First Gen American Podcast

Please welcome to the show, Don Benito and Gabriel Medellin. A father-son duo, who owns an auto repair shop here in Nashua, NH. Don Benito came from a small town in Mexico and has crossed the border 3 times. The third time, he was able to stay during Ronald Reagan's amnesty era, and a couple of years later he became an American citizen. His son, Gabriel, decided to follow in his father's steps and help him run his shop bringing in his own great ideas. Don Benito and his son Gabriel now run Magafa Auto Repair where they work side by side to provide residents with quality repairs. 

Please welcome to the show, LaFortune Jeanette. LaFortune is the founder of Culture in a Bottle and Mola Foods, right here in Nashua, NH. She is Cameroonian by birth, a single mother of 3, and a real estate agent not currently practicing as she is focusing on growing her business!

Please welcome to the show, Lina Gomez. Lina is the owner of San Francisco Kitchen in Nashua, NH. Lina spoke about being a business owner in the Nashua community and her upbringing as a First Gen!

Please welcome to the show Beatriz Mazuera and her daughter Julianna.   Beatriz is the owner of Casa Blanca Restaurant, located at 34 1⁄2 Canal Street in Nashua, NH, where they serve authentic Colombian food in a family-friendly atmosphere!  We talked about entrepreneurship, community support and the ‘American Dream'. 

Please welcome to the show, Svetlana Yanushkavich. Svetlana is a native of Belarus and a staple female entrepreneur in the Nashua community. She opened Winenot Boutique in the middle of a recession and has shared her love for fine wine and cheeses. Winenot Boutique has been voted the best wine shop in NH more than 15 times.

Please welcome to the show, Karla Gutierrez. Karla is a Latina businesswoman who owns Nayarit Riviera Mexican style Seafood and Grill Restaurant on 116 West Pearl Street in Nashua, NH. She managed to open a restaurant in the middle of a pandemic and bring some of her native flavors to Nashua.

Please welcome to the show, Krishna Mangipudi. Krishna came from India to the United States in the 1980s and has been in Nashua for 30 years. He is a computer engineer turned teacher and is passionate about quality education. He serves on the Souhegan Rotary Club and Nashua Soup Kitchen where he enjoys being a part of many community projects. 

Please welcome to the show, Sunil Khadka. Sunil is a professional, multilingual, and experienced banker from Nepal with a proven track record of sales and expanding customer relations with Triangle Credit Union. He possesses a strong work ethic, organizational and technical skills with the ability to communicate effectively with all levels of customers and business partners. Ten years of progressive experience in Commercial, Consumer, and Investment banking. He has traveled to 25+ Countries; and is fluent in Bengali, English, Hindi, and Nepalese languages. He hopes to bring financial literacy to the community through Triangle Credit Union and help other First Gen Americans accomplish their American dream. 

Please welcome to the show, Leenda Lucia. Leenda is a Puerto Rican Brazilian multi-talented artist and social media influencer from Nashua, NH who is working to incorporate more non-profit work in suicide prevention and drug abuse. She currently manages 7 different platforms and works hard as a female entrepreneur powerhouse.

Please welcome to the show, Basil Tourlitis. Basil is a first-generation Greek American and owner of Main Street Gyro. His family has two generations of restaurant ownership in the Nashua community. All of their recipes are family recipes originating from Greece and all handmade. 

Please welcome to the show, Gisel Monteyro and Shawn Clod. Shawn and Gisel, both Philipino-Asian, share their First Gen experiences in the Asian community. They share their view on the Asian hate crimes happening around the country. 

Please welcome to the show, Jessica Vieira. Jessica is a bilingual Realtor. She is eager to help our local and Latino community with hard work and knowledge. She has direct contact with her community, providing guidance and support to sell and buy real estate for her clients.

