¿Qué Pasa, Midwest?

Esta temporada queríamos ver if Latinos knew their rights and how their rights could be violated due to language barriers. Esperábamos que entendieras tus derechos, what your rights are regardless of your status, y la importancia of equal representation. And for this episode, that's exactly what we're going to do with the help of Dr. Nick LaRowe, Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Southern Indiana. Te contamos más acerca de tus derechos. Resources: Find Your Representative Indiana Legal Services - Immigrants & Language Rights Center La Constitución de los Estados Unidos en Español

En este episodio, collaborator Angela Gervasi takes a look at how well the rights of Latinos are observed in health care, with an emphasis en los cambios por la pandemia. Ella explora language access en el cuidado de la salud and the negative outcomes if it is denied.

For this episode we hear from a new collaborator, April Alonso, a multimedia journalist from Cicero, Illinois and co-founder of Cicero Independiente, a hyper local news organization. Cicero Independiente publica in print both in Spanish and English para asegurarse que su trabajo is accessible to all Cicero and Berwyn, IL residents. En este episodio we talk about the first amendment and how communities of color in the formerly sundown towns of Cicero and Berwyn se estan organizando dentro y fuera de sus local governments. Se puede leer la historia completa en español aquí. | Read the full story in English here.

En este episodio, contributor Jon Orbach explores the challenges Latinos face in getting an equal education in Schuyler, Nebraska. 

En este episodio, we hear la historia de cómo la inmigración de Latinos ha afectado a los pueblos del medio oeste. Collaborator Jon Orbach visits the majority Latino immigrant community of Schuyler, Nebraska. Schuyler is representative de los desafíos y la discriminación faced by Latinos que están buscando sus lugares en los Estados Unidos. Through extensive interviews with both Whites and Latinos in Schuyler, Jon aprende que mientras hayan problemas, Latinos are assuming their rightful place in Schuyler. However, it is only because of a unique set of circunstancias que son difíciles de duplicar elsewhere. Jon habla de Victor Lopez y Guadalupe Marino Ramirez who are living through los cambios.

This season hablamos de how informed Latinos are about their rights and how they can be violated. Hablamos del Bill of Rights and la Constitución - with collaborators reporting desde el medio oeste, from the heartland. By the end of this season esperamos que entiendas tus derechos, what your rights are regardless of your status, y la importancia of equal representation.

Hola. Bienvenidos a nuestro último episodio of season 6. For this episode, we recap algunas de las historias we told and update you on other ones. Pero primero queremos decir, a big thank you to all of you who listen to our podcast. Gracias por su apoyo and don't forget to follow us on Facebook and Twitter - at que pasa midwest. Ahora, empecemos con nuestro primer episodio. En este, we talked to Amy about finding adequate healthcare during the pandemic - while she was pregnant and unemployed - something many had to do en esta crisis. Amy had her baby and they're doing great.  For our second episode, we heard the story about the first double-lung transplant patient - Mayra Ramirez. This story was en colaboracion con Christine Herman with Side Effects Public Media. We reached out to Christine para ver como sigue Mayra pero according to her, Mayra had been recovering from being in the ICU again, because of another infection after the surgery. En el episodio tres we talked to Kassandra. She told us the story from a student's perspective and how it was so mentally draining to study online and how the sense of community was lost among amigos that usually gathered at the multicultural center. She said she was eager to go back to in-person classes and to socialize with more of her peers. To her, this is what recovery is about. Being able to grow together and mingle sin preocupaciones. Nuestros ultimos episodios - Episode six and seven - were focused on learning more about why Latinos were not getting vaccinated. Descubrimos que, la comunidad Latina no tenía la información necesaria to make an informed decision and consent to receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. En estos episodios, hablamos con las personas que hicieron de esto algo más fácil. People who not only translated the state's department of health intake form to Spanish - but who also put together a vaccine clinic at the local Holy Rosary church. Más de cien feligreses se pusieron la vacuna luego de la misa. And recently, they all had the chance to get their second vaccine. A step forward in the right direction - para que las personas se sientan más cómodas y seguras.

