fixes failure with python2

Author: Nikoleta-v3

pandas/core/dtypes/cast.py

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 from pandas._libs import lib, tslib, tslibs
 from pandas._libs.tslibs import OutOfBoundsDatetime, Period, iNaT
-from pandas.compat import PY3, string_types, text_type
+from pandas.compat import PY3, string_types, text_type, to_str
 
 from .common import (
     _INT64_DTYPE, _NS_DTYPE, _POSSIBLY_CAST_DTYPES, _TD_DTYPE, _string_dtypes,
@@ -1222,7 +1222,7 @@ def construct_1d_arraylike_from_scalar(value, length, dtype):
         if isinstance(dtype, np.dtype) and dtype.kind in ("U", "S"):
             subarr = np.empty(length, dtype=object)
             if not isna(value):
-                value = text_type(value)
+                value = to_str(value)
         else:
             subarr = np.empty(length, dtype=dtype)
         subarr.fill(value)

pandas/tests/series/test_constructors.py

@@ -151,8 +151,8 @@ def test_constructor_string_element_string_type(self):
 
     def test_constructor_unicode_element_string_type(self):
         # GH 22477
-        result = pd.Series(u'ѐ', index=[1], dtype=str)
-        assert result.values.tolist() == [u'ѐ']
+        result = pd.Series('ѐ', index=[1], dtype=str)
+        assert result.values.tolist() == ['ѐ']
 
     def test_constructor_dtype_str_na_values(self, string_dtype):
         # https://github.com/pandas-dev/pandas/issues/21083