Letter from West Kendall: Growing up with ¿Que Pasa, U.S.A.?
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Update: Join us Thursday, March 3! Our own Trina Sargalski will participate in “¿Que Pasa, U.S.A.?-LIVE,” an event celebrating 40 years of Spanglish and the Miami-Dade Public Library System. Trina will retell her own ¿Que Pasa, U.S.A.? story of growing up in West Kendall. Bill Teck of Generation ñ will MC. The event is from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at the Miami-Dade Main Library, 101 W. Flagler Street.
To outsiders, Miami is a place where anything goes, explains Under the Sun’s Trina Sargalski, “but not in my house.”
Sargalski grew up far from the neon and nightlife. She grew up in the ”ultra-suburban outpost” of West Kendall. In this piece, she revisits the Miami of her youth– freestyle music, chaperones, and the clever, low-budget sitcom, ¿Que Pasa, U.S.A.?, which aired on WPBT Channel 2 from 1977 to 1980.
The show brings viewers into the living room of a typical Cuban-American family, the Peña family, as three generations switch off lamenting the loss of their Hispanic culture, or chafing against old fashioned Cuban ways. As Sargalski notes, the show often ends with everyone yelling in different languages.
But there’s tenderness too, and over time Sargalski began to see the show as a metaphor for her relationship with Miami itself.
“In my experience, Miami is just like family.” Sargalski says. “Like the Peña family on ¿Que Pasa, U.S.A.?, Miami can be too loud, too tacky, too exagerado. But it’s like a family member who embarrasses you when you’re young … and later you realize that you loved them the whole time.”
Sargalski is an associate producer of Under the Sun, and also the show’s web editor. Be sure to check out her interview with cast member Barbara Ann Martin, and her montage of other ¿Que Pasa, U.S.A.? fans speaking about why the show means so much to them 33 years after it first aired.
RELATED LINKS
- More about the live event
- Miami Herald: ¿Qué Pasa, USA? Library celebrates first bilingual sitcom
- Interview with cast member Barbara Ann Martin
- Let us know your all time favorite ¿Que Pasa, USA? moment
- Enjoy a ¿Que Pasa, USA? inspired playlist by DJ Le Spam
- Watch episodes at Generation ñ
Tags: audio, Episode 4, Miami, podcast, Que Pasa, south florida, Trina Sargalski, U.S.A.?
305 represent. Power 96 in the house. Love this.
This piece reminded me of one of the reason’s my husband and I moved back to our native Miami from Southern California.
Only moved here in ’94. Is there some way t watch episodes? Itunes?
This was a GREAT segment. I LOVED IT!! Keep up the good work!!! Looking forward to more…
This was a phenomenal story. Listening to the story gave me goose bumps as I was driving to work this morning. I can certainly relate to the Que Pasa USA family and their unique quirkiness. I still live in a Que Pasa USA family (with a Y2K flare of course.) The Citizenship test is one of my favorite episodes. I can also relate to leaving Miami (for a very short period of time … 3 weeks… hehehe) and returning with a new appreciation for home cooking and Power96/Y-100. It was 1988, my family took a trip to Union City, NJ. I loved the idea of eating fast food while driving up there, as we drove around NJ/NY and on the way down. Prior to this trip I could not stand another plate of “Picadillo”, or “Carne con Papa” but I will never forget driving into West Palm Beach and listening to Power96 with DJ Laz and Bo Griffin and Y-100. I also remember my parents laughing when I said I wanted “Picadillo” (with the raisins) for dinner, shortly after we returned from this trip. I love Miami; it is part of my DNA. Even if I were to move away, Miami would flow in my blood like white and red blood cells do. QUE PASA USA! Tada, tadada, tada… QUE PASA USA!
Octavio-What a great story of your three weeks away! Ah yes, DJ Laz and Bo Griffin (RIP). Thank you so much for sharing this with me and for the compliments.
Jersey, you can check out episodes here: http://www.generation-n.com/shows/quepasa/index.html
Enjoy!
Shannon,
I appreciate the shout out from the 512. Thank you!
Thank you also Arwen and Girl from Hialeah.
Great story, Trina. I moved to Miami in 1996 and was introduced to Que Pasa USA? by a roommate. I’ve loved the show since.
I really enjoyed this story! I’m not a Miami native, but I fell in love with the culture here very quickly. What is that song that plays in the beginning of the segment? (say you’ll never leave me)
Evie,
Thanks! The song is “Dreamin’” by Will to Power. A freestyle classic.
Trina, I heard your segment about 3 weeks ago… once in the morning and the tail end of it on my drive back home. I wanted to tell you how IMPRESSED I am with it. O.k…. I LOVED IT!!! You had me with the beginning beats from Will to Power… I stayed in my car until I heard the entire story.
I was raised in West Kendall (my parent’s still live there) and did most of the things you described in your story…! Even though I am not Cuban, just the fact that I was raised in a Hispanic household (Colombian) was enough to completely relate with ¿Qué Pasa U.S.A.?
You did an incredible job putting together and tying in all the pieces of our Miami 80′s generation. As they say, Generación Ñ. I, too, moved back to Miami after being away for 16 years…. this time with wife and 3 boys of my own, who can now benefit from our unique lifestyle. Your story made me proud of who I am and where I come from.
Carlos, thank you so much for taking the time to share this heartfelt response. I’m so glad that my story struck such a chord with you. I’m hoping you and your family will enjoy Miami. Your comment made my day!
please send me the link so i can view all the episodes of Que Pasa USA by downloading them to my computer.
I have searched and cannot find the free download of every episode.
thank you very much in advance!
lucia
Lucia,
You can view selected episodes each week on Generation ñ: http://generation-n.com/shows/quepasa/index.html
These episodes are for viewing, not downloading. Unfortunately, they don’t have downloads of every episode there. There are some snippets on You Tube as well. WPBT Channel 2 also sells the DVD set: http://www.quepasausa.org/store.html