First Generation Burden

*Season Finale* Cris Ramos Greene is a Spanish-American writer and author of the memoir Embrace That Girl. Her writing has also been featured in Thought Catalog, The New Tropic, and BuzzFeed. Rich and Cris discuss her debut book, which tells the heartfelt and humorous story of navigating adulthood and searching for meaning and love in Miami. They talk about the creative process and the importance of taking risks, her early days in advertising, and how the pandemic changed her approach to the book. And for you artists out there, they talk about the book cover process from the author’s point of view. 

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Dometi Pongo is a correspondent for MTV News and the host of True Life Crime. He is also the son of Ghanaian immigrants and a Chicago native, who has used his love of music and thirst for knowledge to walk the line between journalism, activism, and pop culture. Rich and Dometi talk about his pre-MTV days as a rapper-turned-radio host in Chicago (as well as a veritable handbook of useful tips for any aspiring journalists), being raised with pride in his African identity, and why black men should have more intergenerational conversations. Also, they discuss why it was important for Dometi to share his Ghanaian homeland with others in order to re-write the Eurocentric history book. This episode is a must-listen!

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Alexandra Cuerdo is an award-winning director and writer recently named one of the 100 Most Influential Filipina Women In the World. Her feature directorial debut ULAM: Main Dish is the first Filipino food documentary to achieve worldwide distribution and she recently released a book with Eggslut founder Alvin Cailan, titled AMBOY: Recipes From the Filipino-American Dream. Rich and Allie have a laugh-filled conversation about her beginning in the film industry as George Clooney's assistant and how Ulam stemmed from a love of tradition, food, and the desire to see more brown faces in film. Also they discuss how her recent Asian rave documentary Dancing on My Own became a much more personal story about coming out to her mother. 

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Michael Coveto is a rising star in the Latin music scene and also the last in-person interview for First Gen Burden before all hell broke loose in 2020. Michael and Rich sat down to talk about growing in a Mexican American household, how he dropped out of SVA to pursue music full time, and why it was important for him to go bi-lingual and embrace his Latin roots for his latest album All Or Nothing. Also, they talk about the current Latin explosion, and why it was always destined to happen. *recorded earlier this year*

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Juan Villanueva has made a name for himself as a designer and activist who uses his craft to diversify the classroom, decolonize the industry, and speak truth to power. Juan and Rich delve into his Peruvian heritage, his education at Cooper Union and how he landed a full-time gig at the prestigious type foundry Monotype. They discuss his recent exit from the Type Directors Club, and how his BIPOC design scholarship has become critical to his mission of bringing diverse talent into the industry. Also, they talk about controversial statements by Massimo Vignelli in the film Helvetica, and if they do more harm than good.

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Gail Anderson is a designer, author, educator, and two-time lifetime achievement award winner. Gail sits down with Rich to discuss her Bronx upbringing as a first generation Jamaican American, and being the first in her family to receive a college education. They also talk about her legendary career in design, how she got to Rolling Stone Magazine and her equally iconic tenure at SpotCo. And they also discuss how the School of Visual Arts is addressing the pandemic and social justice.

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Shayla Lawson is an author and poet, with a fierce and humorous new voice. She stops by First Gen Burden to discuss her new book This Is Major: Notes on Diana Ross, Dark Girls, and Being Dope, a relevant, insightful, and riveting collection of personal essays on the richness and resilience of black girl culture. Rich and Shayla talk about her upbringing in Kentucky and her creative journey, all the reasons why All American Girl's "Addy Walker" doll is a terrible idea, and the challenges of creating narratives that are free of the influence of white supremacy. Also, they ponder comic books, and whether X-Men's attempt at a civil rights' metaphor actually does more damage than good?

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In this special episode, Rich talks to Luck Sarabhayavanija, the founder of Ani Ramen. They talk about the early days of Luck's self-proclaimed "hospitality addiction" which lead to forming a successful restaurant group set for great success in 2020. Amidst the pandemic, they discuss how the group has pivoted towards a non-profit focused on feeding local communities and frontline workers by partnering with celebrity hairstylist Mark Bustos. Also, they talk about the challenges of getting into the restaurant game, and the future of the hospitality industry.

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In this double-sized season finale of First Gen #StayHome Edition Rich has two special interviews during Asian and Pacific Islander American Heritage Month. First, Gavin Alaoen from MTV digital design stops by to talk about how he's preparing to be a father again, what content he's binging right now, and post-COVID predictions. Then slam poet, Beau Sia make his first appearance on First Gen to talk about his legendary career (that includes MTV's Spoken Word Unplugged, Def Poetry, and SlamNation) and reads two excerpts from his collection of poems Well Played.

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Laura Mueller Soppart is a real estate developer and the founder of Built Interest, a firm focused on bringing a human-centered perspective building cities. Laura stops by First Gen #StayHome Edition to talk about her German and Spanish origins, how she ended up interning for Barack Obama's White House, and the learnings from working on large real estate projects like the Domino Sugar Factory in Brooklyn. Also, Laura and Rich discuss what it takes to work on large city initiatives, and how real estate initiatives might change post-pandemic.

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