Netflix's "On My Block" Is a Multi-Cultural Marvel

There is a medley of wonderful things about On My Block from its spoton casting and strong performances from its young cast to its sharp comedic writing and the overall diversity of the showamp160 Netflix is surely aware that cultural representation and diversity in entertainment are big talking points right now and itamp8217s refreshing to see that theyamp8217ve maintained the creative spirit of the show by keeping every aspect as authentic and relatable as possibleYoung diverse casts are not new as networks like The CW and Freeform have catered their programming to teen and young adult audiences since their inceptionamp160 Shows like Degrassi The Fosters and others are centered on young and diverse casts but On My Block takes it a step further by focusing their entire storyline on diverse multicultural kids as opposed to having one or two in the mixamp160 Other series that have successfully accomplished this include NBC39s Rise Huluamp8217s East Los High and Marvelamp8217s Runaways Netflixamp8217s Dear White Peopleamp160Freeform39s grownishamp160and the various series in the Degrassi franchiseOn My Block follows four young South Central teenagers during the summer before they enter their formidable high school years amp160Monse Sierra Capri is the only girl in the group a hardened but bright tomboy amp160Ruby Jason Genao is the smallest but wittiest of the four aspiring to be like his cool collegebound brother Mario amp160Jamal Brett Gray has a footballobsessed father who pressures him to play the sport though Jamal has no interest in doing so and to please his father lies that he is on the team amp160Cesar Diego Tinoco the oldest of the four is in a gangaffiliated family but keeps his distance from them to avoid trouble amp160The four stars are supported by a colorful gallery of characters from the outspoken and overlydramatic Jasmine Jessica Marie Garcia Ruby39s hilarious potsmoking abuela Peggy Blow Cesar39s gang leader brother Oscar amp8220Spookyamp8221 Diaz Julio Macias and the new kid on the block Olivia Ronni Hawkamp8220Donamp8217t go into high school without backupamp8221 advises Mario Rubyamp8217s older brother played by Danny Ramirezamp160 amp8220You guys have to stick togetheramp8221 amp160The tightknit group starts to crumble after Monse comes back from a summerlong writing camp and finds out that Cesar started a rumor about the two of them to impress his older brother who was recently released from prison amp160After Monse finds out that Cesar was amp8220jumped inamp8221 beaten as part of his initiation she tells a reluctant Ruby and Jamal that they need to save Cesar from the gang life he has succumbed toMillennial and GenZ audiences want to see themselves their experiences and their backgrounds represented in what they watch as was made clear lastamp160month at the Multicultural TV Summit in New York City amp160When one looks at the success of Black Panther Coco and Love Simon itamp8217s further proof that those are stories audiences want to see as long as they are done authentically and executed wellIn more general terms On My Block tackles the oftenharrowing hurdles of our high school years and problems that all teens go through whether it39s finding a date to the homecoming dance or navigating first love to the stress of juggling friends family values and school while maintaining friendships that may inevitably dissipate amp160amp160One moment in particular that resonated for me was when Cesar had to keep up appearances with his brother cousins and gang friends and had to play up the amp8220machismoamp8221 at the expense of his friends an issue many young men have to deal with particularly with added pressure from their own family and peers amp160I also identified with Ruby the awkward sensitive younger brother who is eager to fit in and make a name for himself in school but with his preppier fashion sense and articulate way of speaking he39s practically a fish out of water in his urban neighborhoodWhen watching the series something that entrepreneur John Henry said at last yearamp8217s New York Latino Film Festival and Futuro Digital Conference came to mind amp8220There is no better time in the history of ever to be black and brown than right now amp160Big companies are facing an incredible amount of pressure to be diverse because the jig is upamp8221There is a heartfelt nostalgia that pulses throughout the series that similar shows may have missed the mark onamp160 On My Block focuses on the intimate and relatable issues that its young heroes face planning the much anticipated rightofpassage quinceaamp241era struggling to find a date to a homecoming dance or trying oneamp8217s best to keep friendships afloat when they seemed destined to drift apartamp160 The everyday problems Monse Ruby Jamal and Cesar face are not as farfetched as they may seemamp160 At the end of the day theyamp8217re coming across peer pressure the stress of pleasing their families upholding their heritage and culture and keeping their friendships alive as best they canamp160 Isnamp8217t that what we all want especially during our young adult yearsThe tenepisode first season of On My Block is currently streaming on NetflixClick the social buttons above or below to share this content with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writersamp160

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Netflix's "On My Block" Is a Multi-Cultural Marvel

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Juan Ayala

Jon Miller | Cofounder Marketo, Engagio | The Gumball Machine is Broken - Rethinking B2B Marketing - By Mike Linton

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Juan Ayala

Jon Miller | Cofounder Marketo, Engagio | The Gumball Machine is Broken - Rethinking B2B Marketing - By Mike Linton

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