Hail, it's jasmine. Making this show has been such a wild journey, But the whole thing might not have happened if it weren't for one particular moment. You might remember it from episode one.
Oh wait, sed me what.
I Central America has been transformational because of the politics.
Yeah.
Her arm has got the most beautiful tattoo I have ever seen in my life, and it is of il Arsobispo Romero on her arm.
So that's a recording of a live show of the podcast Latino USA. It's hosted by journalist MARIAA. Joss and she's interviewing Salvadorn comedian Marcella Ullo, who has a giant tattoo of Oscar Romero's face on her arm. You should google it. It's fantastic. And it was that tattoo and that conversation that made me realize that I had so much more to learn about the history of my family and the place that we all come from. So I guess I owe a little bit of this show's existence to Marcella.
I first heard about.
Her a couple of years ago on Twitter and completely fell in love with her unapologetic and raw comedy style.
My thing is you know, when you meet people and they want to have small talk, what do you do?
Oh my god, I love your outfit. I don't like that.
In this episode, I sit down with Marcella and talk about her own family's immigration story and what it's like representing two countries as a salvadorn American. But first I had to start with the image that started it all, her tattoo.
You listen to episode one.
You know that Like your tattoo was a big point of insp for me on this journey. I'd love to hear the story of like of the tattoo and what inspired it and why you got in the first place.
Well, thank you also for doing this podcast. Literally, the reason I wanted to do I wanted to get there. The reason I wanted to get this tattoo was so that more people knew about him, because nobody knows about it. It's just us and a lot of our own people don't know his whole story, right, And I know that you know, you had talked about how you kind of didn't even know who he wasn't but you got older. I was fortunate that my parents always brought him up. We knew he was the reason we knew he was
the catalyst. We knew my parents were forced out of the country. They didn't want to leave, so I knew what a big influence he was for so many people to leave because they were so scared. And my mom always said, we knew that if they were willing to kill a priest, they were willing to kill any of us.
I actually just found an old paper that I wrote in college about like my parents' experience, and I was like, I think I was eighteen years old and I haven't read it yet because I was like, oh, this, this seems like it's going to be heavy, you know, reading about my mother's journey, and she told to me when I was a teenager, and I mean, we already kind of knew, but it was It's just been such a heavy thing that I carry, and I think that I hate that so many people they just want to know
your background. They go, where do you live, what is your background? Where are your parents from? And I kind of hate those questions. I said it on the podcast of Let You Know USA at the event that you saw my tattoo with Maria and no Josa. I basically tell people I don't like small talk. I like big talk. I want to like, let's let's find what do you believe. I like to know exactly where people are coming from when we start a conversation. I'm not a big Oh
the weather is so nice today, hah the weather. Look at oh traffic? Oh god, it's like, nah, do you know about Oscar Romero? The priestso was killed in Al Saberry. He's a catalyst for this stalbatory and civil war is the reason my family's there. I like that. I like to put a little pressure on people's conversations because it's like, if you're not willing to talk about this or learn about this, I guarantee you we won't have anything interesting to talk about. And when I bring up Oscar Romero
and I can have that conversation really quickly. That's what's so cool about having a huge tattoo in your arm. Everyone people are always like, is that your dad?
Who is that?
Some idiot the other day after your show was like I thought it was Martin Scorsese. I'm like, yeah, that okay, eyebrows, that's all you saw? Okay, cool. I don't know what to tell you, man.
Well, and I think like Oscar Romero is a really interesting figure because he you know the fact that there's a statue of him in Westminster Abbey next to Martin Luther King.
Like mm hm.
Every year in the US, politicians will tweet out on Martin Luther King's birthday like, oh the you know the words of Martin Luther King, and we got to honor his memory, like on both sides of the aisle. And in the nineteen sixties, these people were not supporting Martin Luther King. And it's the exact same thing with Oscar ro Merriw right, Like, now that he's a saint, everyone's like, oh, of course, Oscar ro meriw We love Oscar Marrow. There's a reason it took forty years for him to become
a saint. It's because at the time people were not rolling with him.
Right, And it was also scary. It was also scary. Imagine if you know this, like my parents said, he if they were willing to kill him, they were willing to kill any of us. Imagine if you just expressed your love or sadness for him, like I'm sure people were like clocking you, like mm hmmmm. Okay, again, that's why I'm like, I'm going to get this tattooed on my body. I want this to be It's a point of pride for me. And it's like, I don't exist as a stand up comedian in the United States of
America without his murder. Like it's the butterfly effect and it's so sad, but I'm also extremely appreciative. And that's why I don't want his gospel to die. I don't want his memory to die. That's why it's such an honor that you were inspired to do this podcast, because it's literally why I got it. I want people to know more about him. I just want people to know about him, and you.
