Abuelas en Acción: A Podcast for Our Common Good

Join Co-host Itzia Mejia in welcoming back Celeste Estrada to our virtual table. As we start off 2025 and a new presidential term we are reminded of the importance of coming together. Our conversation led us to explore themes of resilience, losing and finding community, self-advocacy, and healing tools.Support the show

Join the Comadres in this post election where we share our grief, sadness and fears but also our strength, determination and fuerza.  We draw our strength from our hearts, Familias, ancestors and supportive communities.  We will move forward!  Failure is not an option!!!!Support the show

Join our host Itzia Mejia Barragan and future educator, Yesli Peña-Rodriguez in a virtual conversation on the importance of this upcoming election. We will discuss our thoughts and feelings while expressing the importance to vote. Listen to our stories, experiences and call to action. Your voice matters!!We had the honor of having such an inspiring woman join us. A little more on Yesli…She was born and raised in Wenatchee, WA. Her parents are from Mexico, and socioeconomically, she would describe her family as working class. As the oldest of three siblings, she recognized from a young age that attending college was essential for creating a better life for herself. She graduated in Spring 2024 from Washington State University (WSU) with a Bachelor's in English, a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) Certificate, and a Spanish minor. Currently, she is pursuing a master's in teaching at WSU as well.Throughout her undergraduate studies, she was actively involved as a mentor on the CUB 4th floor and participated in various Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) such as MECHA, APASC, KSA, BSU, and Crimson Group. At the moment, she works as a graduate student intern at the Office of New Student Enrollment and student teaches at Clarkston High School. In terms of extracurricular activities, she serves as the graduate advisor for Crimson Group, a support and advocacy group for the undocumented community. She chooses to stay involved with this RSO because it resonates deeply with her values and the mission it represents. Support the show

Join us in this frank conversation between the Comadres about what is at state in this election.  Sitting this election out is not an option.  We are all responsible for the sacred democracy of our country.  The Comadres share their perspectives including their hopes and their fears for our country.Support the show

Join us in our conversations with community members about the November 5 election.  Community leader, Olga Gerberg-Fern, talks about her experiences as a Latina living in rural Tennessee.  She shares her challenges in dealing with her neighbors stereotypes about Latinos and immigrants. Support the show

Co-hosts Marie Dahlstrom and Itzia Mejia talk about the upcoming November 5 election.  Itzia shares her Gen Z perspective and why this election is so important as an Undocumented American who will soon complete her Master's Degree in Education.  Marie shares her perspective as a Baby Boomer who lives in a red state and the impact on women's right to an abortion and reproductive rights. Support the show

Join us in our conversations about the Nov 5 election and why it is so important for us all to vote, if we are able.  We have so much at stake and yet our country is so divided.  We talk about hope and ways for us to heal our differences.  Must have conversations for our common good!Support the show

Join us in this heartfelt, con todo corazón, interview with one of Oregon's great leaders, David Martinez.  David shares his personal journey and what it meant for him to be honored as a Portland pride hero in Portland's first LGBTQ+ mural titled “Never Look Away” that  showcases the beauty and struggle of Oregon's LGBTQ+,  Central to his personal and career journey has been his familia especially his mother. Support the Show.

Please join us in hearing the inspiring and heartfelt story of Elena Rodriguez, and her familia's  journey to become owners and operators of Alumbra Cellars in Dayton, Oregon. Alumbra Cellars is a vineyard and winery operated and owned by Mexican Americans, first-generation children of immigrants.  Elena chose Alumbra "to shine a light on the work being done in the vineyard and my Mexican roots,”  Listening to Elena's story about her family and Alumbra Cellars will inspire us all to visit this amazing winery.   Alumbra Winery, @alumbra.oregon and alumbracellars.comSupport the Show.

Please join us in this special conversation with José Eduardo González y Salazar, Executive Artistic Director of Milagro Theater (as known as Miracle Theatre Group).  José speaks about his personal and professional journey to founding Milagro in 1985 with his wife, Dañel Malán-González.  He speaks about the importance of art that serves as a mirror, showing us who we are and what and who is around us.  He talks about the artist in all of us and the healing power of art.Support the Show.

