Ni de Aquí ni de Allá: Becca Ramos on the Puerto Rican Diaspora | Capítulo 272

This week, Diosa and Mala welcome Becca Ramos to discuss her experience as a Puerto Rican in Texas, far from the diaspora cities most people associate Boricuas with. Becca is a producer on the popular podcast, Las Culturistas, but she's stepping in front of the mic with her new podcast, Welcome to El Barrio, the show she wishes she had as a kid. She talks about her conscious commitment to learning Spanish as an adult, how that's shaped (and complicated) her relationship to her own identity, and how she's championing the stories of Boricuas both on the island and in the diaspora. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
So often I was in these ap level classes. That's
like the only black girl in the class, only brown
girl in the class. There were not even other Latinos
in these classes. It was like me and predominantly like
South and East Asian kids and white kids, and that
was it. And so I think I just always felt
like a fish out of water, and I never knew

(00:20):
where I was supposed to go because everyone was like, well,
you're black, and I was like wanm Puto Rican and
at that time, you didn't have the language to be like, well,
I'm ever Latina and like you know, and then of
course the internalized racism too, You're like, you know, being
black is bad at the time because of how racist
it is, so you're like, why not black, I'm Puerto
Rican And so then you don't want to assimilate with
the black kids either, so that you just don't know

(00:41):
where you fit in. I'm Becca Ramos and you're listening
to Lakatra Radio. Welcome, Thank you for having me. I'm
so excited to be here.

Speaker 2 (00:52):
You guys, we're so excited that you're here.

Speaker 3 (00:55):
We met you at the Signal Awards we did in
New York City. We were all excited in Gold Awards
for our various podcasts, and you for your work as
a producer on Las Schools. Yes, congrats, congrats, and you're
here in La working producing and you're hosting your own show.

Speaker 1 (01:13):
Now, welcome to Elbarrio.

Speaker 3 (01:14):
Tell us about your trip, tell us about podcasting, tell
us about everything.

Speaker 1 (01:17):
So this is my longest trip to La I am.
I'm actually I was born here. I was born in
La but I was raised in Texas, and I have
come back pretty infrequently, I have learned recently. Because my dad,
he made it seem like we had no money. That's
not the case. I mean, I do think for a
while we had no money, but after a while they

(01:37):
did have money, and then they just didn't do anything
with it. And so my dad though, instead of like
I don't know, changing his life and being like maybe
Texas makes me unhappy and I should like, ooh, where
my family is, he was like, well, it just makes
me too sad to visit, so I won't.

Speaker 3 (01:54):
Oh.

Speaker 1 (01:55):
So then we just never visited La again. We went
once when I was eight to see all of my
extended family, like all of my dad's cousins live here.
His mom is one of ten all ten of them
moved to LA. They all have kids, and they have kids.
So it's like one hundred plus Ramost family people that
live in the Santa Clarita, La area. Wow, So I

(02:17):
thought there was a lot of Puerto Ricans in LA
because of that, that's not true, just my family. But
all I had to say, Yeah, I hadn't come back
to LA often, and then I would come for work
when I started working in media and advertising and culture stuff.
But this is the longest trip I've had. The last
time I came was I think twenty eighteen. I was
here for like forty eight hours, like truly. I came

(02:38):
to produce a live show and then I left, Oh wow,
out of dinner in the middle there for work and
like so I was very nervous because I was like, oh,
I've never been in LA for so long, Like, am
I gonna like it? Am I gonna be exhausted in
the traffic? But I'm here to say I loved it,
and I would be more properly by coastal if LA

(02:59):
will have me and if the universe allows.

Speaker 3 (03:01):
So And okay, So of the recordings you've been doing,
you've been producing, you've been recording and you were working
on the Culture Awards. I was, yeah, tell us about it,
tell us about it.

Speaker 1 (03:09):
The Culture Awards were so fun. I'm so proud of
Matt and Bowen, truly, like it is. I've been working
on the show now for almost five years. It'll be
five years this December. And so the first Culture Awards
was probably like twenty twenty two, I want to say,
and that was such like a homegrown show, Like it
was basically like a little bit surplus of a live show, right,

(03:32):
like think about doing a live show like the Allegiant
Theater or something. It was at the Lincoln Center, so
it was big, but it was also like outdoor the
Lincoln Center wasn't like properly in the Lincoln Center or
anything like that. And it was like a fundraiser for Pride,
and well, actually I don't even know if it was
a fundraiser. I think they did it free for Pride.
The tickets were free. I don't know where the fundraising
part went, but I remember it was like specifically for Pride.

(03:55):
They were like, this is a gag we did on
the show, Like they kind of made up these awards
and these nominations and they're like, what if we did
like a little like live show about it, and so
they did it. There were like no costumes, like it
was like clear that it was like like when you
do a live show, like a prov show. You know.
It was like everybody came with their own stuff and
they you know, had a few connections. A few celebrities
came through, but it wasn't what it is now. And

(04:17):
so it was so and it was so funny then
and it was like only an hour back then and
now to see it become like on Peacock on Bravo,
be like an actual award show where like a list
celebrities show up and like do bits and are like
down to clown. I'm like, I'm in awe, Like there's

(04:38):
a writer's room. Now there's a costume budget, Like it's crazy.
And it was like a full three hours. I was
shook because even when we did it the second year,
so it was like the first year was at Lincoln Center,
and I don't think anybody estimated how popular it would be.
Like there was a line wrapped around like the whole
city block of the Lincoln Center for people waiting to

(04:59):
hopefully get tickets to get in because it was free.
So it was like kind of first come, first serve,
and so it filled up. There was like standing room.
I swear like five hundred people showed up, and so
I think then they were like, oh, there's really something here,
like people want to come to this. So then they
sold tickets the following year and it was at I
want to say, the King's Theater in Brooklyn, and that
was real cute. It was still like very much a

(05:20):
live show, you know. It was theatrical in the sense
that it was in a proper theater and they wore
their little suits and it was like a little bit
more of a gag, but it was still like it
felt like a live show. And then last year was
on Peacock and so it was here and I didn't
get to go because I was in New York. But
this year they made sure I was able to come,
and Yeah, seeing it in like all the la glitz

(05:41):
and glamour, I was like, this is crazy. Like I
walked a red carpet like, I was like, it was
I shook amazing.

Speaker 2 (05:50):
That's so cool.

Speaker 4 (05:51):
Yeah, and you've really been a part of that trajectory,
right having been on working on the show for five years. Yeah,
and you've been the producer, one of the producers, and
now you're stepping in to the light, right in front
of the camera, with your in front with your own show,
in front of the mic, in front of the camera
with your own show. How has that transition been for you,

(06:13):
going from behind the scenes to front and center.

