Cobra Kai Actress Talks Importance Of Latino Representation In The Show

Cobra Kai actress, Vanessa Rubio, takes pride in the show’s Latino representation and feels empowered by the ability to bring Carmen Diaz to life.

Cobra Kai actress, Vanessa Rubio, opened up about the importance of Latino representation in the series and the empowerment her character gives her. Cobra Kai is a popular Netflix original series and a spin-off of The Karate Kid franchise. The series premiered on May 2, 2018, and follows Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) 34 years after the events of the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament. Decades after it began, the long-standing LaRusso and Lawrence feud is once more rekindled when Lawrence opens up his own Cobra Kai dojo. However, when John Kreese (Martin Cove) makes his return and nefariously takes over Cobra Kai, even Lawrence and LaRusso are willing to team up to stop him.

Rubio has starred in the series since season 1 as Carmen Diaz, the mother to Cobra Kai student, Miguel Diaz (Xolo Maridueña). She and the Diaz family break the standards of the typical nuclear family, as Diaz is a single mother raising her son alongside Miguel’s grandma Rosa. Throughout the series, her character has become more and more prominent, and she will officially be a series regular in season 4. Cobra Kai has seen Carmen grow from a single mother concerned about her son starting karate to an independent and strong woman standing by her son through his injury while also navigating her own life and relationships. However, her character is also doing something even bigger than bolstering the show.

Related: Cobra Kai Doesn’t Need Its Karate Kid Nostalgia To Succeed

In an interview with THR, Rubio revealed that she takes much pride in the Latino representation her character brings to Cobra Kai. She is especially proud that she portrays a non-stereotypical Latino family – one that could very well exist outside Cobra Kai. She and Maridueña share a special bond and recognize the significance of their roles when Latino representation is around only 3.5% in TV and film. This lack of representation makes her character all the more important in the larger scheme of things, filling her with empowerment in her role. Check out her statement below:

It is nice to be part of a family unit that feels like it could exist on its own, separate from Cobra Kai; a Latino family, not particularly entrenched stereotypical Latino story types. It is just a joy to bring that character to life… [Maridueña] is amazing. And he and I understand our Latino representation and have fun building the Diaz dynamic through all these seasons. Representation is a big deal. When I read the statistics about how little Latinos are represented, like 3.5 percent on film and TV. And of that 3.5 figure, 5 percent are speaking roles. It can drive you nuts. I feel a responsibility for this character because I know she means so much more in the great scheme of people seeing themselves on screen. And I appreciate the character so much because she represents a very dignified, stable, unified force in this story. The producers and creators are very responsive to the ideas I have to offer because as a Latina, I do have to say these things even more. So I feel more empowered to do that, I don’t mind repeating myself.

While some would feel daunted at being part of the only 3.5% of Latinos on the screen, Rubio takes a much more positive approach to her role. She understands that her Latino heritage gives her a unique perspective on how to make Diaz and her family representative for her community. Thus, she found herself in a role of empowerment to make suggestions and share her ideas for Carmen, and found that Cobra Kai‘s creators were receptive to her suggestions. Hence, she is motivated to create a character who is playing a large role, not only in a show, but in the larger area of representation and diversity in TV and film.

Latino representation is something that Cobra Kai has quite seamlessly achieved in its series. Throughout the series, viewers get to see a Latino family that is dynamic and multi-faceted – from the teenage boy living a typical high school life, to the strong-willed single mother, to the sweet grandma who seemingly only speaks Spanish but knows a lot more than she lets on. Cobra Kai makes the Diaz family realistic and endearing to viewers and creates a family that the Latino community can relate to. As Cobra Kai season 4 approaches, it is likely that Rubio’s character will continue to grow and gain prominence, giving her more empowerment behind the scenes to further representation and progress.

More: Cobra Kai Season 4 Recap: Everything You Need To Remember

Source: THR

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