Tamarindo

We speak to Mónica Ramírez, attorney, author and activist, about what motivates her to do more than enough (a lot more than enough!) to stand up for migrant women and her community. She is the founder of Justice for Migrant Women and co-founder of Alianza Nacional de Campesinas, The Latinx House, and Poderistas, and an overall badass! Trigger Warning: This episode talks about sexual violence. Below is a list of resources for anyone that may need support:  https://www.rainn.org https://casadeesperanza.org/ https://metoomvmt.org/ Before we speak to Mónica, we catch up on the latest in Latinx chisme. We reference this think piece that does an excellent job of recapping the Flamin’ Hot Cheetoh’s controversy over the creator of the loved snack. Note, that since we recorded, this is the latest on the Flamin' Hot saga. We also suggest Brenda’s piece on Hip Latina about the upcoming Black-ish spinoff, Brown-ish.  Don’t forget to join us for True Stories En Vivo, June 10 at 5pm PT. Register for free here: https:

On this episode of Tamarindo, we are joined by Lizette Trujillo, mom and community advocate for transgender youth and families. She shares how raising her trans son has changed her life and how leading with love made her into the fierce advocate and activist she is today. This powerful conversation happens as hundreds of heartbreaking anti trans bills are being passed across the country and our trans community are being denied basic human rights. We hope this conversation inspires you to open your hearts and get more involved in supporting our trans community. You can learn more about the  importance of allyship on Lizette's podcast "I Stand by You with Lizette and Drew".   Remember to sign up to join us on June 10th at 5pm PT for True Stories En Vivo (via zoom), a night of storytelling featuring guest story teller, Melissa Lozada-Oliva, Guatelombian (Guatemalan-Colombian) American poet and screenwriter. Melissa has a new book out this October called “Dreaming of You” all about bringing Selena back to life

On this episode of Tamarindo, we talk about what makes a healthy relationship and how to call in the loving and healthy relationships we all deserve. We also honor our moms recognizing that this episode was recorded on Mexican Mother’s Day.  We mention our upcoming event: Join us for True Stories En Vivo (via zoom), featuring Melissa Lozada-Oliva (June 10 at 5pm PT) Join us for an evening of community, storytelling, and live performances all from the comfort of your device. Live performances will center stories around the following themes: Living in the Hyphen (between two worlds) Belonging and Acceptance Embracing Identity True Stories En Vivo will feature special guest storyteller Melissa Lozada-Oliva, Guatelombian (Guatemalan-Colombian) American poet and screenwriter. Melissa has a new book out this October called “Dreaming of You” all about bringing Selena back to life through a seance and the disastrous consequences that follow.  Register for free today! You can tell a story right along with Mel

Tamarindo podcast is on break until May 12. Until then, here is a bonus episode with Brenda as a guest on the Unconscious Bias Project podcast.  We mention an upcoming event happening April 22 at 5:00pm PT. This is a conversation about Imposter Syndrome with a diverse panel of Latinas. Sign-up and learn more here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/be-a-better-imposter-tickets-148876560801   You can also catch Ana Sheila on April 24 for a workshop on owning your voice she is leading with Kim Guerra (@brownbadassbonita). Sign up here: https://withribbon.com/Kim-Guerra/USA-TU-VOZ-MIJA-/92423     Tamarindo podcast is the Latinx show where hosts discuss politics, pop culture, and how to balance it all con calma, hosted by Brenda Gonzalez and Ana Sheila Victorino. Join us as we delve into discussions on culture, politics, identity, representation, and life!    Producer Jeff provides original music and sound engineering. Michelle Andrade edits the show. If you want to support our work, please rate and review our s

On this episode of Tamarindo, we explore U.S capitalism, the hustle culture, and how we can be more mindful consumers, entrepreneurs and citizens working within a system that was originally built off the exploitation of people of color.  To help us think through some of these concepts, we are joined by Joshua Alvarez for this conversation to help us learn and consider new ways of being. Joshua is an advocate and conscious business coach focusing on the intersection of healing, justice, and collective liberation with decolonizing practices. You can learn more about his work at http://joshuaialvarez.com/ This episode is sponsored by Hola Queridx, a billingual and Spanglish stationery brand for all your culturally connected stationery needs. Shop their stuff here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/HolaQueridx  We mention an upcoming event happening April 22 at 5:00pm PT. This is a conversation about Imposter Syndrome. Signup and learn more here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/be-a-better-imposter-tickets-148876560801

