Latina to Latina

There's a direct connection between climate scientist Nicole Hernandez Hammer's childhood in rural Guatemala and her tireless work to teach the rest of us how to adjust our lives so we can preserve our planet for the grandchildren. And the life that unfolded between those two points is remarkable, including that time she stepped on Michelle Obama's foot. Follow Nicole on Twitter @NHH_Climate and IG @NicoleHernandezHammer. If you loved this episode, listen to Cecilia Muñoz and María Cristina González. Show your love and become a Latina to Latina Patreon supporter! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Her first solo album, Marchita, catapulted the Mexican singer-songwriter into the global spotlight, earning her a Latin Grammy for Best New Artist. But that same year, tragedy struck when Silvana’s close friend and his brother were murdered in their Mexico City home. Three years later, Silvana is releasing her second solo album, Vendrán Suaves Lluvias. She and Alicia talk about creating art in the wake of life changing loss, her parents’ lessons on the power of discipline, and why she refuses to rush the creative process. https://youtu.be/IAPeUCsLfjI Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Bronx-native was juggling multiple jobs when she decided, at 30, that it was time to stop playing small. It paid off: her first romance novel was recognized with a prestigious RITA Award, and her newest solo project, A Lot Like Adios, is continuing to ask powerful questions about who gets to fall in love and what love really looks like. Follow Alexis on Instagram @alexisdaria. If you loved this episode, listen to Book Editor Michelle Herrera on Finding Your Voice By Not Fitting In and Author Carmen Maria Machado on the Myth of a Queer Love Utopia. Show your love and become a Latina to Latina Patreon supporter! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Here’s the thing about Stephanie Beatriz: she doesn’t fall for traditional messages. Growing up in Texas, blond contest queens reigned, but she understood there was more to beauty. Catholic church told her being bisexual was a sin, but she knew there was nothing wrong with her. Hollywood tried to convince her there’s only ever room for one Latina, but she flatly ignored them. And now she’s living her dreams as a television star, newlywed, and outspoken LGBTQ advocate. Follow Stephanie on Twitter @iamstephbeatz and IG @stephaniebeatriz. If you loved this episode, listen to Mishel Prada, Gina Torres and Aimee Carrero. Show your love and become a Latina to Latina Patreon supporter! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Some of us daydream about what we want in our lives. Some of us pray about it. Actress Angelique Cabral writes it down as literally as she can and puts it where she can see it every day. Then she goes to work making it happen. Her beautiful home, her artistic development, and her hit CBS show all resulted from laser-focused manifestations. She breaks down how this practice has made her life fuller and her work more rewarding. Follow Angelique on Twitter and IG @angeliquecabral. If you loved this episode, listen to Melissa Barrera and Aimee Carrero for more on acting. Show your love and become a Latina to Latina Patreon supporter! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

She says growing up Latina in Miami gave her the cojones to face life in Hollywood. Her career so far, including roles in Disney Channel’s Elena of Avalor, FX’s The Americans and Freeform’s Young & Hungry is ample proof of that. Aimee tells Alicia that being Latina also gave her the confidence to know that she deserves to be in the room. She opens up about wrestling with imposter syndrome, learning to say no, and the “big trap” of feeling like you’ve made it. Follow Aimee on Twitter and IG @aimeecarrero. If you loved this episode, listen to Angelique Cabral, Mishel Prada and Gina Torres for more on the art of acting and navigating Hollywood. Show your love and become a Latina to Latina Patreon supporter! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This special episode, hosted by our executive producer Juleyka Lantigua, was recorded live at the 2025 UnidosUS national conference in St. Louis, Missouri. Four powerhouse Latinas took part in the keynote panel during the Latinas Luncheon: Cristina Jimenez, Co-Founder of United We Dream, who has for years fought on behalf of all undocumented people. Daniela Velazquez, an Alderwoman in St. Louis, and the state’s ONLY Puerto Rican elected official. She calls herself a “Missouriquena” Rochelle Garza, the current Chair of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. Gaby Pacheco, the President/CEO of The Dream.US; the first DREAMER to ever testify before Congress. Happy listening!

