by Chester Wilson III
Warning: This post contains spoilers
The high school prom on Freeform’s television drama “The Fosters” was definitely a night to remember. From Marianna’s first lip-lock with her brother’s “ex” girlfriend, to Immigration’s Customs Enforcement (ICE) ending the night in car chases and arrest warrants, this finale is definitely looking to incite a reaction.
Ximena Sinfuego, an art student by day, roller derby captain by night, ends the night of a high school prom seeking protection from ICE in a local church. Following an impassioned speech on the political wrongdoings of the government in response to newly forming, exclusionary immigration laws, Ximena outs herself as undocumented.
Unfortunately, Callie doesn’t stay until the end of the speech. Listening to her gut, Callie senses the overall tone of the crowd, and leaves to avoid the hostility, and the chance that she might be arrested and be sent back to juvenile detention. Ximena stands by her decision to out herself in front of a less-than-satisfied crowd. The scene ends with the two seeking asylum in a church with the police hot on their trail.
Paralleling the reality many immigrants face today, Ximena’s storyline isn’t one that we normally see on TV. The representation of immigrants, especially those negatively affected by laws that threaten to deport them, is left out of most modern media.
Fortunately, this isn’t the first time “The Fosters” has given the topic of immigration some screen time. Early in season two, a classmate of Callie’s was outed as being an illegal immigrant and was forced to return to Argentina.
“The Fosters” has always promised to spark conversations about human rights and give screen time to underrepresented groups. Season two featured the youngest same-sex kiss in the television history. The show’s main characters include a lesbian couple with adopted children, including twins from a drug-abusing household, a piano prodigy from a previous marriage, and an adopted pair of siblings from the foster system.
This show is revolutionary.
