Taking a Reset
This episode is an invitation to pause, take stock and recharge as Chris takes a reset in Napa, California - where he talks to leaders, creatives and disruptors in all fields of work.
May 24, 2023•30 min
Brown Enough
What is the role of Brownness in a Black/white world? That's the question Dominican-Colombian-American actor, author and storyteller Christopher Rivas has been navigating his whole life. Listen as Chris discusses identity, careers, and taking up space with other Brown activists, creators and change-makers. Brown Enough is the stories between Black and white.
Scroll all the way down to the bottom of the feed to find Rubirosa, a ten-part documentary series about Porfirio Rubirosa, the Dominican diplomat, playboy, and international polo champion who was the inspiration for James Bond. The show tells the true story of Rubi’s incredible and complicated life and Chris learns what it can teach him about love, success, family, Hollywood, code-switching, white-washing, and the roller coaster of finding himself in a world not made for Brown folks like him.
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Episodes
Trailblazing with Annie Gonzalez
Annie Gonzalez is setting fire -- but not literally. The actress is spicing things up in the new movie Flamin’ Hot, playing Judy, the wife and partner of the man who invented one of America’s favorite snacks, the Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. Today, Chris chats with Annie about her acting career, what it was like playing the role of Judy and executive producing a new biopic of the Mexican American singer Jenni Rivera.
May 17, 2023•24 min
Breasties with Bri Majsiak
Bri Majsiak is a journalist, but her work extends beyond that. She’s also a co-founder of a nonprofit called Breasties , an all inclusive organization that creates a community for survivors of breast and gynecologic cancer. But also for previvors, thrivers and caregivers. Today, she chats with Chris about how her mother’s story inspired her to start Breasties, what her nonprofit is doing to support folks impacted by breast cancer and an important decision she made regarding her health....
May 10, 2023•31 min
Brought To You By You
Today’s episode is extra special. We’ve been asking for your stories, thoughts, and reactions - and today you’ll get to hear all the beautiful messages you’ve been sending over time.
May 03, 2023•35 min
Architect of Change with Henry R. Muñoz III
Henry R. Muñoz III's career has spanned art, architecture and politics and entertainment. And as the the son of a farm labor leader who worked closely with the legendary Cesar Chavez, community-building is in Henry's blood. Today, Chris chats with Henry about lessons Henry took from his parents, how his interest for the arts and advocacy intersect and all the tremendous work he’s done for the Brown community .
Apr 26, 2023•32 min
Breaking the Boxes: Race, Gender and Vulnerability with Chris Rivas
Today, we’re bringing you a special episode from The Man Enough Podcast - where our host Chris Rivas shares his journey towards self confidence, education and peace as a brown man in America. Our hosts get intimate about their relationships to privilege, adolescent insecurities and actionable steps they are taking towards being a “good” person. The video version of every episode will always be available on the @wearemanenough YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/WeAreManEnough...
Apr 21, 2023•1 hr 5 min
99th Floor with Chef Miguel Trinidad
When Chef Miguel Trinidad was introduced to cannabis, it was all about getting high. But as he got older and learned about the medicinal benefits of marijuana, he began to think about it differently. Now, he is taking cannabis to the next level. He’s infusing cannabis with food at private dinner parties. These dinners are invite only. Luckily, Chris got his invitation. Today, Chris chats with Chef Miguel about the art of cooking with cannabis, how Chef Miguel got started in the industry and how ...
Apr 19, 2023•33 min
Dear Love with Sarah Bahbah
If you open your Instagram account and search for the name Sarah Bahbah, you’ll find yourself looking at beautiful images inspired by romance and films. These images -- of loving couples, luxurious bathtubs and platters of food -- are just a glimpse of the world the Palestinian/Jordanian artist Sarah Bahbah has created with her photographs. And today, Chris and her chat about her visual art and identity. You can purchase of book of her copy Dear Love here ....
Apr 12, 2023•30 min
Reimagining the Concept of Masculinity
How does masculinity show up in relationships, everyday life and in culture? For this week's episode, Chris gets deep into the topic with Mark Pagan, creator of the Other Men Need Help podcast. And then he welcomes another special guest -- his pops William Rivas. Together they chat about the stereotypes of masculinity that exist in Latin American culture and how William has gone through his own evolution.
Apr 05, 2023•36 min
Mariachi and Classical Music with Jazmín Morales
Classical music is pretty much a space where Black and Brown folks are missing. But there’s someone close to the Brown Enough team who’s shaking things up to make the world of classical music more diverse. She’s Jazmín Morales, chief of staff at the prestigious Juilliard School and partner of executive producer Carlos E. Hernandez. Chris and Jazmín take us on a deep dive into the world of classical music, discuss what it was like playing mariachi growing up and how educational institutions shoul...
