Democrats Abroad Hispanic Caucus Podcast

The Hispanic Caucus of Democrats Abroad interviewed Jorge Hernandez of Los Tigres del Norte, an iconic band that has sold more than 50 million records, and has 7 Grammys and 6 Latin Grammys. This was hosted by Ale Tenorio and Axel Sanchez. Jorge shared with us why voting this year is so important. This Spanish language interview was recorded on July 8, 2020. Be sure to request your absentee ballot at votefromabroad.org

Originally recorded on June 3, 2020, this was a thoughtful and eye opening bilingual interview with Leo Perez Minaya founder of the Dominican Republic branch of Democrats Abroad. Leo Perez Minaya: businessman, Stanford University graduate, engineer, developer, and entrepreneur, internationally recognized for his proven track record of successful world class tourism - real estate endeavors such as Cap Cana. He is the President of the Dominican-Israeli Chamber of Commerce and senior member of the US consulate Warden Program. He currently resides in Dominican Republic. Pérez Minaya is the founder and former Chair of Democrats Abroad Dominican Republic, as well as the former Regional Vice Chair for the Americas Region of Democrats Abroad.

Here's a preview of next week's webinar with Dr. Ramona Houston. Dr. Houston enjoys a multifaceted career as a scholar, social impact strategist, and speaker. American race relations, social responsibility, and higher education are the principal spheres of her work. An American historian, Ramona, specializes in 20th century American history, civil rights, and race relations, specifically it's African American and Mexican American dimensions. Through her publications/presentations, Ramona explores Black/Brown relations, promoting the importance of diverse groups working together to increase their capacity and effectiveness in advancing social change and social justice. If you like this podcast, be sure to register for Dr. Houston's upcoming webinar at https://www.democratsabroad.org/bc_webinar_ramona_houston and subscribe to our podcast Be sure to join Democrats Abroad at http://www.democratsabroad.org/join Twitter: @DemsAbroadHC #DemocratsAbroad #VoteFromAbroad Hispanic Caucus participants in this episode: Amerika Garcia Grewal (Fiji) Podcast intro/outro music provided by Carlos Colao (Spain).

This week, the Democrats Abroad Hispanic Caucus spoke with Andrea Peña, a musician, volunteer, community activist, and an incredible 17-year-old student at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. In catching up with Miss Peña, we learned about how she coped with the aftermath from the tragic February 14, 2018 mass shooting at her school; her involvement nowadays with an extraordinary non-profit organization (https://shinemsd.org/) which helps heal victims of traumatic events through use of the arts; why Camp Shine locations should be spread throughout the U.S.; why Hollywood and Broadway need to tone down visual depictions of gun violence; and the back-story to the amazing song “Shine” she co-wrote with her classmate Sawyer Garrity in response to that dark day in 2018. This young lady and millions of other outstanding youths make us optimistic for the future. They’re primed to register to vote for the first time and we have full confidence in our nation’s next generation of leaders doing the right thing when it comes to creating the positive political change we want to see in laws. If you ever needed a nudge to vote, listen to this episode and we’re sure you’ll agree that America needs more Andrea Peñas – not all heroes wear capes! Twitter: @DemsAbroadHC #MSDstrong #VoteFromAbroad Hispanic Caucus participants in this episode: Alison Maciejewski (Czech Republic) and Meagan López (France). Podcast intro/outro music provided by Carlos Colao (Spain).

"I am an American in every way... except for documentation." If you couldn't vote, how involved would you get in politics? In Sarah Souza's case, the answer is VERY involved. Souza arrived in the country at the age of 15, went to college as a DREAMer, and grew into a community activist and U.S. public policy expert. The first DACA recipient on the San Francisco County Democratic Central Committee joined us to talk about life in a sanctuary city, how the Democratic party supports Latinx candidates for office, and why motivated leaders like her are #HereToStay.

Governor Bill Richardson, a childhood role model of DA member and podcast host Sam Stone and so many other Americans, joined us to talk about the opportunities third culture kids have, his work with the Inter-American Dialogue, how important it is for politicians to remember we're a community of nations, and the importance of exercising the right to vote. We discussed our relationships with our nearest and largest trading partners in the Americas as well as sanctions in North Korea and the Rule of Law as it applies in the US and around the world. With strong stances on climate change "It was wrong to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, it’ll adversely affect humanity" and with compassion for the most vulnerable nations on our planet, this podcast is a must-listen for all members of the Hispanic Caucus and Democrats Abroad. This episode of the Democrats Abroad Hispanic Caucus was cohosted by Amerika Garcia Grewal in Fiji and Sam Stone in Mexico, with special thanks to Madeleine Mahony of Gov. Richardson’s staff. 2020 is just around the corner and all Americans living outside the US should request their absentee ballot every year. Please mark your calendar or go to PledgetoReg.org to pledge to register to vote and request your ballot.

