Latina to Latina

Latina to Latina

In this interview series, host Alicia Menendez talks to remarkable Latinas about making it, faking it, and everything in between. In often-hilarious and always-revealing episodes, Alicia and her guests take on the challenges of existing, and then thriving, as women of color.

Episodes

November 17, 2025 25 mins

The Pulitzer Prize winning playwright’s first novel, The White Hot, takes readers on an epic journey of self-discovery and begs the question: when is leaving an act of generosity? Quiara shares the exhilaration of creating a Latina anti-hero, the places where fear shows up in her earlier writing and the creative freedom that comes with growing older.

Watch the full episode on Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0ilc14tXME


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This captain of industry comes from a family of self-starters that has always banded together--from her father’s travel agency to her billion-dollar company. Did we mention she owns 100% of it? But her story is also one of unthinkable tragedy and immeasurable sacrifice—from her and her family. Today, Nina is among the most respected CEOs in the country, an advisor to presidents, and a tireless champion of Latinos and immigrants eve...

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She wrote her book, Self-Care for Latinas: 100+ Ways to Prioritize & Rejuvenate Your Mind, Body, & Spirit, deep in her own grief, a year after suddenly losing her best friend. Raquel shares what that experience taught her about self-care and community care, living with life-changing loss, and how she is building a career in media from her beloved Orlando, Florida.

Follow Raquel Reichard on Instagram @raquelreichard. Find her new boo...

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There's a direct connection between climate scientist Nicole Hernandez Hammer's childhood in rural Guatemala and her tireless work to teach the rest of us how to adjust our lives so we can preserve our planet for the grandchildren. And the life that unfolded between those two points is remarkable, including that time she stepped on Michelle Obama's foot.

Follow Nicole on Twitter @NHH_Climate and IG @NicoleHernandezHammer. If you lov...

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Her first solo album, Marchita, catapulted the Mexican singer-songwriter into the global spotlight, earning her a Latin Grammy for Best New Artist. But that same year, tragedy struck when Silvana’s close friend and his brother were murdered in their Mexico City home.  Three years later, Silvana is releasing her second solo album, Vendrán Suaves Lluvias. She and Alicia talk about creating art in the wake of life changing loss, her p...

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The Bronx-native was juggling multiple jobs when she decided, at 30, that it was time to stop playing small. It paid off: her first romance novel was recognized with a prestigious RITA Award, and her newest solo project, A Lot Like Adios, is continuing to ask powerful questions about who gets to fall in love and what love really looks like.

Follow Alexis on Instagram @alexisdaria. If you loved this episode, listen to Book Editor Mic...

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Here’s the thing about Stephanie Beatriz: she doesn’t fall for traditional messages. Growing up in Texas, blond contest queens reigned, but she understood there was more to beauty. Catholic church told her being bisexual was a sin, but she knew there was nothing wrong with her. Hollywood tried to convince her there’s only ever room for one Latina, but she flatly ignored them. And now she’s living her dreams as a television star, ne...

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Some of us daydream about what we want in our lives. Some of us pray about it. Actress Angelique Cabral writes it down as literally as she can and puts it where she can see it every day. Then she goes to work making it happen. Her beautiful home, her artistic development, and her hit CBS show all resulted from laser-focused manifestations. She breaks down how this practice has made her life fuller and her work more rewarding.

Follow...

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She says growing up Latina in Miami gave her the cojones to face life in Hollywood. Her career so far, including roles in Disney Channel’s Elena of Avalor, FX’s The Americans and Freeform’s Young & Hungry is ample proof of that. Aimee tells Alicia that being Latina also gave her the confidence to know that she deserves to be in the room. She opens up about wrestling with imposter syndrome, learning to say no, and the “big trap” of ...

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This special episode, hosted by our executive producer Juleyka Lantigua, was recorded live at the 2025 UnidosUS national conference in Kansas City, Missouri. Four powerhouse Latinas took part in the keynote panel during the Latinas Luncheon: 

Cristina Jimenez, Co-Founder of  United We Dream, who has for years fought on behalf of all undocumented people.