Please welcome to the show, Belen Godwin. Belen is a bilingual psychologist with a mental health clinic in Methuen called Blue Skies Wellness. They provide access to mental health clinicians who speak Spanish and English for all ages. She was in the process of opening a mental health clinic in Salem but had to hold back because of the pandemic. She hopes to provide more access to mental health in multiple languages for more communities! 

Please welcome to the show, Jared Barbosa. Jared is currently the President of the Nashua Soccer Council. A soccer club with a mission of providing families access to affordable year round professional training and competitive play and with a goal to provide participants with educational and character mentorship, through sportsmanship, community service, and educational support. ⚽️ 

Please welcome to the show, Vincent Villafan. He is a local restaurant owner who only opened his restaurant 10 months ago and moved from California around the Pandemic start! He has been working hard and trying to connect with the community better by getting more involved. Visit him over at Lounge 38 on East Hollis Street and check out their Mexican and Puerto Rican fusion food!

Please welcome to the show, Antonio Moraria. He arrived here from the Azores and knew this was the land of opportunity. Listen to his story and see his point of view when coming to the US. 

Please welcome Valeria Mejia and Santiago Diaz! They are a young couple going through the trials and tribulations of immigration here in New Hampshire. They have had to prove their relationship and their love not just to their community but to the State as well. 

Oscar and Jasmine shared their reflection on a full year of a pandemic and the beginning of First Gen American. How's it going? What's next?

Whether masterfully engineering tracks for Surefire Creative Studios or collaborating on projects with independent and major label artists alike, the man informally known as S-Cal raps with the same lethal edge given his namesake. The title track for his debut coaxes the listener to work hard, claiming success is 'the result of progress, when you show promise with integrity and positive energy'. In a music industry filled with pretenders and complacency, he engenders the opposite through every word from his mouth and sound from your speakers. Shawn claims that 'music is a gift, a weapon, and a blessing', and it is one that has allowed him a great ascension in hip-hop, having performed with the likes of Talib Kweli, Wale, Naughty by Nature, Beanie Sigel, Dead Prez and many other notable musicians. Additionally, the music industry has taken notice of his prowess, with the Surefire Creative Studios imprint being nominated for multiple Grammy, Soul Train and BET awards. Whereas some artists would be content, Shawn is working just as hard as the day he started.   Shawn Caliber is currently promoting his latest release, titled “The Best Of Us”- a collaborative album with Boston-based rapper, Versatile. The project features artists such as Skyzoo, Torae, Emilio Rojas, Termanology, and other notable names. It also showcases production from Statik Selektah, Latrell James, his Surefire Creative Studios team, and others. “The Best Of Us” is available on all digital streaming platforms as well as iTunes, Google Play, & Amazon Music.

Welcome to the show DJ Lus! DJ Lus is a 37-year-old pro radio and club DJ with over 20 years of experience from the Dominican Republic and the first generation born in Lawrence, MA. He has the ability to rock diverse crowds and also has the mic skills to engage the party! DJ Lus has traveled to many different countries like Brazil, Canada, & Russia to showcase his talent globally. He also works for a nonprofit called “Change The Play”. Now you can find DJ Lus rocking the airwaves on Hot 96.9 Boston. 

Please welcome our special guest Natra Sim!  Natra Sim is a 26-year-old First Gen Cambodian American. She is an entrepreneur and a beautician/lash artist at Forever Young Solutions Med Spa in Windham, NH. Natra has gone through the struggles of many first Gen Americans trying to break the mold and live in their truths. 

Let's welcome our guest, Dr. Hortencia Jimenez!  Dr. Jiménez was born in Nayarit, México and raised in Watsonville, California. She spent her childhood summers and teenage years working in the fields, picking raspberries alongside her grandmother. Dr. Jimenez is the first in her family to earn a doctorate degree from both her maternal and paternal side of the family.  She received her B.A and M.A in Sociology from San Jose State University and Ph.D in Sociology from the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Hortencia Jiménez is a Sociology professor at Hartnell College and founder of the Sociology Club and co-founder of the Student Parent Club.

