Representation

 In the Netflix original, One Day At A Time (2017-2020), there are several patterns in representation throughout the show, some more visible and easier to analyze than others. You can spot them in the types of clothes worn by the characters in the show, the way they speak, and the types of stereotypes shown and/or addressed. The main characters are all a part of a Hispanic family but we'll focus on the grandma, Lydia, and her daughter, Elena. For some background, Lydia is a widowed elderly woman who sought refuge in America when she was a little girl as there was a revolution in Cuba at the time. Elena is one of her grandchildren and she's a teenage girl who has two separated parents and accidentally pushed away her father when coming out as a lesbian. 

There is a complete difference between the construction of Lydia and Elena's outfits throughout the entire show. Lydia tends to wear more traditional and colorful clothing and more accessories such as bracelets, necklaces, earrings, etc. This type of appearance demonstrates that Lydia cares about the way she presents herself as she grew up in a time where beauty was more significant than in today's time. Elena, on the other hand, is usually seen wearing her Catholic school uniform which is her blue polo and a darker blue skirt which is a complete contrast to her character in general. Elena doesn't like religion as she thinks it's controlling and she also dislikes wearing extremely feminine clothing as she believes they're too gender specific, all of which represents teenage rebellion, a typical stereotype for teenagers in media. The contrast between these two characters in their appearances is also seen in other aspects such as their language, opinions, beliefs.

Since Lydia originally lived in Cuba for most of her childhood, her first language is Spanish and she learned English when she moved but remained with a strong Hispanic accent while Elena is the complete opposite of her as she grew up in America, first learned English then Spanish, and has an American accent. Their way of language isn't always referring to the way they sound as it also means the words and tones they use. Lydia and Elena usually are on opposites sides of several topics such as quinces, religion, elections, gender societal roles, etc and it's obvious which one of their viewpoint is more traditional (Lydia's) and which is more modern (Elena's). Elena usually complains about a lot of important and debatable things, another common teenage stereotype, and Lydia tends to counter her by standing her ground and speaking up about her opinion, a typical trait among the elderly who are seen as wise and authoritative. The constant mentioning of culture and traditions from Lydia during an argument between her and Elena can also be seen as a way of de-centering as Elena has to try and make her point to her religious traditional grandmother who, at times, makes points that cause Elena to reconsider hers.

Though it's common for people of the LGBTQ+ to be religious, it's a common stereotype that gay people are atheist/against God and Elena is represented as that rebellious teenager who believes God/religion isn't important and cannot be seen for more than what it is; faith. Lydia is a very religious Hispanic woman as most older people are and she constantly refers to God and his power, creations, etc. and tends to try to push it onto her family, another stereotype that is associated with Hispanic grandmothers. Another common stereotype in media that both Lydia and Elena share is the verbal aggression that Hispanic women share as the both of them have very strong beliefs and ideas and aren't afraid to speak up and be loud about it. More recently, it's been common for younger characters in films to be more "woke," meaning more open and informed on important and/or debatable topics as Elena's teenage character definitely is as she is always bringing up certain arguments regarding politics or society and problematic issues that are controversial. The two of these characters have their same and different stereotypes and they can observed all throughout their different interactions with each other and others as well.