Daniela Velazquez, an Alderwoman in St. Louis, and the state’s ONLY Puerto Rican ...

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Ana Lilia fell in love with breathing practices and affirmations as part of her own healing journey. Then she shared those gifts with others. Now she shares how to clear your mind, control your anxiety and rewrite your story—one breath at a time.

Follow Ana on instagram @_ana_lilia. If you loved this episode, listen to LEVEL UP: How to Approach Your Health Holistically and How Health Coach Massy Arias Found Her Real Strength. Show y...

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The multi-hyphenate power house opens up about motherhood, divorce and finding her purpose.

Follow Eva on Instagram @evalongoria. And listen to her podcast Connections with Eva Longoria.

If you loved this episode, listen to America Ferrera Knows What Real Power Looks Like and Why Living Icon Isabel Allende Has Never Kept Secrets. Show your love and become a Latina to Latina Patreon supporter!

Sponsor:

Founded by Dr. Howard Murad, M.D.,...

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Before she published her debut novel, Neruda on the Park, she spent 20 years in corporate America. She knew she needed to make a change, but it was life-changing grief that finally propelled her forward. Now with her second novel, The Grand Paloma Hotel, Cleyvis is rejecting the notion that compartmentalization is necessary for success. Set in the Dominican Republic, the writer's birthplace, with an anti-hero Latina protagonist who...

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Cristela Alonzo knows about starting at square one — and then doing it again and again. In the second part of our interview, she talks to Alicia about facing her make-or-break moment, how she “had to go live a life to have things to talk about,” and why she’s back with her new tour, "My Affordable Care Act.” She writes about it all in her new memoir, Music to My Years.

Follow Cristela on Twitter and IG @Cristela9. And buy her book, ...

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As a latchkey kid growing up in San Juan, Texas, comedian Cristela Alonzo dreamed of leaving her border town and seeing the world. In this emotional two-part episode, she tells Alicia how her childhood aspirations made her the black sheep of her family, and how she needed to put those dreams on hold, first to care for her sister’s children, and then, her ailing mother. Through it all, music and television – from the Backstreet Boys...

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The gold medal athlete opens up about how she dealt with emotional and verbal abuse at the hands of coaches, the key role her mother played in advocating for her, and why leaving her beloved sport for a while was exactly what she needed.

"Habla Now," HBO Latino's award-winning "Habla" series, features Laurie Hernandez in its latest installment. It is now available to stream on HBO Max.

Follow Laurie Hernandez on Instagram at @laurieh...

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The award winning singer-songwriter, author, podcast host and entrepreneur shares her journey to forgive and embrace her mother, the legendary singer Jenni Rivera. Chiquis details her decade-long healing journey (come for the talk therapy, stay for the foray into alternative modules); the evolution in her own thinking on motherhood and fertility; and how her mom’s everlasting love became the basis for her beautiful new children’s b...

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After experiencing violence and media censorship in her native Venezuela, Mariana Atencio embarked on her journalist career in the United States. An early opportunity at Univision gave her the chance to hone her skills before making the leap to English-language television. But soon a personal tragedy tested ethics, faith, and her place in the world. She put it all in her new book, Perfectly You.

Follow Mariana on Twitter and IG @mar...

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Growing up, Irma Olguin expected to join the next generation of farmworkers in her family. But the CEO of Bitwise Industries, which has turned California’s Central Valley into a thriving tech hub, says she experienced so much ‘serendipity in her life’ that she realized everything that lifted her out of poverty and struggle was possible for her home community. Someone just had to address the inequalities. The story of how she did it...

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This first-generation Latina shares her journey from entry-level employee at a credit union to co-owner of New American Funding, the largest Latina-owned private mortgage company in the nation. Patty shares how leaving corporate America to become an entrepreneur enabled her to build wealth, and the (many) mistakes she has made once, but never again.

Follow Patty on Instagram @pattyarvielo. If you liked this episode, listen to How Ca...

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