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El Blog

Why make a show about Hialeah?

This is a personal message and letter of love from the creators of "Hialeah" the series.

¡Bienvenido!

Welcome to "El Blog"! Aquí you’ll find anything and everything related to our show. For those of you who might not know what "Hialeah" is, let us explain. #Hialeah is one of the biggest cities in Florida and has the largest percentage of #Cubans and #CubanAmericans in the U.S. living there. It was a hotspot for entertainment in the southeast during the roaring 20s to the 50s, and attracted everyone from Winston Churchill to the Kennedy's. #Funfact: it's actually where Amelia Earheart took off for her trip around the world... hasta que ella se perdió, pobresita! In the late 50s and 60s, when communism in Cuba got even uglier under the #FidelCastro regime, many Cubans escaped their native land and found themselves setting up camp in Hialeah. They quickly transformed the city into a working class community. Hialeah gave this breed of immigrants a big taste of the #AmericanDream, and in return they brought their hard work and rich culture while kicking the freedom doors wide open for the generations that would follow. This is why the city was tagged with the nickname "La Ciudad que Progresa" or "The City of Progress." The fingers typing this blog belong to 2nd generation Cuban Americans from Hialeah who want to tell the bold story, through satire, of what their families did for them. The effort of making this show is not just to tell our story, but it's also a vehicle made for YOU to tell YOURS.

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR PAGE (bottom), participate in our blog and you will find your voice being heard on this platform.

Let's face it, there's not enough representation of Latino voices in entertainment. We too have a message to deliver to the world! There's no way that we are the only Cubans with a story to tell, so THIS is YOUR chance! SUBSCRIBE TO OUR PAGE, participate in our blog and you will find your voice being heard on this platform. Vamos a reirnos con los Cubanos escandalosos de Hialeah!


Los 3 fulanos in the picture above will now break the ice and explain why we made this show and its importance...


"The night Fidel Castro died something happened to me."

DAVID A. VARGAS (Co-creator, Writer, Director and Executive Producer)

The night Fidel Castro died something happened to me. I had heard this moment being anticipated since I was a kid growing up in Hialeah. Sometimes it was discussed with pain and other times with laughter. The mixture of emotions I witnessed from thousands at 3am on the corner of 49th St and 12th Ave was exactly the confusion I had witnessed throughout my childhood. Running around like a madman and trying to keep my camera in focus, I shared my microphone with strangers as they screamed into my lens, some laughing and others nearly in tears. It was the easiest video I had ever edited because I already knew how this tale went. It was the story of my family. When that video took off on Facebook the reaction told me something. It told me that I had a responsibility to keep going. I've never been one for drama, so my mission with this show is to keep it real and not bore you. Cubans... we are funny people. If a storyline is going to focus on pain, I'm going to make sure you're laughing before you're crying. Marcos, our "Pipo", said it best, "Comedy is derived from drama." So with this show and through this blog, I now hand the mic to you. What is your story? Funny or sad, I want to hear it!

"I grew up hearing the stories of suffering, heartache and hope."

MELISSA CARCACHE (Co-Creator, “Mari” and Executive Producer) 

Hi! I’m Melissa and I was born and raised in Hialeah. My parents came from Cuba on the last freedom flights in the early 70s. My whole family was raised in this great city and I’m proud to call it my hometown. Like many children born in the U.S from refugee parents, I grew up hearing the stories of suffering, heartache and hope. When my family arrived, this city gave them the opportunity to start anew. They worked hard to build a solid life in America by starting a successful small business while raising my brother, sister and I. Hialeah is such a landmark, and it’s not only where we grew up, but it created memories without losing a sense of where we came from. I wanted to make this show alongside my incredible partners to tell the story of many. We believe that as long as we are laughing, eating and dancing through life, everything will always turn out okay. I’m so proud to be shining light on this city and its people. I truly hope you see your story reflected in ours. Welcome to la familia! 

"So how do we tell a story of a culture? Where all cultures begin and take shape…with family."

JAVIER MAYOL (Co-creator, Writer and Executive Producer)

Hi! I'm Javier, your friendly neighborhood Puerto Rican living in the city of Hialeah. I have to come clean, when I first moved to Hialeah 5 years ago, all I knew about the City of Progress were the memes and jokes that were found on the Internet. But I came to learn the truth; that behind the “Only in Hialeah” trope, there is a rich culture of people, food, music and art not found anywhere else in the continental United States. So how DO we tell a story of a culture? Where all cultures begin and take shape…with family. Whether it’s our own or one we marry into, family is the common thread for all of us. So come join our Hialeah family and experience life in the Sanchez household through the eyes of Kay, someone, who like me, knew nothing about Hialeah, until now!



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