Lauren, Christina & Dexter: Afro Latina Representation Comes Full Circle

From The Independent

If diversity and representation in media is important to you, as either a creative or a lover of media, then you may have heard the phrase “there is no me without you” similar to “you must see it to be it.” Our elders in media who were Hollywood firsts have set the foundation and became possibility models to what could be. Now, what does any of this have to do with the critically acclaimed Sho Time Series, Dexter?

In the mid to late 90s, I was a kid who was a fan of Disney, Nick, Cartoon Network, as many millennials were at the time. But as a Millennial Black Latina, a show I remember in particular that was impactful to me, was Taina even with just its very short life span. Whenever I saw afro latin girls and women on tv - till this day -  it stays with me. I would say I remember that time fondly, but there have been too many truths coming to light for me to say that whole heartedly. But who I can say is my unproblematic nostalgic fave, of that time anyway, was Disney correspondent, Christina Milian.

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The world knows her as an award winning singer, actress and OG early millennial babe, Christina Milian. But I know her as the girl  from Disney 365. Afro-Cuban American from Jersey icon with hits like AM2PM, Dip It Low, films like Pulse, (with other Afro Latine icon Chris Gonzalez), Love Don’t Cost a Thing, and See You Next Christmas. Christina has been one of the Afro Latina stars in my eyes over the last 20 years.

Let’s go back in time a little bit - Lauren Vélez. You might know her from NY Undercover, Ugly Betty, Spiderman: Across The Spiderverse, or in her breakout role as Lisette Linares in I Like It Like That. The 1994 slice of life film follows the lives of a young Puerto Rican couple, starring Vélez opposite Jon Seda, living in the South Bronx.

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Not only did this film ignite Vélez’s career, it became a Nuyorican media staple. Vélez continued on acting her ass off for decades before my generation of viewers got to meet her in the 2006 series, Dexter, as Maria LaGuerta, until her character’s death in season 7. (Sorry for the spoilers…..) We fast forward to 2024 and Dexter’s been rebooted for the second time, in Paramount+’s Dexter Original Sin. We’re back in the early 90s and Dexter is a freshly graduated intern, for some reason we have Christian Slater playing Harry, and Sarah Michelle Gellar plays Dexter’s forensics mentor… and none other than Christina MF Millian playing a young Maria LaGuerta!!!!! I was floored.

Experiencing it first hand personally, It’s possible for east coast Black Latinas to struggle on the west coast when there is such a singular idea of what Latinas can look like, especially in media. In an Essence piece from 2020 by BY DERRICK BRYSON TAYLOR on being Black and Latino in Hollywood, Milian has expressed how difficult it has been for her agents to book her for Latinx roles. Vélez has also spoken out about society’s misconceptions on Latinidad, and how it has affected her career as well. Coming from the 1 out of 1.5 NY/Puerto Rican families in orange county in the middle of the early 2000s, I can assure you this theme is evergreen in the Black Latinx experience, no matter where we live regionally. (Yes, even New York.) Despite this, I still thank the universe for TV / Film because I got to see Vélez, breaking through barriers to get to her magnum opus character, Maria, eventually paving the way for Milian to break through her own barriers, too. I was defeated in the outside world for being different, but I was empowered by these two women to be even louder.  

Learning Lauren’s history, watching Christina’s come up in the industry,  then seeing their lives cross paths in this opportunity to bring LaGuerta back to life, should serve as a reminder that we need to give our elders who paved the way, their flowers while they're still here. We must listen to their experiences, archive their works and share them with future generations of artists and audiences alike, and continue keeping them in mind as we create new stories.

Dexter Daily.com

That's why I refuse to go with the flow of the anti diversity trend that is back with a full on vengeance in media as of lately. I don’t really give a damn if white executives don’t think white audiences will connect with Black and Brown story telling, queer story telling, or stories with body diversity.  As a writer and filmmaker, watching artists like Christina Milian and Lauren Vélez, I have to refuse to hide myself just like they did. There was and still is a world that rejects the idea of Afro Latinas taking center screen, and like those before me, I cannot fold at the idea of not wanting to be seen or heard. It's more than just seeing someone on TV who looks like you; it’s about cementing your existence / identity and letting the majority know that you're not going anywhere. Christina and Lauren serve as a reminder that we, artists and audiences, want to see ourselves and we refuse to be talked out of our existence.