Speaker 1 (06:15):
Honestly, it's been so much fun. And I mean I
got into podcasting with the dream of making the show.
I then it just happened to love every part of
the process. I think some people like just want to
be a host and creator, which is like totally fair
and fine, But I really enjoyed producing, Like I love
getting to put something together, like being a part of

(06:37):
a team making, like seeing a vision come to life,
seeing it grow, seeing you know, the fruits of your labor,
Like I love every aspect of production. So when I applied,
because I basically applied through the NEXTEP Program, which I
don't think we've done in a couple of years now.
But the Next Up program was originally founded by Anna
Jose the EP of Lust Culture, and she wanted to

(07:00):
get more diverse voices in podcasting. But the idea of
the program was to get people who've like never touched
any sort of production.

Speaker 3 (07:06):
You know.

Speaker 1 (07:07):
It was like basically you had an idea, but you
had no idea how to like make it come to life.
And they would teach you every aspect of like making
it come to life. So I applied, and I was like,
you're too qualified, but hang off for you a job.
I was like, well, actually I would I would love benefits.
I would love a job because I was quitting my
full time job to pursue this. I like had a plan.

(07:27):
I was like, I saved enough money. I knew I
wanted to pivot into podcasting. I knew I wanted to
make the show, but I didn't know where to start,
and so I quit my job. I join iHeart, and
I get put You know, a little bit of it
is luck. A little bit of it is obviously I'm
like incredibly hard working and what I do. But you know,
I got the luck to be put on lust Coule
Teresta's and I was a reader, like I was a

(07:49):
fan before I was, you know, put on the show.
So I think that's like any reader's like dream is like, oh,
you know the show that you've listened to every week
for the past few years, you're now producing on it.
I learned so much in the production process, and that's
why I waited as long as I did, I think,
to pitch my show. I didn't start pitching it until
twenty twenty four, which was a few years after I

(08:10):
worked at a higher because I really wanted to learn
how to make a show and make it well, and
I was at a chance to learn from some of
the best in the game. So I was like, let
me sit back, let me really like absorb how they host,
how they do things, you know, their professionalism, and then
hopefully get to do it myself. And so I definitely
needed those few years to figure it out because it

(08:32):
was truly just an idea And now it feels like
something palatable. I shouldn't just say palatable, but palpable, something
that is tangible. Something that I've noticed in the short
time we've been on air that we've built a strong
community of people who have been really seeking this type
of media. So it's been so beautiful and incredible, and
it feels like a natural transition to like the next

(08:55):
step in my career. Don't go anywhere in locomotives right back,
What were you doing before you applied to that program?
I was an advertising I was fully an advertising girly,
corporate girly. I started my career at this add agency
called Widen and Kennedy. They're pretty big, Like if you're advertising,

(09:17):
it's like you know, you know, you know, it's like
working for the top agency in the business. So I
also got lucky there where it's like, you know, it
was luck. It was hard work, but I had done
a diversity fellowship and it caught me into that job.
And I was there for almost three years, and I
had done so many different things. It was a place
that let you really explore what you wanted to do.

(09:38):
I think most agencies will be like you're coming in
as a strategist, you're only doing strategy. You're coming in
as an account manager, you're only new account, your production, whatever, whatever.
Widen was kind of a place where it was like,
we want to make the best work, So if you
find something that's better for you, we are happy to
help you pursue that. So without Widen, I wouldn't have

(09:59):
figured out, like all all these things that I love
to do, Like I wouldn't have figured out that I
love podcasting, that I love production, that I love events
and producing events, specifically because I was like a No
Man's Land intern. I was called a publishing intern, which
was like, it's that apartment doesn't exist anymore, it barely

(10:19):
exists to when I was there. And because I was
like this No Man's Land producer, and they were like,
we love you, we love the work you do, we
love how hard working you are, but we don't know
what to do with you. That's kind of why I
got to do so many different things, is they were
just like, I don't know, let's like put you here,
see if that works. But you're here to see if
that works. And at my time there, I ran their

(10:40):
LATINX diversity what's it called affinity group? Yeah, and so
I would do like programming for the LATINX employees at
the office I and I did that all because I
was like, it was the first time I had any
sort of Latino community, Like growing up in Texas in
the white spaces I grew up, I didn't really and

(11:00):
I didn't have a lot of family. I didn't have
a strong Latino community. And so those are my first
time like making Latino friends, like getting in touch with
my culture and having the opportunity to explore it in
this deep way. And so I had planned like a
whole month of programming of like LATINX Heritage Month. I
brought in artists to do a local art gallery show.

(11:21):
I hosted like an event with better like that talk
about latinos and marketing and how do we shape media
and culture. I did salsa classes for the employees, like,
I did so much stuff. And then after I left
and I moved to like a regular ad agency, like
probably like a more run of the mill ad agency,
I was like, oh, so you don't get to do

(11:43):
all this fun stuff in the other places. You know.
That's why people go to Widen, you know, you get
to explore all these other opportunities. And I realized, well,
these are all these things I love. I don't actually
love working in advertising. I love producing. I love working
in culture. I love you know, working within my community.
I love uplifting my community. I can't be in this anymore.

(12:04):
Especially it was like COVID. When I moved, I moved
to New York January twenty twenty. The other job was
in Portland organ I was like the world's burning. You know,
I cannot be selling penz oil, you know, Like I
was like, right, so many things matter, not this. So
I started just freelancing as a moonlighting as a producer

(12:24):
for the food brand Luisa, and because they had just
blown up on social because of the Goya thing during
COVID and so they needed like a social media manager
and like social producer. So I managed their website, I
was managing their socials. I was building them a social strategy.
So I was kind of blending like learning new production
experience with my advertising experience. And then through that I

(12:48):
was like, Okay, I think I have enough footing and
I know what I want to do. I want to
pivot fully out of advertising and just like in production,
but I don't know where. And so I ended up
taking a production job at another ad agency base here
in LA but I was remote working in New York.
And through that time is when the next up program
came through and I put all my eggs in that basket.
I was like, I'm saving money. I'm going to quit

(13:10):
my job. I'm gonna, you know, continue volunteering at the
bookstore that I volunteer at. Maybe I'll do more hours
at the bookstore and just kind of like take this
as a sabbatical while I figure out if I get
into the Next Up program. How I'm going to pursue
this career because Next Up it was going to be
like like twenty hours a week, and they did pay
you for it. We paid all of the Next Up fellows,

(13:30):
but it wasn't full time by any means. So I
was like, I'm taking a huge pay cut, I'm taking
a huge life cut by doing this program. But then
when they offered me a full time job, I was
like WHOA. I was like, actually, things don't have to
change to do crazy, but yeah, that's how I ended
up here. Yeah.

Speaker 4 (13:46):
I want to go back to something you said, because
I think it relates to the show that you're producing
and you're hosting now where I think in our understanding,
you said that where you grew up, you know, being
in Texas, you were predominantly white spaces. But often we
think of Texas and we think of there's big Latino communities,

(14:06):
there's a big Mexican community, Mexican Americans. Yes, but you
had a very different experience. So can you talk more
about that growing up in Texas and then really how
this led to you creating and hosting Welcome to l Barrio.

