Maria and Julio talk about Jeff Bezos’ allegations that David Pecker, the owner of the National Enquirer’s parent company, extorted and blackmailed him. They also talk about why the State of the Union address was hard to watch and the City of Nogales vote against the concertina wire on the border fence. ITT Staff Picks: The City of Nogales unanimously votes to condemn concertina wire on border fence , from Latino Rebels Jeff Bezos wrote a blog post , from The Atlantic The meaning of the often mi...
Feb 08, 2019•20 min
Maria and Julio talk with All-Star Jamilah King , race and justice reporter and host of the Mother Jones podcast, and Andrea González-Ramírez , political reporter with Refinery29. They discuss the larger issues at stake in the Virginia Governor Ralph Northam's blackface scandal, the racist and homophobic attack against Jussie Smollett, and the latest 2020 Democratic candidates to announce their campaigns. ITT Staff Picks: Kamala Harris’ campaign will force democrats to decide where they stand on...
Feb 05, 2019•37 min
Congresswoman Veronica Escobar is one of the first two Latinas from Texas to win a seat in the U.S. Congress that was sworn in a few weeks ago. In an intimate conversation that took place at her office in Washington D.C., Julio and Rep. Escobar talk about the border community of El Paso, the hospitality that has always characterized its people and what it means for her to be a woman of color in a predominantly white and male Congress. ITT Staff Picks: Veronica Escobar, freshman from Texas, will ...
Feb 01, 2019•21 min
The longest shutdown in U.S. history has ended with the President taking credit for solving a problem that he created and continuing his rhetoric about a non-existent border crisis. Maria and Julio are joined by two All-Stars: Jenni Monet, an independent journalist and tribal member of the Pueblo of Laguna, and Terrell Jermaine Starr, senior reporter at The Root. They talk about what has been missing in the coverage of the shutdown, what mainstream media overlooked in the aftermath of the Lincol...
Jan 29, 2019•30 min
Nathan Phillips, a Native American elder man, sang a prayer song to make peace between a group of MAGA hat-wearing white Catholic high school students and members of the Black Hebrew Israelites. Maria and Julio talk about the aftermath and the context in which the video of the confrontation occurred. They also discuss the arrest and indictment of one of President Trump's top aides, Roger Stone and the unfolding political crisis in Venezuela and the involvement of the U.S. government. ITT Staff P...
Jan 26, 2019•24 min
In this special crossover episode with AnthroPod , Julio moderates a conversation with anthropologist Jason De León and Maria about migration, writing, and teaching. “(W)Rap on: Immigration” is the second episode of the (W)Rap On series at AnthroPod, which brings anthropologists into conversation with artists, activists, and scholars from other disciplines and perspectives. The series is loosely inspired by James Baldwin and Margaret Mead’s 1970 conversation Rap on Race , and was conceived by Hi...
Jan 22, 2019•49 min
This week William Barr, another immigration hardliner, had his Senate confirmation hearings to replace Jeff Sessions as Attorney General. Maria and Julio talk about a new report that shows that thousands more children than originally reported, may have been separated from their relatives under the Trump administration's Zero Tolerance policy and the importance of thoughtful immigration coverage during these times. ITT wants to hear from you! We're headed to the Rio Grande valley in Texas, for a ...
Jan 18, 2019•23 min
The recent Lifetime documentary series by dream hampton, "Surviving R. Kelly" , brings the R&B legend back to the limelight, now through the testimonies of women of color who survived his abuses and sexual predatory behavior for decades. Maria and Julio are joined by Jamilah Lemieux , writer and media professional who was featured in the docuseries and April Reign , diversity and inclusion advocate, media commentator and the creator of #OscarsSoWhite. They talk about the role of race in R. K...
Jan 15, 2019•40 min
The current government shutdown is about to become the longest in U.S. history and it's not only impacting workers, but also the lives of immigrants and asylum seekers. Maria and Julio talk about the shutdown and the rhetoric that for decades has backed the implementation of anti-immigration policies, supported by leaders of both political parties and the mainstream media. ITT Staff Picks: A Houston immigration lawyer describes the chaos of Trump’s shutdown , by The New Yorker. This investigatio...
Jan 11, 2019•30 min
The government shutdown that started three weeks ago is on track to become one of the longest in U.S. history, while the 2020 presidential race is already in sight. Maria and Julio are joined by All-Star Wajahat Ali , a contributor to The New York Times, and ITT's newest All-Star Vann Newkirk , a staff writer at The Atlantic. They unpack the consequences of the shutdown and discuss if the country is ready for a woman or POC presidential candidate. ITT Staff Picks: What the Democrats’ 2020 field ...
