Telenovelas promote Census count

The Spanish-language TV soap operas known as telenovelas are often viewed as an escape from the tedium of reality. With its convoluted plots, hammy acting, and cheap music, telenovelas are primarily fun and entertaining.

There are occasions, however, when these soaps tackle real-life situations and issues of importance to the community. In Argentina, one telenovela raised awareness of illegal “Dirty War” adoptions while a Cuban soap broke taboos in its frank discussion of homosexuality.

In the States, some telenovelas have recently examined topics like the health care debate (in the case of one series developed by Colorado state officials). Though scant Latino groups have urged a boycott of the 2010 Census count, one popular soap has gone in a different direction:

Perla Beltrán, a young woman from the wrong side of the tracks in New York, has suffered a great deal lately — her husband, a thief, has been murdered and she has been associating with lowlifes. But she thinks she has found a way out: as a recruiter for the United States Census Bureau.

Ms. Beltrán, a character in the popular Spanish-language soap opera “Más Sabe el Diablo,” “The Devil Knows Best,” represents only one element of the government’s yearlong effort to garner trust among Hispanics, an ethnic group that has been historically wary of the decennial census process.

The situation is viewed by Census officials and TV network Telemundo as a win-win situation; the former raises awareness of the Census via “people placement” while the latter gets valuable PR and a possible ratings boost.

It’s easy to be dismissive of telenovelas yet they deserve recognition when they try to do something positive for its viewers beyond mere escapism.

Image- New York Times (“The soap opera “Más Sabe el Diablo” featured the 2010 census.”)
Online Sources- NPR, The Latin Americanist, New York Times, UPI