We speak with Raquel Berrios of the Puerto Rico-based indie duo Buscabulla, which she leads with her husband Luis Alfredo del Valle. Buscabulla’s music features dreamy, futuristic synth-pop sounds that have us longing for a tropical beach or a pool-side cabana.  While the band was originally formed in Brooklyn, Raquel and Luis moved home to Puerto Rico after Hurricane María, to help rebuild their community, raise their daughter, and record their first album. Raquel explains, “'Our album 'Regresa' is about self-acceptance of oneself with all our imperfections, and the acceptance of being back in Puerto Rico, with all its flaws."    Self-acceptance is exactly what we advocate for in our calma segment and #calmamoment on our Instagram. A big part of that is owning our voice. After our chat with Buscabulla, we bring you tips on stepping into the power of your voice.    Celebrate Two Years of Brenda & Ana Sheila as Tamarindo  This episode is extra special because we celebrate two years of Tamarindo with Ana

On this episode of Tamarindo, we are joined by Susie Jaramillo, President & Chief Creative Officer of Canticos.  Canticos is a bilingual early childhood brand that through books, a show on Nick Jr. and an award winning educational app uses a storyteaching approach to deliver personalized bilingual learning experiences to the little ones in our lives.   Susie offers inspiring nuggets of wisdom for aspiring entrepreneurs as she shares how Canticos was born from observing her young bicultural children and listening to the growing whispers of her heart.  We also get into the incredible power of learning two or more languages for our brain development, empathy building, and cultural competence. Being bilingual is beautiful  AND powerful!  As part of our partnership with Canticos, we are giving away 3 bilingual learning books! To enter, head to our instagram page! The giveaway ends on Friday March 12th at 11:59pm PST.  As mentioned on the pod, you can access Planned Parenthood’s telehealth services here: www.pl

On this episode of Tamarindo, Brenda and Ana Sheila catch up on their first in-person recording in a while, starting off with what’s getting their matracas and basuras.  Next, we check in with the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice by speaking to their new executive director, Guadalupe “Lupe” M. Rodríguez. She tells us about the important work of movement building and how Latina Institute is fighting to improve health care access, including reproductive care.  Lupe is a scientist with an activist heart dedicated to supporting communities to unleash their power to achieve liberation and justice. Born in Mexico City, Lupe’s family immigrated to San Jose, California to seek medical care for her brother. A self-proclaimed disruptor with a passion for change, Lupe pivoted from a career in science to pursue social justice policy work in México, Peru, and California. We wrap up this episode with our Calma segment bringing you some tunes that are instant mood enhancers. Stay connected with Latina Inst

Body size is nobody’s business. On this episode of Tamarindo, we have a powerful conversation with guest Virgie Tovar, one of the nation's leading experts and lecturers on weight-based discrimination and body image. We discuss how diet culture and fat phobia permeate so much of our lives in often subconscious ways that can be damaging to our wellbeing. Virgie shows us how we can reflect on how we can start liberating from diet culture and stepping into radical self love.For our Calma, we encourage listeners to take notice of the times we think about food or bodies in ways that involve judgement. For example, when we say things like “I earned this cookie” or ask “have you lost weight, you look great!”More about our guest. Virgie Tovar is an author, activist and one of the nation's leading experts and lecturers on weight-based discrimination and body image. She holds a Master's degree in Sexuality Studies with a focus on the intersections of body size, race and gender. She is a contributor for Forbes where she

First Generation? Not Quite. All about that “ni de aquí, ni de allá" life! First generation is often used in reference to the first generation born in the United States. As two immigrants from Mexico that arrived in the country as small children, most of our life has been on this side of the border, yet we aren’t technically “first gen.”  What’s life like when you’re an immigrant but the majority of your life is shaped by a different country than where you were born? In this episode, we talk all about it. We share our own immigrant journeys, share some reflections from listeners, and embrace our “ni de aquí, ni de allá” identity by seeing it in a new light.  We start the episode with some reflections on the first days of the Biden/Harris administration, particularly when it comes to immigration. In our calma segment, we’ll show you how to set intentions to call in what you want for this year. As opposed to the more common resolutions, intentions are guiding principles for what you want to invite more of into

