Gentefied
(Photo : Youtube/TLC)

Netflix "Gentefied" which had its premiere on Friday tells the story of three Mexican-American cousins who are trying to navigate their life and are hoping to achieve their dreams without compromising their deep rooted Latino values and culture.

Gentefied is a new series on Netflix that is about a fight between tradition and innovation. This story is about how the Mexican-American cousins struggled to achieve their dreams without putting their Mexican values and traditions left behind. This all started when the Taco Shop of their grandfather started to plummet because the rent began to increase and they were threatened to be evicted. At first, their grandfather resists with the changes of the shop but later on he finally gives in because there is no other way.

This was originally conceived as a web series by Marvin Lemus and Linda Yvette Chavez and was produced by America Ferrera. This was also first screened during the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. While it is true that this might not be based on a true story, it is also undeniable that this series talk about the real issues of Latinos living in the United States.

Lemus told the reporter of the NBC News, "It dawned on me that the neighborhood was changing and I was part of that change. Even though I had grown up low-income in a neighborhood just like it, I had moved there with a college degree and in a different situation than the family of four living in a studio apartment next door, and it made me question whether I belonged."

The question of the sense of belongingness is not new anymore for Lemus. He even said that Mexican-Americans are living in what he called "between worlds." He also added that you are never Mexican enough, and likewise, you are never American enough either. 

Lemus shared his personal experience that he tried to figure out his question about tradition and innovation and a question about culture and sense of belongingness. He said that he tried to follow his American dream but he felt that he moved away from his roots and distancing himself from his culture. He came to the point of asking himself "What is the answer here?"

The digital series "Gentefied" will help him explore the answer to his questions. This series will also be the avenue to speak to the first-generation Latino millennials who are until now are searching to reconcile and redefine their identity most especially the U.S. born Latinos. To make this more possible, he worked with a Chicana who was from Los Angeles and has a background in comedy.

Chavez, who is also a first-generation Latino like Lemus, said: "Marvin had this vision for creating something very high quality about our community, and that for me was everything I had been wanting to do for years and was fighting to do and when he told me it was also a paid opportunity, I was like 'OK, let's do this.'"

This series is starred by Carlos Santos who played the character of Chris who struggled to define his identity. In this series, Chris wants to become a successful chef so he may work in a Michelin-starred restaurant by day and at night he tried to devise solutions to keep their family's Boyle Heights taquerÍa open. 

America Ferrera, the producer of the series and who also starred in its original web series, said that "In 'Gentefied,' we get to peek through the lens of bold Latino storytellers as they celebrate the lives of a Latino community navigating self-identity, class, and culture."