It was a pleasure meeting with Margarita Gutierrez Lemus, the new Executive Director of Familias en Accion.  Our conversation with Margarita is rich with topics including Latino health and economic justice and the importance/timeliness of  the upcoming Latino Health Equity Conference:  Nuestra Salud, Nuestro Poder; Cultivating Reproductive Justice.  More information about the conference can be found at www.latinohealthequity.orgSupport the show

Jose Madrid talks to us about the intersectionalities of his identity as queer and BIPOC and how they led him to his career in health.  He speaks about his lense as a DACA recipient and his commitment to addressing barriers to equitable health including reproductive justice.  Jose speaks about the importance of reproductive justice and the upcoming Familias en Accion 15th Annual Latino Health Equity Conference, www.latinohealthequity.orgSupport the show

Join us as we continue our conversation with Dr. Patricia Glazebrook, professor at Washington State University.  Our rich dialog with her includes the impact of climate change on women and children in Ghana and other developing countries.  The impact of capitalism and profits on climate change.  The importance of educating ourselves about issues such as climate change and the importance of spreading our knowledge. Support the show

Celeste Estrada, educator and community advocate, speaks about her personal and professional journey.  She speaks about the pain of losing her father and how her grief transformed into action through the creation of the Washington State University Las Mariposas Poderosas Undocumented Initiatives program.  Celeste speaks about the impact of trauma and grief and the healing power of art.   "We shake with joy, we shake with grief.  What a time they have, these two housed as they are in the same body."  Mary OliverSupport the show

Join us in this inspiring dialog with beloved community leader and social justice advocate, Cynthia Gomez, Director of Community Impact, Portland State University.  Cynthia talks about her defining moments and mentors who have meant so much to her in personal and professional journey.  She talks about our individual and collective power in guiding us to a thriving future for all.  Our interview with Cynthia is rich and empowering!    Cynthia's Websitehttps://www.cynthiacarmina.com/Latine Futures Initiativehttps://www.pdx.edu/diversity/latine-futures-initiativeLinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthiacarminagomez/Support the show

Mariana Quezada, a junior at Chapman University, joins us for this very intimate interview about the many successes and challenges she has faced in her journey to attend college.  Multi-talented Mariana is also a guitarist in the highly successful Mariachi Panteras. She describes how she confronted each barrier in her life and what gives her strength to succeed!  Mariana"s favorite book is "Blackhearts" by Nicole Castroman, available as a free ebook on simonteen.com or through your library. Support the show

Join the comadres of Abuelas en Accion in a healing and affirming conversation with author Emilly Prado, author of Funeral for Flaca.  Emilly talks about the power of writing in whatever way we choose; journaling, memoir fiction, poetry.  Writing is our voice and our story. She encourages us to write using our own unique rhythm.  As Emilly reads from her powerful chapter, "it's my brown skin," you will understand why the comadres had tears in their eyes.  Support the show

Join us in this inspiring interview with Dr. Veronica Sandoval, also known as Lady Mariposa. Her passion for literature, activism, justice and the Chicanx/Latinx community has fueled her work and publications in both creative and academic writing. Veronica shares her journey to higher education and highlights the importance of representation. As a Chola Scholar, she empowers and uplifts the Chola narrative by helping create spaces for activism, community, education, and inspiration. This interview was recorded shortly after the 2023 Chola Conference. This year the conference was La Chola Xola: Reclaiming Indigenous Guerrillera Identities by Celebrating Ceremonia in Chola Spaces and centered around our sabiduria and ancestral living. To learn more, visit their website at the link below.https://www.homegirldoctora.com/cholaconSupport the show

Here on Abuelas we gather around our virtual table to tell our stories, share our defining moments, our gratitude, our pain and our hopes.  Our warming climate, global conflicts and the erosion of our civil rights all remind us of the importance of meeting whatever life brings us with an open heart, a balanced mind and committed action.Our guest today, Phyllis Andersen, is a wise woman with an open heart who shares her journey, as an immigrant to El Salvador and the wisdom of the women, men and children of her community.Support the show

Today we are joined by Washington State University English Professor, Bryan Fry, and students, Gabriela Alvarez and Alex Diaz who share their journey in writing as a tool to express, connect and heal.  In this special episode our Co-Host Itzia Mejia and our guests read their poems, "I am From," poetry with powerful images of their roots, familia, cultura, comida and most of all resilience!Support the show

Our ancestors taught us that we are all interconnected in life to our relationships, mother earth, our communities and all the beings and activities that surround us.  Dr. Rosemary shares the beauty and the power of telling our stories through art and poetry.   "I am From"  is a powerful way to draw strength from our familia and our antepasados to remember who we are.Support the show

Join us for this very powerful interview with Dr. Tanmeet Sethi, author of the book, “Joy is my Justice.  Dr. Sethi is a board-certified Integrative Family Medicine physician and Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine.  Tanmeet speaks with raw authenticity about our capacity for healing through the mystical, ancient wisdom and modern science.  She speaks about the science of trauma and grief and its impact on our DNA and its impact on our family tree.  She also speaks about the power of gratitude to change our brains!  This is an interview you will not want to miss.  You can sign up for her newsletter at tanmeetsethimd.comSupport the show

