10 Podcasts Amplifying Latino Voices, Stories, and Perspectives

graphic spotlighting Latino podcasts in the U.S.
Luz Media

Podcasting has become so popular that it seems like everyone and their mother has one nowadays. That doesn’t mean high-quality Latine podcasts are easy to find. Fortunately, we’re always scouring the interwebs to bring you the latest and greatest podcasts amplifying Latino voices, stories, and perspectives. Whether you like your podcasts to be about personal stories, culture, politics, or just a good bit of fun chit-chat, you’ll find something to love on this list:


Latino USA

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Hosted by Maria Hinojosa, a well-established, award-winning reporter who has been the first Latina in many newsrooms, “Latino USA” is a great source of news from a Latino perspective. If you want to be aware of Latino politics, social issues, and culture that the mainstream media often misses, this is the podcast to add to your roster. Hinojosa’s interviews are particularly insightful and her overall storytelling is engaging and informative, so this is a must-listen to stay up-to-date on Latino news. “Latino USA” has been around since 1992 as a radio program, and now a podcast, making it the longest-running Latino-focused program on public media in the U.S. You can check it out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other podcast networks.

Tamarindo

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“Tamarindo” is hosted by Brenda Gonzalez and Ana Sheila Victorino and it’s one of those light-hearted podcasts that discuss politics, culture, and personal development. It’s a very conversational podcast that brings attention to important issues in the Latino community, including race, gender, and representation. You can expect insightful interviews with changemakers and creatives, and conversations that invite personal reflection, champion advocacy, and encourage self-care. Visit their website to check out the latest episodes or listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more.

100 Latina Birthdays

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Brought to you by reporters in Chicago, “100 Latina Birthdays” is an original documentary series podcast from LWC Studios. It dives deep into the issue of health and wellness by investigating the health and lifetime outcomes of Latinas in the U.S. The premise of the series is to explore Latina health from birth to age 100. In its first season, the episodes focus on Latinas during their perinatal journeys, childhood, and adolescence, covering their experiences up until age 20. The stories are insightful and essential for understanding the health challenges Latinas face during each milestone. If you're interested in the intersections of health, culture, and community, this podcast is a must-listen while you wait for season 2 to come out. You can find it on the "100 Latina Birthdays" website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other major platforms.

Birthful

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Hosted by Venezuelan Adriana Lozada, an advanced birth doula and postpartum educator, “Birthful” is all about pregnancy and the postpartum experience. As a former journalist, Lozada uses her skills to interview top experts in the fields as well as parents, to provide relevant, useful information and encourage deep knowledge about the transformational power of giving birth. The episodes of this podcast offer a lot of insight into pregnancy, so if you’re on that journey, it can be immensely valuable to you and help you navigate this stage of your life. You can check the episodes out on their website or listen on Apple Podcasts, among other platforms.

In the Business with Juan & Anjelica

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If you’re in your entrepreneurial era, then you already know how important it is to learn from people who have already found success in the business world. Especially Latinos! “In the Business with Juan & Anjelica” is a good source of that. It’s hosted by Juan Alanis, founder and CEO of Big Oak Tree Media, and Anjelica Cazares, founder of the Latina Leadership Podcast (which we’ll discuss next). “In the Business” is a blend of personal stories, business insights, and cultural reflection. As Mexican Americans and entrepreneurs, Alanis and Cazares bring a unique perspective to the conversation and they interview professionals across a variety of fields. It’s the perfect podcast to go with your morning coffee and you’ll learn something new with each episode. You can listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

Latina Leadership Podcast

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Anjelica Cazares has a lot to say about entrepreneurship, but also about women’s health and wellness. Cazares is particularly passionate about helping women connect and learn from each other, so she created a space for that. The “Latina Leadership Podcast” is a weekly program where Latinas from all walks of life can have open conversations about their unique journeys through insightful interviews. With co-hosts Carolina Arenas, Olga Rodriguez, and Susie Barrera, Cazares explores the diversity and richness of the experiences Latinas have in the U.S. Particularly when it comes to achieving positions of power at any level, which is often an uphill battle. You can listen on their website or Apple Podcasts, among other platforms.