Speaker 1 (14:20):
Yes, so I growing up in Texas, and my family,
like I had mentioned, was like pretty insular. Like I
think there's a lot of reasons why we kind of
kept really close to the chess. And with that, I
how do I put this? I'm like, where do I
I don't know, I want to answer this. So I am
obviously visibly after Latina, right, we did not have that

(14:42):
verbage back then, and I think in Texas and in
those Latino spaces at that time, there was not an
understanding of Caribbean culture, Caribbean Latinos especially, and so I
think there was a lot of colorism within the Latino
community in Texas, And so I I wasn't accepted by
the Latino community because I was too black, and I

(15:03):
wasn't accepted by the white community because I was not
black or not white, and I wasn't really accepted by
any community. Like I kind of was in this like
no man's land of culture where it was like my
home was very Puerto Rican. My mom is very Boriqua forward,
she is very proud Puerto Rican. But my dad, even
though he's also Puerto Rican, he had a very assimilated

(15:24):
American culture. I think because he grew up here in
La without a Puerto Rican community as well, and so
me having kind of both sides, I felt almost like
a biracial kid right where I was like I was
living in two worlds where I had a dad who
did not care about this stuff and a mom who
deeply cared about this stuff. And then I lived in
a space that did not understand me at all. And

(15:45):
so my smarts were kind of how I attempted to
assimilate because I couldn't assimilate physically. I was too weird,
I think, because I couldn't beIN so I was like
a nerd. I was like, I'm going to just like
double down in school. But in Texas there's a lot
of segregation within the school system, a lot of classism, right,
And as you get in a more upper level, higher

(16:09):
ed classes, the wider it gets. You notice the room
You're one of the only kids of color in these classrooms.
So often I was in these ap level classes, that's
like the only black girl in the class, only brown
girl in the class. There were not even other Latinos
in these classes. It was like me and predominantly like
South and East Asian kids and white kids, and that

(16:29):
was it. And so I think I just always felt
like a fish out of water, and I never knew
where I was supposed to go because everyone was like, well,
you're black, and I was like, well, I'm Puerto Rican,
and at that time, you didn't have the language to
be like, well, I'm ever Latina and like you know,
and then of course the internalized racism too, You're like,
you know, being black is bad at the time because

(16:50):
of how racist it is. So you're like, well, I'm
not black, I'm Puerto Rican. And so then you don't
want to assimilate with the black kids either, so that
you just don't know where you fit in. And even
and I like pushed so hard to assimilate that I
like went to a private Baptist college, I like was
in a white sorority. I like did the whole damn thing.
And it wasn't until I moved to Portland that I

(17:13):
had a community of color, like totally, because at the
agency I was at, they tend to it's like a
fully kind of transplant office, Like everyone that works there
never is from Portland. So you just had like a
lot of really amazing talented people of color living in
this super white city. And so we all like clung
to each other because we were all in the same boat.

(17:34):
And also it's such a small place that like eligible
bachelor's a date were kind of within the walls of
your office. It wasn't like, you know, Portlandy is real.
You watch Portlandia, yea, Oftentimes it's hard to find someone
that isn't it a pollocule has a job, like you know.

(17:55):
It was like, truly, me and my girlfriend's a joke
was like, well, do they have a salary? At least
like they have like a job that they go to
forty hours a week. Answers usually no, you know, they're
like working at a coffee shop and have four roommates,
and like, you know, they love art and they're like,
you know, an artist part time. It's a mess. So
eligible bachelors of color typically worked within the office that

(18:17):
you worked at, or they were at Nike or Adidas,
you know, so we were all kind of intermingling in
the same circle. But it was the first time I
really like had a strong friendship community of color, even
though it was in this super white place. And then
I moved to New York and I got to finally
dive into like my botiqua journey because I was finally
in a place where there was like a huge Puerto

(18:39):
Rican population, and I joined Milmundo's Books, which is his
latinx own bookstore in Bushwick, and that was like, obviously
a very strong it's a Caribbean neighborhood. Puerto Rico. Bushwick
is originally a very Puerto Rican neighborhood losures which is
like East Williamsburg, Williamsburg and Bushwick. And so I experience

(19:00):
of Puerto Rican Day Parade through you know, the Bushwick lens,
which feels way more like the island experience, and I
really just was like, oh, I finally feel at home.
And through all of those experiences, I was like, well,
even though I'm I'm lucky enough to have moved to
New York and like found myself, a lot of people
are probably like me, Like who I was, you know,

(19:23):
in Texas and who I was in Portland, someone starved
of community. And I think with Puerto Rico's unique intersection
within the United States history and culture, like we are
a colony of the United States, we are still owned
by the United States. We do not share the same
immigration struggles, but we also share very different like colonial

(19:45):
struggles that we are at this unique experience that like
is also super under educated by way of the United
States garnering power over us, right, they don't want us
and us being all of us in this room, any American,
anybody who's voting power over Puerto Rican citizens because they
don't have voting power themselves. You know, Puerto Rican citizens
in Puerto Rico do not have sovereignty. That's why there's

(20:06):
so many Puerto Ricans in the United States. They move
so they could get better rights, better education, better financial status,
you know, could vote. Like, there's all these things that
Puerto Rican citizens in Puerto Rico do not have access to,
and we in the United States are purposely gate kept
from what's going on over there, and their gate kep
from us over here. So I wanted to create something

(20:27):
that would bridge the gap between us, because you're stronger together.
Any activist community is stronger together, right, So I wanted
to unify those of us you know that are Jasperrican
with those who are on the island, and just like
generally create a space that people who grew up like me,
who still live like I did back then, to not

(20:49):
feel alone. I love it.

Speaker 3 (20:51):
What are some common misconceptions or misinformation about Rico, Puerto Rico,
Puerto Rican identity, the diaspora that you come across, and
the biggest one.

Speaker 1 (21:00):
Is our citizenship status. I think that was like made
very evident when Papa need to the super Bowl this year,
because obviously all the races were like they're gonna let
this immigrant come and do the Super Bowl, and it's like, well,
first of all, he's not even an immigrant. But also
we as Puerto Ricans don't want to like hold on
to that well we have citizenship, because that's not it

(21:22):
comes at a huge cost. Being a citizen of this
country costs us our livelihood, it cost us our sovereignty,
it costs us everything. So Puerto Ricans are not proud
to have citizenship status. And so I think that's one
our citizenship status. Two. I think the voting thing is
also a huge one. I think while they're citizens, you

(21:43):
can go to Puerto Rico, you have no issue, you
don't need a passport, or go to Perto Rico. Why
can they vote, Well, because we're a territory and we
are purposely designed to be this like almost like a
shell company for the United States to like export all
of their bad life laws and practices and experimental colonialism

(22:04):
onto Puerto Rico. We are like a testing ground for
all of that. And I think maybe another one is
I think people already know that a lot of Portogans
don't speak Spanish because of our migration status to the
United States, which, if anything, I would argue that is
where we kind of relate to the first gen second

(22:27):
gen kids the most. I think that's where we as
a Latino community can like combine together more than anything
is that we do, I think, experience this kind of
third culture experience much like a lot of first gen
kids do here in the United States, where like sometimes
our parents do speak Spanish and we don't, Like my
parents speak Spanish but I don't, and it was for
similar assimilation reasons. So I think those are the most

(22:51):
common misconceptions.

