‘Gordita Chronicles’ and the American Dream through new eyes

WAMU 88.5 | By Mia Estrada

Published July 14, 2022 at 9:15 AM EDT

Meet the Castelli’s. They are a family from the Dominican Republic who move to Miami in pursuit of the “American Dream.” Only on their arrival,America is not what they imagined.

“Are you sure this is it?” says Cucu, the 12-year-old star of the showGordita Chronicles. “The song said America the Beautiful. I think they over-sold it.”

The LA Times is calling the series is the ‘sitcom of the summer.’ Set in 1985, it tackles themes tied to opportunity, resilience as well as growing up a “gordita” or “little chubby.”

We meet show creator Claudia Forestieri and showrunner Brigitte Muñoz-Liebowitz. Both champion theimportance of a lead character like Cucu and her immigrant family. It is a story, they say, based loosely on their own lives.

Mia Estrada

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