In this episode we're going to tell you a story about local Latinos addressing the deficiencies in the US healthcare system magnified by the pandemic. Hablamos de como los Latinos are bridging the language gap - like they always do - this time translating crucial information about the pandemic. Information that has meant the difference between life and death. In fact, it's been reported that people have died because of the lack of information made available in Spanish. Un artículo del Chicago Tribune reporta el caso de Maria Isabel Alfaro, a 50-year-old who didn't speak English and who died after contracting COVID-19. Maria's husband, Rodolfo Reyes told the Chicago Tribune que antes de morir Maria “expressed the anguish and desperation she felt because she wasn't able to understand or communicate with the medical staff.” There's no way to really count cuántas personas han muerto esta pandemia porque no tuvieron la información necesaria - en su lengua - to understand the ins and outs of this virus.  Pero algo que si podemos claramente ver es la falta de informacion that is not available in Spanish or has just been made available recently. Like for example; no hace poco, our que pasa midwest team learned that in Indiana the vaccine consent form y otra información acerca de la vacuna was not available in Spanish until April of this year - 2021.

En este episodio hablamos con Barbara Anguiano. Ella nos habla acerca de su experiencia y la de otros descubriendo la falta de información en Español acerca del COVID-19 para las comunidades hispanas en el medio oeste.  De hecho, a recent poll conducted by Voto Latino and Media Matters For America found that almost 4 in 10 Latinos respondents report having seen material or information that makes them think the COVID-19 vaccines are not safe or effective. En adición 6 en 10 Latinos conocen a alguien en su hogar o comunidad que no está dispuesto a ponerse la vacuna porque creen que es peligrosa. Barbara y su familia no son los únicos en esta posición. Y muchos hispanos ya se están vacunando pero even after more information is being made available for hispanohablantes, muchos aún no confían en que esta vacuna es segura y otros no saben dónde registrarse o los documentos que tienen que proveer para vacunarse.  In the next episodios, we chat with the people who made the vaccine information available in Español and visit a vaccine clinic at the Holy Rosary church la cual tiene servicios en Español.  Y tú y tu familia, ¿se han vacunado o planean vacunarse? Let us know, tweet us @quepasamidwest. 

En este episodio, we visit the vaccine clinic at a church we talked about in our previous episode - and talk more about the importance of getting everyone informed acerca del virus y los cambios que continúan ocurriendo con la vacuna. Y tu, ¿Ya te pusiste la vacuna?  Would you be comfortable at a doctor's office if no one understood your culture or spoke your language? Let us know your thoughts, tweet us!

En este episodio Dana Cronin and Christine Herman talk to a group of farmworkers about getting the vaccine. A solo tres días de haber llegado desde Oaxaca, México Sergio Chavez  recibió la vacuna. He's been coming to the United States for years to work in the farms and says this pandemic affected farmworkers greatly.  He says he didn't expect the vaccine to go as smoothly as it did. Purdue University estimates that more than 480,000 agricultural workers have tested positive for COVID-19 nationwide and at least 9,000 have died from it. This figure likely underestimates the number greatly since it excludes contracted and temporary labor. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, o CDC por sus siglas en Espanol, says farmworkers are at risk because farmworkers often have close contact to one another both in the fields and indoors like shared housing, cooking and eating areas, bathrooms, and laundry facilities.  The farming industry depends largely on migrant workers, according to the Department of Agriculture. The USDA says the number of worker visas, or H-2A, requested and approved has increased fivefold, from just over 48,000 positions certified in 2005 to nearly 258,000 in 2019.  There are 2.4 million farmworkers in the U.S. — at least half of whom are undocumented, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and all of whom should be prioritized for COVID-19 vaccines, according to the CDC. The CDC also recommends that vaccinations for farmworkers be offered near their worksites or in their communities.  This story was produced by Harvest Public Media and Side Effects Public Media in collaboration with the Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting. Dana and Christine are reporters with Illinois Newsroom. Follow them on Twitter:@DanaHCronin and @CTHerman.

