Of Dubious Origin

Unemployed despite his associate’s degree, Israel Cruz has been living in his parents’ unfinished basement, playing video games and scrolling social media. He is obsessed with a Portuguese influencer and supermodel known as M&M; her bikini-clad posts about eyeliner and lip gloss may have contributed to his passion!

Born to a Puerto Rican father and a Jewish mother, Israel is constantly mistaken for a wide assortment of ethnicities, from Albanian to Turkish. The question of his identity “slap...