The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano

Evelyn’s mother and grandmother argue over torn-up photographs of the Ponce Massacre. Her grandmother accuses her mother of avoiding the truth, while her mother defends her father’s involvement. Later, Evelyn discusses the recent media coverage of the neighborhood protest with her friend Migdalia and proudly shares her grandmother’s stories of the Ponce Massacre. Outside the Serrano family’s bodega, they find police cars and see Migdalia’s brother, Wilfredo, in handcuffs. There has been a break-in at the bodega, and Wilfredo is a suspect because he was inside when the police arrived. He now faces further scrutiny due to his association with the Young Lords. Despite Evelyn’s defense of Wilfredo, her mother expresses suspicion. The detective takes Wilfredo away, and Evelyn and her family walk home in silence.

Evelyn witnesses her grandmother and mother arguing over the bodega break-in, with her mother accusing her grandmother of supporting radical causes and her grandmother denying involvement. The argument escalates, leading her grandmother to announce that she is moving out. Evelyn confronts her mother, who is making bread pudding, about her constant fighting with her grandmother, but Mrs. Serrano dismisses her daughter’s objections. Evelyn’s anger grows as she watches her mother robotically prepare the dessert, and at the culmination of the argument, her mother slaps her.