En este episodio we talk about education. Since the pandemic, a lot of things have changed the education landscape. Por ejemplo, in 2021, Undergraduate Latino enrollment decreased by more than 5 percent, de acuerdo al National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.   We talk to a student about her experience during the pandemic. We also talk to a student advisor about how for multicultural students the pandemic meant more than just leaving campus and lower grades. Kassandra and Cesar tell their stories about como sus notas bajaron y como les hace falta la vida en campus a los estudiantes. As the vaccine becomes available to more populations, some universities are starting to plan for clases en persona this Fall - like the University of Southern Indiana - something both, Kassandra and Cesar are looking forward to - cuando la universidad planea abrir su campus otra vez and college life will be more like it was. This past year, educators and parents have suspected that online learning would bring challenges. But now, we can actually see the data that indicates students are falling behind.  Uno de los estudios de Northwestern Evaluation Association analyzed test results of about 4 million students in 3rd to 8th grade, comparing test results from 2019 to this past fall. The results indicated that students scored 5 to 10 percentile points lower on math tests than last year. Latino and Black students also did worse on reading tests than in previous years.

En este episodio, I want you to meet Mayra Ramirez. Mayra contracted the virus and ended up in the ICU on life support. She was 28.  The virus had severely damaged her lungs and doctors concluded she would not survive without a double-lung transplant.  Y en Junio, Mayra became the first U.S. COVID-19 patient to undergo the life-saving procedure. En los primeros meses de la pandemia del COVID-19, she spoke with Christine Herman una reportera from Side Effects Public Media about what she's been through in the past year. This episode was developed with the help of Side Effects Public Media, a public radio collaboration reporting on healthcare in the Midwest. You can follow Christine on Twitter: @CTHerman.

In season 6 we explore how Latinx in the Midwest are recovering from Covid-19 - en varias areas - like economic recovery, physical health, salud mental, education and unemployment. This will resonate with many parents caught up in the need to work while also caring for their children forced out of school by the pandemic. En este episodio, I want you to meet Amy Gastelum. You may have heard her en otro de nuestros episodios contando cómo su abuelo nunca le dijo que tenía ascendencia Mexicana and how she was learning about her identity.  In this episode, Amy nos cuenta, how she navigated health care while pregnant and unemployed, while being a mom to a six-year-old and still caring for some of her patients.  Amy es enfermera. Some of Amy's patients are undocumented o con problemas financieros so she tells us how after quitting her job she had to enlist in Medicaid - something that some of her patients are not eligible for.  So in this episode we talk about how the pandemic highlighted the need for better healthcare options for pregnant women de recursos escasos.

It's a windy day in Chicago. The sun shines down on a large mural that sits at Carpenter and 18th Streets in Pilsen, a neighborhood on Chicago's southwest side. The mural is hard to miss and attracts everyone who passes because of its colorful homage spotlighting three of the community's own. Pilsen is a community that has overcome hardship long before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, a community whose hope is as essential as its workers. An indigenous serape pattern serves as the colorful backsplash for Javier, a U.S. Postal worker, Rosalinda, a clerk at Los Jasmines, the corner store where the mural is located, and Juan, a butcher shop worker, all pictured in their work uniforms and masks. The pattern is intentional and pays respect to the culture and history each proudly carries.

Host Judith Ruiz-Branch, contributor Karli Goldenberg, and producer Mareea Thomas reflect on the season and the year so far. Tienen una conversación not as journalists but as people, human beings who have been affected in every way by the current state of our country. Esperamos que las historias from this season have given you some hope during this difficult time and maybe even inspired you to find ways to be a helper en su comunidad. The song para este episodio es "Color Esperanza 2020" by various artists.  

En este episodio conversamos con la activista Kim Wasserman, residente de la Villita Antonia Quiñones Peña y el abogado John Hazinski about the implosion and continued demolition en la Villita, environmental justice and what community members would like to see moving forward. That's not a disparity, a disparity is a difference, it's an inequity. And the difference between a disparity and an inequity is that an inequity is inherently unjust. So, inequality is an affliction all by itself. It's the epidemic of inequality that COVID exposes. — Dr. David A. Ansell Resources:  Piece about Little Village's fight for change after the implosion co-authored by Maria Cecilia Quiñones Peña Recursos Compilados para abordar el impacto del COVID-19 en La Villita Hilco statement ProPublica Investigation Harvard Public Health Study into power plant emissions effects on Illinois communities Nuestra canción para este episodio es “Sana Sana” by Alejandro y Maria Laura, a song that reimagines the healing song of Sana Sana and applies it to the environment's natural resources.

