There’s a reason viewers can’t get enough of Netflix’s buzzy reality series “Owning Manhattan,” and it goes beyond America’s obsession with luxury real estate. Premiering on June 28 and recently renewed for a second season, the show follows real-estate mogul Ryan Serhant and his team of agents as they compete to sell New York City’s most prestigious properties. Amidst the glitz, glamor, and office drama, one particular agent stands out: Génesis Suero, the charming and charismatic Dominican-born property expert whose presence on the show resonates with Latinas who are pursuing their dreams.
Suero’s story is, in many ways, an embodiment of the American dream. At 13, she immigrated from the Dominican Republic to NYC with her father, chasing the hopes of a better life. But as Suero will tell you, the journey was anything but easy. Adjusting to a new country while learning a new language during her pre-teen years was no joke. She also worked a number of different jobs, from waitressing at a Dominican restaurant to working as a salesgirl at Bloomingdale’s flagship store, to help send money back to the family on the island, all with the goal of bringing her mother, who struggled with chronic depression, to New York.
Navigating life in a new country while supporting a parent’s mental health journey isn’t something many young teens are prepared for. But Suero’s unwavering belief in herself and in the power of manifestation has carried her to where she is today. Not only did she become the first member of her family to graduate from college with a degree in business and journalism, but she also won the title of Miss New York USA in 2018 and placed third in the hit Univision pageant show “Nuestra Belleza Latina” before really taking off in her real-estate career and joining Telemundo’s “En Casa Con Telemundo” as a correspondent.
While progress has been made in Latine communities around mental health resources, the topic was still highly stigmatized when Suero was navigating her mother’s depression – often from afar, with the support of her brothers.
“My mom after she got divorced from my dad had a really hard time coping with those feelings. She suffered from depression for years,” Suero says. “When I came here [with my dad], I didn’t get to see her for eight years. She missed a lot of my teenage years. Although we were always talking on the phone, it wasn’t the same. My dad during those years was my pillar . . . but I had to put my big girl pants on at a very young age to support my mother.”
Her ambition to make it in NYC and eventually be able to bring her mom to the city is what kept her going. But her mother’s struggles had a significant impact on her and fueled a lot of her spiritual beliefs in metaphysics and the law of attraction.
“I made a lot of sacrifices to bring my mother to this country to have peace and stability and to eventually be able to do whatever the fuck I want now. It’s different when you constantly [have to work] to send money back home,” she says. It’s a pressure that not everyone can relate to, especially if you’re not an immigrant or a child of immigrants with the responsibility to help care for your family.
Eventually, Suero did bring her mother to the US, and says that today her mom is healthy and no longer suffering from depression, something that has inspired her to always prioritize her own mental health.
“I work out a lot and it helps me a lot with my mental health,” she says. “I prioritize my peace. Nobody can get in between my peace.”
Some of the ways she protects her piece is by setting boundaries, making time for meditation, and being aware of when she’s struggling with negative self-talk. “I catch them when they come and I’ll change them for a positive thought. It’s crazy,” she says. “For example, let’s say a dream hasn’t come through. It hasn’t happened but I know I’m working for it, so it’s going to happen . . . I know if it didn’t happen, it’s not my time. It will happen another time or I always say sometimes when things don’t happen, sometimes it’s the best thing to happen. Every time something doesn’t happen, I get something better.”
As she reflects on her journey, the former pageant queen feels immense gratitude for where she is today. Suero is the only Latina in NYC luxury real estate featured on a major show like “Owning Manhattan,” and that representation matters – not just for her and her family, but for the doors it can open for other Latinas in real estate who share her big dreams.
For other young Latines who have a parent or a close relative struggling with their mental health, Suero wants them to recognize that they are not alone.
“The best advice I can give someone that is in a situation like the one I was in, is to learn how to separate yourself from that, meaning don’t let yourself go because of that,” she says. “Don’t be ashamed. Conquer your dreams. Do what you have to do because what you might be doing [for yourself] can help them heal.”
Johanna Ferreira is the content director for PS Juntos. With more than 10 years of experience, Johanna focuses on how intersectional identities are a central part of Latine culture. Previously, she spent close to three years as the deputy editor at HipLatina, and she has freelanced for numerous outlets including Refinery29, Oprah magazine, Allure, InStyle, and Well+Good. She has also moderated and spoken on numerous panels on Latine identity.
