Unheard Latine Voices in Podcasts For Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month 2023
By: Jackie Noack (she/her), producer of The Pulso Podcast
HHM, also known as Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month, runs from mid-September to mid-October. As a Latina myself, it’s no surprise that we are called upon when this time of the year rolls around. And as much as I enjoy showing up for our people and our culture, it feels very superficial at times. I am a producer for The Pulso Podcast, where (year-round) we share the untold stories and unheard voices of Latinos in the United States.
It got me thinking about how we are represented in the media, and especially about what voices and perspectives go unnoticed. So here’s a list of unheard Latine voices in honor of HHM.
Unheard Latine Voices in Podcasts
Click on the images to listen
Hijas Que Hablan
“Everybody Has Those Days”
The self-proclaimed Chisme Squad gets personal discussing their mental health struggles in honor of Minority Mental Health Awareness Month (July). I particularly appreciated their mentions of generational trauma, the impact of being an immigrant in the United States, and the de-stigmatization of medication for anxiety and depression.
¿Quién Tú Eres?
“Embracing Autism with Rachel Lowenstein”
This episode was eye opening from start to finish. We learn about how early studies on autism were solely focused on young, white boys, and how little has been done to shed light on what autism actually looks like in the world today. In this episode, we hear from Rachel Lowenstein, Global Head of Inclusive Innovation at Mindshare, about how representation matters, and it’s not just based on how you look and act, but on your lived experiences. Your needs, whatever they may be, are part of your identity and it’s so important to not only feel seen, but to feel validated and supported.
Todo Chido Podcast
“Generational Trauma & Immigrant Fathers”
This group of close friends gets deep into deconstructing stereotypes of Latine families and providing insight into relationships with Latino fathers. It’s so interesting to see how much they resonate with each other’s different experiences and perspectives. I particularly liked when they got into the idea of breaking generational curses, and that they already know what things they won’t pass down to their future families.
Café con Pam
“Trans Joy is Important with Rachel and Frank Gonzales”
This episode took an interesting approach, in which Pam prompts the audience at the beginning to submit questions about trans folks, highlighting the importance of what to ask and particularly, what NOT to ask. During the interview, guests Rachel and Frank speak with Pam about all the hard work they’ve been doing to protect trans youth in their home state of Texas. They highlight the importance of showing up for those who are not able to advocate for themselves, and the impact of seeing trans folks of color speaking truth to power.
The Pulso Podcast
“We are not Latino: Indigenous Stories of Resilience”
At The Pulso Podcast, we strive for intersectionality and inclusivity, and a big part of that is acknowledging areas where Latines are lacking. In this episode, we speak with Indigenous activists to deconstruct the narrative of “Indigenous Latinos,” and why Indigenous folks actively choose to separate themselves from Latinidad. Hint: they were on those lands far before the colonizers arrived.
I hope you all get a chance to listen to these shows to see how diverse, complicated, and beautiful it is to be Latine.