Ana Lilia fell in love with breathing practices and affirmations as part of her own healing journey. Then she shared those gifts with others. Now she shares how to clear your mind, control your anxiety and rewrite your story—one breath at a time. Follow Ana on instagram @_ana_lilia. If you loved this episode, listen to LEVEL UP: How to Approach Your Health Holistically and How Health Coach Massy Arias Found Her Real Strength. Show your love and become a Latina to Latina Patreon supporter!

The multi-hyphenate power house opens up about motherhood, divorce and finding her purpose. Follow Eva on Instagram @evalongoria. And listen to her podcast Connections with Eva Longoria. If you loved this episode, listen to America Ferrera Knows What Real Power Looks Like and Why Living Icon Isabel Allende Has Never Kept Secrets. Show your love and become a Latina to Latina Patreon supporter! Sponsor: Founded by Dr. Howard Murad, M.D., Murad Skincare is a line of clinically proven, cruelty-free products that meet the meticulous standard for safety, efficacy and care you'd expect from a doctor. Use promo code LATINATOLATINA for 20% off plus free shipping on orders over $60 at Murad.com.

Before she published her debut novel, Neruda on the Park, she spent 20 years in corporate America. She knew she needed to make a change, but it was life-changing grief that finally propelled her forward. Now with her second novel, The Grand Paloma Hotel, Cleyvis is rejecting the notion that compartmentalization is necessary for success. Set in the Dominican Republic, the writer's birthplace, with an anti-hero Latina protagonist who is climbing the corporate ladder, Cleyvis weaves together parts of her life that she once sought to keep separate. The result is a can't-put-it-down page turner that begs the question: what is the true cost of extreme luxury?

Cristela Alonzo knows about starting at square one — and then doing it again and again. In the second part of our interview, she talks to Alicia about facing her make-or-break moment, how she “had to go live a life to have things to talk about,” and why she’s back with her new tour, "My Affordable Care Act.” She writes about it all in her new memoir, Music to My Years. Follow Cristela on Twitter and IG @Cristela9. And buy her book, Music to My Years: A Mixtape Memoir of Growing Up and Standing Up. If you loved this episode, listen to Gina Brillón, and Sasha Merci and Dee Nasty for more on comedy. Show your love and become a Latina to Latina Patreon supporter!

As a latchkey kid growing up in San Juan, Texas, comedian Cristela Alonzo dreamed of leaving her border town and seeing the world. In this emotional two-part episode, she tells Alicia how her childhood aspirations made her the black sheep of her family, and how she needed to put those dreams on hold, first to care for her sister’s children, and then, her ailing mother. Through it all, music and television – from the Backstreet Boys to the Golden Girls – was her "connection to the outside world." She writes about it all in her funny and moving new book, Music to My Years: A Mixtape Memoir of Growing Up and Standing Up. Follow Cristela on Twitter and IG @Cristela9. And buy her book, Music to My Years: A Mixtape Memoir of Growing Up and Standing Up. If you loved this episode, listen to Gina Brillón, and Sasha Merci and Dee Nasty for more on comedy. Show your love and become a Latina to Latina Patreon supporter!

The gold medal athlete opens up about how she dealt with emotional and verbal abuse at the hands of coaches, the key role her mother played in advocating for her, and why leaving her beloved sport for a while was exactly what she needed. "Habla Now," HBO Latino's award-winning "Habla" series, features Laurie Hernandez in its latest installment. It is now available to stream on HBO Max. Follow Laurie Hernandez on Instagram at @lauriehernandez. If you loved this episode, listen to How Jennifer Mercedes Made Herself an MVP in Sports Journalism. Show your love and become a Latina to Latina Patreon supporter!