Welcome Bernie!  My name is Bernie De Jesus Sanchez, I'm a 24 year old freelancer/ entrepreneur first gen American.  I have a business named Right-Hand Man NH, where I provide a handyman service based on the experience and know what I've gained from business school & working in the construction field. I started my business in October of 2020, and as of last month (Jan. 2021) I have been working for myself entirely.  I subcontract for different companies/ businesses, and I do my own side work on top of that such as dump runs, small fixes, fall cleanup, shoveling & plowing etc. I also started a podcast in late 2020 that I've now recorded 16 episodes for, acquired multiple small sponsors, and a radio show for my content. The business and podcast are very fresh & new but I have high hopes for what the future brings. I am excited to show my friends and family exactly what you can do with some focus and effort no matter where you came from or originated, and I plan to do that through leading by example. I started the business in order to give my family a starting point for future careers & generational wealth. It's something I want to pass to my children someday. As for the podcast, I started it as a platform to promote and advertise my services, and also promote & advertise others peoples small businesses in my area. I want to help the people of my community get where they want to be, while also helping me get where I want to be for my future children. 

Please welcome our wonderful guests this week Dr.Marie-Elizabeth Ramas and Dr. Trinidad Tellez!  Dr. Marie-Elizabeth Ramas is a family physician activist with a decade of experience practicing full scope family medicine with obstetrics in both rural and urban settings. Raised in New Hampshire, she returned in 2016 to practice medicine in Nashua and currently is medical director for GateHouse Treatment Center.   Dr. Ramas is an avid advocate for high quality, affordable care for all. She focuses on empowering patients to achieve their best health by helping to break down barriers to optimal wellness for communities. Dr. Ramas has held multiple leadership positions of medical specialty associations at both the state and national levels, and she serves on various non-profit boards and committees dedicated to promoting health equity.  She is a contributor to both local and national media outlets, including The AAFP Leader Voices Blog. Most recently, she co-founded The Lighthouse NH social media page to help address health and wellness concerns for NH BIPOC communities.   Dr. Trinidad Tellez is a family physician, health disparities researcher, educator, and public health & health policy professional with over 20 years' experience working in both the private and public sectors at the local, state and regional levels.  Dr. Tellez has focused longstanding efforts on helping organizations improve their capacity to serve everyone equally well with the highest quality care, programs and services – a concept she calls organizational cultural effectiveness – to address health disparities, improve access and quality, and advance health and equity for all.  She is a champion of authentic community engagement and community-driven approaches to promoting equity, and has co-founded and co-led initiatives such as the Equity Leaders Fellowship, a program created by leaders of color to grow the leadership development pipeline for communities of color in NH.

Tj is a 25-year-old husband and father who was in Brazil and to the U.S. with his family when he was 8 through the US-Mexico border illegally. His father was picked up by ICE at the age of 10 and had to grow up with a single mother and his brother. He grew up in a small MA town and later received his citizenship through the DACA program in high school. He is a youth leader in his local church in Nashua and has been living in NH for 7 years.  Tj has been conquering the digital content world.

The La-Grade Family had quite the journey to becoming American Citizens in the 70's but they prospered in here in the US.  Yvonne La-Grade was the CEO of Life Links and grew the company. She currently volunteers her time in a retired exercise and her mission is to complete a needs assessment for seniors in town of Pelham!  Brett Gagnon is an avid conservationist who dedicated his time to the community and after a failed attempted to be a NH State Representative, he is now running for Hudson NH selectman for March of 2021.     Enjoy this Mother & Son First Gen American episode 

Pedro Aguirre is the son of Mexican Immigrants who arrived to California in the late 60's. He got his start in the restaurant world when he lived in North Carolina. His family opened a Mexican restaurant called La Carreta in Nashua NH and Pedro took off! He has opened several restaurants in the New England area including La Cabaña in New Boston, California Burrito, Baja Tacos and Burritos, and many more.

