Immigration is becoming TV's newest obsession

There has been an increase in the number of TV shows recently that focus on immigrant families and the issues that immigrants struggle with. This increase in immigrant focus TV shows created a new wave of borderless TV. Shows like Jane the Virgin, Casa, Orange is the New Black, and Fresh Off the Boat all focus on different aspect of the immigrant experience and increase representation in the media. In the past, there have been very few positive examples of immigrant representation on TV and showing real stories of the transition into the US, these shows all show one form of this transition and the ways people are affected by immigration. Jane the Virgin, for example, shows the struggles immigrants face and the ways they can make a life for themselves in this country. It shows empathy and compassion to their struggles, while still showing their viewers real-life stories.

This reminded me of the stereotypes we discussed in class about Latino characters on TV. There is only one classic Latino stereotype on the show: Jane's mother plays into the Fiery Latina stereotype. This show follows the story line of a telanovela, which plays into a lot of stereotypes and cheesy, Hollywood tropes, so it makes sense that her mom would fulfill this role. I think this show is important because it shows positive representation of Latinos in the mainstream media. The show doesn't need to be a case of people of color but almost everyone on the show is Latino. It is always great when TV shows have people with lived experience play roles of people of color. I think Jane the Virgin does a great job of balancing important issues and discussing struggles within this community but still making it a normal everyday story.