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PEOPLE & ARTS Thursday 6 June 2019
Mexican American sisters of 'Vida' back amid gentrification

By RUSSELL CONTRERAS family drama. "This show
Associated Press is based on what is hap-
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — pening right now" in Latino
The Starz drama "Vida" re- neighborhoods around the
turns for its second season U.S., she said. "All the tac-
on Sunday with an even tics of protests involving
deeper exploration of an gentrification try to remain
issue facing many U.S. La- authentic."
tino communities: gentrifi- Currently, tensions are high
cation. in the Los Angeles neigh-
The show follows Emma borhood of Boyle Heights,
and Lyn, played Mishel Pra- where anti-gentrification
da and Melissa Barrera re- activists have participated
spectively, who have inher- in aggressive protests tar-
ited from their late mother geting art galleries by spray
an East Los Angeles apart- painting storefronts and
ment building and a les- reported death threats.
bian bar. Each must come Hispanic activists in Albu-
to terms with their lives in querque's South Valley and
the old neighborhood and Houston's Northside also
unresolved issues around are speaking out against
love. gentrification efforts they
The first season ended say displaces poor Latinos.
with the sisters at odds on This image released by Starz shows Melissa Barrera, left, and Mishel Prada from the series "Vida," Saracho said she wanted
whether to continue their a drama that follows two Mexican American sisters battling gentrification and the aftermath of the show to reflect those
lives away from East Los their mother’s death. realities. But Saracho said
Angeles or come back and Associated Press the second season also
save a bar that helped wanted to explore gente-
shape them. show has gained a small and gente-fication — the Spanish). fication. The sisters, if they
It remains one of the only but loyal following and phenomenon that middle- Executive Producer Tanya decide to keep the bar,
television shows featuring a drew critical praise for cen- class Latinos are working Saracho said the second will be in the center of the
majority U.S. Latina cast. tering its focus on Latina to change a working-class season will continue to ex- gente-fication movement
With its themes around characters and pressures community. plore those themes as a and must deal with any
queer love and sex, the related to gentrification (Gente means people in backdrop of the overall backlash, Saracho said.q

Feeling Aretha's spirit, J Hud honors icon at Pulitzers

NEW YORK (AP) — With the first individual woman
bad weather in Chicago to earn a special cita-
on Monday and her flight tion prize since the honor
canceled, Jennifer Hudson was first awarded in 1930.
fretted at the thought of The Pulitzer board said the
missing her performance award was given to Frank-
at Tuesday's Pulitzer Prize lin for "her indelible contri-
awards ceremony to pay bution to American music
tribute to honoree Aretha and culture for more than
Franklin. five decades."
But then Hudson said she Collaborator and close
felt the spirit of the Queen friend Clive Davis and long-
of Soul — who refused to time publicist Gwendolyn
fly but traveled by tour bus Quinn accepted the honor
to concerts and events — on behalf of Franklin's fam-
and drove nearly 13 hours ily.
to New York to make the South Florida's Sun-Senti-
luncheon. nel won the prize in pub-
"I looked up and I thought, lic service for its coverage
'You know what, it's like of last year's mass shoot-
Aretha's spirit is in me. She ing at the Marjory Stone-
didn't believe in flying, she man Douglas High School
would drive,'" Hudson said in Parkland, Florida, where
in an interview with The As- 17 students and staff were
sociated Press. "I got here Singer Jennifer Hudson sings "Amazing Grace" in tribute to Aretha Franklin, who received a spe- killed. Pulitzer Prizes were
cial music citation during the 2019 Pulitzer Prize winners awards luncheon at Columbia University,
in time, five minutes early Tuesday May 28, 2019, in New York. also awarded to the staff of
to sing, because I wasn't Associated Press the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
going to miss it. Honey I for breaking news report-
said, 'If I got to walk, if I got ess as she brought the cer- "She's always with me, I me to." ing, the Los Angeles Times
to crawl, I'm going to get emony to church with a feel," Hudson said of Frank- Franklin, who died last Au- for investigative reporting,
there.' And here I am — so rousing, fiery performance lin. "I always keep her in my gust at 76, was posthu- while Reuters and The As-
it's in my heart." of "Amazing Grace," bring- mind and in my heart, and mously awarded the Pu- sociated Press were both
Hudson embodied Frank- ing the audience of jour- try to lead in a way that I litzer Prize Special Citation honored for international
lin's spirit and vocal prow- nalists to their feet. know that she would want honor Tuesday, becoming reporting.q