Alejandra Owens discusses growing up Mexican-American in Arizona, what it means to be Latinx enough, and taking care of ones mental health. Oh yeah, there’s also an intense declaration of love for flour tortillas and the dissecting of decking out your baby in gold jewelry, bougie abuelita style.

Find Alejandra on Instagram @frijolita and at alejandraowens.com.

Episode note/clarification from Alejandra: When I was discussing the cultural context in which my mom grew up I misspoke when I said she was born as anti miscegenation laws were being challenged. While she was born in 1954 and spent much of her youth in Virginia, my mom experienced racism first hand and would later experience racism in the context of her interracial marriage. It still boggles the mind that only 15 years before I was born, Loving v. Virginia made it possible for my family to exist!