Join Abuelas as we talk about our new series, Nuestra Sabiduria:  Unwrapping our Stories for Soul Filled Living and building our resilience for moving through these intense and challenging times.  Our sabiduría; our wisdom, our inner knowledge has been slumbering in our souls, awaiting a time to be reawakened.  You might say we are decolonizing the Sacred as our ancestors and universe have been waiting for us to return to our inner knowledge.Support the show

Join the Comadres as we talk with Dr. Jennifer Madden about the power  of collaboration and design thinking.  Jennifer talks about the synergy that can result from collaborations that can allow us to create something from nothing.  She talks about resilience and our skills for living with ambiguity and uncertainty during these complex times.  You will be inspired by our interview with Jennifer.Support the show

Today we talk with Dr. Tricia Glazebrook about Ecofeminism; the impact of the climate crisis on the lives of women and girls who disproportionately are suffering the impacts of climate change.  Climate change adds to injustices experienced by women and children, and other vulnerable populations including gender based violence and poverty. The patriarchal powers that exploit women and children also exploit our natural world.Support the show

Join the Abuelas in a rich and beautiful conversation about life and hope.  Marcia Robinson talks with Marie and Dr. Rosemary about defining moments and turning our pain into our strengths and gifts. She also shares the beauty of finding the artist in ourselves, including our pain and trauma, through tapping into our creativity.  Soul work.  Marcia so eloquently shares how hope is central to her life's journey.  Support the show

Marce Gutiérrez Graudins talks about her journey of determination as the Founder and Executive director of Azul, an international Latinx organization that works to protect coasts and oceans.   Marce is environmental justice advocate who began her career in the commercial fishing and aquaculture fields, She talks about hope for the future of our oceans and returning to our roots and values of our familias that can guide us all in taking action for the health of our planet and future generations.Support the show

Mark Magaña, CEO of GreenLatinos, talks about this important moment for all of us to do our part for climate change.  He talks about the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Egypt (COP 27) and what all of us can do in our families and communities.  Join us for this inspirational interview that will propel each of us to take action.  You can become a member of GreenLatinos at greenlatinos.org.Support the show

Dr. Tammy Yi shares her powerful journey as a first gen Korean student to Professor of Music at Chapman University.  Tammy listened to mariachi music growing up in her diverse community of immigrants in Los Angeles. Along with her distinguished career as a musician and music educator she brought her love of mariachi music to the  Chapman University campus to form Mariachi Panteras.  Tammy speaks about racism, the power of community, music, equity and racial healing.Support the show

Diana Rodriguez-Pena felt a sense of calmness when she first visited the campus of Washington State University.  She knew this was the right university for her.  She shares the challenges of being an undocumented and first gen student and the power of her support network and familia, Mariposas Poderosas.Support the show

Mayra Angel talks about two defining moments in her life as an undocumented, queer Latinx.  She also talks about participating in counseling with her parents and how it strengthened her relationship with them.  She shares the importance of parents listening to their children.Support the show

Alex Diaz speaks about her defining moment as a 10 year old who moved with her family to Texas.  She talks about the role her mother's value of education played in her journey to Washington State University.Support the show

Itzia Mejia Barragan, Student Ambassador for the Washington State University (WSU) Undocumented Student Center talks about her life's journey.  Her journey is one full of light, strength and the power of hope.  She talks about gratitude and the importance of her family and all of those in her life who support her and give her strength during challenging moments in her life including experiences of racism and depression.  Her story is a powerful one!Support the show

Climate Activist Tony DeFalco from Latino Network, in Portland, Oregon, speaks about hope and the work of young Latinx and their communities on Climate Justice.  He speaks about the importance of looking to our culture, spirituality and traditions to guide us with hope and action on our long journey for a thriving and sustainable Mother Earth. Support the show

We are excited to welcome Rob Hernandez back to our podcast to talk about his book, “Simply Love…Changing the Paradigm of Thought One Heart at a Time.  Rob talks about why he wrote his book, love, relationships, triggers, traumasand our power to change our lives.Support the show

Spiritual conocimiento is a wisdom based on our traditions, our intuitions and our lived experience. “Conocimiento is the inner exploration of the meaning and purpose of life..a form of spiritual inquiry… reached through creative acts- writing, art making, dancing, healing, teaching, meditation and spiritual activism."  Gloria AnzalduaSupport the show