Keith Mascoll SAG-AFTRA, AEA is a Actor, Producer ,Mental Health advocate, Sneaker-head, and Founder of the Triggered Project. Keith is a co-host of the Living a Triggered Life Podcast with his wife Roxann, and a Luminary for the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Keith strives to use his art for social change in the black and brown community. As a survivor of sexual abuse Keith hopes to help end the stigma that surrounds mental health, and black and brown men. Keith is a also a co-founder of a professional black theater company, The Front Porch Arts Collective. Look for Keith in the lead role in the movie Confused by Love on Amazon Prime, and as Applesauce in The Polka King on Netflix.

Viviana Torres is the owner of Viv's Garden which started with the concept of starting a long journey to a lifestyle change that could increase the longevity and health of many individuals. 

She is a 32 year old single mom from New York but has lived for many years in Nashua, NH. She is an up and coming female entrepreneur changing up the beauty industry. Natalie formulated a line of natural beauty treatments from a recipe passed down through her family. All of her products are sourced naturally and vegan.

Faustin Dushimimana is a 19 year old immigrant from a refugee camp in Rwanda. He was given the opportunity to come to the U.S. when he was only 8 years old and not all of his family was allowed to come with him. Faustin says “Coming to the US was the best thing to ever happen to me because in the refugee camp there were no opportunities for me and my family. Now that I am in the US I would like to take the opportunity and help  make a difference not only in my life but in the lives of others in a similar situation.” Faustin is a budding entrepreneur still finding his path and learning to live in his truth.

Wilmer is the son of Dominican parents who arrived in Nashua NH in the 80's. He was born and raised in Nashua NH and has been working for Triangle Credit Union for 9 years going on 10 very soon! He has been working on a podcast called "Making Money Personal" put on by Triangle Credit Union where experts come to talk about money saving tips and every day finances.

Please give a warm welcome to Fahmina Zaman!!!! Fahmina is a 29 year old Muslim First Generation American woman born in New York and raised in Vermont. Her family and ancestors come from an Indian subcontinent, more particularly Bangladesh, a small and densely populated country situated between India and Myanmar (Burma). Fahmina left Vermont in the pursuit of more opportunities for people of color after graduating high school. She moved to Lowell, MA where she found a more diverse community where she has contributed to for the last 10 years. She is an activist who worked for several non profits in the Lowell/Boston area including the International Institute of New England and The Center for Hope and Healing. Working for these non profits/activist groups, solidified her interests in the work that she does on a daily basis. She is especially passionate about amplifying voices in her community that have experienced gender based violence, BIPOC, immigrants, refugees, and LGBTQ+. Fahmina is currently the cultural outreach advocate for Nashua Bridges: Domestic and Sexual Violence Support, she is one of only 2 in the state of NH, where she connects with underserved communities as well as does anti-racism and anti-oppression work.      

Felicia is a 22 year old young entrepreneur, mother, and sexual abuse survivor that grew up in the foster care system in NH. When the system had failed her, Felicia found herself having to take care of herself at a very young age which helped build her independence. It was a long road of painful growth for Felicia but she was able to heal and continues talking about the process of healing as a journey and the importance of speaking out about sexual abuse. Felicia has been working hard in dental world for 5 years and decided to go into business for herself by starting Glam Smiles, a teeth whitening and gem service. She is passionate about helping people gain confidence in their smiles again and bringing a little extra glam to smiles here in NH. She provides a service that can be done in the home or in her office in Amherst, NH at the comfort of her clients. She says "I just love helping people feel beautiful and confident and I want to do that for the people in NH."