Barajas, Héctor: U.S. Army. Sabal, Roman: U.S. Marine Corps. Bailey, Howard: U.S. Navy. What do all of these people have in common? They've all veterans who've been deported. But not just them -- it's estimated that the true number of deported veterans is in the thousands. Michael Ramos, chair of the Democrats Abroad Hispanic Caucus, and Michael Lee, chair of the Democrats Abroad Veterans and Military Families Caucus, co-hosted this episode with a special guest located only steps away from the U.S.-Mexico border who's been fighting on behalf of America's deported veterans. While most veterans are just as patriotic as you and I, because they don't have a birth certificate that says the were born on U.S. soil they've been under relentless attack and deported to countries most of them have no knowledge of, no fluency with the language, and no known safe-haven connections. With seemingly no compassion for U.S. veterans despite many of them having shed blood and served in combat missions, they are still taken by the federal government to the border as a final "thank you for your service" goodbye message. Working tirelessly on repatriating our nation's veterans is Robert Vivar, co-director of the Unified U.S. Deported Veterans Resource Center based in Tijuana, México. Robert is a true activist who's been doing whatever it takes to get our nation's men and women who previously served in the military to allow them back into the United States to reunite with their families and loved ones, in addition to securing them a legal immigration status. Robert has organized petitions, communicated with members of Congress, partnered alongside other organizations, tracks the latest in court cases involving veterans and citizenship -- and still somehow manages to be a first point of contact for U.S. veterans shoved through the doors to Tijuana and provide them with needed resources and support. The bottom line is that deporting veterans is not in the best interest of our country. Thankfully, there are several take-action initiatives Americans abroad can take such as registering to vote, voting from abroad, contacting legislators, signing petitions -- and encouraging other Americans to do the same. Have a listen to this emotional episode and remember these former service-members not just on Veterans' Day, but every day until our government makes the needed reforms to provide our veterans with the legal status, VA benefits, and care that they deserve. Participants in this episode: Michael Lee (Germany), Thomas López (Australia), and Michael Ramos (Australia). Podcast music provided by Carlos Colao (Spain).

This week the Democrats Abroad Hispanic Caucus caught up with United We Dream's (UWD) Deportation Defense Manager, Oklahoma-based Cynthia García. As the nation's largest immigrant youth-led organization, UWD's García spoke to us about a variety of topics we've all been hearing about in the news: the Trump Administration's view on immigrants and people of color, family separations and child detention centers, ICE raids, and more. Sibling co-hosts Amerika García-Grewal and Michal García (no relation to the guest) added their thoughts on how the issue of youth detention centers really resonated with reflections of their childhood hometown back on the Texas-Mexico border. A DACA recipient herself, Cynthia and UWD are truly needed within immigrant communities in educating Latino families on their rights and providing those threatened by deportations with helpful resources. Have a listen to this episode and feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments box below! Hispanic Caucus participants in this episode: Amerika García-Grewal (Fiji), Michal García (Canada), and Carlos Colao (Spain). Podcast music provided by Carlos Colao.

In this podcast episode, we spoke with Justine Sandoval, a multi-generational Coloradoan and long-time activist in the Denver community working to ensure fair and equitable treatment for all citizens. As the Community and Organizing Manager for NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado, Justine is currently focused on advocating for reproductive health rights all across the Centennial State. We were glad to hear from Justine about what her organization does, the latest legislative efforts happening in and around Colorado, the emergence of phony family planning "clinics," how Latinas and women of color have historically been at a disadvantage by having unequal access to reproductive health care, and other items of importance. When Justine isn't advocating for pro-choice legislation to lawmakers, educating families on their reproductive rights, or researching the latest data on anti-choice policies, you can find her also serving as the current President for the Denver Young Democrats. Justine provided numerous reasons for all Americans to vote - including all of us eligible overseas voters. Have a listen to this episode to hear a truly fantastic discussion about women's rights when it comes to reproductive health care. Participants in this episode: Alison Maciejewski (Czech Republic), Ann Hesse (Germany) and Christine Valverde (New Zealand). Podcast music provided by Carlos Colao (Spain).

