Reframing Latin America: A Cultural Theory Reading ... - BGSU Blogs

film foray: MI FAMILIA 311
figure 17.1 The Sánchez family watches I Love Lucy in Mi familia
history of police brutality against minorities in Los Angeles. Jimmy will
grow up to internalize this anger against the injustices of the U.S. system
that Chucho has learned to externalize through his gang.
The discursive continuity implied in this crosscutting between representations
of Latinos in popular culture and their lived existence is of particular
importance to the fi lm’s overall discursive position. Chucho is seen
hiding out in an abandoned factory/junkyard while, back at the house, the
television is turned on and a familiar jingle begins the I Love Lucy show.
José gets up agitatedly and retreats to his bedroom as the rest of the family
frowns. The dialogue between Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz on the TV sets
the scene for Chucho’s death:
Ricky: “What’s the matter with them?”
Lucy: “They don’t want to watch, and I don’t blame them!”
We then see one of the officers enter the area of Chucho’s hideout as Paco
joins his father in the bedroom to explain that the murder was an accident.
The camera then cuts for the fi rst time to the television screen, which displays
Ricky entering into a state of rage, typical comic fodder for an episode,
as Lucy tries to smooth over yet another one of her blunders. Lucy hands
Ricky something to throw just after she informs him that, thanks to her,