Family is Everything Even on TV

Growing up in a Mexican American family I had a lot of cousins to bond with, and considered them unofficial siblings. Our aunts and uncles showed us unconditional love, as well as the true meaning of family. We learned to be there for one another no matter what, no questions asked. That type of family connection has always been important to me. When I set out to watch something, whether it be a movie, or a TV show I always get heavily invested in the ones that are deeply rooted into the family, and their culture.

“Anything for Salenas!”

The first movie I remember watching where I felt it perfectly related to me, was the movie Selena. It starred Jennifer Lopez, who took on the unforgettable role of Selena Quintanilla. Selena was a badass chick who was known as the “Queen of Tejano Music.” She managed to win over the hearts of so many people from all different backgrounds. She was relatable to me because she was Latino and grew up in a Mexican American family like myself. Her family always had each other’s back, and they would do anything for one another. Suzette, her sister, was a confidant and best friend. Abie, her brother, looked out for her and protected her as any big brother would. That tight knit bond resonated with me in a way I had never seen before on the big screen. They had their hardships and disagreements as most family’s do, but at the end of the day it was nothing but love for one another. Even though Selena the movie is based on the real-life story of Selena, it still captured the essence of a Hispanic family from Corpus Christie, Texas.

“Food is Love”

There aren’t many things that can rival with Selena, however if you get tired of watching her sing Como La Flor for the 100th time then I would recommend turning to the show Gentefied on Netflix. It carries the strong family dynamic throughout the show. Gentefied is the story of three Mexican American cousins and their struggle to chase the American Dream while trying to keep their immigrant grandfather’s family taco shop from getting shut down. There are many hardships, but also a lot of good laughs throughout the series. The bond between the three cousins is unbreakable even when they are at odds with each other. They manage to stick together as they are faced with many impossible curve balls. Joaquin Cosio stars as the grandfather Casimiro a widow and owner of his family taco shop Mama Fina’s. J.J. Soria plays Erik Morales, one of Caimiro’s grandsons who is struggling to make a living while anticipating the arrival of his first baby. Karrie Martin brings Ana Morales to life as Casimiro’s granddaughter, an artist and proud lesbian who is constantly clashing with her mother at home because she doesn’t have a ‘real job.’ Then there is Carlos Santos who portrays Chris Morales, Casimiro’s prized grandson since he went to business school and is the only one who is close to getting a career as a chef. The characters are relatable, loveable, and original in how they come together to help one another out.

“A Family has Got to Stay Strong”

Soul Food is another movie that truly grasps the whole family concept. The movie is filled with all kinds of juicy family drama, and longtime feuds. This African American family keep the tradition of having a Sunday dinner no matter what. Every Sunday they show up at Big Momma’s house to come together for a meal, and spend time with one another. When Big Momma has a stroke and slips into a coma, it really puts a gigantic strain on the family. They struggle to keep it together, but ultimately in the end it comes full circle for them, and they manage to keep tradition alive. Through this whole film I felt like I was on an endless journey of heartache for them. I can relate and know what it’s like to have someone like Big Momma be the center of the family. They are the one true person who is holding everyone together and once they’re gone everything begins to come apart at the seams. This happened in my family when my grandmother passed. Nothing was ever the same again, but we managed to carry on and keep making time for one another.

“When a Family is in Crisis They Come Together”