Jannette Valdez is a 37 year old single mom of 4. She is the Head Coach for the Division 14 NPF Cheer Team. As a first time head coach, She led the kids along with her coaching staff to win 1st place in the State and a trip to Florida to compete at Nationals. Three of her four kids are athletes with the Nashua PAL Force. New year's eve 2019-2020, she submitted a story to Recycled Percussion (Kings of Kindness) and her team was selected to perform with them at their NH Tour Show on NYE. She works full time for Wallboard Supply Company and is currently in the process of opening a small beauty business.

Francellis Quinones is the second of four girls to Dominican and Puerto Rican parents who immigrated to the United States as young adults. Due to the intricate and long process of immigration, her mother gave birth to two sisters in New York and 2 in the Dominican Republic. Her mother had to go back to New York in order to complete the legal immigration process, leaving Francellis and her sister without her parents for almost 2 years. Her family struggled to attain the American dream and achieved it by being able to own a home and send their daughters to college to obtain high degrees. Francellis learned from an early age to work hard and that she was destined for greatness. She obtained a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and a Master's degree in International Relations. As a mother of 2 beautiful daughters, wife, and a survivor of sexual violence, she has had a wonderful 15 year career as a history teacher in the Boston Public School system and currently work's as a Hiset teacher for an organization called UTEC, where she can implement all her learning to engineer thoughtful and engaging learning opportunities and inspire young people to change their lives. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Miguel Andres Quinones was born and raised in Boston after his father was murdered in Puerto Rico. Utilizing Sports as a way to cope with the loss, Miguel played multiple sports leagues winning several different championships in baseball, football, and basketball. He started his youth work as early as the age of 15 by coaching younger teams. He brought many of the youth in his neighborhood together for sports. Miguel started to pursue the path of education at the age of 16 with Teach Boston as a summer job where he worked with students who were considered in danger of repeating a grade. When he graduated, he became an Americorps member at City Year Boston and after his year of service, he helped develop and launch a national program called Citizens Schools where he worked for 8 years as the Senior Campus Director. Miguel trained the National Network along with leading his own enrichment program in the communities of Dorchester and Brighton. Miguel is currently working at The Center for Hope and Healing, a rape crisis center in Lowell, as the Engaging Men and Boys Project Director. He attends to survivors of sexual violence, leads men and boys in circles, runs after school programming components, and tackles conversations of masculinity. He has spoken on various topics at places such as the Ministry Black Alliance and Harvard. Francellis and her husband have started a new endeavor called Quinones Culture Consultants. They aim to build inclusive, supportive, and encouraging environments that help foster growth, productivity, and deeper connection in social justice or youth work. They offer trainings, healing circles, management, leadership skills, as well as curriculum and team building activities. They utilize and explore World and American history to address and tackle social justice issues. They are experienced in bringing these tools to businesses, schools, sports teams, nonprofit organizations and families.

Carlos Camacho is a Texas native that grew up in the Texas-Mexico border. His family is from Mexico and he remembers spending many weekends with extended family across the border in Mexico. Lt. Camacho is a U.S. Coast Guard Veteran and now a Lieutenant with the Nashua Police Department. Prior to working at the Nashua Police Department, he was a police officer for the Houston Texas Police Department. He is Chair of Nashua E.R.D. (Ethnic Racial Disparities) Committee and the Chair of the State of NH DMC (Disproportionate Minority Contact) Committee. He is also a member of the State Advisory Group on juvenile justice, which oversees DMC issues in the state of New Hampshire. Lt. Camacho is currently assigned as the Divisional Supervisor for Services Bureau, which deals with the daily operations of the Nashua Police Department, to include Community Policing. He is also involved with Nashua PAL and the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Nashua.