Vibin’ & Kinda Thrivin’

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Hosted by Vee Rivera and Alessandra Gonzalez, “Vibin' & Kinda Thrivin'” is a fun girl talk podcast where they discuss many relevant topics. Including mental health, social media (and the crazy stories that often come up there), motherhood, and more. The goal of the podcast is to just vibe while also providing Latinas in their 30s with a sense of community. It’s also a good source of laughter! This is a laid-back podcast that makes you feel like you’re sitting with two friends, exploring lighthearted and complex topics alike, depending on the day. You can listen on Apple Podcasts, Podcast One, and Spotify, among other platforms.

Unbreakable Latina

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“Unbreakable Latina” is a space where Latinas can speak about the things they usually keep quiet about being first-generation. Hosted by Melina, a first-generation Mexican American, this is the podcast to check out if you want content that relates to your experience with family, relationships, career, education, mental health, and everything in between. It’s also worth checking out if you want to understand perspectives and experiences outside of your own. Expect discussions about parentification, setting boundaries, heartaches, coming out to Latino parents, and so much more. You can listen on their website, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and more.

Alt.Latino

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Music is life and it’s also one of the best expressions of culture and heritage. “Alt.Latino” celebrates the richness of Latino culture through music and sitting down with established artists or rising stars. Hosted by Felix Contreras and Anamaria Sayre, this is the podcast to stay up-to-date with the music world from a Latino perspective. It’s also a good way to discover Latino voices in the industry! You can listen to this podcast on NPR, Apple Podcasts, and more.

La Lista

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Last but not least, “La Lista” is a podcast focused on Latinx writers and their identities. Hosted by Rubén Mendive, a queer immigrant of Mexican and Chilean descent, each episode of the podcast focuses on a different Latinx writer. The honest and engaging nterviews provide a space for writers and artists to talk about their unique backgrounds. Each interviewee opens up about their childhood and they take listeners through the journeys that led them to where they are today, offering perspective, insights, and representation. You can listen to the episodes on Apple Podcasts!

bop the bigot video game logo

In 2024, voting campaigns have evolved greatly, to say the least. Creativity is now the name of the game and tongue-in-cheek humor is expertly leveraged to drive action. One example of that is Bop the Bigot, a revival of a viral game created in 2016 by Bazta Arpaio, an Arizona activist group, as part of a campaign to unseat Maricopa County’s Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Arpaio lost his re-election to Paul Penzone that year.

The game has now been updated for the current election cycle and relaunched by On Point Studios, with new features added to enable players to find out what’s on their ballot, confirm voter status, and register to vote.

Much like its former 2016 version, the game allows users to take out their political frustrations by virtually “bopping” GOP candidates in the head. It’s very similar to whack-a-mole, except the mole is replaced by former President Donald Trump, Ohio’s Senator J. D. Vance, and Kevin Roberts, President of the Heritage Foundation, which is spearheading Project 2025.

cartoon renditions of Donald Trump and J.D. Vance around a Bop the Bigot logoPromotional image provided by On Point Studios.

B. Loewe, Director of On Point Studios, came up with the concept for this game when working as the Communications Director at Bazta Arpaio in 2016, and is the executive producer of this revamped version. In the first version of the game, Bop the Bigot players used a chancla (flip flop) to “bop” the characters, tapping into Latino culture by leaning on the childhood experience of being set right by a flying chancla from a fed-up mother or grandmother.

This year, the chancla is replaced by a more current element, a green coconut, referencing Kamala Harris’ coconut tree meme. There are also side characters like “the couch,” cat ladies, and more coconuts. All references to jokes about Vice-Presidential candidate Vance, or insults Vance has made about women on the campaign trail.

Another new addition is that Harris’ laugh is immortalized as the game-over sound effect, an unexpected detail that adds even more humor and levity to the game.

cartoon renditions of Donald Trump, Kevin Roberts, and J.D. Vance around a Bop the Bigot logoPromotional image provided by On Point Studios.

Bop the Bigot, which is playable on desktop and mobile, is intended not just as a way to vent political frustrations, but also as a tool for activism and securing voter engagement.

For example, the game supports the work of Mexican Neidi Dominguez Zamorano, Founding Executive Director of the non-profit organization Organized Power in Numbers by using the “game over” screen to prompt players to donate to it and support their efforts.