En este episodio contributor Karli Goldenberg talks to Chef Benoit Angulo via Zoom about how COVID-19 has brought La Cocinita Restaurant back to its food truck roots and allowed for them to donate over 7,000 meals to date across Chicagoland. Rachel and Benoit Angulo, owners of La Cocinita Restaurant and food trucks, have teamed up to donate meals a los más afectados por el coronavirus. We had this humongous change, like this monumental change on everything that we were doing, and I like how although stressful, and I lost a lot of sleep over it, I like how we were able to get together and figure out a way to make stuff happen. That will be like the thing that I will look back on. -Benoit Angulo

En este episodio our contributor Karli Goldenberg explores collective care, o el cuidado colectivo. Before the U.S. declared a national emergency and Illinois issued a “Stay-at-Home Order,” Karli attended a community conversation about wellness hosted by Northwestern University's Multicultural Student Affairs. Dr. Asif Wilson, Associate Dean of Instruction at Harold Washington College in Chicago, talked about collective care for people of color.

En este episodio, host Judith Ruiz-Branch habló con Shammrie Brown, Senior Outreach Director of New Life Covenant Church Southeast, via the Tape A Call app. Hablaron sobre cómo los miembros de la iglesia continue to help la comunidad despite the coronavirus and unrest following the murder of George Floyd. In addition to supporting local catering companies by purchasing comida para los trabajadores esenciales and those in need, la iglesia also provides pruebas de COVID-19 gratis and other services to the community. La canción para este episodio es, “No Estas Solo”, a collaboration from Carlos Vives and Ruben Blades, dedicado a todos los afectados por the coronavirus pandemic. Proceeds from the song will benefit two separate charities in Panama and Colombia. Photos courtesy of New Life Covenant Church Southeast

En este episodio host Judith Ruiz-Branch habló con Dr. Marina Del-Rios, an emergency room doctor, assistant professor, and research coordinator, via an app called Tape a Call. They discussed the dire need for helpers in the medical field para Latinos en su comunidad, y Dr. Del-Rios shares las soluciones that she's working on along with the Illinois Latino COVID-19 Initiative. One of the main issues Dr. Del-Rios had to tackle was misinformation sobre el coronavirus due to la falta de reliable información confiable en español. IllinoisUnidos.com was the solution. The website provides reliable, user-friendly coronavirus information in English and Spanish. The Illinois Latino COVID-19 Initiative and the website also provide helpful resources for various other issues, such as housing, which have been amplified by the pandemic. Our song for this episode was chosen by Dr. Del Rios - Hijos de Caña-veeeral by Residente - it's one of her favorites. We hope you enjoyed.  Photo: Courtesy of Dr. Del-Rios

En este episodio our new contributor, Karli Goldenberg, talks to Dr. Juan Carlos Caicedo via Zoom about how he challenges existing healthcare access and created the Northwestern Medicine Hispanic Transplant Program, a culturally competent transplant center dedicated to Latino patients. “Entonces, tenemos varios centros en la nación donde están implementando este tipo de aproximación, que es muy sensible. Esto no es ciencia de cohetes y cosas intergalácticos o complicados, es entender una cultura, una idioma. Pero entendiendo, se puede tener un impacto muy grande.” -Dr. Juan Carlos For more información bilingüe sobre los trasplantes de órganos, you can visit the Programa Hispano de Trasplantes website and Infórmate, a site created by Dr. Caicedo and Dr. Gordon para ofrecer más información sobre los trasplantes y el proceso de donación de órganos a lectores Latinos.  Resources:  Programa Hispano de Trasplantes Infómate: a website created by Dr. Caicedo and Dr. Gordon to give information about transplants and donation to Latino readers Hispanic Transplant Program The song for this episode es titulado “Vamos a Donar” by La Asociación Peruana de Autores y Compositores, a song created to increase visibility for organ donation in Peru.