Jan 08, 2019•41 min
In our first episode of the New Year, Maria and Julio discuss the latest in immigration policy: the deaths of two migrant kids detained by U.S. Border Patrol after crossing the southern border. They also talk about the urgency of a more objective —and more humane— media coverage on immigration issues and take a look at the challenges that lay ahead for the new and most diverse Congress to be sworn in. ITT Staff Picks: The Washington Post examines Trump administration's lack of an effective polic...
Jan 04, 2019•22 min
The year 2018 will be remembered for quite a few milestones: migrant children being held in cages, the growth of the #MeToo movement, Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s appointment to the Supreme Court and Alexandria Ocasio Cortez becoming the youngest woman ever elected to the U.S. Congress. Maria and Julio take a look back at the most unforgettable moments of 2018 for In The Thick, and they discuss why POC voices are needed now, more than ever. ITT 2018 Picks: ITT EXTRA Midterms 2018: The Practice of Fre...
Dec 31, 2018•30 min
For this LIVE In The Thick in Los Angeles, Maria sat down with Judy Reyes from "Scrubs" and "Claws," USC professor and author Manuel Pastor, and one of our ITT All-Stars, comedian Cristela Alonzo, to discuss California as a leader in promoting immigrant rights, diversity, and social justice. ITT Staff Picks James Fallows reviews Manuel Pastor's latest book, State of Resistance (NY Times). Cristela Alonzo's profile on NPR , from 2012. Judy Reyes talks about her character and representing the LGBT...
Dec 28, 2018•42 min
To our In The Thick listeners: We're sending a message of love and appreciation to you all. We wish you all felices fiestas and happy holidays. A special thank you note to all the POC journalists, particularly to women journalists of color, who continue to push forward for truth and democracy. Peace and love, Maria y Julio For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Want to support our independent journalism? Joi...
Dec 25, 2018•6 min
Maria and Julio sit down with queer Latinx writer Gabby Rivera, who wrote AMERICA, featuring Marvel's first Latina lesbian superhero, America Chavez. They chat about why representation matters, celebrating POC joy and how Maria may just be Gabby's madrina. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for exclusive episodes, sneak peaks and behind-the-scenes ...
Dec 21, 2018•22 min
Many times forgotten, black undocumented immigrants from Latin American, Caribbean or African countries are a growing part of the immigrant community. Maria and Julio speak to Jonathan Jayes-Green , co-founder and director of the UndocuBlack Network , to understand the complexities of this population and how they are organizing to fight back and support each other. ITT Staff Picks: The 'Double Punishment' for Black Undocumented Immigrants, from The Atlantic. The Hill's op-ed on public charge and...
Dec 18, 2018•31 min
In 1939, a ship called the SS St. Louis with 900 Jewish refugees arrived to Cuba, fleeing the Nazi regime. Most of them were sent back home to Europe, where many died in concentration camps. In this episode, Maria and Julio talk to Armando Lucas Correa, editor-in-chief of People en Español and author of the book The German Girl , a fictional story based on what happened with those refugees from the St. Louis . ITT Staff Picks: The story of the SS St. Louis , the ship of Jewish refugees nobody re...
Dec 14, 2018•23 min
The Mueller investigation keeps moving forward and the focus is shifting to President Trump. While Individual-1 keeps tweeting, Maria and Julio talk to Amanda Terkel , Washington Bureau Chief at HuffPost and call up All-Star and ITT Russia expert, Terrell Jermaine Starr , senior reporter at The Root . ITT Staff Picks The story of the undocumented workers at Trump's golf club in New Jersey (from The New York Times). Amanda's story on the power grab in Wisconsin and the legacy of Scott Walker (fro...
Dec 11, 2018•35 min
In the United States, deadly violence against the transgender community —in particular, against trans people of color— has been increasing since 2016. To talk about this issue, and to get wonky about politics too, Maria and Julio are joined by All-Star Imara Jones , founder and president of Oria Media, host of The Last Sip and a Voqal fellow. ITT Staff Picks How crimes against transgender women end up underreported, according Pro Publica . Watch TransLash, Imara's docuseries on transitioning. Th...
Dec 07, 2018•32 min
Very few people get access into the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, and even fewer journalists of color do. In spite of the systematic attacks journalists of color—and in particular, black women journalists— receive from government officials and the President himself, they have a responsibility to report for their communities. Maria and Julio are joined by two journalists who live this reality in the briefing room: April Ryan with American Urban Radio Networks and CNN poli...
