Sacred Lessons with Mike de la Rocha

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits down with world-champion hoop dancer, filmmaker, and cultural ambassador Eric Michael Hernandez. Together, they explore how hoop dance became a path of resilience, healing, and cultural belonging. From growing up Lumbee and Chicano in Southern California to touring the world with Cirque du Soleil, Eric shares how movement reconnected him to his ancestors and purpose. He ...

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits down with Steve Corona, Chicano skater, storyteller, and community voice whose skating blends culture, pride, and healing. From his viral “Pati-Charro” video at Mariachi Plaza to managing a skate shop in Lincoln Heights, Steve has become a cultural bridge between skateboarding and Chicano identity. Together, they explore how skating can be more than sport, it...

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits down with legendary photographer and director Estevan Oriol, whose lens has defined Los Angeles and global street culture for decades. From tour-managing Cypress Hill and House of Pain to receiving his first camera from his father, Estevan shares how photography became his medicine. Together, they explore how images can heal by restoring dignity, visibility, and belongin...

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits down with Curly Velásquez, storyteller, actor, and producer known for BuzzFeed’s Latinx, PBS’s Dead & Buried, and iHeart/Sonoro’s The Super Secret Bestie Club. Curly has built a career proving that the Latino community is not monolithic, uplifting voices across queerness, Afro-Latinidad, Indigeneity, and mixed heritage. Together, they explore...

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits down with comedian Jerry Garcia, whose journey from Huntington Park stages to HBO and Netflix has made him one of today’s most relatable voices. Beyond the laughs, Jerry is a father of three boys whose humor bridges culture, family, and healing. Together, they explore how comedy helps men embrace vulnerability, how culture shapes storytelling, and how fatherhood ch...