Episode 52: Reporting on Puerto Rico w/ Nicole Acevedo from NBC News & NBC Latino
We welcome NBC News and NBC Latino reporter, Nicole Acevedo, to the show. In the past, Nicole has published stories for MSNBC, Telemundo 47 and NPR’s Latino USA. She’s done a lot of reporting on Puerto Rico, so we’re going to talk about her recent reporting on two opposing bills in congress that are trying to address the issue of Puerto Rico’s status, and we’ll also talk about her personal journey navigating the journalism field.
Episode 51: Two PRs Talking PR
We’re making history by welcoming our very first Missourican guest to the show! Daniela Velázquez joins us today. She is the Senior Manager of Public Relations at Elasticity, a St Louis-based digital marketing and advertising firm, and sits on the leadership board for VozKC, a Missouri-based PAC focused on building the power of Latinos across the state. We discuss what life was like for her growing up Puerto Rican in Missouri, public relations and her work with the PAC, VozKC.
Episode 50: What The IL Culturally Responsive Teaching And Leading Standards Mean For BIPOC Students
We welcome two returning guests to the podcast this week. Today we welcome back IL State Senator Cristina Pacione-Zayas and Managing Director of Corps Member Leadership at Teach for America, Jason Dones. We’re going to discuss the Culturally Responsive Teaching and Leading standards that Illinois state lawmakers recently adopted, which will elevate the training teachers receive statewide to better meet the needs of students. We’re going to delve deeper into what these standards are, how they were developed, what these standards mean for Puerto Rican and the wider BIPOC student population and address some of the criticism lawmakers and right wing organizations have charged against them in their attempt to get these standards blocked from adoption in the lead up to their adoption vote in the state Congress.
Episode 49: Leading Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos High School Through The Pandemic
We welcome Dr. Melissa Lewis to the show. She’s the principal of Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos Puerto Rican High School located on Paseo Boricua in Chicago. We’re going to discuss the high school and how it differs from Chicago Public Schools, her experience as an Afro-Boricua in the education field, what it has been like leading the high school through the pandemic and a whole lot more.
Episode 48: Chicago’s Looming Eviction Crisis & Its Impact on the BIPOC Community
We welcome back to the show, City Bureau journalist, Justin Agrelo. Justin reports on housing for City Bureau and he and their housing team published a report on Chicago’s looming housing crisis. They spoke with Chicago residents facing eviction to better understand the impacts the pandemic is having on their ability to keep a roof over their heads. We’re going to talk about Chicago’s eviction crisis, who was highlighted in this piece and their testimonials and Justin will share some solutions that can help you or anyone you know who is facing eviction.
Episode 46: Latino Rebels & Representation in Media w/ Julio Ricardo Varela
Julio Ricardo Varela joins the podcast this week. He's the founder of the independent media outlet, Latino Rebels, Co-host of the show, In The Thick, and Vice-President of New Business for Futuro Media, which produces the nationally syndicated public radio program, Latino USA. We’re going to talk about how why he founded Latino Rebels, how Latino Rebels became a part of Futuro Media, speaking truth to power as an independent journalist, the relationship between media in the Puerto Rican diaspora and media on la Isla, what both Democrats and Republicans can actually agree on when it comes to Puerto Rico, and a whole lot more.
Episode 45: Star Wars, Representation & How Boricuas Fit In w/ the Hosts of Triad of The Force
The hosts of Triad of The Force, a Star Wars podcast, join the show to talk about representation in Star Wars, Puerto Rican actors that have played a part in various Star Wars properties and the parallels the crew sees in the Star Wars Universe compared to the realities Puerto Rico faces today.
Episode 44: Organizing in Puerto Rico & Chicago, Attack at the Capitol & More w/ Alderwoman Rossana Rodríguez Sanchez
Alderwoman of the 33rd Ward, Rossana Rodríguez Sanchez, joins the show. We talk about life growing up in Puerto Rico, her experiences and the contrasts she saw in her organizing both on La Isla and in Chicago, the reason why she migrated to the states, policy she is advocating for in the Chicago City Council, her reaction to the coup attempt at the U.S. Capitol last week and a whole lot more.