Speaker 4 (22:53):
Can you talk more about the language piece, because I
still feel that that is a very polarizing within the
Latino LATINX community, especially like the digital community.

Speaker 2 (23:05):
There is just any time language.

Speaker 4 (23:07):
There's like different camps, right, There's like, well, Spanish is
a colonizer's language, so like we need to go back
to like our indigenous languages. And then there's the folks
that are like, well, if you don't speak Spanish, then
you're not a real Latino latina, right, And then there's
the folks that are like, yeah, but there's like political
history and reasons assimilation being one of them that for

(23:30):
second third gens lose the language and it really just
takes one generation to lose it.

Speaker 2 (23:35):
Yes, So how what has.

Speaker 4 (23:37):
Been your experience in that and how do you navigate that,
especially on your show.

Speaker 1 (23:42):
Honestly, that's such a great question. It's been really tough.
It's probably one of the biggest source spots of myself,
like my own insecurities and also probably my show. It's
something that I'm constantly as I'm navigating this space and
I'm now more in this Latin media space, and I'm like,
I have to my Spanish because there's just no way

(24:02):
I'm going to rise throughout if I if I don't
become more bilingual. But I think it is such a
complicated discussion. I'm glad it's a discussion we're having in
this new digital age and also what I am constantly
having on my show. But I think what Puerto Ricans
is especially unique because I guess a misconception a lot

(24:24):
of people do have is that Puerto Ricans don't speak
Spanish on the island. Like if you're a tourist, right
you don't think like you think because it's owned by
the United States, you're gonna be able to just go
to Puerto Rico and you don't have to know any
Spanish and that it's fine. And I guess in theory
that is true. Most people do speak English in Puerto Rico,
but all the street signs are in Spanish. If you

(24:44):
go anywhere outside of San Juan, like, most people are
not speaking English, like especially if you're going to the
rainforest like El Junk, you're going to the jungle, You're
going like deep west. If you're going like southwest, which
is probably why the white people are trying to take
over capital because like it is truly like very much
Spanish native speaking, like they do not speak English over there.

Speaker 2 (25:09):
Don't go anywhere and look at mots. I'll be right back.

Speaker 1 (25:15):
But I think in general, weause a lot to community
need to have more empathy for those of us who
don't speak Spanish. I think obviously there are people who
refuse to learn and refuse to engage with it, and
I think that's a different internalized racism conversation. But I
think for those of us who were not given the
opportunity to learn, I think there should be more grace

(25:38):
and more gentleness because I do think it is like
it takes just one generation to lose it. It took
only my family one generation. You know, like I don't
have it, and my brother doesn't speak it. I don't
think his kids will speak it. I know my kids
will because my partner is a native speaker, but like
if he wasn't, I don't know if my kids would
speak it, because like I have been able to master

(26:01):
it in my adulthood, but I have also not for
lack of trying. I have been learning Spanish in seventh
grade and I am dyslexic, and I just like have
a really hard time mastering a new language. And I
think it, Yeah, I think the older generation needs to
have a little bit more grace with those of us
because it's also like not to say it's their fault specifically,

(26:23):
but it is like it is not our fault that
we don't know it. You know it is, and we
have empathy for them for not learning. I think a
lot of us have garnered empathy for our ancestors or
ancestors or our elders for not teaching us, because we
understand how tough it was the assimilation, the rasism. I
have learned to forgive my parents for choosing not to
teach me, but I do think it is like something

(26:45):
still missing, like I feel and this is maybe my
own insecurity, but I do feel like I'm missing out
on part of the culture because I don't know Spanish.
And I appreciate those who have paid the path for
this new thinking of like, well, you know what Spanish
is a colonizer's language. We should learn more of our
indigenous languages. But also to your point, we've lost those
a lot of them, you know. I know it is

(27:06):
very hard, I think to learn t indigenous languages because
we've already lost so much being a colony for over
four hundred years, you know. And I'm sure same thing
with natives. I think we have a lot more similarity
with like Native Americans in the United States, where they
were you know, wiped out, and so they've had to
do a lot to preserve and you know, bring back

(27:27):
their cultures. And I think we as Bodiquas are also
having to work very hard to not end up like
Hawaii in other places where we're just like lose it all.

Speaker 3 (27:39):
Yeah, how how do you go about now, like practicing
your Spanish, learning your Spanish in adulthood and especially now
with the show.

Speaker 1 (27:46):
It's hard. I mean, I think now more than ever
I understand it. I think I can get by a
lot more than I used to. But I think it's honestly, obviously,
I've made it very popularize on my platform that I
don't speak it, but I just don't tell people I
don't speak it, and I just try to like fumble
wrong because a similar or a not a similation, but

(28:09):
immersion is like really the only way I think you
will truly learn, And I do hope that like I
can move to Puerto Rico for a while and then
learn that way, or like honestly moved to Peru with
my partner my partner's proven and immerse myself that way,
because I will say the three weeks I spent in
Peru with him when we first started dating, I feel

(28:31):
like my Spanish grew more than ever like that in
those three weeks my Spanish has gone so much better
than it has ever before, and dating him has absolutely
changed my Spanish game. I don't think I would be
as four long on my Spanish journey. Have we not
been together five years, you know, because a lot of
his family doesn't speak any English. So I have had
to like fully immerse myself and just like but it

(28:53):
is a conscious effort I have to make every day
to process in Spanish because I have a lot of trauma.
I think my parents use Spanish as like a weapon
in my house, like they if we didn't, if we
weren't allowed to know something, they would speak in Spanish,
you know. So they were like, oh, well, you know,
I'm going to talk shit about Becca because I'm mad

(29:13):
at her. She's my mom's yelling at my grandmother fully
in Spanish, you know, and I and I know because
she's like Rebecca and she's pointing and she's yelling, and
I'm like you. I was like, you think you know,
and I'm in therapy. It's fine, you know. I'm like,
you thought it wouldn't traumatize me just because I didn't
understand what you were saying. But you were in the

(29:35):
same room pointing at me, saying my name, like girl,
what you're talking about?

Speaker 3 (29:40):
And the energy is there and the energy is absolutely there.

