Netflix’s Newest Release, “Ginny & Georgia” Speaks to Identity Struggles

Ginny and Georgia from the Netflix show Ginny and Georgia

Warning: Spoiler Alert

Ginny & Georgia is the latest of newly released Netflix shows getting everyone talking. The show itself centers on the life of grounded Ginny (full name Virginia) and her sassy but lovable mother Georgia. The show covers a variety of themes while teaching us tons of life lessons along the way.


Georgia is a powerful woman with great looks. At 31-years-old, she has two children: her 15-year-old daughter Ginny who is normally very responsible but has also grown used to dealing with her mom’s antics, and the adorable but shy nine-year-old Austin who is good-natured in emotion. Georgia seems like the girl next door who loves the good life in addition to her children. Ginny on the other hand seems to be her mom’s polar opposite in most cases: more serious, and definitely getting a good bout of teen angst to go along with her antisocial personality.


Georgia from Ginny and Georgia Scott Porter Georgia GIF by NETFLIXGiphy

When the family moves to Westbury, Massachusetts after the death of Georgia’s husband, life for Ginny starts to change: she makes friends, has boys interested in her for the first time, and also comes to terms with many things a biracial individual deals with. From acknowledging her Blackness in a way she has never had to do, to abandoning her natural hair texture in favor of a look that resembles her white friends’ hair, Ginny’s story acknowledges many inconvenient truths of existing as a biracial child.

Ginny’s is a classic coming of age story but with a serious update. Dating her half-Taiwanese boyfriend leads to a scene that says a lot about the perception of race and the “oppression Olympics” that can come from misunderstanding other’s bicultural experiences (Ginny’s “I speak more Mandarin” than you line to Hunter’s “You’re barely Black” retort had us shook). Growing up biracial in the United States isn’t easy, and is something many first, second, and third generation Latinx children can relate to. Often feeling not enough with similar feelings of existing with one foot in one world and the other foot in another makes this show even more relatable while watching.

Ginny from Ginny and Georgia Scott Porter Georgia GIF by NETFLIXGiphy

The show effectivley combats many stereotypes biracial kids often face, including the hate speech and microaggressions we deal with quite often (“that’s the whitest Black girl I’ve ever seen” is one Ginny faces). Latinx kids can deeply relate to the things Ginny deals with, even if it is in her experience as a biracial Black and white woman. From the inability to address what she’s feeling to finding community in Bracia, the darker skinned Black girl at school.

One of the most important actions Ginny takes in dealing with the insecurity that comes with “otherness” is being able to take ownership of her narrative. Though we don’t approve of blackmailing your AP English teacher, we can definitely take a step back and appreciate the nuance Ginny’s newfound empowerment brings. The writers also took a misstep when they learned into a common “slut shaming” narrative when they chose to reference Taylor Swift and her dating history.

Without taking control of our narratives and embracing our “otherness”, we cannot undo stereotypes that society places on us. It’s up to us to understand our stories and embrace them accordingly. Use this show as an inspiration to do so mija, you got this!

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Image by Sayuri Jimenez.

Nathalie Molina Niño has never been one to shy away from breaking barriers, and now, she’s focusing her attention on a new mission: demystifying corporate boardrooms for women, especially Latinas. Molina Niño is the President of Known, an asset management and financial services firm, a veteran tech entrepreneur and builder capitalist, and a board member at the iconic lingerie Brand, Hanky Panky, and others.

Like many corporate boards, Hanky Panky hadn’t publicly disclosed its board composition until recently. After the brand survived the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Molina Niño decided it was time for more women, specifically more Latinas, to know what it means to be on corporate boards.

Coincidentally, the decision to finally be more vocal about this topic aligned with the start of Hispanic Heritage Month, which served as the perfect kick-off to the work.

"Something that rarely gets talked about and I think almost gets kept opaque by design is boards,” she explains in a recent Instagram announcement. “[This Latinx Heritage Month], that’s what I’ll be talking about.” Her goal? To equip more Latinas with the knowledge they need to navigate onto for-profit boards, where they can thrive and build multi-generational wealth.

For-profit corporate boards often feel like an exclusive club. And in many ways, they are, especially for Latinas, who hold the smallest percentage of board seats in Fortune 500 companies compared to other racial groups. According to the latest report from Latino Board Monitor, while Latinos hold 4.1% of these board seats (compared to 82.5% held by white people), only 1% go to Latinas. Molina Niño, a first-generation American of Ecuadorian and Colombian descent, is part of this boardroom minority.

