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On a hot summer night in Santa Ana, California, I'm at a sports bar.

Most Sunday nights, this bar is filled with men drinking beers watching basketball or football.

But this Sunday, the bar is filled with women in their twenties and thirties.

The competition they're about to watch is about love watching our Love Island watch Party.

You've taken the initiative because you know everybody likes you to go watch these sports games, like this is our sports game.

This is mar She and four of her girlfriends organize the event and it's packed with Love Island fans, mostly Latinas, waiting to watch their favorite Latino couple who they voted for, win the one hundred thousand dollars prize.

The show for those who did not spend upwards of forty hours watching the cultural phenomenon of the summer.

In a gist, it's a reality dating show where singles called Islanders me in a secluded villa in Fiji that is filmed and monitored at all times.

Islanders must couple up or they are in danger of being dumped from the island.

New islanders called Bombshells are introduced throughout the game.

Their goal is to couple up at the risk of other relationships.

In the end, four couples make it to the finale and back at the bar.

There was a clear favorite to win.

Who are you ruining for tonight?

Amaya Ye see Mamaya and Brian.

Amaya's gonna win?

Amaya Espinai, the twenty five year old nurse from New York City and Brian Arenalis, the twenty eight year old from Boston.

People had their hearts set on them, but honestly, mostly Amaya.

She's Afro Latina Dominican and did I forget to say gorgeous?

I love Mayamia Papaya.

If she could just win the one hundred k by herself, that'd be perfect, But fans have endearingly nicknamed her Amaya Papaya.

My Papaya let's really started end of attle.

Like one person just said.

It, everybody started seeing it, and I'm like, you know what, I like papayas anyways, so why not.

She's a bit silly.

She sings to herself, calls everyone babe.

Oh it was perfect, and Nepa said I didn't and flos.

She also says what's on her mind?

Guess what.

I'm just not your cup of tea to be drinking, so don't drink it.

The audience really connected with her, just like the people at the watch party.

I would just she reminds me so much of my best friends.

I feel like she's been the most genuine.

And I just love that she had her heart on her seat a whole time.

I also related to Amaya, who doesn't sing to themselves.

So admittedly I wasn't at this watch party just for work.

I mean yes, but I'm also a fan of the show.

I wanted Amya to win.

The watch party had a good vibe, but if you weren't looking for it, you might have not felt the slight tension in this room full of latinas of a Maya's possible win.

It would be nice to see a Latina winter, especially in this career.

We need this, We need a Latino to win.

This was mid July, and it's been a scary time for Latinos in southern California because look at who's our president, look at all of this.

Heye, we need people to come together and be like, no, the cutest couple is a Latino couple, because they really are.

And then the moment everyone in the room was waiting.

For, so finally he.

Amaya Papaya won and the room exploded.

How do you.

Amazing?

They're the first Latino couple to win Love Island USA.

I'm so glad they won.

The only up well that actually had a really good love connection.

How are you gonna celebrate?

Shots Shots.

Today nights from Futuro Media.

It's Latino USA.

I'm Mariaojosa.

Oh wait a second, I am not on Love Island.

Let's try this again today on Latino USA.

As we approach the reunion episode of Love Island USA, I sit down with culture thinkers and critics and fans of the show to understand the ups and downs of Latinos and Latinas on the most important reality dating show of the moment.

Welcome to Love Island USA.

Season seven.

This streaming reality show is the second most popular TV show in the United States according to NILS and Ratings, and it's not on any conventional TV channel.

This season, a record breaking eighteen million people across the country watched the first Latino and Latina couple win Love Island USA.

Oh my, here's the truth.

Before I introduced my guests, my adult children and their partners watched Love Island and I would walk by the show and I would just be like, this is ridiculous.

Why are you watching this?

And then I felt like I needed to understand what was going on, and so here we are and joining us as part of the eighteen million people who were watching it is journalist and comedian tes Garcia.

Hey, Tess, Welcome to the show.

Ola.

Thank you for having me to discuss what I have lovingly called my nine to ten in lieu of my nine to five for the entire summer.

I'm super excited.

Oh my god, that really is appointment television if I've ever heard of it.

Juliana Apache is creator of Black Crossword.

Juliana, Welcome to the show.

Thank you so much for having me.

I'm so excited to talk about my favorite show of all time, and.

Yes we hear it.

Let you know us say we have our own reality TV expert.

It's great to have you as not only a producer, but a guest on this segment.

Monica, Hi Maria, Hi Tests, Hi Leanna.

It's going to be exciting.

We're going to get texts right now.

This is a reality show where people are secluded on the island of Fiji and occasionally they get a text from the outside world.

And that's why it's a big deal.

I got a test Islander.

But each of you have credentials, you have actually thought about the show.

