As far as cultural icons in Mexican television you can’t get much bigger than Raúl Velasco and La India María. The former was the host of the huge show Siempre en Domingo, which saw stars such as Luis Miguel, Emmanuel and Timbiriche first reach the upper echelons of Latin American pop culture. His power as a gate keeper, a sort of padrino for musicians and almost all Mexican showbiz personalities in the second half of the twentieth century is unparalleled. Think of Velasco a Don Francisco a la décima potencia. On the other hand, La India María was the film persona of María Elena Velasco-Fragoso, who through her character used comedy to talk about the struggles of indigenous women in Mexico City and paisanos in Los Estates. 

Both Raúl Velasco and La India María have passed away (him in 2006, her in 2015), but this story and the echo it has generated in Spanish-speaking media revels their lasting popularity in the collective Latino memory. But we gotta remember that public figures, particularly those aligned with the Mexican media monopoly Televisa, are helped in showing their best face to the audience. Even though this story is surprising, it isn’t a complete shock.

So the bombshell news was quite surprising: a woman called Mirna Velasco claims to be their daughter.

Showbiz journalists on both sides of the border just drooled at the potential scandal. The 50-year-old woman, who lives in Los Angeles, revealed her claimed identity during the YouTube show Chisme No Like. 

Her story is quite heartbreaking and if true would make us look at her presumed biological parents in a new light.

MIrna claims that she was given away as a child and that she is product of an affair between Raúl, who was married, and María Elena. The story goes that La India María gave her baby away to one of her domestic workers. Sounds like straight out of a telenovela but stories like these are plausible and more common than one would imagine. Mirna says that her adoptive parents were “not very nice people” and that she vowed to have a large family and be different from them. If Mirna’s story is true, her biological father would have been 36 and La India Maria 29. Mirna was born on the same year that Siempre en Domingo first aired: 1969. 

¿Les da un aire a ambos? She kinda does, hey?

Mirna has eight children. She told journalist Javier Ceriani that as a teenager she would wonder why she didn’t look like her mom, so her adoptive mother told her the truth. But the truth was revealed in a horrible way: her stepdad was accused of molesting Mirna’s younger sister, and it was all revealed during the court case, according to MSN News. She never looked for her biological parents because, she was told, they didn’t want her then and didn’t want any further contact. Just wow. This makes the fact that she built a career as an actress even more amazing.

So who is Mirna Velasco? Well, she is a pretty big deal actually, a self-made Latina queen.

She is an actress and working mom. She is pretty active on Instagram, where she announced her interview and the big reveal. She has said that she doesn’t need money and is only revealing the truth to set an example for her kids. 

She is an exemplary United States Latina working hard for her community.

And she is very active in building bridges between Latino communities and the City of Los Angeles. She has even been recognized by city officials as an outstanding citizen who works to create connections. 

The Mexican Internet is heartbroken.

Raúl Velasco and La India María were the epitome of wholesome entertainment for millions of Spanish-speakers all throughout the Americas, so this story shatters the innocent public persona that was carefully tailored by both. We of course cannot confirm Mirna’s story (perhaps no one really can), but this case leaves a stain of doubt on their reputations. 

Let’s get one thing straight: we have no right to doubt her.

No one can attest to the validity of Mirna’s story unless DNA tests are conducted. If she is lying or her adoptive family gave her inaccurate information then that’s on them. But we are better than the chisme culture that doubts everyone and believes we all have the right de opinar on other people’s lives, right? So let’s not come to conclusions. It takes a lot of courage to do what Mirna did. 

We all know by now that is no “one way” to be Latinx. Latinos come in a variety of forms, from Black to white, tall to short, descended from Indigenous, African, and European populations. And while Roman Catholicism may be the dominant religion in most of Latinidad, it goes without saying that Latino culture is not a monolith. Latinos practice a variety of religions, from Islam to Buddhism to, yes, Judaism. 

And while most people don’t necessarily think of Judaism when they think of Latin America, there is, in fact, a small but proud population of Jewish Latinos who keep their culture alive through tradition and a strong sense of community. But being a part of such a small community within an already-marginalized community can feel isolating at times. Especially when there are no public role models to see yourself reflected in.

That’s why Tuesday’s news that Disney is debuting a Jewish-Latinx princess sent shock-waves through the internet. 

Walt Disney Television Animation News announced via Twitter that an upcoming Elena of Avalon episode in December would be featuring a “visiting princess” from a “Latino Jewish kingdom”.The as-yet-unnamed princess will be voiced by Jamie-Lynn Sigler, the actress famous for her portrayal of Meadow Soprano on HBO’s seminal masterpiece, “The Sopranos”. 

The Tweet also revealed that the princess would also make an appearance in Elana’s “royal coronation special” next year. Although we do not know any further details of Sigler’s character or her storyline, “Elena of Avalor” writer Rachel Ruderman gave a small preview of what’s to come. “A little over a year ago, I had the honor of writing an Elena of Avalor episode featuring Disney’s first Jewish princess,” Ruderman said via Twitter. She continued: “Jamie Lynn Sigler knocks the role out of the park (wait ’till you hear her song!) Can’t wait to share this one”.

In a move of conscious-casting on Disney’s part, Jamie Lynn Sigler herself happens to be both Latina and Jewish–a giant step for a media giant that can sometimes miss the mark with casting.

Raised by a Jewish father and a Cuban mother, Sigler grew up in New York City as part of a multicultural family.In the past, Sigler has talked about being raised Jewish–attending Hebrew school, having a Bat Mitzvah, and even going on a Birth Right trip to Israel in 2008. 

This episode can serve as an educational experience for many people (including those of Latinx descent) who are unaware that Jewish Latinos even exist. In fact, what some people might not even know, is that the term “Sephardic” (a term used to describe Jewish people of European descent) literally means “of Spain or Portuguese descent” in old Hebrew. In other words, it’s not a stretch to imagine a character of both Latin and Jewish roots on our TV screens. In fact, it’s completely historically plausible!

Naturally, both the Latinx and Jewish Twitter population is super excited at this groundbreaking news.

As we mentioned before, the acknowledgment of Jewish Latinos in popular culture is such a rarity. When the media shines a spotlight on such a marginalized group of people, the advent is worth celebrating. And even though changes are slow in the making, any progress on the representation front is a step in the right direction.

Jamie Lynn Sigler herself expressed her excitement at the news, calling to attention the novelty of her position:

Yes, it’s exciting that the Jewish Latinx population has finally gotten some princess representation, but it’s still a little bit frustrating that we had to wait until 2019 for a Jewish princess. We have a long way to go.

This Latina Jew was incredibly excited at the prospect of having the chance to see her own unique lifestyle reflected onscreen:

The self-styled “Jewyorican” is one of many New York-based Puerto-Rican Jews who identify fully with both cultures. It’s not as rare as people think.

Some Latinx Jews took to Twitter to give some suggestions on how Disney could go about bringing the new character to life:

This Hispanic Linguistics Professor suggested incorporating the ancient Judeo-Spanish language of Ladino into the show. 

This multi-cultural woman celebrated the inclusion of multiple cultures in one character:

Families like hers are the way of the future–at least according to statistics. Although many media outlets still see American families in black and white, the rest of us living our lives know that our identities are increasingly a hodgepodge of cultures. And we wouldn’t have it any other way.