When I was growing up I would watch novelas with my abuelita, my babysitters, and my mother. It was part of my socialization. We would all talk over dinner about what Juan Pablo did to Guadalupe as if the characters were people we actually knew. Now with Spanish language network Univision for sale, there is concern that as U.S. born Latinos, like me, are growing up, we are no longer tuning in for the “stories”, choosing English language networks with Latino themed shows and leaving our mamis and abuelitas alone watching what Juan Pablo did to Guadalupe.

Not only is Univision having to compete with English language broadcast stations, it has to compete with English language stations that are marketed to Latinos born and raised in the U.S. like Mun2 and SiTV. Not to mention the fact that stations like NBC owned Telemundo is presenting Spanish language versions of popular TV shows like Fear Factor and imitating the format of U.S. reality television.

The question that begs to be asked is what the role of Latino television is. Is it to represent? According to Jeff Valdez, founder of SiTV:

This audience wants to be validated. They want to see themselves on screen. They want to hear their stories.

Is it to be a bridge between cultures, especially as Latino immigration continues to grow? Or is television just a way to get Latinos, regardless of language preference to consume and buy buy buy our way into the American dream?

Via / New York Times