The Evolution of Telenovelas Through the Years

screengrabs from telenovelas across the years: catalina creel from cuna de lobos, betty la fea and don armando, la casa de las flores and

Telenovelas - they are as Latino as it gets. For just about every first or second-generation American Latino immigrant, they are a part of those formative years that remain core memories forever.

Yes, these sometimes melodramatic, often over-the-top, but always captivating TV series have carved out a piece of our corazón, and they're here to stay.


Where do Tele-Novelas Originate?

Promotional image of the Mexican telenovela "Senda Prohibida"

Image credit: IMDb

Imagine it's the 1950s. Rock 'n' roll is still in its infancy, Marlon Brando is considered a heartthrob, and the TV is rapidly replacing the radio as the primary source of home entertainment. Now, let's take that black-and-white picture and add a dash of Latino flavor. In this exciting era, the first telenovelas were born, most notably in Cuba, and Mexico. Essentially, they were radio soap operas with a Latin twist, gaining the 'tele' when they made their way to television.

Early Days of Telenovelas

Promotional image of the Mexican telenovela 'El Derecho de Nacer'

Image credit: IMDb

Radio Caracas Television, launched in Cuba in 1953, was the pioneer in this field, with "El derecho de nacer" hitting the airwaves and stealing hearts. But the torch didn't stay in Cuba for long. It passed to Mexico in the late 1950s, where Televisa, then known as Telesistema Mexicano, began producing their own television-based novelas.

Mexico's Televisa kicked things off in a grand style, with the 1958 melodrama "Senda Prohibida." This telenovela introduced us to all the elements that make our beloved genre what it is today: intrigue, drama, unrequited love, and yes, plenty of slap-happy moments.

Who needs to talk out their problems when you can just slap your way through them, right? All jokes aside, we have to admit many of the most popular tropes definitely wouldn't fly nowadays, and there’s also a case to be made about whether or not telenovelas have led us to view toxic relationship behaviors as normal. But history is history, and to know where we’re going, we have to know where we came from.

The Rise of Social Issues in Telenovelas

Promotional image of the Mexican telenovela 'Mar\u00eda, la del barrio'

Image credit: Televisa

Over the decades, telenovelas have evolved in pace with our society. In the '70s, Televisa continued its reign with "El Derecho de Nacer," marking a shift towards addressing social issues, from poverty and racism to women's rights. This trend continued in the '80s and '90s, giving us gems like "Rosa Salvaje" and "Maria la del Barrio," some of the best telenovelas of all time if you ask us, with our beloved Thalía demonstrating that a “poor” girl can indeed make good (and look fabulous while doing it).

Telenovelas in the 2000s

Promotional image of the Colombian telenovela 'El Cartel de los Sapos'

Image credit: IMDb

In the 2000s, telenovelas began exploring more complex themes and diverse storytelling. And let's not forget the explosion of the narco-novela, featuring tales of drug cartels, led by the notorious "El Cartel de los Sapos." Because who needs regular bad guys when you can have morally ambiguous, drug-dealing antiheroes?

How Telenovelas Shape Latino Culture and Identity

Promotional image of the Colombian telenovela 'Yo Soy Betty, La Fea'

Image credit: Canal RCN

For us Latinas, telenovelas are more than just our guilty pleasure. They're a reflection of our lives, our hopes, our dreams, and yes, sometimes even our over-the-top family drama. They've played a crucial role in shaping Latino culture and identities, offering representation on screen in an industry where we've often been marginalized. Let's face it, where else are you going to see abuela's advice played out on screen, or find a character who understands your Spanglish lifestyle?

Plus, they've been a significant cultural export, spreading the Latino spirit worldwide. Telenovelas like "Yo Soy Betty, La Fea," the charmingly ugly duckling story, have been adapted in various languages, from Vietnam to India to the U.S. (remember "Ugly Betty"?). And who can forget the global phenomenon of "La Usurpadora" or "Rebelde," inspiring both fashion trends and countless teenage dreams?

The New Era

Promotional image of the telenovela 'La Casa de las Flores'

Image credit: Netflix

Fast forward to today, telenovelas aren’t just surviving, they're thriving and evolving in ways we never imagined. Are they still relevant? Claro que sí! But they're not your abuela's telenovelas anymore. With the advent of popular streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime, they've gone global and digital, reaching millions.

These platforms have given telenovelas a facelift. Netflix's "La Casa de las Flores" and Amazon's "De Viaje con los Derbez" have introduced a whole new generation to the genre, combining traditional storytelling with modern themes and production values.

And with the trend of binge-watching, the classic telenovela format has been revamped. Instead of waiting for the nightly episode with bated breath (and dodging spoilers the next day), viewers can now consume a whole season in one sitting. Because who needs sleep when you have drama, right?

Telenovelas Keep Their Core

Promotional image of the Mexican telenovela 'Mar\u00eda, la del barrio'

Image credit: Televisa

But don't worry, despite the changes, they haven't lost their essence. They're still about us - our struggles, our triumphs, our laughter, our tears. Streaming has just widened the stage, allowing the world to appreciate the beauty, richness, and diversity of our Latino culture. And let's face it, it's about time the world caught up.

Telenovelas have come a long way, from their humble black-and-white beginnings to today's HD, binge-worthy series. They have captured our hearts, shaped our culture, and occasionally, taught us how not to solve our problems (again, enough with the slapping!). Their evolution mirrors our own, and their continued success is a testament to our collective power as Latinas, both on-screen and off.

So, here's to telenovelas, the heart, and soul of our shared Latine experience. Whether we're watching a rerun of "Marimar" or the latest Netflix adaptation, we'll always be ready for the next plot twist, or the next dramatic revelation because that’s the Latine way.


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Have you ever met someone who seems overly confident, self-centered, or even downright rude? Maybe they constantly talk about themselves, disregard your feelings, or even manipulate situations to their advantage. And, if you're anything like us and countless other Latinas, you might've thought, is this person just a purebred a**hole, or are they a narcissist?

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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.”

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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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