¿Qué pasa, U.S.A.?

Actually, this show was intended to help newly-arrived Cubans learn how to speak English. The show was in Englsih and Spanish musch like Cuban-American households. The children on the show spoke mostly English and the parents mostly Spanish. The older characters spoke as much Enmglish as they could and _wanted_ to learn English, but as we all know it is easier to learn a language when you are younger than when you are older. The fun of the show was in the way the older characters tried to deal with the younger characters in a new land and everyone's attempts at becoming American while remaining Cuban.

Like most things, the show tarnished a bit with age, but what I remember most was that this show could be watched by people who only spoke one or the other of English and Spanish, and still be enjoyed and understood.

I was in high school when this show was on PBS in the NYC area, and my father's mother was living with us. My grandmother and I were watching the show and laughing till we choked, some slapstick scene with the grandmother and the dishwasher is all I remember now, 30 yrs later. What I remember most vividly is my father walking into the TV room to find his youngest kid and his mother laughing themselves sick, over a Spanish language TV show when neither of us spoke or understood Spanish. He talked about it for days, told everyone he knew at work about it. All we could tell him was, "it was FUNNY!"

"¿Qué Pasa, U.S.A.?" is much more than a TV sitcom. It is a veritable documentary of life in 1970's Miami, before Mariel, drug wars and the information age. It provides glimpses into the many cultures that make up our city, from the obvious transplanted Cubans to the blacks to the Jews, upper and middle class (we have no lower class in Miami ;-),old and young, every character represents a familiar relative, neighbor or acquaintance. At that time, most Cubans had been in Miami for less than 20 years, and the hope of a return to a free Cuba still burned in our hearts. In a bittersweet way, that explains the strong resistance of the first generation to assimilate into the culture and the amusing conflicts between them and the second generation. With its universal themes and unique local flavor, it is a definite "must see", especially now that the entire series has been released on DVD.

This show was great, I watched the show only a few years ago, but I really enjoyed it! The grandparents were hilarious, especially Adela and her friends. Joe and Carmen were also hysterical, this show deserves 10 stars. Steven Bauer was SO young in this show but he's still gorgeous. lol Adela also had this very funny friend but I forgot her name......Carmen has a friend named Violeta that was funny too. I loved the show where they were at a funeral and Joe was picking up chicks. lol Overall it was a funny show, I wish I had began to watch it sooner. I hope they put it back on TV again.

SalsaDancer

I have to tell you that growing up in Miami when this show was new was kind of freaky as elements of character and certain episodes could have been plucked right out of my life or the life of those around me. Even being Puerto Rican (not Cuban), I felt such a kinship with the Peñas, I felt Cuban by osmosis. If it wasn't the drama of the kids' identity crisis of being American and Hispanic at the same time, it was the insane drama Papa Peña went through when they thought Joe might be gay mirrored my own coming out trauma. Still one of my favorite shows, holding its own alongside some all-time classics, despite its miniscule budget and supposedly limited appeal. I've turned on many a non-Spanish speaker onto the bilingual show and hope that more people outside of South Florida will learn about this show and it's surprisingly universal message.