Latinos are historically undercounted in the census, but an Illinois woman we met in Season 4 is determined to change that, despite the coronavirus. Dona Chuy, the long-standing community activist and volunteer in Chicago, continues her work to get Latinos counted for the 2020 Census. In this episodio, host Judith Ruiz-Branch talks to her about what changes she's had to make due to the pandemic to get Latinos to fill out el Censo del 2020 before the new deadline, el 30 de septiembre. Latinos count en el Censo del 2020 Escucha as Dona Chuy talks about how she's had to adjust and how not even a pandemic could make her abandon her mission because in the grand scheme of things, every count still matters. The song for this episode es titulado “Aguzate” by Ricardo Ray & Bobby Cruz. Judith chose la canción because it is one of their most known songs, and along with it showcasing their signature orchestra, the message is uplifting and inspires us to keep pushing and fighting for good.  Photo Credit: Judith Ruiz-Branch

This season is about the coronavirus, but we aren't sharing the latest statistics and news. Instead we set out (virtually) to find the helpers (like Mr. Rogers) in the Midwest. Paola is working with regional and national collaborations to translate and share coronavirus información in Spanish across el medio oeste and the country. One of our contributors from Season 4, Judith Ruiz-Branch, will be our host for this season, and she will be joined by a new addition to the team, Karli Goldenberg. They found people who are finding soluciones a los problemas caused by the pandemic. Esperamos que sus soluciones can help others en el medio oeste and beyond find solutions and hope during this difficult time. The song for this episode es titulado “You and Me” by Michel Camilo. Photo Credit: Daniel Knight Graphic Design: Mareea Thomas

Este es nuestro último episodio de la tempoarada, así que decidimos hablar acerca de la impostancia del voto. Tu voto cuenta. Este año que viene mas personas de color van a ser elegibles para el voto que en años pasados. According to the Pew Research Center, the 2020 election will mark the first time that Hispanics will be the largest racial or ethnic minority group in the electorate.  En terminos mas simples, a projected 32 million Hispanics and 30 million blacks will be eligible to vote in 2020. This increase is at least partially linked to inmigracion and naturalization. Por que one-in-ten eligible voters in the 2020 election will have been born outside the U.S. Like for example Mayra Fortes. A Mexican born professor who recently became a citizen. Our collaborator Emily Hunsberger talked to her in Michigan about why she decided to become a US citizen.

Aqui una historia desde Chicago. Our collaborator Judith Ruiz-Branch talk about how Although Chicago is a very liberal city with a diverse population that breeds inclusividad, there are still some Latino families, many undocumented, that have completely disconnected themselves from the current political landscape. Whether it’s due to disinterest or fear, there are many reasons why they choose to remain invisible, even in a city like Chicago.

This episode comes from outside the Midwest pero decidimos hacerlo because everything that happens at the US-Mexico border affects the entire country, incluyendo el medio oeste. Por ejemplo, in an interview with National Geographic the attorney who heads Defenders of Wildlife conservation programs, said that “Whatever they build, it’s going to be destructive to natural habitat.” Tambien, with Mexico being the third-largest trading partner of the United States many fear that this could create a trade war, and stories of farmers forced to let crops rot due to labor shortages have become more common. So, Yes, what happens at the border affects the Midwest.

Este es nuestro ultimo episode of season 3. This season was all about música. We talked about mental health, the border wall, voting, new and old Latino music, instruments and Racism and more. We moved our hips to artistas como Making Movies, the Grammy-winning all-female Mariachi Flor de Toloache, Migrant Kids, Reggae prodigy Zion, and Appalatin. We also talked to expertos como Music Journalist Catalina Maria Johnson and Producer Brick Briscoe. And we discover nuevos artistas como Ambar Lucid, Caetano Veloso and CimaFunk. En nuestra próxima temporada, we’re talking about the Census and the Elections in 2020. Both of those will impact our comunidad and we want to bring you the most accurate and latest news and stories on it. Quedate pendiente and stay connected with us on social media and through our newsletter. A special thanks to all our guests and to you. Gracias por escuchar and for making us part of your favorite shows.

In a phone conversation, Miguel, one of three members of the band Migrant Kids, nos dice que things like the thought of the Mexico-US border wall being built takes a toll on his mind, how growing up Latino in this country can be confusing and how not taking a political stance is almost inevitable in today’s social climate.

