Secret Scholar

Hola, hola! This episode I am joined by Sussan Garcia, founder of the CentAm Collective. We talk about hidden Central American history, studying abroad, the chisme surrounding UCLA getting its own Central American Studies program and so much more! You can follow the CentAm Collective on Instagram @thecentamcollective  Note: This was recorded in January which is before COVID-19 impacted our lives and that's why there's no mention of it.  Email secretscholarpod@gmail.com Follow Secret Scholar on IG @secretscholarpodcast

After a brief hiatus I'm back! This week's guest is Natalie Santizo who appropriately summarizes the amazing work she does in the bio below.  Natalie is a fourth year Ph.D. student in Chicana/o and Central American Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. Her research focuses on historic Latinx foodways- the production, consumption, and distribution of foods and foodstuffs- in the San Gabriel Valley during the early 20th century. Utilizing local archives, primary documents, oral history, and GIS mapping, Natalie focuses on Latinx farmer-entrepreneurs and laborers, piecing together the history of the Central San Gabriel Valley (Baldwin Park, El Monte, La Puente) from a Latinx perspective through a centralizing of foodways. Making local history accessible in the San Gabriel Valley is an important part of her work. You can follow her social media project @writewithnat on Instagram to learn more about SGV history and supporting small business.

¡Viva el Inland Empire! This week I am joined by Gabby Bobadilla, career coach and advocate for WOC. On this episode we talk about how to value your worth, side hustles, study abroad, how the return home can be more painful than leaving and so much more!  You can find Gabby @gabbybobadilla on IG and Twitter Email secretscholarpod@gmail.com  Follow Secret Scholar on IG @secretscholarpodcast 

Welcome to Season 2! TW/CW: Sexual Assault This episode I sit down with Jocelyn Flores to talk about their poetry, how friend breakups hurt the worst, self love notes from elementary school kids, tupperware sex toy parties and more. We get real and we get vulnerable. (This was recorded during peak Cancer szn so don't hold us liable) Follow Jocelyn:  @jocemite on Instagram  Email secretscholarpod@gmail.com with your advice, questions and recommendations! 

I'm so happy to close out the end of the season with an interview with Yeiry Guevara. On this episode we talk about growing up in Texas, One Day at a Time (before we knew it was cancelled), creating zines for family, emotional room in your art and more!  Yeiry Guevara is a writer, multimedia artist, and your favorite Salvadoran/Texan living in NYC. Yeiry's work explores identity, family and memory in mediums ranging from zines, embroidery, and gifs.  You can find her work on yeiry.com or yeirybird on Twitter and Instagram 

Welcome to the first cross-country internet interview ever on Secret Scholar! This week I interview Joy Valerie Carrera (aka the artist formerly known as Part Time Exploradora) about her career from working at a startup to freelancing, "Becoming" by Michelle Obama, traveling to 20+ countries with internet friends, code switching, and so much more.  Apologies for the audio quality but yo girl doesn't have the funds for a fancy mic!  You can find Joy on Instagram @joyvaleriee Send your questions or suggestions for future guests at secretscholarpod@gmail.com

This week I am joined again by the lovely Melina Chavarria- this time to talk about comics! We discuss indie comics such as "Quince", KALE (not the veggie), the problems with having a token voice, and why it's sometimes to keep stories away from mainstream publishers.  PS. I know I said bonus a lot in this video but ya girl got busy so I'm releasing it as a regular episode.  Follow Melina on Instagram @the_magic_glasses  You can email questions or love to secretscholarpod@gmail.com or give a follow on Instagram  @secretscholarpodcast 

This week I am joined by Melina Chavarria, author of the Magic Glasses and editor-in-chief of Aurtistic Zine. We discuss media representation, secret comic expos, blogging as a mother and more.  You can follow Melina @the_magic_glasses and @aurtisticzine on Instagram Discussed on this episode:  "Queens: Rulers of Feminist Comedy" from Plot Twist Publishing  "La Voz de Mayo: Tata Rambo" by Henry Barajas @Lunaperdida on IG  DSTL Arts Latino Comics Expo  You can reach Secret Scholar on  secretscholarpod@gmail.com or @secretscholarpodcast on Instagram

CW: Domestic violence, emotional abuse  This week I speak to Shannen Roberts about her website The Strange Is Beautiful and her music as Cusi Coyllur.  Shannen Roberts (she/her) is the queer, Peruvian-American, founding editor of The Strange is Beautiful, solo artist of Cusi Coyllur, and trauma-informed yoga instructor residing in Los Angeles. Her music and activism coincide with each other, and are featured on HuffPost, Remezcla, Ms. Magazine, Lavendaire podcast, and more. For years she's been a regular tabler at LA, SF, and SFV zine festivals, and has self-published many zines and publications about mental health and domestic abuse. Links: TheStrangeisBeautiful.com @thestrangeisbeautiful   CusiCoyllurMusic.com @cusicoyllurmusic  Contact email: strangeisbeauty@gmail.com (mailto:strangeisbeauty@gmail.com) Things discussed:  @bydivya @eladanii Adelitas Apparel Nurture Your Loneliness Like it is A Small Animal in Need of Being Held by Laura Matthis Hairy Femme Mother by Skinned Knees Chingona Magic by Angela Aguirre On Struggling Bodies by Brown Recluse Zine Distro Processes on Meditation by Tara Oliver Queer Asian Musicians by Mixed Rice Zines Shotgun Seamstress: A Zine By and For Black Punks by Osa Atoe L.A Sewcial Club "Blank Space" by Cusi Coyllur "Nano 2" by Cusi Coyllur  You can reach Secret Scholar on secretscholarpod@gmail.com or @secretscholarpodcast on Instagram

"I Can't Talk About the Trees Without the Blood" by Tiana Clark  Roque Dalton La Generación Comprometida   Manlio Argueta  William Archilla  Leticia Hernandez-Linares Cynthia Guardado  "Unaccompanied" by Javier Zamora  Festival Internacional de Poesía Amada Libertad   CISPES  The Wandering Song: Central American Writing in the United States Have questions or interest in being a guest for the next episode? Email  secretscholarpod@gmail.com  @secretscholarpodcast on Instagram Music:  "Siesta" by Jahzzar  "Scuba Adventure" by Apache Tomcat  "響が聞こえる / Pacific Echoes" by Pierce Murphy