Mar 29, 2023•34 min
All Things TV with Ashley Ray
Chris has a little secret! He’s an actor but he surprisingly doesn’t watch much TV. He’s a busy man. He’s either auditioning for roles, writing and/or hosting this podcast. So for this week’s episode, he chats with television aficionado Ashley Ray . Ashley is the host of TV I Say, an Earwolf podcast that celebrates all things television. Both Chris and Ashley discuss their favorite shows, how Black and Brown representation on TV has evolved, and the insidious role advertising plays in all of thi...
Mar 22, 2023•37 min
Latinx and the Myths of Assimilation with Julissa Arce
There've been a slew of terms used to identify people of Latin American heritage over the years: Hispanic, Latino, Latina, and Latinx. That last one -- Latinx -- has sparked controversy, headlines and even political fights recently. So this week, Chris dives deeper into the conversation of assimilation, self identity, census checkboxes and who gets to police language. He's joined by fellow writer Julissa Arce, author of You Sound Like a White Girl: The Case For Rejecting Assimilation , who has h...
Mar 15, 2023•25 min
Makeup Artistry with Kweli Calderon
Kweli Caldereon has been a makeup artist for more than 20 years. She's often called when films, tv shows or music videos need someone to take care of hair and makeup for Black creatives. She even did host Chris' makeup once, on the set of Call Me Kat. Today, Chris chats with Kweli about how she got started working in Hollywood, what changes she’s seen in the industry, why segregation in the beauty industry persists, and the changes she wants to see.
Mar 08, 2023•29 min
My Name Is…
When Chris interviewed his dad for the Rubirosa podcast, he found out a secret about his dad's real name. That story inspired today's episode, which is all about names. And the special guest is YOU! Tune in for stories about beautiful, Brown names: what you were named after, whether people can pronounce your name and how some of y’all are reclaiming your names.
Mar 01, 2023•31 min
Aprendiendo Español with Spanish Sin Pena
Chris speaks very little Spanish. A fact he's been ashamed of for quite some time since his parents and sister are fluent. But a little while back, he enrolled in a program called "Spanish Sin Pena" that aims to empower folks with Latin American heritage to speak Spanish confidently. Today, he chats with the founders of Spanish Sin Pena about how it started, the impact they are making and why so many people feel shame and embarrassment about not knowing their parents' first language.
Feb 22, 2023•38 min
"Queens Get the Money" with State Senator Jessica Ramos
Before moving to LA, Chris was born and raised in Queens, New York. He remembers visiting his abuela in Jackson Heights, where more than 150 languages are spoken. Today, he talks to the New York State Senator who reps Jackson Heights, Jessica Ramos, about her career serving one of the most diverse communities in the world.
Feb 15, 2023•32 min
Please Don’t Hate Me
Chris wrote an essay for Modern Love in 2019 about dating—and breaking up with—white women that went viral. Hear all about the essay, its aftermath and how friend-of-the-show Grasie Mercedes had a similar experience that led to her reaching out to Chris! This episode was originally aired as part of Chris' documentary podcast, Rubirosa . To hear more, scroll down to the bottom of this feed and click on "Rubirosa Episode 1: Haunted." To read Chris' Modern Love essay, click here ....
Feb 08, 2023•27 min
Getting Cast, with Grasie Mercedes and Victor Vazquez
Today, we’re listening to actor Grasie Mercedes, who stars in NBC’s Grand Crew. Though she identifies as Afro Latina, she's never been cast as such. We go deep into why that might be. Plus, casting director Victor Vazquez tells us about why it’s important to see ourselves reflected on more creative projects. And how that representation can’t be monolithic
Feb 01, 2023•30 min
Shaping a National Latino Museum
What and who do you include in a national Latino museum? That’s a question that many have been asking since late 2020, when Congress green-lit the creation of The National Museum of the American Latino. It’s a new addition to the Smithsonian Institution’s roster of national museums, many of which intend to preserve the history and culture of the United States. The fight to create The National Museum of the American Latino spans across decades. The idea was sparked by a damning 1994 report, commi...
Jan 27, 2023•43 min
Dyckman Beer with Juan Camilo
What started off as a hobby crafting beer at home turned into a real business for Juan Camilo, who’s now the founder and owner of Dyckman Beer Company in New York. Juan was born in the Dominican Republic and at the age of five he came to the U.S., where he grew up between Washington Heights and the Bronx. Using his cultural influences, Juan infuses Dominican flavors to make unique craft beer. Listen to learn more about Juan and the secret recipes he's working on.