The more we listen to our inner voice and intuition,  we will be more understanding and empathetic toward others.  Being present emotionally increases our ability to hear what people are not saying.  Support the show

Today we talk about turning our life challenges into humility and self-compassion.   Psychologist Steven Hayes says, “In your pain you find your values, and in your values, you find your pain.”   Support the show

Today in our series, "Platicas de la Vida/Talks about Life" we talk about how our emotions affect us.  Many of us are uncomfortable with our emotions.   Emotional wellbeing depends on acknowledging all of our feelings and can lead to enhanced compassion for ourselves and others.  The poet Naomi Shihab Nye said, "Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside, you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing."Support the show

Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass but learning how to dance in the rain.  How do we live with  hurtful experiences in our lives?   Today Dr. Rosemary and Marie talk about turning trauma, loss and wounds into gifts for renewed living.  Support the show

Dr. Rosemary and Marie talk about love, pain and compassion.  Compassion for ourselves and others.  We build compassion by paying attention to the present moment; to our senses.  They tell us we are alive and that this journey is worth it.  Life is rich with beautiful moments like smelling the wonderful pot of beans on the stove with a tortilla hot off the press.  Support the show

Maya Muñoz Tobón speaks about movement, embodiment, and the expressive arts for healing. We are all artists who can nurture our creative powers for ourselves and our families.    Maya, through her gentle presence,  provides concrete ways to "locate ourselves" in our busy lives through taking the time to breathe, feeling our bodies, and being present.Support the show

Psychologist Dr. Ruth Zúñiga, speaks about the healing power of our relationships, community, connectedness to others and spirituality.   She offers steps that we can all take for personal and collective healing and emotional well being during these times of pain and trauma in our country and globally.Support the show

Emilly Prado speaks with the Comadres about her new book, Funeral for Flaca.  Emilly writes so powerfully about identity, culture and familia as a Latinx growing up in a white Northern California community .  Ms Magazine calls Funeral for Flaca, "Utterly vulnerable, bold, and unique.” Support the show

Abuelas, Marie and Dr. Rosemary, speak about our new series, Pláticas de la Vida.  Pláticas de la Vida places compassion as the centerpiece for  talks about joy and strength as well as our generational histories of pain and sorrow.  The mass murder of innocent children and their teachers in Uvalde, Texas urgently reminds us of the need to sit down, with our loved ones, at our kithen tables to speak frankly about our sorrows, our grief, our traumas.  The esteemed poet, Naomi Shihab Nye, says “Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside, you must know sorrow as the other deepest thing.”Support the show

Rachael Banks, Oregon's first Black Public Health Director, has made incredible strides in building strong partnerships between the State of Oregon Health Authority and communities of color! She talks about Oregon's priorities and plans for climate equity.Support the show

Andrea Hamburg is an environmental public health professional who talks about climate and health and the disproportionate impact on BIPOC and low income community members.  She also talks about the importance of using an environmental justice framework to ensure climate and health equity for all!Support the show (https://www.familiasenaccion.org/donate/)

Latinx comic writer and novelist, Aaron Duran, talks about his new comic series Season of the Bruja,   He also talks about his querida abuela and the important role she has played in the person and writer that he is today!  Aaron says, "If you want to see a badass Latina fight demons with magic, this is your book”.  We wholeheartedly agree!Support the show (https://www.familiasenaccion.org/donate/)

Our guest is Dr. Vivek Shandas, Professor of Climate Adaptation and Director of the Sustaining Urban Places Research Lab at Portland State University.  For the past 10 years, Dr. Shandas has been studying racist housing policies across the United States and the impact of these injustices on communities of color.  He is passionate about climate justice and offers concrete steps that municipalities and families can take to mitigate climate extremes.  Support the show (https://www.familiasenaccion.org/donate/)

Today we are talking with Portland City Commissioner Carmen Rubio who made history as the first Latinx City Commissioner and oversees the historical climate justice ballot initiative.  The Portland Clean Energy Fund was  passed by voters 2 to 1; made possible by Black, Indigenous and people of color.  Carmen talks about her journey to her elected position and about the importance of having people of color in public service and in leadership roles. Carmen and Portland are models for meeting the challenges of climate change through green jobs and safe homes for all residents, especially those who are on the frontlines of the climate crisis.Support the show (https://www.familiasenaccion.org/donate/)

Angel Medina challenges us to educate ourselves about the history of the food we eat.  He talks about the indigenous origins of Mexican foods and how his Portland restaurant, Republica, celebrates food through Latinx history and culture.Support the show (https://www.familiasenaccion.org/donate/)