Chapter 17: Encanto (2021)

When Jessica’s six-year-old son watched the Encanto (Bush et al., 2021) for the first time, he joyfully exclaimed “Look! Arepas, just like the ones we make.” Jessica, the daughter of Cuban refugees, was drawn to this film in part because she grew up in a multigenerational home that included a Colombian uncle. The film Encanto depicts the Madrigal family losing their abuelo while migrating to seek refuge. Throughout the film the intergenerational trauma associated with this loss is not only felt by “Abuela,” (the Madrigal matriarch) but by each family member. Likewise, intergenerational trauma, family displacement and the loss of her grandfather during migration, are part of Jessica’s family story. In both the film and in Jessica’s family, “Abuela” perseveres and leads the family as a strong and loving matriarch.