If you’re a fan of Soul Food, but you can’t keep putting yourself through all that sadness, then switch it up by watching Empire on Fox. This show instantly hooked me because it was packed with amazing music, and also you don’t get any better than Terrance Howard and Taraji P. Henderson. (Side note: they were the ultimate duo in the movie Hustle and Flow). The chemistry that the cast has makes it easy to believe they are a true family. Lucious Lyon played by Terrance Howard is the CEO of Empire Entertainment a big-time record company. His ex-wife Cookie portrayed by Taraji P. Henderson is a force to be reckoned with and a co-owner of the company. Their three sons Hakeem, the youngest played by the amazing Bryshere Y. Gray, is a talented musician/rapper on the fast track to super stardom thanks to Lucious. Jamal the middle son who is brought to life by Jussie Smollett , is shy and equally as talented as Hakeem, gets less love from his father due to his sexuality as a gay man. The oldest Lyon son Andre, played by Trai Byers, is a businessman who suffers from bipolar disorder. Lies, betrayal and deceit are a constant them with the Lyons. All the drama will have you up late at night saying, ‘just one more episode I swear!’ Lucious may come off as self-centered, and a bit of an a-hole, however it becomes obvious that he loves his family and will do almost anything for them if the time calls for it, even murder. Le gasp! Cookie holds it all down for her boys, and the love/hate relationship between her and Lucious will definitely have you on the edge of your seat.

“You Will Never be Enough”

Finally, last but surely not least is Crazy Rich Asians. This film is a cinematic masterpiece, and the cast is what dreams are made of. The webs that this family has woven are many, and the love that they have is sometimes a bit too overbearing and toxic. Nick’s family is quick to judge Rachel his longtime girlfriend, just because she doesn’t live up to the same standards as they do. The sub-plots with Nick’s cousins really keep you roped in with all their own struggles and drama. Though Nick’s mom is a classic biznatch to Rachel, it’s obvious she is only wanting what she presumes is best for her son. There were many boys that I dated where my mom had no problem is voicing how much she disliked them or didn’t think they were good for me. You live you learn though, and in the case of Crazy Rich Asians Nick’s mom Eleanor had to learn to let her son make his own choices.

“Almost Best. Almost”

If you’ve exhausted your watch history with Crazy Rich Asians, I’m happy to direct you on over to the Canadian TV show Kim’s Convenience on CBC TV. If you’re not in Canada like me, then you can also catch this show on Netflix. Kim’s Convenience follows the Kim’s, a Korean family who live their day to day in Toronto. Appa played by Paul Sun-Hyung Lee and Umma portrayed by Jean Yoon run a convenience store in the Moss Park neighborhood. Their two adult children Janet, played by Andrea Bang, and Jung, portrayed by Simu Liu, are trying to make it on their own in the world, and without the help of their overbearing parents. Janet is a student photographer while Jung works at a car rental service. The family manages to bring a good bit of humor as well as some downslides when it comes to Appa and Jung’s strained relationship. Though the two of them don’t see eye to eye they still manage to have a few touching family moments throughout the series. The Kim’s obviously love their children and want nothing more than to see them succeed as adults, but still, they are dealing with an empty nest at home which can cause them to invest a little too much time into their children’s lives. The characters are funny, original, and manage to leave a long-lasting impact on you in just a few short episodes.

These shows definitely encapsule the family dynamic in every way. They give you a look into different cultural families and how they deal with hardships, losses, betrayal, and celebrations. As you make your way through these series you will find yourself becoming an official Morales, Lyon, and Kim easily.

My takeaway from these three TV shows that are great to get into after those classic family driven movies, is that even though we all have different backgrounds we all still love our parents, siblings, aunties, uncles and cousins unconditionally. We might have different traditions, beliefs and celebrations, but we still go beyond and above for those we cherish and love. In then end don’t we all want to be as determined to succeed as Ana Morales? love as hard as Cookie Lyon does, and care for our children as much as Umma Kim?

Through life we face many hardships, and also many triumphs. There are so many roller coasters in life that we take, and it’s always comforting having others to lean on, and celebrate with. Family is the one thing we depend on knowing they will always be in our corner. Siblings and cousins are your first best friends, while your parents may drive you absolutely nuts at times, they just want to make sure you succeed in the world. Of course, there are times where family can get too involved in your life and try to control some of the choices you need to make on your own, like Eleanor does with Nick in Crazy Rich Asians, but eventually you live, and you learn to make a path in life just for you. It’s important to hold traditions that you’ve learned, and always be there for your family like they’ve been there for you. No matter what.