Really nailed it, Like so much of history is the butterfly effect of that moment, and you know, I think it's why he's such an important figure in Salvador in history, because you know, there's a lot of debate about like whether or not the Civil War would have happened. But I really genuinely think like, if he hadn't been murdered, my family would not have ended up in la and that's the same for a lot of us.
Mm hmm. I mean, that's what's so crazy is is that my parents do have that clarity of like, no, no, no, we knew that was the reason we left.
And what did your parents think about the tattoo when you got it?
Well, so it's you know, people, I don't know how well people know this, but Latino parents they do not like tattoos. I mean and right now, as we know in Al Salvador, they're like, if you have tattoos, were arresting you, which of course didn't mean for everybody, but they like, if you looked a certain profile, they were arresting you right throwing you in jail. And so like my parents, I should say, my mom was always against
tattoo my tattoos. My mom was very you know, Catholic and just just doesn't they think they're a bad idea. My dad passed away so he didn't get to see it. But when I told my mom, I was like, I have my next tattoo idea, she was like all this was like she had that all like disappointed, ready to hear some stupid cartoon I was going to put on my body. And I told her what I was going to do, and she was like, okay, that's okay, that's okay, you can do that. Oh.
She was for it.
She was for it, and then when it got closer to the date, she was like, I don't think you should do this. I don't think you should and I think it was close her Her reaction to that came with the whole like, you know, the maretos like. She was just like, no, that's just too close to that. I don't want you doing that. And I was like, oh, well, I don't care. I'm gonna do it anyways. And then when I got it, once she saw it, she was like,
that's beautiful. And every relative loves it. And anytime anyone that sees it in the family, they're just like, oh, this is so beautiful.
This is so cool.
It's such a point of pride for everybody, which I think is cool because I'm turning that mentality of like tattoos are only for gang bangers into like, no, no, tattoos are a beautiful art. It is.
It is a really beautiful tattoo.
Thank you.
I love it.
I really love it, and I like seeing it. It's like a nice reminder. I just like seeing it every day. You know, it's just to keep steady.
How much of your family's history or story did you know growing up?
Oh?
All of it?
We I mean, look, we grew up in a conservative town. Modesto is a very conservative, predominantly white town. It's way more mixed now. But when we were there in the growing up in the eighties and nineties, my parents sometimes it was just us, you know, like we literally were in a Salvadorian desert, right there was no others. But my dad talked to people. My dad was very charming.
He talked to people into coming to Modesto, like cousins, and so there was like some family that like we were nearby for a little while, and there was like a chunk of years where like we had my cousins there, which was really nice. But yeah, so I was raised to be very proud, which is why I'm very loud and proud about it, because my brain doesn't registered not to be. I was never taught to be ashamed of my background. I was never taught to hide my background.
I was taught to be very proud of it. Also, my dad was a singer and a guitarist in Laser monos Plooris, So it was like I was never not raised to be super proud about my background. Where we come from, what my parents gave up, you know, like we were never not informed and I feel very fortunate.
Well, and we also represent this really weird, uh divide, I.
Guess, or like we have.
I think Salvadorans have a really weird relationship with the US because you know, Reagan fun did a lot of the violence that happened in El Salvador, you know, in his proxy battle in the Cold War. But he's also the reason that my parents were able.
To become citizens, my mom too, And so there's a lot of Salvadorans who like have this love of Reagan and like who feel very patriotic, and you know, for me, especially like going back, it just I feel more American than I do Salvadoran because I've lived here my whole life.
Yeah, but I still, you.
Know, feel connected to Al salvad It's just like it's such a weird relationship.
It is, and it is It's also like why it is our responsibility to do stuff like this, to speak up and keep the legacies alive, because it is what we are capable of contributing to the legacy, to his legacy, which is again why I wanted to have that tattoo, because it's like, how many times am I going to have a conversation about my ethnic and racial background with
a complete stranger, and it's pointless. What doesn't even matter what my background is, right, But I want you to know about this thing because also you'll learn about American history when you when you start reading up on him. And I think that all of that is important for people to carry with them. And I don't think people are politically and socially involved enough. And I think that
this is like a good little stepping stone. My tattoo is like my little stepping stone to change conversation and influence people. That's why again, I think it's so cool that you're doing this podcast. I really appreciate being included in this. And now no one ever includes me in these like Salvadoran things, so it's nice.