Test.

Tell us what's your kind of relationship to TV and reality TV.

My relationship with the reality TV in particular began as a working relationship.

I have done marketing consulting for social media for networks like HBO, So say we were doing marketing for the Last of Us, we still wanted to tap into the Love Island conversation because they were at similar times, and so it was one of those things where it was like I had.

To know what was going on on Love Island.

It was just a matter of do you or do you not know what's going on on Latino social media?

And that is your job and Latino social media, as we know, we over index on everything in this country because we are the predominant consuming population and continue to grow that men Love Island, especially as we got to know our dear contestants who have brought us everything from scandal that needs to be addressed to some of the most hall of fame one.

Liners that I have ever seen on reality TV.

I'm a mommy, mommy, I'm a mom Mamaita.

Now I'm a mommy, a.

Mom of what a dog like a human child?

Juliana, tell us a little bit about your relationship to reality television.

Yeah, I'm a reality TV veteran, so I love New York, Flavor of Love.

All of those kind of burn.

Me into this reality TV addiction and then in adulthood.

I love Love Island specifically for the way that you get to see these interactions that don't necessarily feel as forrest as other reality TV shows, because, let's say, something like a Real Housewives, the cameras are very visible to all of the people that they are recording, whereas in Love Island, I feel like psychologically it's very interesting.

In terms of social dynamics, it's super interesting.

I feel like it can potentially make people better and more self reflective.

All right, Resident expert at Lati Garcia.

Your deep relationship to reality television?

Oh Man, Mike, who Lena.

I'm a veteran.

I started off with the Surreal Life that turned into Flavor of Love, Charm School Rock of Love.

Oh my, people do not.

Act the same on reality TV.

Is completely different now, Like people are not taking off their tops and ignoring the cameras.

You know.

Now it's a little bit more rehearsal, a little bit more buttoned up, a little bit more corporate.

Oh my god, I feel overwhelmed.

But yeah, I hadn't watched the show then because I didn't realize the gravity of what was happen.

Mean, I binged it in a matter of I don't know, it was it ten days or something.

I binged the entire season.

That's an extreme sport.

It was absolutely an extreme sport.

I see it that way, Tess, you actually wrote a piece for Refinery twenty nine.

The title of the piece love Island usas Amaya and Brian represent the Latine love story we really needed.

And so just again for people who did not watch in the end, a show that is not always been really inclusive and representative.

On this season, you have two Latinos who end up falling in love and it feels special, Tess.

What made it so special with Amaya, who's Dominican and Brian and who is Guatemala and Puerto Rican.

I'm Brian, I do real estate and I also bartend nightclubs.

If you hate me, that's a youth cower fan.

It was really a perfect storm.

We had Amaya come in as a bombshell episode for people didn't really know how to feel about her in the context of this siloed villa.

We quickly got to no one love her and all of her Amaya isms, like calling the villa a bag of skittles.

This is like a bags of skittles.

There's different flavors, different backgrounds, different connections.

America fell fast and hard for Amaya.

When we come back, there were a lot.

Of memes about all of the Latina representation.

People were calling it Rubbian Island and the real in reality, you were just reminded that actually our world is not as shiny.

As beautiful, as progressive as we think it is.

Stay with us, yes, hey, we're back.

And before the break we were speaking with Juliana pache Tes Garcia and mont Moralis Garcia about how one Latina on Love Island USA one America's heart.

Now we're going to get into the USA franchise of the show and how it differs from the UK original and how race plays into all of it.

Let's get back to the conversation.

So the British original Love Island UK was never explicitly targeted to non white audiences, but Love Island USA has become increasingly more racially diverseed.

This is a point of discussion for a lot of people in a point of analysis.

Juliana, Yeah, you know, I was a very religious UK Love Island watcher.

It took me a long time to get on the USA train.

So I started with season six and I do think that they had intentions to diversify for sure, and I think that paid off.

And I think season six had such incredible breakout stars with such infectious personalities, and I think they just struck gold.

And then in season seven, obviously they doubled down.

There were a lot of memes about all of the Latina representation on the show, from Amaya to Andreina.

To Shelley, Caribbean Island was the name of the game.

I feel like people were calling it Caribbean Island.

Yes, totally, and it makes sense, I guess, from a marketing standpoint and from a reach standpoint to have audiences that feel like they can identify with these figures.

So, Monica, I'm just wondering if you were a fan of a Maaya.

She wasn't part of the original group.

That's why she's called a bombshell.

She sent in to disrupt any couplings that may have happened.

Were you a fan from the very beginning?

I have to admit I wasn't a Maya papayas stand from the beginning me either.

Girl.

I'm with you because when you watch these shows, you want to be with the Ogs.