In this episode, we talk about religion and spirituality with Kim Guerra, author and creator of the Latinx empowerment platform @brownbadassbonita. The global pandemic and political climate may have many of us leaning into spiritual practices as a source of strength and grounding. Many organized religions have at times been used to oppress, wage wars, and control people. Unfortunately, even today many religions continue to hurt and ostracized members of the LGBTQ community. That is why this episode centers the experiences and spiritual journeys of Kim and Ana Sheila, who both identify as spiritual and queer, as they share their relationship with religion and spirituality. More about our guest: Kim Guerra is an artist, writer, and entrepreneur. She is the creator of #BrownBadassBonita, a brand and movement she considers a revolutionary act of self love and love for our Latinx community. She was recently recognized as an “Agente de Cambio” at Univision’s Premios Juventud and has a masters in marriage and family

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has pushed many of us to reflect on what’s most important. It’s no surprise that in 2020 many of us have had to reset personal goals and adjust to a world with many uncertainties. As we close out the last episode of this season of Tamarindo and start to think of a new post-Trump era, we know many of you are doing introspective work right along with us. This is why we wanted to talk to you about how a leadership or life coach might be helpful in pushing you to achieve your goals.  Ana Sheila, our resident life coach, breaks down exactly what a coach does, how the work of a coach differs from that of a therapist, and what to consider when deciding to work with one. Brenda describes her experience working with an executive leadership coach, the phenomenal Liz Garcia, and how that was beneficial to her in exploring a career transition. If you’re looking to work with a coach, here are just a few of our favorites that you can learn about on instagram: Harry Lopez @theharrylopez Dari

Inspired by a conversation around the terms Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and Person of Color (POC) on this episode of  NPR’s Code Switch, we have a candid conversation around race, ancestry, and the power and limitation of words from our personal perspective as Mexican immigrants raised in the U.S. We also reflect on the effects of colonialism and colorism on our own connection to our ancestry and the diversity of Latinx experiences in this country.  We kick off this episode by taking some time to reflect on our collective resilience in getting through the uncertainty and difficulty of 2020 and offer some tips to prioritize self and community care in the coming week. During the episode we reference a conversation between writer Julissa Arce with UCLA Professor Laura Gomez, author of Manifest Destinies: The Making of the Mexican American Race,  Latinx voter data shared by Gerardo Cardava, Professor at Northwestern University, and this New York Times article written by Angela Onwuachi-Willig,

We love reliable and unbiased data and this is especially true with the 2020 Presidential Election only days away! This is why we’re excited to welcome back to Tamarindo Stacie de Armas, SVP, Diverse Consumer Insights and Initiatives at Nielsen —a global measurement and data analytics company that provides the most complete and trusted view available of consumers and markets worldwide—to discuss their 2020 Election Hub. The hub is where you can find the most up-to-date data on this year’s biggest election events. Like Nielsen, we want to highlight the importance of voting and the importance of educating yourself prior to voting. So, please visit the 2020 Election Hub today for accurate information. Stacie breaks down the data on Latinos and voting and also gives us a lot to be hopeful about the power that we hold as a community. From the Southwest to South Beach, Latinos seem to have gotten the message on their untapped power, with populations that make up even larger percentages of the electorate in key Swin

On this episode of Tamarindo, Brenda and Ana Sheila catch up on the Presidential Debate, Trump’s virus diagnosis, and discuss words they are retiring. Next, Ana Sheila chats with film director, activist, and author Paola Mendoza, about her new book Sanctuary, co-authored with Abby Sher. Sanctuary tells the story of a young girl in a near dystopian future who is forced to flee to a xenophobic government to find sanctuary. Drawing parallels to our current political climate, the book is harrowing, but also hopeful in showing that we all have the power to effect change. As co-founder of the Women’s March, Paola tells us her family’s inspirational story of resilience which shapes her activism. Paola wants to leave readers with the sense that we can all be freedom fighters. This is especially inspirational when so many may feel discouraged. This episode will remind you that your actions can influence the outcome of this election and that we, especially Black and Brown folks,  have the power to change what this coun

