The idea of returning is something that I could only compare to a pilgrimage.

Author: José A. Rodríguez
Image: Paula Anderanin

One of my favorite channels for the past year or so has been SíTV, which has been recently renamed nuvoTV. This is a cable channel that has some great content that is primarily in English and aimed at a bicultural Latino audience.

One of the top shows that they have is Pastport. In its latest episode (Pastport: Puerto Rico), actress, Alanna Ubach, went to Puerto Rico with her Swedish boyfriend, Pelle, to reconnect with the San Juan that raised her father and reconnect with her lost Latino culture. Throughout the episode, she works to reconcile her relationship with Pelle’s workaholic nature that reminded her so much of her deceased father, Rodolfo.

I can’t say much more without giving away what happens. I have seen other episodes such as the Argentina one, where actor, Carlos Alazraqui (Reno 911), returns to his parents’ homeland, so that he could reconnect with his roots to pass them down to his child. At time that this episode was filmed, he and his wife were expecting their first child and his first at 48 years old. I have, also, seen the Colombia one, where actress, Paula Garces, who returns to Colombia, where she reunites with her estranged father and auditions for a Colombian telenovela.

I really like this show because I feel that it really depicts the journey of Latinos raised here like Wilmer Valderrama. No matter how Latinos came to be here in the US, at some point, their connection with their culture becomes looser and weaker. Only, I feel, when they return to the countries of their roots, do those ties strengthen in a way that is not otherwise possible. I can speak from experience.

In the case of Ubach’s trip to Puerto Rico, I saw what she went through when she danced to the music, ate the food and visited the places that were important to her father. By accident, on her first night in San Juan, she ended up running into some of the Fania All Stars. The idea of returning is something that I could only compare to a pilgrimage―something by those that is only understood by those that have gone through it.

From time to time, new episodes pop up. I highly recommend that you check it out. It’s really fascinating to see how Latinos living here “become more Latino,” when they go back. The accent starts to resurface. The hips start moving. The stories about the past are retold. More than anything, we see the stories of what these people have gone through. This show is not only a pastport. It is a glimpse into the future.