Claudia Forestieri and Brigitte Muñoz-Liebowitz serve as the creator and showrunner (respectively) of the Latin-focused comedy series for HBO Max, Gordita Chronicles, making them the first female Latinx showrunner and creator duo. The series is executive produced by Zoe Saldana and Eva Longoria.

Inspired by Claudia’s own life experience, the show centers around a Latina reporter looking back on her childhood as a chubby, willful and reluctant Dominican immigrant growing up with her eccentric family in 1980s Miami. The lighthearted series addresses themes around immigration, xenophobia, and body positivity and stars newcomer Olivia Goncalves, Diana Maria Riva, and Juan Javier Cardenas.

Claudia’s previous work for Telemundo earned her five Emmys and a GLAAD Media Award. Brigitte is known for her work on Brooklyn Nine Nine, People of Earth, and Love Life.

CLAUDIA FORESTIERI

When you immigrate, it's kind of like you're going through adolescence because you're in a new place. You feel weird in your own skin. You're learning new things. Everything is changing. You feel awkward. So that also helped us connect the adult stories to the children's stories.

BRIGITTE MUNOZ-LIEBOWITZ

I think challenges are part of every life, right? they're the things that help us grow. Adversity is a thing that helps us grow, and yes, adversity can be struggle, but it can also be educational. It can also be victorious. It can also lead you towards bigger and better things, if you accept the challenge. And I think that's such a huge part of both immigration and adolescence, and our family meets adversity with a smile, which is how I think both Claudia and I live our lives. And we try to pass that message on because that's something that's inevitable. In any life, there's adversity, and when you've got optimism on your side, when you have a positive outlook, when you keep trying and don't let people get to you, that's what ends up letting you push past and getting you towards your goals and your dreams.

To me, America is about coexisting. It's about a million different journeys happening all at once, but really it being the same journey, which is to self-actualization to be seen, to be loved. I know that's not very capitalistic or whatever, but that's what I really see, especially in the immigrant community. It's self-actualization and not just for yourself, but to create that opportunity for your progeny, for your legacy.

CLAUDIA FORESTIERI

When I think of America, what America is, it's the nation built by immigrants that continues to succeed in large part because of the influx of immigrants to this day. Sometimes I describe the United States as like a club, right? It's a wonderful club, so many people want to be a part of it, and you need new members. And immigrants are like the new members that are kind of like the born again Americans that come here, and they're the ones that believe in America the most because everything is new to them, and they've sacrificed so much to be here.

So something that I wish people could garner from this series is the fact that immigrants built this nation, and we continue co-creating this nation with those who aren't immigrants, as well.

This interview was conducted by Mia Funk and Naomi Zidon with the participation of collaborating universities and students. Associate Interviews Producer on this podcast was Naomi Zidon. Digital Media Coordinators are Jacob A. Preisler and Megan Hegenbarth. 

Mia Funk is an artist, interviewer and founder of The Creative Process & One Planet Podcast (Conversations about Climate Change & Environmental Solutions).