In a phone conversation with Music Journalist Catalina Maria Johnson we learned how to identify Latinx music, how nuestra música has influenced and changed over the years, how some music genres are being revisited by the artists of the newer generation and how music crossovers like K-pop and música en Español are being created more often. Escucha nuestra entrevista and dance to this episodes musicians - a Cuban band called Cimafunk, Jazz mixed with hip hop from the Colombian Mabiland and bilingual New Jersey based Mexican Dominican Ambar Lucid.

Reggae prodigy, Zion, talks about his childhood in the West Indies and the Virgin Islands donde vivio mucho tiempo without electricity or running water, how that struggle was an inspiration to write the música he writes today and how living between two religions, Christianity and Rastafarianism, made him question his identity. We decided to do this episodio because even thought in the general sense, Zion is not considered a Latino, being from the Caribbean, he shares a lot of the same struggles and experiences Latinos face. We want to thank Zion for this interview and for his live performance en nuestro studio. You can listen to más de su música, see behind the scenes and explore his homeland through videos on his website zionalbert.com. Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter for exclusive content!

This season is all about Música! And in this episode we go back to our interview with the Grammy-winning all-female Mariachi Flor de Toloache in 2015. Where las chicas shared how they stay in touch with their culture while living in the US, como por ejemplo taking tango lessons, how black people are seen differently in Latino countries vs. in North America and how each of their instruments fit into the ensemble. You can listen to their music, including their newest album Las Caras Lindas,  on Spotify, Apple Music or on their website mariachinyc.com. Don’t forget to signed up for our newsletter para ver el exclusive content.

This season it’s all about música SO be ready to move your hips to artistas como Making Movies, the Grammy-winning all-female Mariachi Flor de Toloache, Migrant Kids, Reggae prodigy Zion, the multilingual band The Brazilionaires and Appalatin. We’re not only showcasing their music and work but also conversations about current topics that affect us all. We talked to them about the migrant caravan, racism, their muses, their instruments and how they see the Latino community in the US. Jackie Coleman from Flor de Toloache talks to us about her role as a negra in the mariachi, Enrique Chi from Making Movies talks about the separation of children from their parents that were traveling with the migrant caravan and Zion talks to us about how religion shaped his future. Don’t miss the exclusive content on our newsletter!

It’s been a great season for us and we hope that it has been for you too. Esperamos que hayas disfrutado de los temas que tocamos esta temporada. We talked about being kidnapped in Venezuela by the FARC, we went to Liberal Kansas for Cinco de Mayo, we covered the stories of Paola’s family experiencing Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico; we talked about los del 1.5 Generation, the effects of deportation among families, Domestic Violence, the Census 2020 and more. But that’s not all we’ve done. Thanks to our Summer intern, Emily Miles, we were able to bring you animations of some episodes, cool social media posts and a Spotify Bilingual playlist. We want to say Gracias to our editor Sophia Paliza Carre, our contributors Grisel Barajas, Barbara Anguiano, Amy Gastelum, Emmy Beltre and a huge thanks to everyone who shared their stories with us over the past two seasons. And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook to keep up with what we’re up to behind the scenes and more.

“if you go to the emergency room, if you go to a doctors appointment, you know that the one thing that they ask for is insurance. Do you have insurance? You know? I’m not going to say the majority, but a good portion of the Latinos that I deal with don’t qualify for insurance. You know you have to be a resident here for at least a month in order for you to apply for emergency services which is very limited.“

Every ten years, the government of the United States of America issues a mandatory census to count the population.  The results of the census determine the number of seats that each state gets in the House of Representatives, the distribution of federal funds, and enforcement of voting rights laws. Now, the 2020 Census tiene una pregunta sobre citizenship. The Department of Justice requested that the Census Bureau reinstate a citizenship question on the 2020 Census. They say that citizenship voting age population data isn’t currently available, and it’s needed to determine violations of minority population voting rights. Mucha gente, especially Latinos, are worried that answers to the citizenship question will be used to target their communities. That fear of being targeted may keep some people from filling out the census. But if Latinos don’t respond to the census, it’s possible that they won’t receive the funds that they need to support sus comunidades.