With an incompetent Trump Administration and extremist lawmakers pursuing a far-right agenda, each state's attorney general is the last line of legal defense for the American people. Working hard to get these elected officials into office is Lizzie Ulmer with the Democratic Attorneys General Association, or "DAGA." Have a listen to Lizzie explain why having Democratic AGs is critical in protecting our democracy from those who seek to do harm to our communities of color, our environment, women's reproductive rights, and more. Make no mistake - the dozens of court cases by states winning against the Trump Administration over the last two years are directly attributable to the hard work of Democratic AGs. Lizzie also touched on the diversity of DAGA-supported AGs, including one candidate of color who would be an amazing addition to DAGA if elected. If you're an American living abroad, we hope you find Lizzie's commentary just as enlightening as we did and that you learn a bit about a branch of the Democratic Party not often on the front pages. Because every year there are elections for state AGs, requesting your ballot (https://www.votefromabroad.org/) should always be a top priority. Hispanic Caucus participants in this episode: Alison Maciejewski (DA Czech Republic), Lori Smith (DA Mexico), and Angelo Goode (DA Philippines). Podcast intro/outro music provided by Carlos Colao (DA Spain).

The amazing Martha Soledad (Twitter: @marthasoledad), an accomplished businesswoman, published author, and professional singer, took some time out to join the Democrats Abroad Hispanic Caucus in our most recent podcast. Like so many other Hispanic Americans, Martha can identify with two cultures, two languages, and fully knows the immigration struggle. In Martha's case, she is U.S.-born but has proud roots all the way from Oakland to Michoacán. In this episode, we speak to Martha about the absolute need for civic engagement from every available voter. While addressing the unique community of U.S.-born-but-foreign-raised Latinos, we explore this rarely-discussed community within the spectrum of Latinx identity. Our guest also shares her experience of people affected outside our borders and across Latin America. Finally, we discuss the urgency of the next presidential election in the U.S. and Martha encourages us all to not merely talk about "doing something," but to actually take action. Have a listen to this episode with Martha Soledad and we guarantee you won't be disappointed. ¡Sube el volumen! "Martha is a spitfire with superwoman energy in her professional life. Her passion for civic engagement is positively contagious." - caucusita Alison Maciejewski "With deep roots in the binational community that she loves, Martha connects with people on a personal level, on both sides of the border, in a way few others can." - caucusito Sam Stone Hispanic Caucus participants in this episode: Alison Maciejewski (DA Czech Republic), Sam Stone (DA Mexico), and Rebecca Lammers (DA United Kingdom). Podcast intro/outro music provided by Carlos Colao (DA Spain).

This week the Democrats Abroad Hispanic Caucus welcomed polyglot and foreign affairs expert Jana Nelson (Twitter: @anajanaina) as a special guest on our podcast. Jana has considerable experience as a congressional staff member, professional researcher, and working in diplomacy at the State Department. Among her many areas of specialized knowledge, Jana spoke with us about the various services provided by U.S. embassies and consulates which are available to U.S. citizens living or traveling abroad. The Hispanic Caucus was lucky to secure some of Jana's time and get her input on what an ambassador does and what the purpose of an embassy is, the role of Congress as it relates to U.S. embassies and consulates, why it's important for Americans abroad to vote, and several other important items. Please check out Jana's insightful commentary -- and you know this wouldn't be an authentic Hispanic Caucus podcast episode if we didn't encourage you to subscribe to us! *DA Hispanic Caucus participants in this episode: Amerika García-Grewal (DA Fiji), Luis Ore (DA Peru), Melanie García (DA Dominican Republic), and Michael Ramos (DA Australia). Podcast music provided by Carlos Colao (DA Spain).

You've heard her several times on NPR, and now, the Democrats Abroad Hispanic Caucus was pleased to have G. Cristina Mora, Ph.D., as a guest on our podcast to discuss a range of issues under her expertise. Dr. Mora spoke on Latinos and the potential impacts of next year's census, how we came to use the term "Hispanics," and provided details about her book chronicling Hispanic Americans' rise in political and economic power stemming from years of activism and a push by the media (https://www.press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/M/bo15345128.html). Check out our conversation with Dr. Mora - and afterward, we're confident you'll agree that the Democrats Abroad Hispanic Caucus podcast once again provides not only a quality educational lesson for all, but legitimate reasons to vote! "Siempre, siempre, siempre es importante votar dondequiera que estés - cada voto cuenta." -- G. Cristina Mora, Ph.D. (Twitter: @GCristinaMora) Sus comentarios en español comienzan a las 21:02 en la conversación. (Dr. Mora’s Spanish-language remarks begin at 21:02 into the conversation.) DA Hispanic Caucus participants in this episode: Lori Smith (DA Mexico), Thomas López (DA Australia), and Michael Ramos (DA Australia). Podcast music provided by Carlos Colao (DA Spain).

