5 Podcast Episodes on Social Justice You Need to Listen to Now
Brenda Gonzalez is co-CEO of Tamarindo podcast along with co-host Ana Sheila Victorino
Photo: Unsplash/ Juja Han
Brenda Gonzalez is co-CEO of Tamarindo podcast along with co-host Ana Sheila Victorino. She’s originally from Puebla, Mexico and her experience as an undocumented student shaped her politics. She lives in Los Angeles and previously taught American Government at Cal State Fullerton and has more than a decade of experience working with community based organizations.
As more and more people expand their awareness of the role of racism in our society, many Latinas are stepping into the podcast space to help raise that awareness. A recent report by Nielsen finds that Latinos are consuming more podcasts and among those are Latinx podcasts. The report finds that 16 percent of Latinos listen to podcasts at least once a day, which is more than the average podcast listener. A large portion of those listeners are consuming news, and society and culture podcasts. With many podcasts to choose from, here is a list of specific episodes that feature Latina voices. These podcasts are a great place to further your knowledge about how racists institutions and the racist history of the United States continue to uphold white supremacy. From the roots of ani-Asian sentiment to the rise of misinformation about asylum-seekers, this playlist of podcasts will give you a broader education than you ever received in your United States history class.
Scream and Silence episode of NPR’s Code Switch
NPR’s Code Switch, hosted by Shereen Marisol Meraji and Gene Demby, is required listening to understand the role that race and racism plays in society in the United States. The episode “Screams and Silence” spotlights the rise in anti-Asian violence by contextualizing how anti-Asian stereotypes and legislation long before Covid-19 help lead to this moment. The episode cites research from the University of Michigan that found that “white people accounted for 90 percent of anti-Asian incidents in 2020,” dispelling the myth that there is tension between the Black and Asian community as many online forums have claimed. The episode also discusses how sexist and racist stereotypes about Asian women contributed to the recent mass shooting in Atlanta, Georgia, where a white man blamed his sexual addiction as his motivation to gun down his victims. Listen to this episode to gain a deeper understanding of the systemic forces that continue to permeate ani-Asian hate and violence.
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Freedom is About Having Choices by Bag Ladiez
If you want a refreshing take on current events served with sass, you’ve got to subscribe to the Bag Ladiez podcast hosted by Lina and Estephanie, two Dominican Afro-Latinx podcasters. A great episode to start is “Freedom is About Having Choices,” where they tackle personal freedom with a global perspective. Lina and Estephanie unpack anti-Islamic laws in France, gun legislation in the U.S., and the role of white supremacy and colonization on environmental policies.
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Cross-Border Misinformation by Latino USA
Misinformation was rampant in the 2020 election, especially in the Latinx community. Despite this hurtle, Latinx voters overwhelmingly supported the Biden-Harris ticket. Their support came with hope that there would be an improvement in the treatment of migrants at the US-Mexico border. “Cross-Border Misinformation,” hosted by journalist Maria Hinojosa, explores the continued use of detention centers to house unaccompanied minors fleeing deplorable conditions, and profiles the nefarious rise of misinformation about asylum seekers coming from Latino social media influencers. This episode will surely make your blood boil, but is an essential glimpse of the type of misinformation that voters might be up against in future elections.
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Inventing ‘Hispanic’ by The Experiment
Hosted by Julia Longoria, The Experiment podcast reminds listeners that the United States is an “unfinished country” still pursuing its ideals. Our community has long been part of the country, but even today, there continues to be disagreement about what exactly to call us. The episode “Inventing ‘Hispanic’” features G. Cristina Mora, a sociology professor at UC Berkeley, and Longoria, unpacking the long and complicated history of people from Latin America in the United States. Listeners of this podcast episode will view the Univison’s show “El Show de Cristina” by Cristina Saralegui in a new light as the hosts reveal the show’s role in unifying Latinos in the United States and sharing our experience with Latinos all over the world.
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Levittown, Where The Good Life Begins by La Brega
If you want to practice your Spanish while learning about the history and relationship between Puerto Rico and the United States, you have to subscribe to La Brega, a seven-part, bilingual podcast series produced by Latina-founded Futuro Studios and WNYC studios. Alana Casanova-Burgess hosts the podcast, and each episode has both an English and a Spanish version. The episode “Levittown, Where The Good Life Begins” is an example of excellent storytelling that is both captivating and educational about the role of United States intervention on the economy of Puerto Rico. By showing the ups and downs of the once-idyllic Levittown housing development, this episode provides a deeper understanding of the conditions in Puerto Rico and the resilience of the people of the island. hurdleto Credit: Fernando Norat/ WYNIC Studios, source)