I wanted to stand Shelley Landria Hooda.

That's like such a big plot of the show.

You want the Ogs to win, you want to see them at the finale, and you want to watch their love story.

But where are the pledges of love?

The men need to be making more pancakes and yearning.

We need yearning, we need like on your knees in the rain.

There is none of that exactly, And honestly, I have a hot take.

I think that the only reason why the men cook breakfast for them in the morning is because production probably says, be productive and do something because the women have to get ready, so you have this thirty minute window, like make a pancake.

Okay, morning guy.

Let's get back to Amaya.

Though she wasn't an original cast member, she was a bomb show.

Praise Yourselves.

Abroad, your popshells capturing the Fella.

So when Amaya came in, I just I felt like she could come, she could go.

But when we'd see Love Island form in the formula, we saw she ended up becoming a star.

And she has so much personality, and she has so much spunk and flavor, and she's so clever with her little sayings.

I feel free.

I feel like I could fly like the pigeons back in New York City.

I do love the fact that you all are like these super smart journalists and writers, and that you're actually talking about a TV show like, oh, they're really in love.

It is funny.

And that's why I would say to my kids, I'm like, you, guys, it's not real.

But this season also brought some interesting elements to the conversation.

There were a couple of other Latina contestants, both of them removed this season for past use of racist language online.

This girl saying the inward.

There's literally a podcast of her saying the inward.

There's been a lot of stuff circulating online about Sierra and her racist c slur that she said.

Both of them are Latina.

It really brought to the four the way we talk and the words we choose.

And then even beloved Amaya Papaya is being talked about like is she maga?

Has she internalized racism, internalized oppression, et cetera, et cetera.

Amaya has now deleted or deactivated her Facebook account from back in twenty fourteen after some old problematic post resurface.

This is the first one.

It's titled facts about skin colors.

The next one they found Amaya like this picture of Trump and Milania celebrating very anniversary.

Juliana.

Let's get into this.

I wasn't surprised at all by any of the Islanders.

I mean, I give everybody the benefit of the doubt.

So when Unissa entered the villa, I was like, Okay, she's white, Cuban, she's from Miami.

I could make assumptions, but I'm not going to and mind you, my mother's side is from Cuba, so I have direct experience and the same thing with Amaya.

I know that she's Dominican, She's clearly Afro Dominican, she's light skinned Sierra.

I had nothing to go off of.

I had no preconceived notions there.

But yeah, when I saw all of these things resurfaced, I was very disappointed in the A Maya News because I was standing for her so hard.

She's so lovable in so many ways.

What I will say is ninety nine percent of us who were on Facebook at fourteen years old, I curiously did a deep dive on my own.

I was like, what's on here?

From two thousand and you know, Sequadan, you like.

I looked at my wall.

There are people from my middle school calling me Mexican.

I'm Argentine, and they're saying it as a joke, and I'm like, oh Jesus, and is not to excuse the.

Actions of a fourteen year old who has autonomy.

It's just we've never lived this before.

Mondy Gott, how did it hit you?

I think it's the thing about reality TV, particularly with Love Island, the racial diversity of the cast is how we've progressed in how we understand TV, who gets to be on TV, who's represented.

But on the flip side of that, it also shows how conservative we are, and it is such a tough thing to watch, I think, especially when you love the characters, you are just reminded that actually our world is not as shiny, as beautiful, as progressive as we actually think it is.

That all of that baggage comes with us, and it comes with us in reality TV.

We'll be right back after a quick break.

Let's jump back into the conversation.

So, Mornica, can you talk a little bit about the importance of the gender dynamics because I think here in this group a lot of progressive thought, but some who would say it's just really so objectifying of women's bodies.

Okay, also men, but the women were much prettier than the men.

I'm sorry, I agreed, it's true.

It's actually ridiculous.

I feel like the men were personality hires.

I didn't think they were attractive until the end.

That's being kind of Monica.

What personality.

I won't say they were a chop, but chop was there.

I'll say it if you don't it was a chop, Yeah, especially for the women being just gorgeous like Shelley gorgeous, Landria.

Stunning, like model.

By the way, what is a chop?

I'm sorry, Yeah, let's come back to chop.

It's like we don't see the potential here, like there's no potential for anything good to come of this, like we're looking away essentially.

But yeah, the gender dynamics are essential to the show.

The show is about men and women and them coming together.

But also so I think there's a queer lens that can be read into the women there.

There's one season of Love Island where a woman chose a woman to couple up with, and like, it changes the dynamics, and it's like just explodes the show.

It doesn't have wiggle room for people to be queer.

If a man went in there and he was bisexual, I think it would irrupt the villa.

All right, So I want to go back for a moment, Tess.

Yes, let's talk about the original couple.

