American Colony | The Latino Newsletter Podcast

Earlier this week, a new swing state poll from USA Today and Suffolk University showed Kamala Harris trailing Donald Trump among Latino men under 49 years old in Arizona and Nevada.

How did this happen?

Host Julio Ricardo Varela welcomes veteran political commentator, columnist and Harvard Class of 1990 classmate Ruben Navarrette to discuss.

This episode was produced by Julio Ricardo Varela and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Joaquin Cotler⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Sound design and mixing by Joaquin Cotler.

Music by Cast of Characters via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Soundstripe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Donate to The Latino Newsletter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

The Latino Newsletter podcast is made possible with support from the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Latino Community Foundation⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

In this episode of the Latino Newsletter podcast, host Julio Ricardo Varela discusses Latino representation in politics with U.S. Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) and Marco A. Davis, President/CEO of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI).

They explore CHCI's role in developing Latino leaders, the challenges of representation in Congress, the need for bipartisanship, and the misconceptions surrounding the Latino community.

This episode was produced by Julio Ricardo Varela and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Joaquin Cotler⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Sound design and mixing by Joaquin Cotler.

Music by Cast of Characters via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Soundstripe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Donate to The Latino Newsletter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

The Latino Newsletter podcast is made possible with support from the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Latino Community Foundation⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

In this episode of The Latino Newsletter podcast, host Julio Ricardo Varela and special guest ⁠Tanzina Vega⁠, contributing writer forThe Boston Globe and founder of La Mala Media, reflect on the lasting impact of Hurricane María, seven years after it devastated Puerto Rico.

With the 2024 U.S. election cycle heating up, Puerto Rico has become a Democratic presidential campaign talking point. Is this a good or a bad thing?

This episode was produced by Julio Ricardo Varela and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Joaquin Cotler⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Sound design and mixing by Joaquin Cotler.

Music by Cast of Characters via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Soundstripe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Donate to The Latino Newsletter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

The Latino Newsletter podcast is made possible with support from the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Latino Community Foundation⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Featured image: Vice President Kamala Harris tours the Ramos residence, Friday, March 22, 2024, in San Juan, Puerto Rico. (Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson/Public Domain)

What is the state of Latino political power in 2024?

Host Julio Ricardo Varela chats with with Frankie Miranda, the first openly gay president and CEO of the Hispanic Federation. They explore the growth of Latino eligible voters, the importance of civic engagement and the misconceptions surrounding Latino political interests.

This episode was produced by Julio Ricardo Varela and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Joaquin Cotler⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Sound design and mixing by Joaquin Cotler.

Music by Cast of Characters via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Soundstripe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Donate to The Latino Newsletter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

The Latino Newsletter podcast is made possible with support from the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Latino Community Foundation⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

"There has never been a better moment to help build a more equitable media landscape for the nation’s 64 million Latinos," the new Latino Media Consortium (LMC) announced during last week's launch.

Featured by Axios, the LMC was formed in 2024 with an initial group of Latino-owned digital media operators to make the case for greater investment in ​Latino-owned media. We here at The Latino Newsletter are proud founding members.

For this episode of The Latino Newsletter, host ⁠Julio Ricardo Varela⁠⁠ welcomes the LMC's co-founders, Lucy Flores and Amanda Zamora, to talk about why the time is now.

This episode was produced by Julio Ricardo Varela and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Joaquin Cotler⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Sound design and mixing by Joaquin Cotler.

Music by Cast of Characters via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Soundstripe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Donate to The Latino Newsletter ⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠.

The Latino Newsletter podcast is made possible with support from the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Latino Community Foundation⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

For this episode of The Latino Newsletter, we explore the push to abolish Puerto Rico's Act 22. For those who don't know, Act 22 is a tax incentive that allows American investors to avoid paying federal income taxes by living in Puerto Rico.

Welcome to the colony.

Host Julio Ricardo Varela⁠ welcomes two guests who are diametrically opposed politically but agree that Act 22 should be abolished. Their arguments, however, are completely different. Federico de Jesús says that Act 22 has led to a displacement of Puerto Ricans and increased poverty on the island. Javier Ortiz supports statehood for Puerto Rico and believes that the tax structure of the island is a major impediment to achieving equality for Puerto Ricans.

This episode was produced by Julio Ricardo Varela and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Joaquin Cotler⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Sound design and mixing by Joaquin Cotler.

Music by Cast of Characters via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Soundstripe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Donate to The Latino Newsletter ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠.

The Latino Newsletter podcast is made possible with support from the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Latino Community Foundation⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

It has been one month since Venezuela's presidential elections.

As NPR noted this week about the 1-month anniversary, "The incumbent president, Nicolás Maduro, declared himself the winner, but his opposition points to their meticulous work counting votes and receipts from thousands of voting machines that they say prove otherwise. Maduro has been steadfast in his refusal to acknowledge this evidence, despite pressure and skepticism from other governments around the world."

Host Julio Ricardo Varela discusses the latest with Liz Rebecca Alarcón, Venezuelan-American media entrepreneur, political analyst and Founder/CEO of Pulso.

This episode was produced by Julio Ricardo Varela and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Joaquin Cotler⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Sound design and mixing by Joaquin Cotler.

Music by Cast of Characters via ⁠⁠⁠⁠Soundstripe⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Donate to The Latino Newsletter ⁠⁠here⁠⁠.

The Latino Newsletter podcast is made possible with support from the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Latino Community Foundation⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Arizona is an important 2024 state for so many reasons. So as convention season ends and the real presidential campaigning begins, where will Arizona go in November?

Host ⁠Julio Ricardo Varela⁠ welcomes journalist Maritza Félix, Founder of Conecta Arizona⁠, to check in on how Latinos will make a difference this election cycle and why.

This episode was produced by Julio Ricardo Varela and ⁠⁠⁠Joaquin Cotler⁠⁠⁠.

Sound design and mixing by Joaquin Cotler.

Music by Cast of Characters via ⁠⁠⁠Soundstripe⁠⁠⁠.

Donate to The Latino Newsletter ⁠here⁠.

The Latino Newsletter podcast is made possible with support from the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Latino Community Foundation⁠⁠⁠⁠.

How's Latino Hollywood doing these days?

Host Julio Ricardo Varela welcomes Cristina Escobar, Co-Founder and EIC of LatinaMedia.Co to the show. Cristina discusses the current state of representation, recent wins and the work being done to support and invest in diverse filmmakers... and critics too.

This episode was produced by Julio Ricardo Varela and ⁠⁠Joaquin Cotler⁠⁠.

Sound design and mixing by Joaquin Cotler.

Music by Cast of Characters via ⁠⁠Soundstripe⁠⁠.

Donate to The Latino Newsletter here.

The Latino Newsletter podcast is made possible with support from the ⁠⁠⁠Latino Community Foundation⁠⁠⁠.

Host Julio Ricardo Varela welcomes Paolo Cremidis, executive director of The Outrun Coalition, to talk about the role of Latinos in rural communities. They discuss the misconceptions about rural voters and the challenges of organizing in traditionally red states. Paolo also shares his thoughts about the importance of embracing diversity and the need for the Democratic Party to refresh itself.

The Latino Newsletter podcast is made possible with support from the ⁠Latino Community Foundation⁠.

This episode was produced by Julio Ricardo Varela and ⁠Joaquin Cotler⁠.

Sound design and mixing by Joaquin Cotler.

Music by Cast of Characters via ⁠Soundstripe⁠.