Common Sense Media Review
By Jenny Nixon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Funny, family-centric drama examines race, class issues.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Gentefied
What's the Story?
GENTEFIED is a half-hour series that's part comedy, part drama, examining issues of cultural identity and gentrification through the struggles and triumphs of a tight-knit Mexican American family in Los Angeles' Boyle Heights neighborhood. Much of the action centers on Mama Fina's, the taco shop owned by widowed grandfather Casimiro (Joaquín Cosio, Quantum of Solace) -- aka "Pops" -- which is hanging by a thread in a time of rising rents and encroaching newcomers, most of them White. Casimiro lives with his two grandsons, the sometimes hotheaded Erik (a fiercely-protective but flaky dad-to-be played by Joseph Julian Soria) and aspiring chef Chris (who grew up with money and is often referred to as a "coconut" -- brown on the outside, White on the inside -- played by Carlos Santos). Also in their orbit is cousin Ana (Karrie Martin), a young painter who's trying to figure out how to make it in the overwhelmingly bourgeois art world without betraying her roots -- an issue that's especially important to her outspoken activist girlfriend, Yessika (Julissa Calderon).
Is It Any Good?
What does it mean to change when your community is being displaced ... and is it even worth it? These are the issues faced by the Morales family, and they're examined with a skillful blend of humor and depth. The series does a terrific job giving its characters distinct and real-feeling personalities, especially considering the episodes are so short. It's also remarkably refreshing to see Latino men depicted as sensitive, multifaceted human beings -- there are no one-note macho stereotypes at play here. Gentefied excels at interweaving storylines that tackle big-picture cultural questions with the smaller challenges of daily life.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the show's title, Gentefied, and what the play on words means. ("Gente" means "people" in Spanish.)
Why do some of the characters seem to have an issue with Chris, and the way he grew up? What is the show trying to say about the idea of someone being a "real" Mexican?
How do the characters in Gentefied demonstrate perseverance? Why is this an important character strength?
TV Details
- Premiere date : February 21, 2020
- Cast : Joaquín Cosio , Carlos Santos , Karrie Martin , Joseph Julian Soria , Julissa Calderon
- Network : Netflix
- Genre : Drama
- TV rating :
- Last updated : February 15, 2023
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