In this episode, co-producer Mareea Thomas talks to Paola about her experience when living in a house where domestic violence was present, about fleeing to New York and on how her family finally left. Please seek help. Busca ayuda. No estas solo/a. 1) https://espanol.thehotline.org/ 2) https://www.thehotline.org/2018/05/09/help-undocumented-experiencing-intimate-partner-violence-rights-reaching-support/ 3) https://casadeesperanza.org/es/ 4) http://www.nationalcenterdvtraumamh.org/ 5) https://www.nrcdv.org/domestic-violence-safety-tips/ 6) https://ncadv.org/other-organizations 7) https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline

En este episodio hablamos de la importancia de la educación en familias Latinas. Cesar Roman works with diverse communities informing them of the options they have to obtain a better education for their children. He says the lack of education for the parents on what;s the best option for their children often hinders the possibilities of better options. He said the lack of information in their native language is also a factor on why parents don't know what their options are for their kids. 

The experience of 1.5 generation immigrants, a term used to describe people who arrived in the U.S. as children and adolescents, is a unique one. Unlike their first-generation parents or U.S.-born siblings, their identity is split. That in between. Los que hablan más inglés que Español o que a lo mejor no saben mucho acerca de la cultura de sus padres. Emmy is part of this generation. He was brought to the Midwest as a little boy by his parents who had a visa to establish churches in the region. Emmy, now 31 years old, wants to connect more with his Dominican heritage and pass this knowledge along to his daughter Charlie, who is 9 months old. El solo le habla español and says it’s important to him that his daughter knows what at some point he was ashamed of showcasing - his Latino heritage. Emmy tried to fit in for many years.

U.S. immigration agents raided an Ohio gardening company, arresting 114 suspected undocumented workers. About 200 federal officers blitzed two locations of Corso’s Flower and Garden Center. La escena incluyó, agents surrounding the perimeter and blocking off nearby streets as helicopters flew overhead. They loaded 114 workers onto buses bound for ICE detention facilities. Y de acuerdo con activistas, dozens of the workers’ children were left stranded at day-care centers and with babysitters. The massive raid came exactly two months after federal officials arrested 97 immigrants at a meat-processing plant in rural Tennessee. Esto es parte de los workplace raids across the country, including a nationwide sweep of 98 7-Eleven stores.  Escenas como esta son cada vez más común en las noticias. We see the people being surrounded, the agents, the buses and sometimes the facilities but what we don’t see is the trauma this causes for not only the companies and the community but for the families of these individuals. Janeth works at the local community college in Liberal, Kansas as an academic advisor, helping students navigate college and immigration when needed. Ella también ayuda con el festival del Cinco de Mayo since she was the first Cinco de Mayo Liberal Kansas queen in 2002. Janeth’s mission is to help the youth and the community. She’s involved in many non profit organizations and committees around the city of Liberal trying to help those who are lacking the education to better navigate the systems.   Help for families of deported individuals.  Ayuda para las personas detenidas o que enfrentan la deportación.  Guidance for schools. Immigrant Defense Project. More Resources.

After not being able to talk to my family for six days, my mom finally called me from the Island. Hurricane Maria had just passed and she couldn't believe was she was seeing. I didn't know what had happened during that time so she started sending me pictures of what I thought was another country. I grew up in Puerto Rico; in these streets and I couldn't recognize any of them. My mom and sister came to stay with me in the Midwest after the hurricane and talked to me about their experience.

Why did Alfonso come to the Midwest? It had something to do with the FARC - las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia or the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia - una alianza en contra del gobierno since 1964. The FARC sustains their estilo de vida by kidnapping and ransom, illegal mining, extorsiones and the production and distribución of illegal drugs. Alfonso was kidnapped on a fishing trip in Venezuela and when he escaped to el Medio Oeste he was just supposed to be here for 3 months. Pero Alfonso’s kidnapping was more a plane robbery than un secuestro.

Non-Latinos are not the only ones confused about why Cinco de Mayo is celebrated. I’m from the Dominican Republic, and I have to admit that I didn’t know for a long time that this celebration was not the Mexican Independence Day I was misled by the celebraciones en Estados Unidos about este festejo.