"Jane the Virgin" is the only TV show with a predominantly Latino cast currently on air. The CW’s comedy-drama is an adaptation from a Venezuelan telenovela, and fans are eagerly waiting for the third season to begin. To those who are not familiar with the show, "Jane the Virgin" is about Jane Villanueva, a young virgin-waitress, who becomes artificially inseminated. The main story, without a doubt, is full of hyperboles and exaggerations. This can be expected due to the fact the show follows the telenovela format. However, "Jane the Virgin" has proved to be far more than just a show with high ratings due to the value it has placed on its Latino characters.
As a Latina, I can definitely say "Jane the Virgin" has become one of my favorite shows. I feel as if for the first time in my life I have a show I can watch and relate to. Finally, I have a Latina character I can identify myself with. As a matter of fact, I have a whole Latino cast I can identify my whole family with. For starters, Jane is a young Latina who is preparing to graduate from college and then proceeds to move on to graduate school. Yeah, sure she got artificially inseminated and ended up pregnant, but guess what? Jane does not let her pregnancy stop her from getting her master's. Even better, ladies and gentlemen, prepare yourselves because, you guessed it! For once the Latina did not end up 16 and pregnant! Yes, we finally have a successful Latina character who is educated, smart and independent. Sorry, Sophia Vergara, but your character as Gloria has nothing on Gina Rodriguez as Jane. This, my friends, is something the whole Latino community should be proud of.
The most important part of this show is the fact that in the past two seasons, not a single episode has dared to portray any of the Latino characters as a stereotype. Instead, the show utilizes its cast to portray the role family, religion and faith have on the Villanueva household. To many Latinos, this is a big deal because these are some of the fundamentals many of us were raised with. Most importantly, "Jane the Virgin" goes as far as displaying the story from the point of view of three different generations. No show has done a better job at depicting how it truly is to have a member in the family that does not know how to speak English. Alba may not know English, but she sure can understand!
I am not going to deny that sometimes the telenovela aspect can get a bit too cheesy and exaggerated, but at the end of the day, that’s why I love "Jane the Virgin." At last, a telenovela themed show for my generation! Whoever said we needed to tune into Univision and Telemundo in order to watch a telenovela in Spanish was way wrong. Thanks to the CW and Alba, Jane’s grandmother, we can enjoy the juicy telenovela drama with some wise advice in Spanish from the comfort of an English speaking network.
"Jane the Virgin" simply proves that America is changing and we are becoming a diverse country with diverse backgrounds. This is why "Jane the Virgin" has been so successful. Gina Rodriguez proved success comes to those who adapt when she won the CW its first-ever Golden Globe award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, Comedy or Musical. Most importantly, it shows how having a diverse cast can be possible. Maybe Hollywood will take "Jane the Virgin" as an example and will begin to hire actors of color.
