A Chingona in Media: Interview with Tanya Saracho
Panocha Zine (*): In your career, you've made it almost your mission to develop projects that help elevate the voices of Latine creators. From Teatro Luna, to ALTA, and now Ojalá. Why is it so important for you to create these spaces for the Latine community to explore their creative endeavors?
Tanya Saracho: Yes, it's not "almost" my mission -- it is my sole purpose in this industry. And I'm not just saying that, in action and practice, it's what has always been my primary interest. From the first steps I took in my career after college, I've dedicated myself to either telling our stories or providing a platform to tell our stories. Even when it was just producing a one-off on a borrowed stage in Chicago, to now that I am having a little bit more access; the aim has always been to reclaim the narratives of Latinidad that have been missing from the field and to empower Latines to tell them -- to tell our own story, our stories. The reason why it's so important is simple, it's because I exist. I count. So, Latines count. And we need to see our contribution to culture and society and to the fabric of this country, and right now, those narratives are missing from the media. We've been missing for the 120 years that Hollywood has been in existence and it affects how we are perceived generally, so it becomes the radical imperative to fight for our stories and storytellers.
(*): Talking about community. For a lot of us community is where we find the support that pushes us forth in following our dreams and many times they are the ones helping us through our lives. In your life and career, how has Comadrehood helped you get where you are now?
TS: I would be nowhere if it wasn't for the sisterhood -- the Comadrehood, that you're maybe talking about -- from the beginning of my career with Teatro Luna, to how I staffed my room in Vida, the power of that safety and nurturing has always lifted me up and given me courage. And I use the term "sisterhood" inclusively.
(*): Vida was a show that helped a lot of us feel seen. Every cosita in that show was so carefully curated to tell a story that felt very real to a lot of us Latine folk. It shows how much creative freedom you and your team had to tell these stories. How did it feel like to have that amount of creative freedom and how is this influencing your decisions moving forward?
TS: Vida me malacostumbro! It was magical to have that much freedom to craft the exact story we wanted to craft, with the authenticity it required and fully supported by the network. It was a luxury, especially given the current Television industry climate that is so based on fears, and biased guesses, and mandates. I was given such a gift and I don't think I realized it at the time. We will see how my next projects will fare in that regard, I'm still in the beginning stages of them. Even though Vida wasn't that long ago, it was basically a lifetime ago when it comes to how TV development has changed or is changing. First of all, there was a global pandemic that first galvanized the industry to be more inclusive but which has now reverted to a more risk-averse mentality. It just makes me appreciate the experience I had with Vida a whole lot more.
(*): What would your tía advice be for a young Latine creator who wants to follow in your footsteps and seek a career in media?
TS: Don't listen to your parents. This is what I mean by that, a lot of the time it's our own family, our most beloved, who tells us we can't do it, that whole adage of "calladita te ves mas bonita," or to go the safe route. They're doing it because they care and they want us to be okay, to thrive, and to not go without. They know that these creative careers -- donde te lo juegas todo -- are very risky. But don't listen. Still do it, go for it, juegatela. Bet on yourself even if it seems nuts. And it will seem nuts for a while, even to yourself. But all that locura will be worth it in the end.