American Family: A Pioneering Mexican American Drama

The TV drama American Family chronicled the lives of a Chicano family living in East Los Angeles. It debuted on PBS on January 23 2002. It was in many ways a pioneering show. It was the first drama on American broadcast television (Resurrection Blvd. had debuted in 2000 on the cable channel Showtime). It was also the first American-made, original drama to debut on PBS in literally years (I'll Fly Away had originated on NBC and then moved to PBS). In many ways, it was a ground breaking show.

American Family centred on the Gonzalez family, a Mexican American family living in central Los Angeles. Jess Gonzalez (Edward James Olmos) was a barber and a veteran of the Korean War, as well as the widowed father of five children. Nina (Constance Marie) was his eldest daughter, a lawyer working for Legal Services and, in the wake of her mother's death, the female head of the family. Conrado (Kurt Caceres) was the oldest son, who had become a doctor. Unlike Nina and Conrado, Jessi's son Esteban (Esai Morales) was a bit of ne'er-do-well, a former gang member out on parole trying to rebuild his life. Jess's daughter Vangie (Rachel Ticotin) was a yuppie and a fashion designer who lived on the West Side with her husband. Cisco Gonazlez (AJ Lamas) was Jess's youngest son, a computer geek who was also a devoted videographer. Added to this mix was Aunt Dora (Raquel Welch), who had very nearly become a Hollywood star and was the acknowledged drama queen of the family. Jess's wife Berta (Sonja Braga) died in the pilot episode, but appeared frequently in flashbacks.

American Family was created by Gregory Nava and Barbara Martinez. Gregory Nava had directed such films as El Norte (1983), My Family (1995), and Selena (1997). Gregory Nava and Barbara Martinez Jitner were approached by ABC, CBS, and NBC, each of who were interested in developing a show centred on Latinos. Under pressure from civil rights groups, the broadcast networks had signed agreements in which they agreed to use more people of colour both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. Gregory Nava and Barbara Martinez Jitner settled up on CBS. In creating the series, Gregory Nava and Barbara Martinez Jitner drew inspiration from Ms. Martinez Jitner's own family in East Los Angeles.

Despite the deal with CBS, the path of American Family to the small screen would not be the easiest. The pilot for American Family proved to be the highest rated and best reviewed pilot at CBS that season. Unfortunately, CBS decided not to pick up American Family because it did into fit in with their 2001-2002 schedule. Fortunately, CBS let Gregory Nava shop American Family elsewhere. The show eventually landed at PBS, who ordered 22 episodes.

The second season would see American Family receive a new title, American Family: Journey of Dreams. The format of the show was also changed slightly, so that in addition to the travails of the Gonzalez family in the present, it also portrayed the history of the Gonzalez family, starting with the Mexican Revolution to how they immigrated to the United States. The series would also see some cast changes for its second season,  For the second season American Family also had a shorter run. PBS only ordered thirteen episodes. American Family was not renewed for a third season, so  the show ended after 35 episodes.

As mentioned earlier, American Family was a pioneering television show. It was the first drama on American broadcast television to centre on a Chicano family. It was also one of the few dramas with a predominantly Latino cast. On top of all that, it was one of the first American television shows to address the Iraq War, with Conrado joining the Army as a doctor.  In addition to the Iraq War, American Family also dealt with such topics as immigration, community, the September 11 attacks, and religion. During its run American Family received largely positive reviews. It also received recognition by various awards. It won the 2004 Imagen Award for Best Television Series, and was nominated for the 2004 Imagen Awards for Best Supporting Actress in a Television Drama, Best Supporting Actor in a Television Drama, and Best Actress in a Television Drama. It received four Emmy nominations, but won none of them.

While American Family was a pioneering television show, it is not widely available today. The first season was released on DVD, although one should expect to shill out some money if one wants to buy the set. At the moment it is not available on any streaming services, nor can one find episodes on YouTube or the Internet Archive. This is sad, as it was not only a pioneering show, but also a high quality show with a great cast and top-notch writing and direction. If ever a show deserved to be seen again, it is American Family.