Jan 25, 2023•24 min
Kalchē Wine with Justine Belle Lambright
Did you know that wine actually has roots that date back to Asia? There's a lot we get wrong about wine, according to our guest Justine Belle Lambright, a co-founder of Kalchē Wine Cooperative and expert on all things food & beverage. Listen to learn about Justine's experience in the industry and how they're changing the game with their own business.
Jan 18, 2023•31 min
Being Your Own Artistic Director with Brita Filter
Growing up, Jesse Havea didn’t see themselves represented on screen or on stages of Broadway shows. But everything changed when they started doing drag under the name Brita Filter. Being the first Polynesian queen on RuPaul's Drag Race inspired Brita to carve out their own space in the performance world through drag and find ways to bridge divides with their conservative Mormon family members.
Jan 11, 2023•36 min
Waking Up to Race with Dr. Kira Hudson Banks
New Year got you feeling reflective? Us, too. So today we're bringing you a conversation between Chris and Dr. Kira Hudson Banks, an expert on race and how humans make meaning out of it. Chris walks through the steps of what called "Racial Identity Development Theory" with Dr. Banks -- from the first time he noticed his own race to the moments in his life that have changed how he thinks about his place in the world. Learn more about Dr. Banks' work and listen to her podcast: Raising Equity We ar...
Jan 04, 2023•35 min
Celebrating Brown with Lisa Solomon
Lisa Solomon is a mixed media artist and author obsessed with color. So who better than her to explain the beauty behind the color Brown? We are looking for stories about your names. Do you have a name that’s unique, one that’s hard for others to say? Do you have a funny story, an origin story? What do you think is special or beautiful about your name? Let us know! Send us an email or voice memo to BrownEnough@stitcher.com . You could wind up on a future episode....
Dec 28, 2022•25 min
30 Feet From an Oil Well with Nalleli Cobo
Twenty one year-old Nalleli Cobo spent more than a decade fighting to shut down an oil well across the street from her home in South Los Angeles. Nalleli says it's no coincidence that this well, and thousands of others like it, exist primarily in communities of color. Tune in to hear about the activism that won Nalleli the 2022 Goldman Environmental Prize -- aka the Green Nobel Prize -- and what she says we can all do in the fight against climate change.
Dec 21, 2022•33 min
A Storytelling Masterclass with Martina Castro
Chris gets a storytelling masterclass from Martina Castro, the founder and CEO of Adonde Media, a multilingual podcast company. Martina is the host of several shows including the Duolingo Spanish Podcast. But you’ll be surprised to hear that speaking Spanish at home was a challenge for her growing up. Now, she is an amazing storyteller both in English and Spanish on a mission to make stories that reach global audiences.
Dec 14, 2022•33 min
Chris Rivas Embraces the Middle Space on Some of My Best Friends Are
I’m excited to bring you a special episode of Some of My Best Friends Are , a podcast from Pushkin Industries I recently had the pleasure of joining. On Some of My Best Friends Are , Harvard professor Khalil Gibran Muhammad and journalist Ben Austen, two best friends who grew up together on the South Side of Chicago in the 1980s, discuss their experiences with the absurdities and intricacies of race in America. I joined Khalil and Ben to talk about my own racial awakening – which I attribute to ...
Dec 13, 2022•48 min
The Caucacity of Privilege with Mandi Woodruff-Santos
“The caucacity!” says Mandi Woodruff-Santos, co-host of the finance podcast Brown Ambition , when Black and Brown communities are hit with 6 figures of debt by corporate banks after graduating college. In this episode, Chris chats with Mandi to understand why Black and Brown families are lagging behind in building wealth and what they can do to start changing the narrative.
Dec 07, 2022•37 min
A Right to Laugh with Zarna Garg
Brown women have a right to laugh and they need to express it, says Indian immigrant and comedian Zarna Garg. Zarna went from being a lawyer, to a stay at home mom to her three kids, to a stand-up comedian and Tik Tok star. Today, she chats with Chris about how her kids convinced her to start a career in comedy, how she mines her culture for jokes, and what it means to be a Brown woman in the world of comedy.
Nov 30, 2022•34 min
Tasting Culture with Mayukh Sen
Writer Mayukh Sen didn't always like to cook. But he found his way into the kitchen when he discovered seven inspiring women who changed the world of food by making an impact in American cuisine. Mayukh is the author of Tastemakers: Seven Immigrant Women Who Revolutionized Food In America, a book that profiles women of diverse countries and cultures. Chris chats with Mayukh about how these seven women helped Americans transform how they cook and eat. We are looking for stories about your names. ...
Nov 23, 2022•34 min
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