Speaker 2 (29:43):
So I grew up speaking Spanish.

Speaker 4 (29:45):
I still speak Spanish now, and I have language trauma
because of how my dad approached like us speaking Spanish
at home, so like it's there regardless if you or adun't.

Speaker 1 (29:55):
You probably have some generational trauma with your family. And yeah,
so it has actually been I think now more than ever,
I'm able to like clock in more passively. But I
think when I started dating my boyfriend and I would
go visit his family, I would just naturally tone now,
like when they would speak Spanish, because I just assume,
based on my own trauma, that they weren't talking to me, right,
it wasn't for you, it wasn't for me to learn,

(30:17):
so I'll just be like I truly would just zone out,
like it was like background noise to me. And then
they very interesting Mecca because they were actually trying to
include like they weren't being mean to me. They were
like trying to not talk to me. They were actually
just like we just don't speak English and we like
can't communicate with you.

Speaker 3 (30:34):
Yeah, my parents were very similar in that Spanish was
for secrets, yes, or things that you don't want the
kids to learn. So my parents also speak Spanish, but
me and my siblings grew up speaking English. And it's
interesting how you phrase it like Spanish has a weapon,
but it was like, yeah, it was Spanish as a secret.
Spanish was inaccessible, and it was not. We weren't immersed

(30:55):
in it, right, And so even like my grandmother's from
Mexico and she predominantly Spanish. But I, as an adult,
have also had to like take it upon myself to
learn through through immersion through travel, yes, which is I
think just the best way.

Speaker 1 (31:08):
To do it in adulthood. I believe through travel, having
a partner to be Spanish, being immersed in their families.
But I also did Spanish and Bena for a couple
of years, which I really loved. I think it was
a little too elementary for me because I had taken
Spanish for so many years, Like I wasn't starting at
like absolute zero, because I taken Spanish and middle school

(31:31):
and high school and college, so I understood like the
basic building blocks, you know, I had basic vocabulary, Like
I said, I could understand a lot of stuff. I
just I think it's my own internal phobia of speaking
of being afraid that I'm like gonna mess up that
people aren't gonna be like kind to me. I think
going somewhere not Puerto Rico is actually very helpful to

(31:53):
learn Spanish because I do think there is a lot
of like trauma on the island of like Krengo, go home,
you know, So if you aren't speaking perfect Spanish, a
lot of them will just start speaking of English like
they're just like mad at you, and I understand where
they're coming from. I am very empathetic. I try not
to take it personally anymore. I used to take it

(32:13):
very personally, but I'm like, no, this is just part
of the trauma that's there, and if I'm going to
be a part of the change, I have to like
take it on the chin and just like be different
and just show up anyway and practice my Spanish and
like do it, because it won't change if I don't
do that. But it took a lot for me emotionally
to get there because it is just so personal. Our

(32:34):
communities make it so personal about it.

Speaker 4 (32:37):
Yeah, it's very much a damned if you do, damned
if you don't situation, I think within the Latino community,
because if you say it wrong, you're made fun of
don't even try anymore. But then if you don't practice well,
then you're never gonna get better.

Speaker 2 (32:53):
So how can I be better at it? You know?

Speaker 1 (32:56):
My best experience was actually in Mexico City.

Speaker 3 (32:58):
I was just gonna say, you should go to Mexico
to practice your Spanish.

Speaker 1 (33:01):
I want to spend time in Mexico City just to
practice my Spanish. Because I went at the beginning of
the year, is my first time. It was for my
best friend's birthday, and so it was a really short
trip and I was very busy at that time launching
my show, so I wasn't as present as I would
have probably liked to have been. But I would love
I loved it and I had so much fun. And
I think Mexico City's too big to spend only like

(33:22):
four days there. You have to spend like a proper
couple weeks in my opinion, and I would love to
because I felt like that was the first place I
went to that I by the end of it, I
was like, I did pretty good. Yeah, I did pretty
good translating for everybody. Because my group, it was not
a big Latino group. I think I was the only
Latino in the group. It was a diverse group because
I have a very diverse friend group, but it was

(33:43):
I was the only person who I think spoke any
relative Spanish nice. So they were all looking at me
like and it was a weird experience because normally I
am the person being like Orlando, because my boyfriend is
the translator and the one who will just speak to
everybody because he's, you know, so fluent, and I'm just
like sitting behind him like, but they were all looking

(34:05):
at me like that, and so I was like, oh
my god, I have to like actually practice. And I
felt like by the end, I was like I did that.
I did really well, So I do want to do
more of that. I love it.

Speaker 3 (34:16):
Yeah, Mexico City is it's a metropolis, it's a global city,
and I feel like the Spanish spoken there, in my
experience and opinion, it's like slow enough yes that I
can understand what they're saying. Yes, you know, like I
can engage and I'm not like taking too long to
translate in my head what was just said to me.
So I feel like it's a very accessible Spanish and they're.

Speaker 1 (34:38):
Willing to work with you. Yeah, I think they're like
willing to let you fumble it out and they're not
mean to you about it. That is like the hard
part of going to like Puerto Rico or I mean
in Peru they don't do that. But I think in
Peru it's like they don't even attempt, like one thing.
I will give props to Peru. It is so not

(34:59):
what's the what I'm looking for? Not tours friendly so
to speak. Not that they're mean to tourists, but the
culture is so strong in Peru that like if you
don't know Spanish, they're like figure it out, like they
will not there. They truly look at you like like blinking,
like like I don't know what you said, Like they're
not gonna help fumble because they're truly like like you're

(35:20):
speaking a super foreign language of them, they don't understand.
So you really have to come in being like Okay,
I'm gonna say this, I'm gotting my translator, I'm gonna
make sure I figure this out, because they will not
fumble it around with you to try to figure it out.
They're truly like I don't know what you said, babe,
try again, it is and they're so kind they'll say
it with a smile on their face, like, but they're

(35:42):
truly like nodding along, like I don't know what you said,
Hopefully we'll figure this out together. But in Mexico, I
think they were a little bit more like, we'll get there.

Speaker 3 (35:50):
Let's use the tourists from everywhere, from all over, from
all over.

Speaker 4 (35:53):
Yeah, I mean in Mexico, the hospitality is just yeah,
like in Mexico, you know. And and that's been our experience.
We go back pretty regularly now because my husband's family
lives in Mexico. They're from Mexico City, and that's just
and we now travel throughout Mehinkle all the time, and
that's one of the things that we say is just
the hospitality in Mechinko is very different. Have not been

(36:16):
to all Latin American countries. It's like, okay, so I
cannot thirty three countries. I've only been to like five
so far. I also only started traveling.

Speaker 1 (36:24):
As an adult. Like my family was like, we don't travel,
we don't have money, like we only go to Disney World.
So like I it has taken a lot of like
me to like self explore, to grow to do. It's
just not what I was exposed to. My dad is
very much like I don't like to leave my house.
This is where we live, this is where we die.