Organized Power in Numbers is focused on empowering workers in the South and Southwest of the U.S. through collective action and comprehensive campaigns. Their mission is to create a large-scale movement that challenges the status quo and advocates for workers' rights, and racial and economic justice.

Currently, Dominguez Zamorano is leading worker outreach to 2 million working-class voters in the South and Southwest through doorknocking, texting, and calls with the help of local groups in North Carolina, Arizona, New Mexico, and more.

“We have been blown away by the enthusiastic reception for the video game. We knew we wanted to be part of its creative approach because our movement needs more fun and laughter. We need more ways to connect with nuestra gente so we can feel joy among all the absurdity we witness every day,” Dominguez Zamorano shared with Luz Media via email.

“Our people are gente trabajadora and we deserve to feel uplifted even in our toughest moments. We are deeply involved in the South and Southwest so we know what’s at stake in this election and we’re happy this can be a resource to mobilize, raise spirits, and get out the vote," she concluded.

Dominguez Zamorano is a committed activist for immigrants and workers' rights, known for her strategist skills and expertise. She played a key role in the campaign to win DACA and has also held roles in major campaigns, including as Deputy National States Director for Bernie Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign. In addition to her work with Organized Power in Numbers, Dominguez Zamorano is serving as a Senior Advisor to Mijente’s Fuera Trump Initiative.

Grassroots efforts like these have taken on new life in 2024, with Bop the Bigot adding to the larger, ongoing fight against political apathy and disinformation. Just as it did during the 2016 race, the video game uses humor to soften the serious task at hand—getting people to the polls.

"We want the game to be a fun and comical outlet for anyone who’s been insulted, frustrated, or harmed by Trump in the past and everyone who is ready to move forward as a country after election day," explained Loewe in a press release. "The proposals in Project 2025 and the beliefs of Trump and Vance aren’t just weird, they’re truly harmful. We wanted to give people a humorous and peaceful way to smack down their racism and sexism. We hope it makes people laugh and also feel empowered and motivated to get to the polls on or before election day."

With a mix of satire, sharp political critique, and nostalgia, the game is a call to action. The upcoming election, which is getting closer by the minute, has sparked fierce activism and creative yet grounded initiatives like these aim to ensure voters are engaged, especially young Latinos and disenfranchised groups.

a woman giving the side eye to a man

Have you ever met someone who seems overly confident, self-centered, or even downright rude? Maybe they constantly talk about themselves, disregard your feelings, or even manipulate situations to their advantage. And, if you're anything like us and countless other Latinas, you might've thought, is this person just a purebred a**hole, or are they a narcissist?

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Image by Sayuri Jimenez.

Nathalie Molina Niño has never been one to shy away from breaking barriers, and now, she’s focusing her attention on a new mission: demystifying corporate boardrooms for women, especially Latinas. Molina Niño is the President of Known, an asset management and financial services firm, a veteran tech entrepreneur and builder capitalist, and a board member at the iconic lingerie Brand, Hanky Panky, and others.

Like many corporate boards, Hanky Panky hadn’t publicly disclosed its board composition until recently. After the brand survived the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Molina Niño decided it was time for more women, specifically more Latinas, to know what it means to be on corporate boards.

Coincidentally, the decision to finally be more vocal about this topic aligned with the start of Hispanic Heritage Month, which served as the perfect kick-off to the work.

"Something that rarely gets talked about and I think almost gets kept opaque by design is boards,” she explains in a recent Instagram announcement. “[This Latinx Heritage Month], that’s what I’ll be talking about.” Her goal? To equip more Latinas with the knowledge they need to navigate onto for-profit boards, where they can thrive and build multi-generational wealth.

For-profit corporate boards often feel like an exclusive club. And in many ways, they are, especially for Latinas, who hold the smallest percentage of board seats in Fortune 500 companies compared to other racial groups. According to the latest report from Latino Board Monitor, while Latinos hold 4.1% of these board seats (compared to 82.5% held by white people), only 1% go to Latinas. Molina Niño, a first-generation American of Ecuadorian and Colombian descent, is part of this boardroom minority.

