Carolina Acosta didn’t grow up speaking Spanish or doing family game nights. Then she made a Spanglish drinking game. And it blew up. Host and producer: May Ortega Mixed by: Luis Antonio Perez Editors: Erin Jones, Andrew Villegas Project Manager: Rebekah Romberg Additional editorial support: Jo Erickson, Kibwe Cooper, Emily Williams Theme music by Pedro Lumbrano; additional music courtesy Universal Production Music Episode art: Maria Juliana Pinzón Executive producers: Brad Turner, Kevin Dale Th...
May 17, 2024•31 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Obed Manuel remembers the best taco he ever had: the ones his parents sold, walking door-to-door in their Dallas neighborhood. With long drives, some sorrow, lots of joy and a little smoked meat, those memories shaped him into the father he is now. Host and producer: May Ortega Mixed by: Luis Antonio Perez Editors: Erin Jones, Andrew Villegas Project Manager: Rebekah Romberg Additional editorial support: Jo Erickson, Kibwe Cooper, Emily Williams Theme music by Pedro Lumbrano; additional music co...
May 10, 2024•34 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Artist Jasmine Dillavou fights for space in a mostly-white profession, fueled her passion for art that highlights Latino joy. Host and producer: May Ortega Mixed by: Emily Williams Editors: Erin Jones, Andrew Villegas Project Manager: Rebekah Romberg Additional editorial support: Jo Erickson, Kibwe Cooper, Luis Antonio Perez Theme music by Pedro Lumbrano; additional music courtesy Universal Production Music Episode art: Maria Juliana Pinzón Executive producers: Brad Turner, Kevin Dale Thanks als...
May 03, 2024•27 min•Season 2Ep. 5
We'll be back next week with a new episode. In the meantime, we're excited that our friends at Off the Walls are taking over the feed this week – with the people and the stories behind Denver's street art. Listen to all five episodes of Off the Walls on CPR.org or wherever you listen to podcasts. To see photos of the mural “Huitzilopochtli,” visit CPR.org . Credits for “The Hummingbird Warrior” from Off the Walls: Hosts: Kibwe Cooper, Emily Williams Editor: Jo Erickson Written and reported by Em...
Apr 26, 2024•32 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Jennifer Serrano and Veronica Vasques are former enemies, turned lovers and business owners of a design company called JZD. But being Latina and queer can come with both opportunities and obstacles – including from one of the biggest corporations of all: Target. Host and producer: May Ortega Mixed by: Emily Williams Editors: Erin Jones, Andrew Villegas Project Manager: Rebekah Romberg Additional editorial support: Jo Erickson, Kibwe Cooper, Luis Antonio Perez Theme music by Pedro Lumbrano; addit...
Apr 19, 2024•28 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Growing up in beautiful, tropical Costa Rica led anthropologist Fernando Villanea to fall in love with the biology of nature. And it’s led him down a path of passion, success and a yearning for home as he studies one of the most interesting animals of all: us. Host and producer: May Ortega Mixed by: Emily Williams Editors: Erin Jones, Andrew Villegas Project Manager: Rebekah Romberg Additional editorial support: Jo Erickson, Kibwe Cooper, Luis Antonio Perez Theme music by Pedro Lumbrano; additio...
Apr 12, 2024•30 min•Season 3Ep. 2
A family trauma expert, Mariel Buque, guides us through her own path of acceptance and healing. Her perspective was shaped by her family's difficult transition from the Dominican Republic to New Jersey. Host and producer: May Ortega Mixed by: Luis Antonio Perez Editors: Erin Jones, Andrew Villegas Project Manager: Rebekah Romberg Additional editorial support: Jo Erickson, Kibwe Cooper, Emily Williams Theme music by Pedro Lumbrano; additional music courtesy Universal Production Music Episode art:...
Apr 05, 2024•23 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Get ready for a new season of ¿Quién Are We?, a podcast about being Latinx, Hispanic, Chicana – or however you identify – and the beautiful things that make us who we are. Host and journalist May Ortega is back with more everyday stories of incredible people who are exploring their heritage through their personal passions. You’ll hear from an artist, an anthropologist and a game-maker. You’ll hear about the relationship between two enemies, turned lovers and the connection between a father and s...
Mar 21, 2024•3 min
When a teenager in Chicago had an unwanted pregnancy, she was ready to put her baby in the foster care system. Instead, that baby -- Dimitra Trejo -- was adopted by a family friend and came of age in South Texas. Dimitra's relationship with her adoptive mother, plus learning at an unexpected moment that she was adopted, made life hard. Now, she's a mother herself. And her experiences with her birth mother and adoptive mother have shaped how she will raise her son. Host and producer: May Ortega L...
