Representation and Identity in Telenovelas

 In class two weeks ago we talked about representation and identity in telenovelas. That lecture stood out to me because the issues that we talked about are very present in La Madre de Aquiler. One of the main things we discussed in class is how there is racism in Latin American countries but it is never talked about because the people of Latin America tend to think that racism is only an American issue. I do not agree with them because racism obviously still exists outside the US. Typically in telenovelas, darker-skinned people are seen as lower-class citizens of society. For example, in the clip we watched in class, a dark-skinned man came to the door and the female antagonist treated him like a servant, even though he wasn't. The same principles apply in La Madre Aquiler. Carlos, a wealthy white man in Mexico, falls in love with Yeni, who is an indigenous dark-skinned brown woman. Just the fact that they are associated through surrogacy makes Carlos' mother and wife mad, but now the fact that they are starting to pick up on how he really likes her... makes them even more angry and bitter. Some might say that when telenovelas do this in their shows they are shining a light on the issue of racism in Latin America so that people can start to realize it and fix it, but in my opinion, all they are doing is further perpetuating the narrative that women of a dark skin tone are less valuable than women with lighter skin tones.