Dec 04, 2018•40 min
Seven women are murdered in Mexico each day. Impunity, narco and state-sponsored violence, plus everyday machismo, are at the root of this. However, Mexican women are mobilizing to fight for their lives and each other. Maria and Julio discuss if Mexico can change its culture to end this gender violence. For this live show, they're joined by Gabriela Warkentin , host for W Radio and contributing writer with El País, and Catalina Ruiz Navarro, columnist for several media outlets. ITT Staff Picks: ...
Nov 30, 2018•46 min
Over the weekend, U.S. Border Patrol agents tear gassed hundreds of migrant children, women and men seeking asylum at the San Ysidro port of entry. In part one, Maria and Julio talk with Buzzfeed News' Adolfo Flores , reporting on the ground at the border. In part two, we talk about about the racially charged senate runoff in Mississippi with Chellese Hall , co-host of the Red Flag podcast. ITT STAFF PICKS: Adolfo Flores spoke with the woman in the iconic photo fleeing tear gas in the border (fr...
Nov 27, 2018•35 min
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made history this November, when she became the youngest woman ever elected to the United States Congress. In this episode, Maria and Julio are joined the 29-year old Latina from the Bronx for whom “community is a priority.” ITT Staff Picks: How some Democrats are rethinking their own party . Learn more about what Alexandria mentioned: that 60% Puerto Ricans were denied FEMA aid and why . The thrill of watching Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez bring her whole self to Congress, v...
Nov 23, 2018•38 min
On this All-Star roundtable, we talk about the midterms (still!) in Florida and Georgia, the latest in immigration news and we take a look at the tragic California wildfires. Maria and Julio are joined by two In The Thick All-Stars: independent journalist Jenni Monet and contributor to The New York Times Wajahat Ali . ITT Staff Picks California is using slave labor to fight the fires, according to The Root . From Buzzfeed News, this is the reality of LGBTQ members of the caravan. Jenni's latest ...
Nov 20, 2018•37 min
This is a bonus ITT in Spanish. They investigate narcos, they deal with the pressures of the Mexican government and often face death threats just for doing their jobs. What is it like to be a journalist (and a woman journalist) in Mexico? In our first episode in Spanish, Julio and Maria talked to reporters Nayeli Roldán from Animal Político and Peniley Ramírez from Univision, in Mexico City. Investigan a los narcos, soportan las presiones del gobierno mexicano y muchas veces tienen que enfrentar...
Nov 16, 2018•46 min
In the aftermath of 2018’s key midterm elections, Florida and Georgia are still fighting over decisive recounts, while Donald Trump has again slammed members of the press. Maria and Julio call up all-star Terrell Jermaine Starr, senior reporter at The Root, to talk about the need of a collective response to address the President’s repeated attacks targeting women and journalists of color. ITT Staff Picks The Washington Post reflects on the significance of the rising African-American political fi...
Nov 13, 2018•20 min
Often Mexico is seen as just a passage route for migrants on their way to the United States, but in this episode, ITT looks at immigration through the eyes of Mexico. This country is becoming a host for migrants and for years has followed the lead of militarized immigration policy of its neighbor to the North. For the LIVE In The Thick from Mexico City, Maria and Julio talk about immigration in Mexico from the Central American migrant caravan to repatriated deportees with Eunice Rendón , coordin...
Nov 09, 2018•41 min
From the historic triumph of women candidates across the country to issues of voter suppression, we talk Midterms ITT style. Maria and Julio are joined by ITT All-Star and award-winning journalist Imara Jones, founder of Oria Media and host of The Last Sip. ITT Staff Picks A night of firsts: The Guardian details all the historic victories of the midterm election. How three Black governor nominees are making the Democratic Party rethink itself (from CNN). From The Intercept : Was Trump's rise act...
Nov 07, 2018•38 min
Just days ahead of the midterms, birthright citizenship is challenged and white supremacist rhetoric continues to plague the country. Maria and Julio talk to Dr. Eddie Glaude, Jr. , a James S. McDonnell Distinguished University professor at Princeton University. They discuss the role POC communities will have in the upcoming election. ITT Staff Picks This Washington Post article explains the meaning of Roy Moore’s victory in Alabama’s special election for Senate in 2017, winning 63 percent of wh...
Nov 02, 2018•38 min
After a week marked by the threat of pipe bombs, a synagogue in Pittsburgh was attacked by an antisemitic domestic terrorist who murdered 11 worshippers. Maria and Julio talk about this tragedy and the role of hate with Brentin Mock , Pittsburgher and staff writer for CityLab and Mike German , fellow with the Brennan Center for Justice’s Liberty and National Security Program. ITT Staff Picks Brentin Mock's point of view on what the neighborhood where it happened means to Pittsburgh and the count...
Oct 30, 2018•34 min
