Image Courtesy of Variety

When Variety’s Marc Malkin sat down for a conversation with “Vida” showrunner Tanya Saracho as part of the 2019 NALIP Media Summit, she admitted that her Mexican heritage wasn’t always a personal point of pride.

In fact, she once attempted to erase the evidence: “When I came to this country, I was trying to get rid of my accent,” she said, explaining that her motivation was a desire to join the speech and debate team as a student in Texas. “I thought it was [about] accent reduction, like in speech therapy.”

But Saracho has since emerged as an outspoken voice for Latinx representation in Hollywood, which is why she was honored with the Media Advocacy Award at the organization’s Latino Media Awards gala. Last year, Saracho signed a three-year production deal with Starz, and she’s currently working on season three of the series in addition to a new show titled “Bruja.” During her conversation with Malkin, Saracho recounted her journey from aspiring actress to playwright to TV writer (writing for mainstream hits like “Girls” and “How to Get Away with Murder”), which ultimately culminated in the opportunity to create “Vida.” “Me being here is an accident,” she said.

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