No, I mean, I remember when I first saw I don't remember how I first learned about you, because it was before I think that Latino USA show and I saw that you were gonna be on the lineup and I was like, oh fuck yeah. And then I saw your special on HBO and I just like, it's that same thing where like I already liked you, and then I learned that you were Salva and I was like, fuck.
Yeah, yeah, and yeah, that's that's how I want my fans to accrue, Like I don't care what your background is and if you happen to have the same background as me, and because if you know what the thing is, I don't like when Salvadorans support me just for that, because there's a lot of conservative Latinos period, but there's
a lot of conservative Salvi's. There's a lot of Salvi's that they don't want a woman talking this much like, you know, we have all that, all those dumb stereotypes that will most races have, but definitely in the machismoass land of Latini dad. And I'm just like, no, I need people to dis like me for me, and then
you know, when they discover my background, it's cooler. And then you know, because usually if people like the material that I do, they're usually politically savvy, socially aware, community oriented. So then they find out I'm super proud and I have this tattoo, They're like, what, which is what I want? You know, that's how I want it to build. I want it to be organic.
When we come back from the break, Marcella's surprising connection to one of Oscar Romero's killers.
We'll be right back. Hey, we're back.
And this is my conversation with Salvador in American comedian Marcel Leguayo.
So when did your parents leave El Salvador? What year?
I want to say it was eighty one, Yeah, it was eighty one. Once it happened, once he was murdered, they were like, oh, we need to leave. But they still had to save up money. I mean, it's super expensive to come over here. People seem to forget that or not know that it's very, very expensive to come here. And so they basically saved for a year and then they packed their bags that they ended up having to leave behind also, but they did it.
And and you said they did they land in Modesto from the beginning.
No, no, you know what's wild.
Albero Saravia had a used So. Albero Sarabia was the chief of security for Roerto Dawison, who, like everybody sort of considers the intellectual author of Oscar Romero's murder. Abatto Sadabia came to the US after the murder, like they all sort of like went into the wind, and he Abatto Sadabia was discovered to be living in Modesto, California.
He had a used card.
What Yeah, I did not know that that I didn't know. See, that's so crazy. That's what I'm saying. Just when you learn something, there's more to learn. WHOA I have to look into that. And that's gonna blow my mom's mind.
It's in episode three. We cover it in episode three.
But like they ended up finding him and the Center for Justice and Accountability sued him and the judge ruled that he was responsible along with like these unnamed John Doe's that were the oligarts, and they they ruled in favor of damages for ten million dollars wow against a Saba because they found him in Modesto.
Well, I didn't know that. That is bombshell news to me. God, Modesto. Everybody knows somebody in Minesta. That's what they always say. The thing is, if you own a car shop, there's a chance that we we may have known him. Oh my god, I want okay, I got to look into this.
Yeah you got you got my legs shaking.
Well.
And that's the crazy thing is that, like there's so many Salvadorans who came here after the war, both refugees, but also generals and captains and people in the Salvador and military oligarchs who just like left the country in tatters and the.
Like peace spy.
Yeah, isn't it crazy? And that's the thing we're everywhere.
I think a big part of creating that sort of unity within the Salvadoran community and the Salvadoran diaspora is for us to know our history and to know these stories, which is really the whole point of the podcast is to try to you know, as much for myself as for anybody else, to like really understand how hard it was for our parents to get here, what they were coming from, and how how these cycles repeat in Salvador in history.
Yeah. And I also feel like, I we're so close to so much sacrifice. It bothers me how many first generation people and even second and third generation people don't do more to improve everything for everyone, you know, because it's not just us, you know, doing right by our parents.
It's like, no, I'm doing right for the next generation, you know, and making sure that because I have eight nieces and nephews, like you know, we want to make sure they're raised as proud Savadorian children, American children, because if you know, if we don't teach them how to make the sas we don't teach them Ascarromeo, if we don't teach them about all of it, how are they
going to keep it going? That is how cultures die, right, That's how history is die is And that's why you know, word of mouth, storytelling, just all this type of communication is so important.
After a quick break, Marcella tells comedian dial hugely about her Oscar Romero tattoo.
We'll be right back. We're back with.
My conversation with Marcella Aguayo. I really hope that you know, both you being like out there and proud Salvadoran and like the kind of work that I'm doing inspires that next generation to like be curious and ask questions, because it's the only way that you can stop history from repeating is by knowing that this kind of shit happened before.
Absolutely, And that was when I saw tweet the other day that was so funny because it was like, how are you on the wrong Like how how do you have access to history and you're still on the wrong side of history? Like we've seen all of these things play out and again, that's why I keep emphasizing it, like I am so happy to be included in this, but more than anything, I'm so happy that this exists now.
