Netflix provides great material to enjoy, but some sitcoms have heavier content and lessons meant to bring awareness of social topics and inspire audiences. One example of this is Netflix Original One Day at a Time, which revolves around the life of Penelope Alvarez, a Cuban-American nurse, single mother, and former veteran who tries to live a happy life in America while raising her two kids and keeping an eye on her mother. P. Alvarez and her family are working-class, and their life consists of moments of struggle, happiness, and building a stronger family bond. The sitcom is full of stories and life lessons, and details the climbs and bumps on the road to prosperity for an immigrant family. Along the way, stories are shared, mistakes are learned from, laughs and arguments appear and disappear, and the realities of life as a POC (person of color) are detailed. It’s a series that emphasizes prominent, controversial themes in society today, and aims to have audiences see this through the lens of an immigrant family.

The show explores a wide variety of topics. Most of the time, one episode is dedicated to exploring one theme. For example, some themes depicted have been treatment of women at work, learning to accept a member of the family who comes out, balancing your identity, cultural assimilation, the value of family, harassment, how to parent as a POC and in the 21^st century, dealing with PTSD, and racism.

In general, many of the themes and messages are powerful in the show, and can relate to any audience member who is a POC, or has personally dealt with these situations. They serve as teaching and learning moments, and the multitude of topics covered show how dedicated this sitcom is to bring about discussions and awareness. Alvarez’s family usually has mixed takes on many of the situations that pop up, with mother Lydia Riera being more conservative, daughter Elena Alvarez being more passionate for awareness and change, and P. Alvarez trying to be the voice of reason, though this leads to stress.

An example of the women at work theme is shown when P. Alvarez realizes she wants to do better than a nurse, and decides to take her fate into her own hands and reach new heights by furthering her education to become a nurse practitioner. The moment stresses that women should not have a glass ceiling and only be working primarily in jobs that society expects them to. They can advance anywhere if they believe they can.

Another example of themes covered is cultural assimilation and balancing identity. Being an immigrant family, the desire to hold on to Cuban heritage while trying to fit into American life becomes a tug-of-war for the family, who must balance their beliefs and lifestyle. It’s important to adjust to an American lifestyle, but at the same time it’s important to stay true to Cuban heritage, and keep that an integral part of your identity too.

Furthermore, P. Alvarez must juggle her personal life with the lives of her kids. She teaches her son Alex Alvarez, who does not have a prominent male role model in his life, that a young man should have the utmost respect for women and this includes not objectifying or harassing, and the importance of consent. Also, she uses a teaching moment when her son feels he has been discriminated against as a Cuban, saying that sometimes the realities of life are undeserving, but you must move forward with your head up high.

With her daughter, P. Alvarez shares insights about the gap between men and women, whether it’s for pay, opportunity, or overall societal expectations. E. Alvarez is an advocate of feminism in addition to being a member of the LGBTQ community. Many interactions between the mother and daughter revolve around being a strong, independent young woman, and how to change steadfast perspectives in society about the way women are treated, viewed, and understood.

One Day at a Time is a masterpiece that does not veer around topics, no matter how dense they can be. It strives to achieve an honest portrayal of a Cuban-American family in modern times, and sometimes details the harsh realities. Assimilation vs Tradition, Right vs Wrong, Secrets vs Disclosure, Personal Matters vs Family Matters, and Reality vs Aspirations are some of the decisions faced at a crossroads. Life is certainly different when looked at from various perspectives, but the story of this Cuban-American family goes for multi-dimensional discussions and perspectives of topics that may be hard to discuss, as society cannot be thoroughly informed about its flaws or goals for improvement when sugarcoating serious subjects.