The importance of it was setting up the 3 camera sitcom, studio audiences, establishing the west coast as a TV industry, and societal things like referencing pregnant women, a hispanic male lead, along with showing repeats, syndication, etc.
When pitching the show one of the execs said "Ok but lose the Cuban... the country won't believe a woman like that is married to a Cuban", apprantly ignorant of the fact that... she was married to a Cuban.