The teenagers have been sucked into American culture overnight, while their parents are concerned with preserving roots. - Luis Santeiro

We would get letters from Nebraska. I’ve talked to Latin Americans, whether they’re from Colombia [or elsewhere], and they have somebody like that in their family…If you make it authentic, if it touches you, it doesn’t have to be your experience.

I was living in Miami. Some people would say, ‘You were very young when you came from Cuba. How did you know us?’ They think I’m portraying Cuba, I said, ‘No, I’m portraying Miami. I’m portraying what I saw in Miami.’

We went to the visual and the acting. You would lose some jokes if you didn’t speak both languages, but you didn’t lose the thrust.