Episode 43: Decolonizing Wellness w/ Constanza Eliana Chinea
Yoga teacher and founder of Embody Inclusivity, Constanza Eliana Chinea, joins the show to talk about wellness and decolonizing it. Her practice centers on social justice in wellness + offers decolonization and anti-racism education to people from all walks of life.
Episode 42: The Taste of Sugar & the Publishing Industry with Novelist Marisel Vera
We welcome novelist, Marisel Vera, to the show! We talk about growing up in Chicago, specifically in the Humboldt Park neighborhood, the white-dominated publishing industry, and, among other things, her latest novel, The Taste of Sugar. Without giving too much away, the story takes place just shortly after Puerto Rico came under U.S. rule in 1898. It follows newlyweds Valentina Sánchez's and Vicente Vega’s journey from Puerto Rico to work on sugar plantations in Hawaii after losing everything in the San Ciriaco hurricane.
Episode 41: Knowing Our Roots & Sharing Our History w/Adrián Román
Visual artist and children's book author, Adrián Román, joins the show to discuss his revolutionary roots, his art, the importance of educating the next generations of Boricuas on the historical figures in Puerto Rican history and how his family inspired him to create the children’s book series, Caras Lindas.
Episode 40: Researcher & Filmmaker Andrew J. Padilla
Researcher and filmmaker, Andrew J. Padilla, joins the show! We talk about filmmaking, his project El Barrio Tours: Gentrification in East Harlem, the expansion of political parties in Puerto Rico and a whole lot more.
Episode 39: The Puerto Rico Election 2020
In case you missed it, the United States wasn’t the only place on earth with an election 2 weeks ago on November 3rd. Puerto Rico had an election that same day too, so we’re going to discuss the results of the election and take a quick run through the history of Puerto Rico political parties.
Episode 38: The Puerto Rican Electorate with Erica González from #Power4PuertoRico
In case you were living under a rock, the U.S. Presidential Election took place last week. To help us understand the Puerto Rican Electorate in this election, Erica González, Director of #Power4PuertoRico & Founding Editor of IDAR/E, is with us today. In addition to insights on how Puerto Ricans voted and issues that resonate most with our community, we'll discuss the organizing work Power4PuertoRico did in the lead up to the 2020 U.S. Election, the 2020 Puerto Rico Election and statehood referendum vote, the problematic narrative coming out of election coverage about Latinx voters, and a whole lot more.
Episode 37: Cooking with Genesis, an 8-Year Old Boricua Chef
Our guest this episode is 8-year old Puerto Rican cook, Genesis Rodriguez! We’re going to talk about her love of cooking, being autistic, her show, Cooking with Genesis, virtual learning and a whole lot more!
Episode 36: City Bureau Journalist Justin Agrelo
Our guest is journalist Justin Agrelo. He's currently covering housing for local Chicago media outlet, City Bureau, and some of you may know him for his piece in Mother Jones on the history of the Puerto Rican flag. We’re going to talk about his experience as a Puerto Rican journalist, representation in journalism, the history of the Puerto Rican flag and the importance of reporting on housing.
BONUS: Latinx LGBTQ GOTV Commercial Press Conference
For this bonus episode, we're sharing audio from a Press Conference on Sunday, October 25, announcing the release of a nationwide Latinx LGBTQ Get Out the Vote commercial developed by the Immigration Reform Fund founded by former Congressman, Luis Gutiérrez. We’re going to play the commercial for you during this episode and stick around for the end when we will share never before heard candid thoughts from interviews post-presser with Congressman Jesus Chuy Garcia and IL State Senator Omar Aquino.
Episode 35: Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa on His Puerto Rican Roots, Public Service & Democratic Socialism
Our guest today is the first Democratic Socialist elected to Chicago’s City Council - Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th Ward). We talk about his Puerto Rican roots, what drew him to public office, his identity as a gay man, the Latinx vote this presidential election, Puerto Rico’s Governor endorsing Donald Trump for president and a whole lot more.
Episode 34: Marina Del Rios, MD, MS on Covid-19 & IL Unidos
Marina Del Rios, MD, MS is with us today. We talk about what her experience has been teaching medical students, Covid-19’s impact on the Latinx community, her personal story of trying to avoid bringing the virus home to her husband and children, and a whole lot more.