by Sarah Vogel

Successful online entertainment magazine editor Mia Ramirez loves the single life. She’s Hispanic and bilingual, which makes her the perfect protagonist for “Mia Mundo,” Telemundo’s newest bilingual television series.

Telemundo.com shows 3-minute webisodes of “Mia Mundo,” while mun2, a network established through a partnership between NBCUniversal and Telemundo, offers viewers full episodes of the comedy.  The show’s actors, including stars from Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of Orange County,” speak both Spanish and English to appeal to the real-life “Mias” out there with connections to both Hispanic and American cultures.

Recently, National Public Radio featured a story about “Mia Mundo” and other new bilingual programs making an appearance on American television. Telemundo’s other bilingual programs include the drama “RPM Miami” and the reality show “I Love Jenni,” which chronicle the life and times of singer Jenni Rivera and her family. The stars of these shows easily transition from speaking Spanish to English and back again. Subtitles fill in the gaps for viewers who don’t speak both languages fluently.

Statistics show that individuals like Mia, young Hispanic-Americans, may tune into these programs. A recent Simmons study found that 49% of Hispanics between 18-29 said they wanted to see more bilingual, bicultural television content.  According to respondents, these programs “represent who they really are.” It is that craving for cultural representation in entertainment that these bilingual programs may be able to fulfill.

There is also new network is in the works that hopes to bring bilingual programming to even younger viewers.  According to its mission statement, BabyFirst Americas hopes to “offer Latino parents the ability to help their children integrate into American society, while maintaining a strong connection to their Latino heritage and bilingual communication.” That statement certainly goes beyond “Dora the Explorer,” the primary “bilingual” children’s program on air today.

Whether bilingual programs are cartoons or dramas, one can’t help but wonder if Hispanic-Americans will think they strengthen or simply confuse their connections with their different cultures. A study shows that younger Hispanics may be interested, but what about the rest? What do you think?