Ten Years Later, ‘Ugly Betty’ Continues to Inspire Me
(Originally published on Jan. 11, 2017)
During college, I was not great at keeping up with television shows, mainly because I didn't have cable or the time. Within the first few months of moving back home from college, I had all the time in the world. I decided to take television more seriously because I had so much to catch up on.
However, I couldn't find anything remotely interesting and found myself continuously scrolling through Netflix. Then I stumbled upon Ugly Betty. I remember watching the first season when it first aired in 2006, but for some reason I never finished watching Betty Suarez work her fashion magic at Mode, the fictional fashion magazine she worked for. I decided to start watching it and see how much I remembered of the first season. I ended up finishing all four seasons in a very short amount of time.
I fell in love with Betty Suarez even more than I did in 2006. When I first watched Ugly Betty, I was only twelve years old. I was still growing and learning, not really sure of who I was, the impact my culture had on my identity, and how much I would accomplish. Ten years later, Betty Suarez's character embodied all of those things I identified so closely with and more. Betty Suarez was a proud Latina, famously flaunting her Guadalajara poncho on her first day of work at Mode. She was a college-educated, hard-working, and passionate writer. She was sharp and witty. She was a genuinely good person who loved her friends fiercely and her family even more. She was confident in her own skin, even when so many people tried to bring her down. She was unapologetic about her fashion choices, never shying away from a smile even with braces at age 23. She was a Latina who dreamed big even though she came from humble beginnings.
Betty Suarez was a normal girl who had all the odds against her but was still able to persevere and work her way up at Mode. Most importantly, Betty was a genuine person. She never belittled anyone or stepped on toes to reach her goals. She elevated everyone around her and took on other's problems, even those who did not deserve her attention. Obviously, her success did not come overnight as she often put others first. Betty was constantly challenged throughout those four seasons. Eventually, she found her voice, discovered her potential, and decided to move to London to pursue her passion for writing. In the end, everyone at Mode realized how much they needed her. More importantly, I needed her.
As someone who had freshly graduated from college and working in her first 'real world' job, it was undeniable how much stress I felt. I often sought encouragement from family, friends, and mentors. I realized how fortunate I was to have a job months after graduating from college, but was constantly intimidated by my position and was not fully aware of my potential. When I looked around, there weren't many people who looked like me. I was not confident in my voice within such a large company and was afraid to fail or speak up. During this time, Ugly Betty reminded me of my strengths and kept me motivated. I fell in love with Betty because she was perfect in every way it mattered. In 2006 or 2016, Betty Suarez is the perfect example of showing women we have all the potential, regardless of looks or where we come from, to go out there and take what is ours. Betty was a visual reminder that Latinas can kick ass and succeed in their professional and personal lives.
Ten years have passed, but the importance of Betty Suarez's challenges and success still create impact. Regardless of the time, these types of stories on television have and will always matter. Especially now, we need more stories like Betty's. We need to see Mexican-Americans succeed, Latinos in general portrayed positively, and families coming together and supporting one another. Betty's character is revolutionary in the sense of her rarity of all the positives traits I listed. However, women like her have existed for years and continue to be part of the fabric of America. We just can't hear them or see them. We will always need women like her because the visual representation of diverse women making an impact means so much to women like me.