(36:45):
Like I just like he is, like I'm in this house.
You're in this house, and no one's allowed to leave.
So until I started making money, and really that was
only within the past like five years have I been
able to like explore and travel and do things. So
I've been to Guatemala, I've been to Peru. I have
stopped in Colombia, layover gotten food poisoning on the plane. No,

(37:09):
but the food at the airport in Colombia bomb amazing.
But that was probably an airline issue more than it
was a Columbia issue. But I've been in Panama, I've
been to Mexico, and I think that's it. I think
those are all the Latin American countries I've dabbled in
so far.

Speaker 2 (37:28):
Yeah, I love that.

Speaker 4 (37:29):
I think too, what you mentioned about Puerto Rico and
there being this maybe frustration when you speak English, right,
I do see that happening more specifically in Mexico City.
So while there is like I think, this very inviting
and welcoming energy, I do think because of all the
tourism I have seen.

Speaker 2 (37:47):
A little bit more of that, Like, I think.

Speaker 4 (37:48):
Depending where you go, depending who you get, you might
get that type of which treatment.

Speaker 1 (37:53):
Respect when they do that, if you are not attempting
at all to speak any Spanish like that I respect.
I'm like, yeah, you because.

Speaker 2 (38:03):
Should I say this say it.

Speaker 1 (38:05):
I was on the trip and there was one of
the people on the trip. I won't tell you, but
I definitely felt like I got into it a little
bit with them because they they're not Latin. Know, obviously
I said, I was the only Latain on the trip,
but they're arrogance in walking in a Spanish speaking country
was very apparent. And they were like, yeah, they don't

(38:28):
even like try to speak to me in English. And
I'm like yeah, because this is a Spanish speaking country
and it is not their job to cater to American tourists,
so of course they're not trying to speak to you.
They're like, yeah, they let me practice my Spanish here.
They don't even try to speak to me in English.
And I'm like, yeah, because it's not their job to

(38:49):
speak to in English. It's actually your job to kind
of try to figure out to speak to them and
their native language in the country of origin. Like huh,
so that just like really upset me. That is what
I don't understand. Like if you are coming with pure
heart and good intention and you're trying, like I love
the grace that people give to help me, but if

(39:10):
you are like one French fry please, like yeah, like
that's rude. You should like take the time to wherever
you're going, learn how to say a few things at
least they please and thank you and things that you
know you can get by. But like when you and
that frustrated me with her on the trip, like she
didn't say thank you and Spain, I'm like, I know
you've watched Dora. I know. I'm like, you live in

(39:31):
New York City, babe, you you you don't know, Gracias,
you don't know, you don't ry.

Speaker 3 (39:38):
Like you they weren't trying.

Speaker 1 (39:43):
Like there's so many little like I can get by on.

Speaker 3 (39:45):
That, you know, Like I feel like for me, one
of the things I love about traveling is getting other
like global perspectives about where I come from and like
I learned so much, like because inevitably when you go
and where people ask where are you from and what
is your culture? And then they kind of tell you

(40:06):
what they think about you, yes, right, So, like even
when I was in Morocco or Cuba or Coresa, Morocco amazing,
and they all had these like really glowing, fabulous things
to say about Mexico and Mexicans, yes, which is not
something you always hear in the United States. And it
gave me such a perspective on like, oh, like globally
people actually like us, Like that's so interesting. Did you

(40:28):
ever have that sort of experience when you were traveling?
And has traveling taught you things about yourself and your
own culture?

Speaker 1 (40:34):
Ooh hm, I think I'm like trying to think. I
do think being Puerto Rican, I think a lot of
Latin American outside of the United States feel for us.
I think there is a better global understanding of what's
going on in Perto Rico than probably within our own walls.
And obviously, like I said before, purposeful by the American

(40:57):
government to not educate us. So I do think there
was a lot more solidarity as I've traveled, and especially
now with bad bunnies come up, there is a global
like understanding and conversation about Puerto Rico happening. So I
feel like people are like, oh my god, like your
body Quaepa, like yes, because like bad bunnies obviously made

(41:17):
it so cool to be Puerto Rican, which I'm grateful
for of course. So I've always, i think, found a
lot of kinship when I've traveled, and honestly, traveling as
a person of color, I think has just been such
a beautiful experience because like, I have not been to
any European country. I will say that, so I don't
know how I feel if I were to go to Europe,
And honestly it's kind of why I haven't gone to Europe.

(41:39):
But I think as a person of color traveling to
other countries of like true ethnic origins, it's like, wow,
culture is so beautiful, Like it is so incredible to
get to learn and explore what these different places have
to offer and what their cultural things that matter to them,
Like I love going to museums when I travel, like
I love being in a very like authentic experience. I

(42:01):
obviously don't want to do the whole airbnb thing because
it's like destroying the economies of these local places. But
I love to like go do a boutique hotel, and
like actually like travel and like drive and like rent
a car, and like experience the place i'm at and
not just do a resort. I hate doing a resort.
I don't want to. Like, if I were to do
a resort, I'd rather just go to a spa in

(42:22):
New York, you know, because that's the experience you're getting,
you know. I was like, it just means I need
to retreat. I just want to go get a massage
and like hit it in the hot tub and do
a spa. But I don't need to be isolated from people.
I don't like that. And if anything, as a person
of color traveling, I have felt so much more at
home and these other places, and sometimes I feel traveling
within the United States color.

Speaker 3 (42:44):
And what's interesting about Europe is they are not white
like white American.

Speaker 1 (42:48):
Of course, and they say it's so different, it's very different.

Speaker 3 (42:51):
Yeah, And I think about like like a lot of
artists of color over the decades who have gone to
places like Paris, you know, as like a cultural refuge,
as a creative refuge.

Speaker 1 (43:04):
So I don't know. I think I think you would
like Europe. I mean, you'd like to do it. I
think I was afraid because I used to the reason
I even got into podcasting when I worked at that
ad agency. I worked on this podcasting platform. Me and
so my best friend's Bill called on Chigos and it
was a I'm a Color travel platform and so we
would interview other like women of color travel influencers and

(43:24):
also just talk about experiences traveling as women of color.
And it was like how I began like my travel journey.
And we went to Panama. That was like why I
went to Panama And we got to do this resort
on the south side of Panama. It was like a
yoga retreat and it was hosted by this black yogi
influencer and she was incredible and her name's Pillin And honestly,

(43:48):
that week like changed my life for many reasons. I
was like coming out of like a really abusive relationship
I had like literally broken up like three weeks earlier,
Like it was like a rebirth. I feel like that
trip like truly healed me in wait I could have
never anticipated. But it was also the first time I
had spent any time in a Latin American country that
wasn't Puerto Rico. And it was really awesome to connect

(44:12):
with the staff there because all the staff, you know,
there's things to be said that it was owned by
white Canadians, but all the staff was Panaminim and it
was really awesome to like connect with them. It was
the first time I felt like at home and I
was like, wow, like our communities in the diaspora, not
just a Puerto Rican aspa, really do want to champion you.