When asked about her experience as a Latina board member during a recent Zoom interview, she said, “It’s been lonely. There’s not a lot of Latinas on boards.” She went on to explain that even serving on boards of Latina-founded businesses gets lonely because, “A lot of the times, people who serve on their boards represent their investors and, as a result, [...] you still don’t see a lot of Latinas on those boards.”

This lack of representation drives Molina Niño’s determination to increase Latina presence in corporate boardrooms. By sharing her insights, she hopes to give Latinas a roadmap to claim their seats at the table. “If you don’t know where to go, it’s impossible to figure out how to get there,” she says.

The Road to the Boardroom

Getting onto a for-profit corporate board isn’t an overnight achievement, but it’s not an unattainable dream either. People often think you need to be a CEO or have a certain type of background, but that’s one of the biggest myths about boards in Molina Niño’s experience. What they’re really looking for is expertise — whether that’s in finance, marketing, sustainability, or even technology. If you have that expertise, you’re already an asset. It’s simply a matter of which road you should take.

Understanding what boards are and how they operate is key to unlocking opportunities. For-profit boards serve as the governing body for companies, overseeing direction and financial stability, and guiding CEOs and executives in decision-making. But Molina Niño emphasizes that not all for-profit boards are created equal.

“There are two kinds [of for-profit boards] [...]. There’s the publicly traded business board and then, on the privately held side, there are, I would argue, two types of boards [...] the traditional business board and the venture-backed business board,” explains Molina Niño. Traditional businesses are often family-owned or long-established and may only form boards to meet requirements, like securing financing or transitioning through an ESOP. Venture-backed boards, on the other hand, are typically filled by investors who hold major stakes in the company.

According to Molina Niño, understanding the difference between them is how you can create a successful strategy. With publicly traded business boards, the whole world is privy to them, so, “The way that you get in there is a little bit more transparent. Sometimes those publicly traded companies will hire a recruiter to help them find new board members,” explains Molina Niño. For private companies, on the other hand, there’s no legal requirement to make announcements. As a result, most people don’t know anything about them or their inner workings.

“Usually what happens in traditional businesses that don’t have venture-capital investments is that the Founders, Executives, or the board members, if one existed already, they usually go to their friends,” and people they deem experienced to fill board seats. In other words, it’s the founder’s decision, and that’s an entirely different approach than hiring recruiters. When it comes to venture-backed business boards, the seats on the board are filled by whichever investor writes the biggest check.

This is why an understanding of the different types of boards and acknowledgment of their own strengths is what will help Latinas define a sound strategy. Whether that’s working with a recruiter, networking and connecting with founders to build trust, or making the biggest investment.

The Path for Latinas

For Molina Niño, the key to getting more Latinas into corporate boardrooms is education. Knowing what a board looks like and how it functions is how you can position yourself to get on it. In openly talking about this, without the mystique it’s usually shrouded in, Molina Niño is providing women, especially Latinas, with invaluable insights. “If we had Latinas understanding what are the three types of for-profit boards I think that, on their own, they would be able to figure out what their best chance is and adjust their careers to make themselves more competitive,” states Molina Niño.

When asked about the impact of increased Latina representation in boardrooms, Molina Niño flips the narrative. “Boards don’t help Latinas by offering them seats; Latinas help businesses thrive by being on their boards,” she says. “The whole point of sitting on a board is that you have experience and expertise, and as Latinas, you also have some cultural experience that everyone wants. [...] At the end of the day, we [Latinas] have to realize that we have a ton to offer and we have to be selective about where we put that expertise,” she explains.

As demand for access to the Latina consumer rises, Molina Niño predicts that more Latinas will find themselves recruited into boardrooms. But she’s not content to sit back and wait for that moment. By openly sharing her journey and insights, she’s making sure other Latinas know their worth and have the tools to claim their place at the table. “I realized that quietly being on boards that helped me personally is not helping other Latinas. [...] I was lucky enough to have friends who could advise me and share their experiences, so that’s why I’m doing this,” she stated.

With Hispanic Heritage Month as the backdrop, Nathalie Molina Niño’s mission is clear: “My goal is just to give Latinas enough information so they can make a plan for how to eventually get on a board that they’re paid to be on and that will eventually help them build generational wealth.”

flags of latin american countries fly behind performers wearing culturally traditional clothing

Ever noticed how September in Latin America is just one big celebration? As we wave goodbye to summer and avoid winter as long as we can, the streets come alive with parades, music, and festivities. Many Latin American countries celebrate their freedom this month, commemorating their hard-fought battles for independence from colonial domination. Let’s dive into these significant days and understand what makes each unique.

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