One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Video: 'Gente-fied,' Web Series Backed by America Ferrera, Uncovers a Changing Boyle Heights
In Boyle Heights, the debate over gentrification has been stewing for over a decade. What isn't as oft-discussed is the phenomenon of "gentefication," which refers to the influx of former locals, or "chipsters," who have returned home with new money and new tastes. The term gentefication, a play on gente, the Spanish word for people, has been kicking around for a while. Here's how Leslie Berestein Rojas of KPCC defined it in 2011:
gen·te·fi·ca·tion (hen-te-fi-k?-shun), noun: The process of upwardly mobile Latinos, typically second-generation and beyond, investing in and returning to the old neighborhood.
While some see gentefication as a means of solidifying the neighborhood's roots, others feel that the results are akin to the effects of gentrification: skyrocketing rent, cryptic stores cropping up on busy thoroughfares, et cetera. "The transition has provided a jolt of energy and a transfusion of money, but it has also created friction with working-class residents here," according to a 2013 New York Times article.
This complex issue serves as fertile grounds for discussions on race, the economy, and generational rifts. And it is now the focus of America Ferrera's latest project, Gente-Fied, a web-series set in the shifting terrain of Boyle Heights. The trailer, which was released today, hints at the issues that will be covered in the series. There is an aging business-owner who is on the cusp of losing his bar. There is a young chef who strives to infuse traditional Mexican dishes with a nouveau flair.
One of the series' overarching goal, as made obvious in the trailer, is to maintain a sense of fidelity to the source. All the leads are played by Latinos, and the trailer promises, "NO CARTELS. NO GUNS. NO DRUGS," a not-so-subtle jab at the portrayals of Latinos in popular media.
Gente-Fied, comprised of seven episodes, was developed by Macro, a media company that focuses on diverse storytelling. The cast includes Ferrera, Alicia Sixtos (of East Los High fame), Art Bonilla, Edsson Morales, and Victoria Ortiz. A release date has not been set yet. For updates, follow the series on Twitter: @gentefied
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
