Host: Gio, a Mexican American who identifies as Chicano, but does not speak Spanish and is seeking a deeper understanding of the culture.

Guest: Aunt Karina, a lifelong Chicana, highly immersed in both U.S. and Mexican cultures from a young age, with over 25 years of advocacy in the Chicano community, focusing on issues such as domestic violence, immigration, mental health, gang and community violence, incarcerated youth, and unaccompanied minors.

Book Recommendations

1. • The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz (published 1997)
     • A Toltec spiritual guide focused on life principles:
       • Be careful with your words
       • Don’t take things personally
       • Don’t make assumptions
       • Be courageous to ask questions
       • Always do your best
     • Seen as an important work for cultural preservation and practical wisdom; the guest notes its longstanding personal impact and mentions a follow-up, the “fifth agreement.”
   • Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel (published 1989)
     • Cited for its rich cultural immersion (especially culinary traditions) and narrative centered on a family of women during the Mexican Revolution.
     • Highlights how food carries deep cultural and emotional meaning for Mexican/Chicano identity.
2. Literary Reflections on Chicano Theory
   • The Four Agreements represents resistance, cultural preservation, and the survival of indigenous (Toltec) wisdom and languages.
     • Guest notes concern over the diminishing use of indigenous languages (e.g., nagual spoken by vendors in Puerto Peñasco), advocates for pride and transmission of these languages to new generations.
   • Like Water for Chocolate serves as a lens into family, community, and gender dynamics:
     • Examines how tradition and roles are passed through generations, especially among women.
     • Explores gender role theory and the oppression and resistance of women—particularly relevant during historical periods like the Mexican Revolution.
     • The mother figure represents both the preservation of tradition and a challenge to patriarchal constraints.