Right on my Epapie and Brian, you wrote about this particular moment, and I'm wondering if you can tell us more about Brian and his masculinity on Love Island, USA.

Yes, we see him on the day that the families surprised the islanders by showing.

Up the Fiji.

In real life, Brian's dad comes up and shows him a video call from his mom.

Oh Akita mami, the Mandan and Brian person at yours.

I am so happy that we appreciate your day.

My mom is my best friend.

It's no she's proud and everything just meant the world for me.

And he's a big, tall dude huge.

I think he's like what six' four DID i?

CHECKED i don't.

Know he is easy on the, eye he is does he.

Needs to shave up the beard and, maybe But i'm not.

Not but, yeah his dad was clearly emotional as, well and to see the father son bond between Two latino men being openly, emotional WHERE i do think there is a an irony of much small being about men not showing emotion when we all know, Here i'm sure The latino men are hella.

Emotional they might not know, it but they.

Are but this was emotion in a more vulnerable sense THAN i think ANY i had ever seen a reality show from A latino, man especially not a young heterosexual Presumably latino man being portrayed in this truly hetero, lens like he missed his, Mom like.

Who among this.

Wouldn't, yeah this is like a family reunion here that.

Everybody i'm, Wondering, monica how you understand, this because on the one, HAND i was binge watching this while at the same TIME i was watching mass deportation protests By latinos And latinas In la taking back their.

City the constant attacks against folks, everywhere.

Raids are making some people afraid to go to work or even drive around in their.

Community SENA nna has long been home to immigrant, families and people tell me that having The National guard stationed here isn't helping.

Either and it's like both things are happening at the same, Time like popular culture is celebrating This Latino latina, couple while at the same, time people from The Dominican republic and From guatemala are being taken away from this.

COUNTRY i was.

At the watch party and there was Still National guard.

Outside there's also a bunch of ice out Of, la ice out of Oc like all of that is happening literally bright side of the, bar and then you come into the bar And it's like it's just a bunch Of latinas in there screaming For, Amaya papaya And.

Brian there's like a lot of nuance to like the Person amaya is right and the latina's on the show and who they are and how Much latini does.

Sucks but there also is all this joy happening in this bar and at the same Time ice is.

Outside that to me is.

Confounding it shows the sort of resiliency we have in our communities that we can still find joy even in times where our communities are being, abducted and it's something that we have to hold on.

To Maybe Love island didn't expect to have that kind of, moment BUT i think that many of the people WHO i talked to in the bar like that's how they were.

FEELING i love the fact that we've gotten so deeply political in the conversation Around Love.

Island and Now i'm going to end with a non political.

Question there is going to be A Love island.

Reunion it's happening In New.

York so what do we, Know?

Tess so we know that historically the whole original cast has shown.

Up this, season we had E lisa eliminated What day, Two night two for the comments she, made and we have course Had sierra's sudden elimination from the villa as, well and those were both original cast.

Members they had a trillion.

Bombshells what does that mean for this humongous group of people who could be on this huge couch being interrogated By Andy cohen And Ariana.

Mannix i'm got.

SURE i have great love for A landria And Amaya.

Papaya there's a lot to talk about.

With, Her, Morniguatt what are you expecting to be, Honest i'm not expecting.

MUCH i feel Like Andy cohen will probably play softball with everything that we've talked.

About i'm not sure If amaya's will be addressed just because she is the star of the.

Show BUT i MEAN i think it's going to get juicy.

THOUGH i, mean aside some all of the drama and the rather exhausting racial politics of, EVERYTHING i do think that it's going to be a fun and very interesting.

REUNION i think we'll probably get memes out of.

It all, Right well for, Now, Juliana, tess And, monica thank you so much for the.

CONVERSATION i feel Smarter, Ish we appreciate.

It thank you so, Much thank, You thank.

YOU.

Da that was journalist and comedian Tes, garcia creator Of Black, Crossword Juliana pache And LATINO usa Producer Moralis.

Garcia this episode was produced By Monica Morales.

Garcia it was edited by our managing Editor Fernanda.

Echavari it was mixed By Stephanie.

Lebau The LATINO usa team also Includes Broxi, Naguire Julia, Caruso Jessica, Ellis Renaldo Lanoz, Junior Andrea Lopez, Gruzsado Luis, luna Dorimr, Marquez Julieta, Martinelli Marta, MARTINEZ Jj, carubin And Nancy.

Trujillo our intern Is Diego, Perdomo, Benni leiramirez.

AND i are co executive, producers And i'm your Host maria Ino.

Josa LATINO usa is part Of Iheart's michaultura podcast.

Network executive producers THAT I heart Are Leo gomez And Arlene.

Santana join us again on our next.

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