You know, like even if it reaches one hundred Salvadorians that like they've never realized or they never knew or they never understood the depth of it, Like that's one hundred more. And then they get to tell a hundred more and then you know when it grows, and it grows and it grows, and that's what you really want. Again, That's why I got the tattoo, because I wanted it
to inspire conversation. So again, it's an honor to be involved in this and be participating in this, because it's exactly why I got the tattoo.
But it's not.
But again, it's not even just Salvadorans. It's like it's American shoe.
Yeah, absolutely, and that's what's cool about it. I've I did to show a deal Hugley recently and he that was the first thing he noticed, whoa beautiful tattoo. And then because he loves politics and he's so socially informed and socially involved, I told him you need to look him up and I you know, I made sure to give him his name, and I was like, you need to look him up. I was like, you will be really interested in this man's story, and he was like,
I will. I will. I don't know if he did, but you know that like that feeling like I'm giving people a nugget another like I just think of it as another piece in the puzzle that makes American history more complex, more like people. There's a reason they're banning books, right because they don't want people to know these things. And I can only imagine if there was, you know, a book that was in the libraries that they didn't
want to read. This is this could easily be in it Oscar Marrow's history, the American US government involvement, like this is the kind of stories they don't want people to know. That's why him being sainted was such a big deal. And and me, you know, I don't care how slow it is. That's what's cool about this. I feel like you're joining me on my journey of informing people about him, and not just Salvadorans but everyone, because everybody should know what happened.
It's true, It's true. His story is just as important now as it was done, you.
Know, yeah, even more so now it's people like what, I refuse to believe that not just the US government, but any government could be so corrupt. People just refuse to like really let.
That register in their head.
And again, that is why his murder was considered the catalyst and the beginning of the savagory in Civil War, because oh, it was so crazy, it was so unbelievable. I would imagine that people who heard about it couldn't even wrap their head around it when it happened. Imagine if you weren't there, Like, that's such a hard thing to understand and accept as a human being. They killed my priest, that's wild. During mass that's crazy.
In front of a whole group of people in broad daylight.
One shot, a perfect shot, and y'all want to act like y'all weren't conspiring to get this done, Like that's crazy. It's such a crazy story. It's just one of the most same stories. And it goes into like MLK JFK, like it's not a coincidence.
We do an episode, so the series like starts without sca Romero and then sort of like does the domino effect, so we have like an episode about the lawison. We have an episode about the four US Church women, and we have an episode about Edmosote and the massacre that happened in Enmosote, And a big part of the theme of that episode is the denial that happened afterwards, right like it was reported almost immediately, like within weeks after
the massacre. Both the New York Times and the New York and the Washington Post had articles talking about the massacre, and both governments were like, I don't know if it happened like that, and nah, that's not right, and the denial, and it's fascinating to me how willing people are to deny the truth because an authority figure tells them that's not what happened.
That's sad, daddy issues, Americans. You guys got daddy issues.
It's not my government.
Yeah, not all governments, Okay, girl, I mean, And we're seeing it now right If it wasn't for TikTok, who knows what the narrative would be online right now about what's going on in Gaza, Like, who knows? It's crazy. We're so we're so lucky right now, We're so fortunate to have that like instant sharing that everyone has access to instant sharing like we are. It's a privilege. The Internet is a privilege. And because it's like, imagine if they just we if we didn't have access to that,
what would happen? Imagine if they hadn't killed him in front of a massive people, Imagine if they had poisoned him, Like there's so many it's so insane to think about. But when it's such an egregious act, a mass in front of people, and in one single shot right through the heart, You're like, uh h, I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it with my own eyes.
Oh I'm so glad I get to talk to you.
Thank you, this was very cool.
Sacred Scandal. Nation of Saints is the production of a HA Podcasts in partnership with Iheart's Michael Dura podcast network, and is hosted and written by me Jasmine Romero, produced by Jazmin Romero with help from Alvaro Sespelees, research and
reporting by Jasmine Romero, edited by saydre Velo. Nation of Saints was recorded in New York City at the Relic Room, with engineering by Brett Tugan, mixing and sound designed by Paciquinones original music by Golden Mines, Darko and Aame based on Patrick Hart's original composition, fact checking by it Indira Aquino Ayala. Executive producers are Carman geraaterol Isaac Lee, Rose Reed, and Nando Villa. Our executive producers at iHeart are Giselle
Bansis and Arlene Santana. Sacred Scandal created by Melanie Bartley and Baula Vadro's. The recording at the top of the episode is from Latino USA and provided courtesy of Futuro Studios. For more podcasts, go to the iHeartRadio app or anywhere you listen to your favorite podcasts.