(44:35):
And they like really like welcomed me the open arms.
They like practice Spanish for me. They really were like
fascinated about Puerto Rico, like it was so lovely and
honestly Morocco they were. I mean, I don't think they
knew so much about Puerto Rico so much, but Puerto
Ricans are of like, you know, Afro and did in
his origin right, like we are everything we are you know, African,

(44:57):
European Fino most part. So I actually looked like local
because I think Moroccans have a lot of mixed ancestry too,
and so I did get that a lot. When I
was in Morocco. They were like, You're obviously Moroccan. I
was like no, So that was actually really fun to
like cultural share and exchange, and the Moroccan people are

(45:18):
like the sweetest people I've ever met, like truly, like
I left Morocco in tears, Like I was like, I
this place was so magical and I can't believe I'm leaving.
It was such a beautiful experience.

Speaker 3 (45:29):
Yeah, it's I loved Morocco and it was the only
Muslim country I've ever been to, the only Arab country
I've ever been to, and I didn't know what to
expect and it was beautiful.

Speaker 1 (45:38):
I loved it. Yeah, And I think that is also like,
uh an example of like how biased the United States
media is. Well, yeah, and that I ever thought. I
was like scared to go to Morocco, but you just
we don't know. It's a different and the way that
it's portrayed to us is so awful. And of course
I have Muslim friends who have always only ever welcomed
me with amazing open arms, but you don't know, You're

(46:00):
like it's been talked to us as is like such
foreign land. And then I went and I was like,
this is the most beautiful place I've ever been. Like
people are amazing, the food was awesome, the experiences were great.
Everybody was so kind, Like truly, I'm like I feel
bad for anybody visiting America after visiting Morocco, I was
like that was an experience Like the United States, it's deep.

Speaker 3 (46:21):
It's like deep ancient culture. And we are very much Disneyland. Yes,
like America is Disneyland.

Speaker 1 (46:27):
That is one thing I'll say about LA that has
made me tiii ha, Like I think this place is
like like how do I put this? Like y'all don't
live in reality here in the sense that like the
air is the same all the time, like the the oh,
the weather. Also, like I understand why people in entertainment

(46:48):
have this inflated sense of self because all you guys
have our billboards everywhere of everybody on them all the time.
Like in New York, I'm not running into like you
go to Times Square and what you're saying, Yeah, in
Times Square even it's like ads, Like it is like
ad country, like gap ad, you know, American apparel whatever.

Speaker 3 (47:07):
You know here, anyone can have a billboard, Yes, Adriana's Insurance,
one of our favorites, Sweet James Attorney's Attorneys.

Speaker 1 (47:14):
It's like it's like maybe because it's Emmy season or whatever,
but it's like for your consideration, it is just like Netflix, Hulu, HBO,
A twenty four, Like everyone's got a billboard, I'm like,
no wonder, Hollywood thinks they're like the Bee's knees here
because like y'all live in like a little like I
see Eddie Murphy everywhere. There's like all these things with
Eddie Murphy. Right now. I see there's like some Yoko

(47:34):
Ono exhibit. Because I'm seeing all those, I'm like, dang,
no wonder. Like if you're in LA and you're a celebrity,
you're like, yeah, I'm the best because your face is
everywhere all the time. It was like in New York,
everyone's like get out of my way.

Speaker 3 (47:49):
We're like we're still the entertainment capital. Yeahstand, We're still
the center.

Speaker 1 (47:54):
Yeah. It's like it's like New York is. I think
I find it funny that people think New York is
like this caricature of American culture. But I think LA
is because LA is like pizza, hot dogs, like apple pie,
celebrity culture, Whereas like New York, I think you can
you intersect with a lot more diversity at any given
moment at any time. And also you are I think,

(48:18):
so it's like less segregated. The classism. Like you it's
very high low, like you can be you know, a
delivery worker living next to you know, a celebrity, like
you just don't know.

Speaker 3 (48:30):
I will say that what we find is like when
people first come to LA, that's like a snapshot of
what is seen.

Speaker 1 (48:36):
But LA is a very slow burn, yes, And I
really have to say that as someone who just spent
two weeks and I was like wow when I got here. Lol,
this is universal studios on drug.

Speaker 3 (48:45):
Because what it is more than anything, is like working
class families raising kids.

Speaker 2 (48:51):
You know, actually not Hollywood at all.

Speaker 3 (48:53):
It's it's very and it's actually very suburban, you know.
So like I think that what what it takes is
actually being here for a few years. It takes a
lot of patience to really like absorb. It was a
slow burn, yeah, y of l A.

Speaker 4 (49:08):
And also because it's you know, La County, La City.

Speaker 2 (49:12):
Yeah right, Like you can be.

Speaker 4 (49:14):
In parts of LA where you're not seeing any billboards
of famous people.

Speaker 2 (49:17):
Oh you know, you're only seeing like Adrona is insurance.

Speaker 1 (49:20):
Insurance, our favor, our home broke.

Speaker 4 (49:22):
So I think, yeah, like when people come to lay,
they stay on for specific sides. And I don't mean
you just generally these are the takes we see online,
and yeah, they stay in a certain bubble, and absolutely
that is the picture you're going to get.

Speaker 2 (49:35):
But you have to like step back and look at.

Speaker 4 (49:37):
The wider frame because it's it's so much more than
I think what it's made out to be.

Speaker 3 (49:43):
Yeah, yeah, it's it's it's uh, take your time with us.

Speaker 1 (49:48):
No, I will say like it did. Changuary respected being
here for two weeks versus like every other trip I've
been where it's been like a weekend, a couple of days,
like whatever, Like being able to have a car this time,
because I rented a car and being able like staying
in Santa Clarita so I had distance from you know,
La proper wasn't staying in LA. But also because I

(50:09):
host an event here, I really like worked with a
lot of local you know, artists and vendors and things,
and I was like wow, Like I was very worried
about hosting event in La, not because of anything about La,
but I don't live here, you know, will people show up?
Like I have no stake here for people to like
want to come. But like the LA community really came

(50:29):
together and it was such a beautiful event. It was
so fun. I truly was like in awe and I
was like joking with Alexis Garcia, who owns the dispensary
that we hosted it at High neighbor and we're like,
do we do this again next year? Like is this
an annual event now? Because it was just like so
amazing getting to know like this really beautiful Latin artist

(50:52):
community here. So yeah, I agree, it is a slow burn.

Speaker 2 (50:55):
Can you tell us about the event that you hosted
at a High neighbors.