Eva came from Venezuela when she was just a young woman in the 80's. When she arrived here, she went right to work for the Latino Center of New Hampshire. When they closed, Eva became a U.S. citizen and became an immigration rights advocate leading her to a life full of helping people become American citizens and helping them understand their rights here in NH. Eva has faced a number of racist encounters and yet she never grew tired or scared of her work. Eva works tirelessly to bring Latino issues to the forefront whether that means testifying at the State house or encouraging the Latino population to become civically engaged. Her passion for human rights cannot be matched! Stay tuned for an exclusive sneak peek to this week's show! “My presence was an education of diversity. I have to make my presence known because if we as Latinos continue to stay quiet and keep with the status quo, we continue to stay complacent, we will not go anywhere and we will continue not to have the representation that we deserve. Our schools, our politicians, our systems do not represent the diversity of the people here in New Hampshire.” -Eva Castillo

Manuel Ramirez, born to Dominican parents immigrated to the United States as a child. He dives into his struggles with becoming a US citizen to starting a local non-profit in Nashua, NH. He dissects the struggles of coming to the United States, going to college and maintaining his status all while trying to provide a life for himself and his family. He is currently the founder and creative director of Positive Street Art, a local non-profit bringing light to graffiti art, dance and more in the city. 

Enrique F. Mesa, Jr. inmigracion es mi pasion ® is an immigration lawyer with more than 10 years of experience, and is the managing partner of his firm based out of New Hampshire, but represents clients throughout the United States and the world. Cases include green card, naturalization, deferred action, deportation, waivers, and bond hearings. Mr. Mesa is qualified to practice in both Immigration Court and Board of Immigration Appeals. He is a highly experienced lawyer with significant experience in deportation and family related immigration law. The son of Cuban parents who came to the United States after Fidel Castro took over their home, Mesa has worked tirelessly to work to create partnerships with state and local police departments to stamp out notions of racial profiling. Having started his career in Miami, FL, Mr. Mesa spent the majority of his practice in the complexities of immigration law, particularly within the Latino/Hispanic communities. Mesa is very involved in the Latino/Hispanic community of New Hampshire as the chair of NH's governor advisory commission on Latino affairs; a Board member of the NH Legal Aid, and many organizations doing great work.

Jordan Thompson is a Racial Justice Organizer for the ACLU of New Hampshire and the Founder and Director of Black Lives Matter Nashua.

We invited Rony Camille "Son of Haitian immigrants. Rony Camille is a freelance journalist, having worked for several local and national news brands since 2006 worked on various news assignments: The Duke Lacrosse Sex Scandal, the 2010 Haiti Earthquake, the Boston Marathon Bombings, the trial of James “Whitey” Bulger, to name a few. He's also a member of the National Association of Black Journalists. A native of Montreal, Québec, Canada, he became a naturalized United States Citizen in 2019."        

Manuel "Manny Espitia is originally from Santa Ana CA. The son of Mexican immigrants, Manny was taught the value of hard work early on. He was given a scholarship through the A Better Chance program, and attended Midland School in Los Olivos CA. He went on to attend Princeton University and graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in History and a concentration on African American Studies in 2011. In 2012, Manny moved from Santa Ana, CA to Albuquerque, NM to work as an organizer for President Barack Obama's re-election campaign. Knowing that his passion was to help organize in Latino communities, he continued to do this work in California, Illinois, Texas, and finally New Hampshire. Manny moved to New Hampshire in 2015 to work as an organizer in Nashua for Hillary Clinton's primary campaign. Following that campaign, Manny fell in love with the community and chose to work for Mayor Jim Donchess as an Assistant to the Mayor. During that time, Manny mostly handled constituent work and helped connect residents to city services. In 2017, Manny moved to Senator Maggie Hassan's office to work on Constituent Services Coordinator and mostly worked on immigration cases. In 2018, Manny decided to make the leap into public service himself and ran for office successfully. He is only 1 of 2 Latino representatives in New Hampshire and he serves on the Labor, Industrial, and Rehabilitative Services committee. In 2019, he served as the State Director for Secretary Julian Castro's presidential campaign. He now works as the Northern Regional Director for Run for Something, an organization that helps 18-40 yr old Democrats run for local and state office. He loves Nashua, and him and his fiance, Adriana, are committed to helping improve the community.