Oct 28, 2022•29 min•Season 1Ep. 9
As a child in front of the TV, at block parties, at school; Manuela Sanchez loved to dance. Then when she discovered she could pursue her passion as a career, her life changed. And even as her identity as an Afro Dominicana strengthened her love of dance, she struggled — as an arts pioneer in her family and in the largely white world of her profession. Host and producer: May Ortega Lead producer: Luis Antonio Perez Editors: Erin Jones, Andrew Villegas Mixing: Patrice Mondragon Additional produce...
Oct 14, 2022•24 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Growing up in Texas, Jose Borjon's mom raised him to love his community and help the people around him. He never would have guessed that his passion for serving others would take him all the way from the Rio Grande Valley to Washington, D.C. Host: May Ortega Lead producer: Luis Antonio Perez Editors: Erin Jones, Andrew Villegas Mixing: Luis Antonio Perez Additional producers: Rebekah Romberg, Jo Erickson, Ana Campbell Theme music by Pedro Lumbrano; additional music courtesy Universal Production ...
Sep 30, 2022•26 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Victor Sosa always loved plants. But it wasn't until the Denver entrepreneur saw a post online that he realized he might be able to turn his passion into a business opportunity. He didn't just make the sale. He made houseplants accessible to his community in a whole new way. Host and producer: May Ortega Lead producer: Luis Antonio Perez Editors: Erin Jones, Andrew Villegas Mixing: Rebekah Romberg Additional producers: Jo Erickson, Ana Campbell Theme music by Pedro Lumbrano; additional music cou...
Sep 16, 2022•25 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Brandon Vargas feels incredible pride when he thinks of his grandmother's green chile recipe. So he set out to recreate it for his friends and family. There was just one catch: She never wrote down the recipe. Host and producer: May Ortega Lead producer: Luis Antonio Perez Editors: Andrew Villegas, Dennis Funk, Brad Turner Mixing: Pedro Lumbrano Additional producers: Rebekah Romberg, Jo Erickson, Erin Jones Theme music by Pedro Lumbrano; additional music courtesy Universal Production Music Cover...
Sep 02, 2022•20 min•Season 1Ep. 5
In this episode, it's our host's turn to tell her own story! Growing up in Texas, May Ortega thought she had a pretty good idea of who she was. But but when she became a journalist, she realized that to report on other people, she had to figure out her own story. Host: May Ortega Produced by: Erin Jones Lead producer: Luis Antonio Perez Editors: Rebekah Romberg, Ana Campbell Mixing: Pedro Lumbrano Additional production: Jo Erickson Theme music by Pedro Lumbrano; additional music courtesy Univers...
Aug 19, 2022•24 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Denise Soler Cox was lonely growing up outside New York City. Her parents were Puerto Rican, and the dominant culture in her town was white. It wasn't until she grew up and moved away that she realized there was a whole community of people who feel just like her. She knew she had to share this community with others, and so the idea for a film was born. The only thing she needed to figure out was how to make a film. Learn more about Denise Soler Cox and her film, “Being Eñye,” at projectenye.com....
Aug 05, 2022•27 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Allan Benavides grew up in Southern California, in a family that loved baseball. Despite his family's wishes, he couldn't be a player. Still, he dreamed of working with the sport in some way. Eventually he landed his dream job — in a town that was much whiter than the one he was from. Could he create a new sense of community and pride there among Latino baseball fans? Host and producer: May Ortega Lead producer: Luis Antonio Perez Editors: Andrew Villegas, Ana Campbell, Erin Jones Mixing: Pedro ...
Jul 22, 2022•25 min•Season 1Ep. 2
When Jon Baron's plan to attend college didn't work out, he realized something was missing from his life. So he worked his way into Denver’s vibrant brewing scene, where he grew to love the techniques behind brewing. Still, it took a special drink from his heritage, brewed with centuries of myth and meaning, to find what he'd been missing. Host and producer: May Ortega Lead producer and mixing: Luis Antonio Perez Editors: Andrew Villegas, Ana Campbell, Erin Jones Additional producers: Rebekah Ro...
Jul 08, 2022•22 min•Season 1Ep. 1
This summer, get ready for a new podcast about being Latino, Hispanic or Chicana – or however you identify – and the beautiful things that make us who we are. Host and journalist May Ortega will share the everyday stories of some incredible people, and explore how we connect with our heritage through our interests. You'll hear from a brewer, a dancer, a baseball lover, a filmmaker and many others with moving stories. You’ll hear journeys of Latino identity, relationships with parents and friends...
Jun 16, 2022•4 min