In The Community
Latino USA
Image credit: © Copyright 2024 Futuro Media Group
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
Image credit: © Copyright 2024 Tamarindo Podcast
“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
Image credit: © Copyright 2024 100 Latina Birthdays
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
Image credit: © Copyright 2024 Birthful Podcast
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
Image credit: © Copyright 2024 In the Business with Juan & Anjelica
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
Image credit: © Copyright 2024 Latina Leadership Podcast
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’
Image credit: © Copyright 2024 Vibin’ & Kinda Thrivin’
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
Image credit: © Copyright 2024 Unbreakable Latina
“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
Image credit: © Copyright 2024 La Lista
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!
The In Between
"The In Between," was directed by Robie Flores and it was included in the SXSW Documentary Feature Competition. The film offers a poetic perspective of the coming-of-age experience while living on the U.S.-Mexico border, with Flores revisiting her hometown Eagle Pass after her brother’s death. The film paints a very personal portrait of growing up on the border and the rediscovery of joy after grief.
Bionico’s Bachata
“Bionico’s Bachata” is a Dominican movie by filmmaker Yoel Morales that explores themes like love, friendship, and addiction. Included in the SXSW Global category, this is an experimental comedy-drama that follows Bionico, a crack addict and hopeless romantic. Against the backdrop of a hostile Caribbean city, Bionico is struggling to stay clean while also trying to find a job and a house to start a new life when his fiancée, La Flaca, comes out of rehab.
Malta
“Malta” was directed by Colombian Natalia Santa and it follows Mariana, a young woman who wants to get away from her everyday life as a working girl in Bogotá. She chooses Malta as her destination but before she gets there, she meets Gabriel, who wiggles his way into her life with tough questions and bad jokes, forcing Mariana to look within herself and determine what she’s really running from. Included in the SXSW Global category, this movie explores love and self-discovery.
Música
Included in the SXSW Narrative Feature category, “Música” is the directorial debut of musician and actor Randy Mancuso of Italian-American and Brazilian descent. The film tells his coming-of-age story and it explores both how he deals with synesthesia, a condition in which one sense is experienced in combination with another sense, and the Brazilian-American culture he grew up with.
Cheech and Chong’s Last Movie
"Cheech and Chong's Last Movie" is the first authorized documentary by the duo and it was directed by American David Bushell. Included in the SXSW Documentary Feature category, this project relives the glory days of Chicano comedian Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong through archival material. It provides laughter and many insights while exploring themes like fame and friendship.
Y2K
“Y2K” is a disaster comedy film directed by American comedian Kyle Mooney and included in the SXSW Narrative Feature category. The film stars Rachel Zegler of Colombian and Polish descent as the lead, sharing the spotlight with Jake Gyllenhaal, Sydney Sweeney, Ryan Gosling, Anne Hathaway, and Dev Patel. The movie is set in 1999 and it follows two high school juniors who crash a New Year’s Eve party that ends badly.
Sing Sing
Directed by American filmmaker Greg Kwedar and included in the SXSW Narrative Feature category, “Sing Sing” is a drama film starring Afro-Latino star Colman Domingo. The film is based on real events at the famous Sing Sing prison, which uses theater as a part of their rehabilitation program. The story follows Divine G., a man imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit, as he finds his purpose through participating in the prison’s theater group. It explores themes of humanity, resilience, and the power of art.
Toll
“Toll” was directed by Carolina Markowicz, a Brazilian director and writer based in São-Paulo. The film follows a mother and toll booth attendant named Suellen as she gets involved with a gang of thieves to make extra money for her family. However, her main goal in raising money is to send her son to a gay conversion workshop.
Bob Trevino Likes It
Directed by American director and screenwriter Tracie Laymon, “Bob Trevino Likes It” is based on a true friendship that Laymon sparked with a stranger as she looked for her estranged father online. The film stars Barbie Ferreira of Brazilian descent and Colombian-American John Leguizamo and it explores friendship and familial connections.
Omni Loop
“Omni Loop” was directed by Brazilian Bernardo Britto and it’s a comedy, drama, and sci-fi movie starring Mary Louise Parker and Ayo Edebiri. The story follows Zoya Lowe as she gets diagnosed with a black hole in her chest and is given a week to live. However, this is an experience she has had many times before. Until she meets Paula, a young woman who studies time, and together they set out to solve time travel so Zoya can go back in time and live the life she’s always wanted.
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