Speaker 1 (50:58):
It is, Oh my god, so a part of building
the show. It was really important to me that community
is like a huge element of it, Like there is yes,
I am the host, I'm the creator, but like I
didn't even want my face on the show art because
I wanted it to be about communities called welcome to
a Budio, because you know, come join this neighborhood, join
this community. And so I always envisioned events as like

(51:21):
part of our storytelling, our journey as a show, and
we hosted our first one in New York, but it
was more of a launch party, like a proper like
it was a little bit more of a private event.
That was because of a lot of factors. But this event,
you know, we had more time, we had more lead way.
We were like, okay, like maybe it'll be more of
what I'm thinking, and it really was. It was It

(51:42):
felt like a kickback. It felt like, you know, it
was by the people for the people, very democratize Alexi
and like all of the high neighbor staff incredible, amazing
to discover a Puerto Rican owned dispensary in La. Our
vendors were Latino in general, Like, I don't ever think
should only be Puerto Rican. I think that's a hard,

(52:02):
hard bargain to drive for, you know, like, and we
as a community want to support each other, so it
was like all Latino or bipop vendors. I hosted the
event with Covo, a interdisciplinary artist here in La but
she is Puerto Rican from Miami, was in New York
for a number of years, and now she's new to LA.

(52:23):
Like I think she's only been in LA for a
few months now and she has been really loving it
and she's like it's just what I needed. And I
really appreciated her journey, explaining to us of how each
city affected her art differently, Like being in Miami, she
was kind of big fish in small pond, you know,
that's where she grew that's like where her most like

(52:45):
I think authentic self derives from because that's like where
she grew up in. But going to New York, she
really learned from like a lot of other artists. And
I think New York does that. It's such a melting
pot of culture and you're so exposed at all times,
over stimulated with art and culture that I think it
can really like help develop your skill set. But She's like,

(53:07):
in LA, it's like helped me slow down and really
find out like what is important to me and like
what is my journey as Colvo the artist myself? And
I really felt that, I like really felt that in
my journey here in LA and was like more open
to being my colestal because of that, because I was like, wow, like, yeah,
there is something to not just the slowness, but like

(53:28):
you having to take time and really think about what
you're doing here versus like in New York. Everything's like
you're going, going, going, going, going, everyone's moving a mile
a minute, like whereas like in LA you have to
be really intentional. And I did love that, And yeah,
the event was beautiful. I mean I feel like over
one hundred people came, which was like crazy nice somebody
like shout out to her. It was the sweetest thing

(53:50):
in the world. I actually like sobbed fully after the event,
someone drove from like Santa Barbara, like over two hours
to come to our event. Amazing. I was like, she's like,
I'm I'm so excited, Like I truly like, can I
take a picture with you? And I was like, little
old me here at this event. That's crazy. You drove
two hours because you felt like you needed this community

(54:11):
so bad. And that's like what I did it for.
You know. That really like affirmed the goal of this
project and like why I wanted to do this. And
it seemed like the artist had a really good time.
It seemed like Highbor had a really good time, and
it was just so much fun. I really hope to
like continue to do more things like this. You know,
I'm going to like the midwest Chicago area, I think
in October November, so I'm hoping I can maybe do

(54:33):
something out there when I'm there. I love Chicago, yeah, yeah,
I love you love Chicago, So I'm excited to see
like what maybe we can do there. Obviously, Portagon Day
Parade's coming up in next week in New York, So
I knew I wanted to do this event actually in
La over doing something for Portaguon Day Parade in New
York because with that, Bunny, I feel like it's become

(54:54):
an oversaturated market of things to do. There's a lot
I would be outside, don't worry about it. But like
I was like, am I the person a host? Right?

Speaker 2 (55:02):
You're like, you don't want to do the programming, you
want to be the attend.

Speaker 1 (55:04):
Don't want to be the attendee because I just feel
like I'm just going to be a voice and avoid
of many things happening that maybe people are doing much
better than me and I could learn from them. So
I'm excited to go back to New York in time
for Puerto Rican Day Parade. A lot of my LA
friends that I've made here are like, I'll see you
in New York, baby, We're coming for the Puerto Rican Day.

Speaker 3 (55:23):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (55:24):
So it's been amazing to meet all these Puerto Rican
artists and just yeah, people doing incredible shit.

Speaker 3 (55:30):
Well, you're doing amazing things with Welcome to Varrio. I
think a much needed show, very refreshing. I think you're
filling a gap, You're filling a void and I wonder
if there are any Puerto Rican artists that you think
are up and coming that are underrated, that you want
to have on your show that you want to shout out.

Speaker 1 (55:48):
Like who is the new wave? Like who should we
be looking out for and supporting? That is a great question.
I am learning so much from my show that's actually
like the last week I have. Every episode, I asked
the guests to bring in recommendations for me because I'm like,
that's the whole go I'm learning about our culture. I'm
wanting to know more. Expose me, exposed me, expose me.
I obviously knew about Chewie before they came on my

(56:09):
show because they were on was Photos and I fell
in love with them because I'm very indie rock coded.
I'm actually new little Regaton scene. So finding them on
the album, I was like, oh my god, like this
is amazing. And so seeing them live and then having
them come on and then they gave me a bunch
of recommendations, I was like, oh, I love them. So
I would say go to Welcome to a Baudrio's Instagram

(56:31):
and there's a recommend guest res like highlight. That's where
I've been putting all of our guest recommendations, I feel
like there is like everyone we've had a guest recommend
and it's been so incredible. But in terms of anybody,
like I've been really vibing with lately, I'm trying to
think even it could be any type of artists, not

(56:57):
just my I'm like trying to think because like, obviously
I'm at through this and like that was really sick.
So obviously go check out Koval our episode on that
should be coming out soon. But Cobal was incredible. Honestly,
all the artists that we had at our event, I
feel like those are people you should. Uh. There's one artist, Victor.
He does like a lot of like kind of mural esque,

(57:18):
like uh, street art type work. His stuff is really cool.
He's doing a collaboration in New York with paper Planes
for merch for the Puerto Rican Parade. So Victor is
really cool and honestly, like all of our our cheft
creators that came to the pop up, like Wepa, he
was incredible. He did the piraguas, but he also does

(57:40):
like akapurias and like all sorts of things there that
is a really cool thing about the New York Putriquoi
sine is like a lot of pop up chefs, so
we had a bunch of pop up chefs come through.
They were all amazing, so I recommend everyone that came
to our event. They were awesome.

Speaker 2 (57:56):
I love that.

Speaker 4 (57:56):
Well, thank you so much for joining us. This was
so f such a good conversation. We talked about every everything, everything. Yes,
thank you so much for joining Locato Radio.

Speaker 1 (58:08):
Thank you for having me.

Speaker 4 (58:10):
Can you say besitos besitos yes?

Speaker 2 (58:14):
So cute Localumia