La Ropa Sucia - Credits

La Ropa Sucia is a fotonovela produced by ETV and designed to target both Hispanic and non-Hispanic teenagers; the title, which means “Dirty Laundry,” is based on the Hispanic adage, “La ropa sucia se lava en casa.” (“Dirty laundry is washed at home,” or “Don’t air your dirty laundry.”).

The purpose of La Ropa Sucia is to shed light on the issues facing Hispanic teens, such as racism, assimilation, and religious and sub-cultural division, as well as more universal issues such as poverty, domestic violence, access to healthcare and low self-esteem – issues that many teens may face. By examining and dramatizing the distinctions and the similarities between cultures, La Ropa Sucia aims to increase cross-cultural empathy and awareness.

The story was conceived by Marycruz Figueroa, a first-generation American of Mexican and Guatemalan descent. She developed the project while she was an intern at ETV from Columbia College. La Ropa Sucia was funded in part by the SC Humanities Council and was produced with the support of the Hispanic arts organization Palmetto & LUNA.