One of the lesser-talked about issues of our time is the serious lack of Hispanic representation in the upper-most ranks of the United States Armed Forces, such as generals and admirals. Among those fighting to raise awareness of this issue is Edward Cabrera, president of the Hispanic Veterans Leadership Alliance (https://www.casabagroup.net/). "Eddie" is a former U.S. Air Force aviator who's now trying to educate both the public and federal lawmakers on this important issue. With an April 17th letter to the Defense Department backed by a May 7th letter from Congress, Eddie and his Alliance have been busy in 2019 in not only pointing out the problems with Hispanics being absent from senior officer positions, but he's also been proposing strategies to key officials to increase Hispanic representation in these role-model and mission-critical positions. As someone who previously flew F-16 fighter jets and other combat-ready aircraft in addition to continuing to serve our country by working as a NASA programs manager, members of the DA Hispanic Caucus and the DA Military and Veteran Family Caucus were grateful that Eddie joined our podcast to spread his important messaging. As Eddie mentions on the podcast, Americans living abroad can help the cause in doing a take-action item by contacting your members of Congress - ¡Escúchalo ya! DA participants in this episode: Anna Marie Mattson (DA France), Michael Lee (DA Germany), Carlos Colao (DA Spain), and Michael Ramos (DA Australia). Podcast music provided by Carlos Colao, musician and member of the DA Hispanic Caucus.

From immigrating to the U.S. as a young child to finishing law school to being elected as the first Latina in the state legislature, Brenda López Romero now aspires to be the next congresswoman representing the 7th Congressional District of Georgia. The Democrats Abroad Hispanic Caucus had a great discussion* with Rep. López Romero in learning more about why she's running and what her platform issues are. As a fully-bilingual lawmaker, we definitely appreciated López Romero speaking directly to GA-7 voters living abroad and to our Spanish-speaking caucus members. Please feel free to share this podcast episode with any and all Americans who vote in Georgia's 7th district! "No podemos mejorar como estado, no podemos mejorar como país, sin tener buenos trabajos y desarrollo económico." - Brenda López Romero Sus comentarios en español comienzan a las 27:20 en la conversación. (Rep. López Romero’s Spanish-language remarks begin at 27:20 into the conversation.) _____ DA Hispanic Caucus participants in this episode: Marybeth Yarosh (DA Australia), José Miguel Madrigal (DA Costa Rica), and Michael Ramos (DA Australia). Podcast music provided by Carlos Colao (DA Spain), musician and member of the DA Hispanic Caucus. *Note: Unfortunately, due to technical difficulties with recording the interview, there was an unexpected Internet "glitch" which resulted in missing four seconds of Rep. Lopez Romero's recorded commentary beginning at the 09:22 mark.

Will Prescott and Michael Ramos of the Democrats Abroad Hispanic Caucus caught up with San Francisco-based, pro-gun safety activist Alex Navarro with Moms Demand Action (https://momsdemandaction.org/). As a former member of Democrats Abroad Netherlands, Alex has significant experience living abroad and has since advocated tirelessly for common-sense gun reforms to her California lawmakers. Have a listen to learn more about what Alex has been doing since returning back to the U.S. and why she is a clear leader in the ongoing fight again the gun lobby. "At Moms Demand Action, we know that everyday in America there are about a hundred people who are shot and killed with a gun, and for every person there are two others who are injured. It's our responsibility to vote for politicians who care about us, who care about our safety, and who will do more than just send us 'thoughts and prayers' when we're injured. We need action." -- Alex Navarro *Podcast music credit: Carlos Colao, musician and member of Democrats Abroad Spain and Democrats Abroad Hispanic Caucus.

​Ricky Barajas, ​a Democratic candidate​ running for a seat ​to represent ​Oregon's 1st District in ​the U.S. House of Representatives, joined the Democrats Abroad Hispanic Caucus in a discussion over his reasons for wanting to be in public office in 2020, what it's like hearing from Oregonians on the campaign trail, why he believes he would be a congressman who has the best interests of OR-1's​ constituents in mind, and the urgent need for tax reform for American citizens who live abroad. Speaking with Ricky was insightful and enjoyable - ¡escúchelo! *Note: the Democrats Abroad Hispanic Caucus urges Oregon voters to: 1) become educated on all candidates in preparation for Oregon's May 19, 2020 Democratic primary, 2) request their ballot using VoteFromAbroad.org, and 3) encourage other Americans abroad to request their ballot as well. "I support residence-based taxation for Americans who live abroa​d.​" -- Ricky Barajas Hispanic Caucus participants in this episode: Will Prescott (DA Mexico) and Michael Ramos (DA Australia). Podcast music provided by Carlos Colao (DA Spain).