The award winning singer-songwriter, author, podcast host and entrepreneur shares her journey to forgive and embrace her mother, the legendary singer Jenni Rivera. Chiquis details her decade-long healing journey (come for the talk therapy, stay for the foray into alternative modules); the evolution in her own thinking on motherhood and fertility; and how her mom’s everlasting love became the basis for her beautiful new children’s book, The Girl Who Sings to Bees. The Girl Who Sings to Bees: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250322999/thegirlwhosingstobees/ https://www.youtube.com/@latinatolatina

After experiencing violence and media censorship in her native Venezuela, Mariana Atencio embarked on her journalist career in the United States. An early opportunity at Univision gave her the chance to hone her skills before making the leap to English-language television. But soon a personal tragedy tested ethics, faith, and her place in the world. She put it all in her new book, Perfectly You. Follow Mariana on Twitter and IG @marianaatencio. And buy her book, Perfectly You: Embracing the Power of Being Real. If you loved this epsiode, listen to Ilia Calderón and María Elena Salinas for more on journalism. Show your love and become a Latina to Latina Patreon supporter!

Growing up, Irma Olguin expected to join the next generation of farmworkers in her family. But the CEO of Bitwise Industries, which has turned California’s Central Valley into a thriving tech hub, says she experienced so much ‘serendipity in her life’ that she realized everything that lifted her out of poverty and struggle was possible for her home community. Someone just had to address the inequalities. The story of how she did it gave us goosebumps. If you liked this episode, listen to How Neurosurgeon Dr. Analiz Rodriguez Made Her Own Way and Code for America’s Amanda Renteria Lost Some Battles, but Is Winning the Political War. Show your love and become a Latina to Latina Patreon supporter!

This first-generation Latina shares her journey from entry-level employee at a credit union to co-owner of New American Funding, the largest Latina-owned private mortgage company in the nation. Patty shares how leaving corporate America to become an entrepreneur enabled her to build wealth, and the (many) mistakes she has made once, but never again. Follow Patty on Instagram @pattyarvielo. If you liked this episode, listen to How Carolyn Rodz Is Connecting Entrepreneurs with Opportunities and Why Rum Master Distiller Sylvia Santiago Will Never Quit.

She launched her first startup at 20, and made lots of mistakes. Today, she runs Brava Investments, which only funds companies that have the potential to put money in the pockets of millions of women. Raised by an immigrant family with deep entrepreneurial roots, where money was always dinner conversation, Nathalie satisfied her “need for freedom” by launching companies that took on the abysmal state of venture capital investments in women of color, whom she calls “the single most entrepreneurial community in this country.” Oh, and she wrote a book about all of it: Leapfrog: The New Revolution for Women Entrepreneurs. Her motto: “We cannot wait for people to give us what we’re entitled to. We have to build it ourselves.” Follow Nathalia on Twitter @NathalieMolina and IG @nathaliemolinanino. And buy her book, Leapfrog: The New Revolution for Entrepreneurs. If you loved this episode, listen to Nina Vaca, Elle Huerta, and Katia Beauchamp for more on entrepreneurship and funding your business. Show your love and become a Latina to Latina Patreon supporter!

The comedian, best known for her impersonations of Trump White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, shares how moving from Puerto Rico to Ohio forced her to learn English “guerrilla style;” how her politics shape her comedy; and why she chooses to keep her social media content entirely separate from her stand-up comedy.

The executive director of pro-choice Frontera Fund discusses the ramifications of the loss of abortion rights in Texas, and the challenges that lay ahead for the state and the the country. Zaena also gives Alicia insight into what it takes to keep abortion care at the forefront of the national healthcare movement. Follow Zaena and Frontera Fund on instagram @fronterafundrgv. If you loved this episode, listen to For Sociologist Nicole Gonzalez Van Cleve Getting Latinos to Care about Justice Reform Is Personal and Why Actress Selenis Leyva and Her Sister, Trans Activist Marizol Leyva, Are Closer Than Ever. Show your love and become a Latina to Latina Patreon supporter!