives society the fuel to tap into an innovative expressive mindset. Many people agree the arts and creativity is one of the most powerful educational tools we have, especially for younger generations. They both think that Generation Z holds the power for our future of arts and believe our world is becoming more innovative and expressive every year.

Lugano Arte e Cultura has played a fundamental role in expanding the Lugano arts community. According to LAC Director Michel Gagnon, “The LAC has increased the public in Lugano by 40% since the LAC opened.” Michel explains when he was designing the LAC, he not only wanted it to be an artistic project, he strived for it to be a social outlet that can connect Lugano's community. “There's so much space for young people in the arts... I think you have to follow your passion,” says Gagnon. “You don't invite yourself to be an artist, you have to want it. The LAC presents all forms of art that can attract and interact with all ages. There is no limit to what the LAC exhibits, which is one of its unique features that attracts, inspires creativity and connects Lugano's community. “Creativity is a way to develop my brain to do new things and not be afraid of doing things as well, Says Michel” With this positive mindset he created an environment that is aesthetically pleasing to be in that is educational and adventurous. Michel had to be clever and think of ways to keep people connected with the arts after facing the pandemic. He transformed the LAC into an online theater and museum with a television company which took a lot of adjusting considering that the LAC is only six years old. With this amazing production and effort, most of Lugano's community was streaming these performances and the LAC won a prize as the best digital production in Europe.

It is no surprise that artists are getting creative with new ways to build community and support themselves and others. With bumps in the road like a pandemic, businesses had to tap into an innovative side of themselves. With increased access to technology, the world found a way to keep businesses active and bring art to new audiences during this time. With access to the Covid vaccine, Lugano is slowly coming back to life with the rise of tourism and restrictions being lifted. Artists and curators will continue to promote their shows and works and raise their number of visitors. The arts have provided a platform where it has the power to move people either on an intellectual or emotional level. This form of expression is universal and helps us see the world from different perspectives. It gives us empathy and helps us understand people, places, periods of history, and issues with which we may otherwise be unfamiliar. Art is a way of communication; it allows people from different cultures and different times to communicate with each other via images, sounds, and stories. It's often a vehicle for social change and provides us with a voice. Lugano's creative community will continue to expand and fulfill people with its beauty and knowledge. It will continue to provide opportunities for people to come together, to share an experience even if they see the world in radically different ways.

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Journal Article

The Latinx representation in the media is messing up Latinx identity

lucano — Thu, 23 Dec 2021 09:34:34 +0000

The Latinx representation in the media is messing up Latinx identity

December 17, 2021

lucano Thu, 12/23/2021 - 10:34

Angelica Berrios '23

The title may seem alarming but it’s true. Latinx is a gender-neutral term for Latino and Latina and is a term that has been popularized in recent years as a more inclusive term. According to UCLA’s 2020 Hollywood Diversity Report, Latinx people were more than 18% of the population but only had 5.3% of the roles in the Hollywood entertainment industry. In the U.S. alone, the Latinx population is so prominent and is one of the biggest minority groups, so how come the media is not reflecting that? In terms of why the media is not reflecting a big part of its population lies in the issues of these so-called Hollywood “gatekeepers”, which is a term used to describe any person that has the highest power in an industry and can control what is presented, who are predominantly Caucasian and do not understand the history of most minority groups. Most Latinx stories in the media fall into the same stereotyped umbrella and the complex history of Latinx people is mostly swept under the rug. Centuries of colonialism and racial oppression could lead to some interesting stories being told, however, if there is barely any representation on-screen for Latinx characters then there are even less people representing that minority behind the scenes.

Three women from Puerto Rico, Guatemala, and Mexico expressed their opinions and personal experiences regarding this representation issue. All presented different points but reached the common ground that the representation they received from the media gave them a serious identity crisis, even if they did not realize it at the time. My favorite princess was Jasmine. And it was largely because she was brown. And I felt identified with her even though there are no cultural links at all because she comes from a made-up country in the film” says Natalia de Leon, who is a ��ӰԺ student currently studying Political Science and Communication and Media Studies, who cited Princess Jasmine from the Disney film Aladdin as a princess she looked up to. Puerto-Rican born and raised Lola Montilla, who is the host of her own podcast Enemiga del Silencio (Enemy of Silence) covering various topics ranging from women empowerment to relationship advice for a majority Puerto Rican audience, cited characters from Broadway musicals like Chicago and America Ferrera in the film The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants saying that “I do recognize that Latina women were not correctly represented. “Even during the times of like America Ferrera films, like The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. And all of these movies that represented big Latin families, like the ones that I had, we are loud, and women that are curvy, and I was always really curvy, and really chubby when I was growing up. So being able to see films that would represent me. It was amazing. It was amazing to be able to feel represented in films, but it wasn't the majority of the time”. Finally, Mexican-born Sofia Rojo-Kratochvil, who is a blonde and tall girl that does not fit the conventional “Latina” look, cites Disney princesses as well saying “I know Snow White, I didn't see myself in it but if you talk about Sleeping Beauty, I could definitely see her and see myself in a princess because I do have similar characteristics as her”.

These three Latinx women, hailing from different countries, all noticed how the media aids in creating identity crises at a young age. “I'd say growing up, I never truly felt “seen”, says de Leon. “In the media whatsoever, I'd see a brown person and I would immediately resonate with them. And I'm looking in retrospect, it really had an effect on my perception of myself, because I think as a kid, I was kind of going through an identity crisis without even noticing it. She resonated with black characters in the media even though she was not black. These types of situations can go deeper than not being “seen” but can also detriment our identity. However, it can go even deeper than that since what we do see in the media can affect how the rest of society reacts to people of Latinx backgrounds.

Montilla recounts an instance where a man from the United States did not believe that she was American because she was from Puerto Rico even though she had a U.S. passport. An instance like this is common since news outlets scarcely cover life in Puerto Rico and how U.S. affairs can affect us directly in more ways than people think. What can be fixed? How can we avoid these certain situations? Well for starters, there needs to be opportunity - opportunity for the Latinx community to have their voice heard and not be constrained.

Representation matters and this type of representation will keep hurting the identities of generations to come. The progress is happening but it is happening way too slowly and when it does, there are always setbacks. The television show One Day at a Time (2017-2020), which presented the story of a Cuban-American family living in Los Angeles, provided a shimmer of hope for the underrepresented Latinx community with a completely Latinx cast and crew. Alas, the show was canceled in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic not even halfway through the fourth season leaving the series with no proper ending. The change needs to happen, now the right timing has to be found.

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