LAUSR

My first experience with Spanishlanguage television came in the form of the telenovela, soap operas from Latin America that follow a group of characters (generally a family or closeknit group of friends) through varying life changes, both socially and culturally. These shows were/ are highly melodramatic, including a turbulent romance, a rupture in familial dynamics, severe social inequalities, and even a kidnapping or two: “Telenovelas are a very well established genre that garners large followings and the highest shares of overall television ratings.”1 I watched these shows during my early childhood, especially when I visited my family in Mexico. I had previously watched Mexican movies with my father on Los Angeles’ Spanishlanguage networks such as Univision, Telemundo, and Televisa, but telenovelas were the province of my summer visits to Mexico. I would sit with my cousins, my aunts, and my grandmother to watch these melodramatic narratives unfold. My Spanish at the time was limited. I knew a few words and could barely communicate with my family, but when it came to understanding telenovela dialogue, I was at a loss. However, because of the physical and emotional melodrama involved in the shows and the strategic use of music, I understood the narrative gist. A striking feature I came to recognize was that several of the telenovela actors were also popular