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Retro wooden TV, VHS tapes and old stereos surrounding it
Retro wooden TV, VHS tapes and old stereos surrounding it
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Culture

Maria Canals-Barrera: Our Favorite TV Mom!

Olivia Francis
The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SBU chapter.

If you were to ask me what type of kid I was growing up, I would tell you that I was a Disney child through and through. There were many shows that I loved such as “Hannah Montana”, “A.N.T Farm” and “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody”. But the one that kept my eyes on the TV screen all the time was “Wizards of Waverly Place”. Although I loved Selena Gomez’s character, my all-time favorite person was Theresa Russo played by Maria Canals-Barrera. 

For some background, Canals-Barrera was born in Miami, Florida on September 28th, 1966. She is of Cuban descent and speaks Spanish. Her first acting gig was a Spanish-language telenovela Marielena. Throughout her career, she did a lot of voice acting in “Justice League”, “Justice League: Unlimited”, and “Danny Phantom”. But In case you were just like me and enjoyed watching Disney Channel shows and movies, you recognize Canals-Barrera as Connie Torres in “Camp Rock” and “Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam”.  

With her performances in these productions, she became known as our favorite TV mom. As she became such a popular figure in the world of childhood television, she was viewed as an outstanding representation of the Hispanic community as she was the first on-screen Latino mom in American television. 

When I read the article she did with the Los Angeles Times, there was something she said that stuck out to me. “To me, there’s nothing more important than mothering. Nothing. Because that’s the legacy that you leave behind. Your children are what last.” No matter what, she always expresses the love she has for her children and that shows me how much of an amazing mother she is both on and off camera.  

Another quote she said that I thought was so essential to me as a college student is “Those who truly love and respect you will respect your boundaries.” That quote meant so much to me that I had to write it in my journal so that I would remember it for a long time. Especially with my second year of college being a year of reflection and growth, that is something I needed to keep in mind throughout this journey.   

With it being Hispanic Heritage Month, I knew I had to honor one of the best actresses known to every generation. If I had one thing to say to her, I would just thank her for being the best Disney mom and that she will be protected at all costs as she is too good for this world.  

Olivia Francis is a second-year member of the Her Campus at SBU chapter. She oversees the site’s culture, entertainment, and wellness verticals on the site, including mental health, relationships, TV shows, and movie coverage. Olivia is currently a second-year student majoring in Communications, Social Justice & Advocacy at St. Bonaventure University. Beyond Her Campus, Olivia has been published in many anthropologies over the years through an organization called Young Writers. She is also one of the leading coordinators for SBU's Break The Bubble. In her free time, Olivia enjoys writing poetry and short stories, along with taking walks while listening to her favorite music genres on Spotify such as Pop or R&B. One of her goals is to travel the world someday and explore new foods and customs. An interesting fact about Olivia is she is not only the first college gen student but, she is the first female in her family to go for a higher education.