The hot button topic of illegal immigration reared its ugly head in Monday night’s episode of the CW’s Jane the Virgin. The episode, titled “Chapter Sixty-One,” tried to convince the viewer that “ICE agents are showing up everywhere.” If only that was the truth.
As Jane’s abuela, Alba (Ivonne Coll), throws down the Spanish language newspaper onto the kitchen table in disgust, Jane (Gina Rodriguez) laments with her about the story on “new” ICE raids. “Things are bad, I know,” says Jane. Then Jane suggests that Alba go to a march with her. Actress Gina Rodriguez herself is very active in leftist politics and was a proponent of the so-called Women's March.
Jane: Seriously, how did I find the one telenovela sex symbol that doesn't want a fling? It's not funny, Mom. Good morning.
Alba: [in Spanish] Tell me one thing that is good about it.
Jane: Mom, I got to go. Abuela, you know the rules. Only 15 minutes of newspapers a day, and never alone in your room.
Alba: [in Spanish] But did you read this? With the new ICE raids?
Jane: Yes, things are bad, I know. You should march with me.
Alba: [in Spanish] No, not me. But I admire your optimism.
The only thing new about ICE raids is that they are happening under a new pro-border wall president that the media loves to hate. There wasn't this kind of mass hysteria when it happened under the Obama Administration.
To exaggerate the point of ugly white people, there is a scene where Alba and Jorge (Alfonso DiLuca) are working in the hotel’s gift shop and a snooty white woman overhears a Hispanic woman speaking in Spanish to Jorge. She marches over to set the woman straight – this is America and we speak English here.
Alba: Is that all?
Customer: Mm-hmm.
2nd Customer: [in Spanish] Excuse me, do you sell sun tan lotion?
Jorge: [in Spanish] Yes. Right by the starfish paperweights.
Customer: This is America. You should learn how to speak English.
Alba: [in Spanish] Ay. I am sorry. I should have said something. I was just so shocked.
Latin lover narrator: We all are, Alba.
If that wasn’t in-your-face enough, Alba decides to muster up her courage and not be afraid to march with Jane. Her fear that she may lose her green card over that decision is calmed after talking to her great grandson, little Mateo. As she encourages him to speak up and talk about what is troubling him she realizes she should take her own advice.
Mateo overhears Alba and Jane talking so now unnecessary fear is placed upon his very young shoulders – he’s afraid the mean ICE agents want to kick Alba out of the country. Jane has to explain to him that his Bisa isn’t going anywhere.
Jane: So, Daddy called because he said you're upset about something.
Mateo: Yeah. Why do some people not want Bisa in this country?
Jane: Well, that's actually a really good question and a really hard question because this country was founded by people who came from all over, like your great-grandma, because they dreamed of a better life with more opportunity. But some people, well, they can't see that, and that's just a stinky, old fact.
Mateo: That is stinky.
Jane: But no one is taking Bisa away, so you don't have to worry about that at all, okay?
Mateo: Okay. Come on, Mr. Sweetface, let's go change you before bed. Kiss.
Yeah, those stinky facts. And, the law. It is disgusting to use a very young boy in this show’s virtue-shaming of people agreeing that the laws of this country should be followed and enforced. When all else fails, drag the kids into it. #Sad
At the end of this episode we learn that Alba’s boyfriend Jorge, doesn’t want to march with her and Jane because he is afraid – he’s here illegally. He claims he tried to get a green card several years ago but was caught up in a lawyer’s scam. He admits to using his cousin’s green card. Alba tells him she will march for the both of them (she got her green card in a previous season). Please. Spare me the bleeding hearts. There is no other country on earth as lenient with illegal immigrants as the United States. It is a privilege for an immigrant to be here legally, not a right for an illegal to be here.