When asked about her experience as a Latina board member during a recent Zoom interview, she said, “It’s been lonely. There’s not a lot of Latinas on boards.” She went on to explain that even serving on boards of Latina-founded businesses gets lonely because, “A lot of the times, people who serve on their boards represent their investors and, as a result, [...] you still don’t see a lot of Latinas on those boards.”

This lack of representation drives Molina Niño’s determination to increase Latina presence in corporate boardrooms. By sharing her insights, she hopes to give Latinas a roadmap to claim their seats at the table. “If you don’t know where to go, it’s impossible to figure out how to get there,” she says.

The Road to the Boardroom

Getting onto a for-profit corporate board isn’t an overnight achievement, but it’s not an unattainable dream either. People often think you need to be a CEO or have a certain type of background, but that’s one of the biggest myths about boards in Molina Niño’s experience. What they’re really looking for is expertise — whether that’s in finance, marketing, sustainability, or even technology. If you have that expertise, you’re already an asset. It’s simply a matter of which road you should take.

Understanding what boards are and how they operate is key to unlocking opportunities. For-profit boards serve as the governing body for companies, overseeing direction and financial stability, and guiding CEOs and executives in decision-making. But Molina Niño emphasizes that not all for-profit boards are created equal.

“There are two kinds [of for-profit boards] [...]. There’s the publicly traded business board and then, on the privately held side, there are, I would argue, two types of boards [...] the traditional business board and the venture-backed business board,” explains Molina Niño. Traditional businesses are often family-owned or long-established and may only form boards to meet requirements, like securing financing or transitioning through an ESOP. Venture-backed boards, on the other hand, are typically filled by investors who hold major stakes in the company.

According to Molina Niño, understanding the difference between them is how you can create a successful strategy. With publicly traded business boards, the whole world is privy to them, so, “The way that you get in there is a little bit more transparent. Sometimes those publicly traded companies will hire a recruiter to help them find new board members,” explains Molina Niño. For private companies, on the other hand, there’s no legal requirement to make announcements. As a result, most people don’t know anything about them or their inner workings.

“Usually what happens in traditional businesses that don’t have venture-capital investments is that the Founders, Executives, or the board members, if one existed already, they usually go to their friends,” and people they deem experienced to fill board seats. In other words, it’s the founder’s decision, and that’s an entirely different approach than hiring recruiters. When it comes to venture-backed business boards, the seats on the board are filled by whichever investor writes the biggest check.

This is why an understanding of the different types of boards and acknowledgment of their own strengths is what will help Latinas define a sound strategy. Whether that’s working with a recruiter, networking and connecting with founders to build trust, or making the biggest investment.

The Path for Latinas

For Molina Niño, the key to getting more Latinas into corporate boardrooms is education. Knowing what a board looks like and how it functions is how you can position yourself to get on it. In openly talking about this, without the mystique it’s usually shrouded in, Molina Niño is providing women, especially Latinas, with invaluable insights. “If we had Latinas understanding what are the three types of for-profit boards I think that, on their own, they would be able to figure out what their best chance is and adjust their careers to make themselves more competitive,” states Molina Niño.

When asked about the impact of increased Latina representation in boardrooms, Molina Niño flips the narrative. “Boards don’t help Latinas by offering them seats; Latinas help businesses thrive by being on their boards,” she says. “The whole point of sitting on a board is that you have experience and expertise, and as Latinas, you also have some cultural experience that everyone wants. [...] At the end of the day, we [Latinas] have to realize that we have a ton to offer and we have to be selective about where we put that expertise,” she explains.

As demand for access to the Latina consumer rises, Molina Niño predicts that more Latinas will find themselves recruited into boardrooms. But she’s not content to sit back and wait for that moment. By openly sharing her journey and insights, she’s making sure other Latinas know their worth and have the tools to claim their place at the table. “I realized that quietly being on boards that helped me personally is not helping other Latinas. [...] I was lucky enough to have friends who could advise me and share their experiences, so that’s why I’m doing this,” she stated.

With Hispanic Heritage Month as the backdrop, Nathalie Molina Niño’s mission is clear: “My goal is just to give Latinas enough information so they can make a plan for how to eventually get on a board that they’re paid to be on and that will eventually help them build generational wealth.”