On this episode, Brenda and Ana Sheila reflect on the passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bather Ginsburg, #RBG, hours after learning the news. We talk about what this means for the future of our country, the hypocrisy of Republican Senator Mitch McConell, and the overall sadness we are collectively feeling. #ditchmitch The risk of Trump ramming through another nomination (this would be his 3rd!) to the Supreme Court makes us double down on our advocacy efforts to get Biden/Harris elected. Join us on October 3 for phone banking. Anyone can join no matter where you are in the country and we will be calling Spanish-speaking Floridians for this activity. Why? Because Florida is a swing state where we have a real opportunity to turn things around. Join us: https://www.mobilize.us/seedthevote/event/320782/  Next, we talk about redefining notions of success as we reflect on our chat with award-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa about her recent book “Once I Was You: A Memoir of Love and Hate in a Torn America.” Tr

On this episode of Tamarindo, Brenda and Ana Sheila discuss the 2020 Election. From the Supreme Court to course-correcting on immigration, there are so many reasons to vote in November and not only against Trump. We discuss the policy priorities that some of our listeners shared with us and talk about what is at stake with this election.  We each share why we are voting,  some small ways we can all get involved, and we make promises to step up our advocacy because we know that no one can afford four more years of the same.  As a palette cleanser for your ears, this episode ends with a love story. We know so many of you enjoyed our episode on love that we wanted to continue the reflections on relationships with this episode. We end with a recording of a live performance of Brenda telling a story of a meaningful first date. This performance was pre-Covid at an excellent event called Talking While Female,  hosted by Teatro Luna, an all-Latina theater ensemble.  The audio is not spectacular on this live-story, bu

This episode is all about reflections on love and relationships especially in the time of Covid. Brenda is sitting this one out and passing the mic to Kim Guerra, the talent behind Brown Badass Bonita, a brand and movement set on empowering mujeres to give themselves wings. Kim is guest hosting with Ana Sheila and they discuss “all about love” a powerful book on love by American author, professor, feminist, and social activist bell hooks. Kim and Ana Sheila also react and reflect to listeners' own submissions on love and relationships.  Kim Guerra is an artist, writer, and entrepreneur. She is the creator of Brown Badass Bonita, a brand and movement she considers a revolutionary act of self-love and love for our Latinx community. Kim creates apparel that celebrates our culture and empowers mujeres. She creates art that celebrates and explores the complexities of being a Latinx, mujer, PoC, survivor, and guerrera. Kim was recently recognized as an “Agente de Cambio” at Univision’s #premiosjuventud and is pursu

On this episode, Brenda and Ana Sheila put #Goya en la #basura and announce that we are taking a short break.  We talk about #policeaccountability with District Attorney George Gascón, who is running for District Attorney to modernize LA's criminal justice systems.  He is a Former District Attorney for the City & County of San Francisco, and former Assistant Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department. But don't let that fool you. LA’s cops are backing his opponent who has faced criticism for not holding cops accountable. Gascón is who the cops don't want to win... Gascón has earned a national reputation as a visionary in criminal justice reform. He’s been honored by the  Anti-Defamation League with their prestigious Civil Rights Award and the  Win With Justice, WNBA All-Star Maya Moore’s social action campaign, presented him with its Impact Award. Learn more about him at georgegascon.org  Tamarindo podcast is the Latinx show where hosts discuss politics, pop culture, and how to balance it all con calma, hoste

On this episode of Tamarindo, Ana Sheila discusses the evolution of wellness, different practices and resources that can help with the emotions and heaviness we are experiencing and how we can all be more intentional in our daily lives. She is joined by Iman Gibson, a health educator, meditation teacher and overall wellness evangelist to talk about the growth and problematic parts of the “wellness” space from a POC perspective and how we can use mindfulness to better anti-racists,  pay homage to our ancestors and be intentional about how and what we eat. Co-host Brenda is on break.  We also continue the conversation around anti-racism and anti-blackness in the Latinx community from the 90s to today. FREE RESOURCE: We are offering Tamarindo listeners an exclusivo peek to Iman’s new anti-racism meditations https://soundcloud.com/iman-gibson-tori-lund/sets/anti-racism-meditations  During our conversation, we mention Angel Kyodo Williams, and a few #calma practices like zen meditation, yin yoga, and introduce the