The Garcias: Latino Representation at Its Best
When I was a little girl, I grew up watching The Brother’s Garcia on Nickelodeon—a show about a Mexican-American family of six based in San Antonio, Texas. As a native San Antonio girl and Mexican-American, the show opened my eyes to a powerful and positive form of Latino representation that I hadn’t seen growing up. Positive, funny, wholesome—it made me and my siblings feel represented. Fast forward over a decade later, I’m saying the same thing again!
The Garcias, a spinoff of the original The Brother’s Garcia show, made its debut Thursday, April 14 on HBO Max with all original cast members and fresh-faced talent. Carlos Lacamara (Ray Garcia), Ada Maris (Sonia Garcia), Jeffrey Licon (Carlos Garcia), Bobby Gonzalez (George Garcia), Vaneza Pitunski (Lorena Garcia), and Alvin Alvarez (Larry Garcia) all reprise their roles as the Garcia’s—but this time, we see them flourish, fumble, and navigate through life with their children and careers.
The story takes place between San Antonio, Texas and Mexico, showcasing the Garcia’s dynamic family bond. Within the first three episodes, audiences are exposed to funny scenarios and relatable family roadblocks, such as the woes of raising children, trusting your family with business ventures, and having a culture clash with your in-laws—particularly a disagreement of religious beliefs between Sonia Garcia and her daughter-in-law, Yunjin, who is played by Korean-American actress, Elsha Kim. The disagreement specifically revolves around baptizing Yunjin and Carlos’ daughters, Andrea and Alex, played by Ayva Severy and Trinity Bliss, and maintaining Catholic traditions—something I feel all couples with children and families with different religious beliefs can relate to. There is also a particular scene in the third episode that surfaces the conversation about what it means to be a Mexican born in America, causing tension with George’s neighbors and spotlighting a transparent talk about the issue with his wife, Ana, played by Nitzia Chama.
One thing I must applaud is the career aspect of the Garcia family. Each of the siblings, and their significant others, hold their own in their career moves. The fact that Larry Garcia grows up to be an astronaut, a nod to the original series, Carlos and George are successful businessmen and entrepreneurs, and Lorena is beating to her own drum trying to make it in the television industry, is something we don’t see Latinos portrayed as in media very often. The show spotlights the capabilities and diverse interests Latinos have professionally, and it was refreshing to finally see this portrayed on television.
Even the subtle dialogue that George has with his daughter, Victoria, played by Meave Garay, where he mentions that she is a straight-A student and is thriving academically—these are the characters Latinos and their children must be exposed to!
Although these aspects may come off as minor, they are huge in retrospect! The Garcias spotlights a successful, educated, fun-loving blended family—changing the narrative of Latino representation incredibly.
I would recommend this show to anyone who loves sitcoms, comes from a big-blended family, or is just looking for a laugh with refreshing characters and wholesome jokes—and it’s great for family time! This is a Latino-positive show—no vulgarity, cartels, or stereotypes. The Garcias is the refreshing content the Latino community has been waiting for! Like many other Latinos, I see myself and my family in The Garcias—and I personally cannot wait for more!
