Gina Rodriguez is helping Latinx voices be heard. Variety reported Wednesday that Rodriguez will develop dramas for The CW and CBS that focus on Latinx characters. The two new TV shows will be from I Can And I Will Productions, Rodriguez's production company.
Variety describes the upcoming CW show, Illegal, as a dramedy. It's inspired by the life of Rafael Agustin, a co-executive producer and writer on the show. Illegal will focus on a 16-year-old student named Rafael and his experience learning he's an undocumented immigrant in the United States. Emily Gipson, and Rodriguez herself will be executive producers on the show.
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The second drama series, CBS' Have Mercy, focuses on a Latina doctor who moves to Miami — but realizes she can't practice medicine in the United States after her immigration. "She begins work as a nurse's assistant, but risks everything when she opens a makeshift clinic in her apartment to serve the community," Variety writes of the lead character. That series will be executive produced by Dailyn Rodriguez, who's currently a co-executive producer on Queen of the South.
The Jane the Virgin star already promotes Latinx voices and stories through her #MovementMondays Instagram posts, too. On Mondays, Rodriguez shares photos of Latinx actors, encouraging her followers to support them and their projects.
As Variety points out, the announcements about the new series, along with a separate CBS show about an immigrant family, come at an apt time. The Trump administration announced this week that it would repeal the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy. The plan could affect as many as 800,000 undocumented young people in the United States.
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