¿Qué Pasa, Midwest?

Celebrating Christmas as a Latino, today means that celebrations pour over borders and become part of our own traditions. Is not just about celebrating a native tradición but celebrating the traditions we took from our neighboring countries.

In this episode, WNYC journalist Sophia Paliza Carre and host Paola Marizán talk about their Christmas in Perú and the Dominican Republic and about the fusion of traditions happening in Latin America.

Sophia a Peruvian Francesa y ahora Neoyorquina reminisces on Peruvian Panetón while Paola remember listening to Perico Ripiao in every colmado in Dominican Republic. 

Imagine establishing a life in a foreign country that then becomes home - mi casa- even more than where you come from. That’s how twenty one year old Laura Ayala feels.

See, Laura can navigate the city of Cincinnati easier than she can travel through the roads of Bogota, Colombia because she moved from Colombia when she was just four. . Cuando estaba cerca de graduarse de High School, empezó su busquedad for the best university.

Laura began researching online, asking friends, and even attended college fairs to see what it was going to be like to start college and establish a Career in Ohio.

When Laura was just fifteen, Laura found out she was undocumented.

In this episodio we meet DACA recipient Laura. Una Latina that didn’t know about her legal status until she wanted to apply for college and about the taboo many immigrant families have en casa when talking about immigration.

Finding the ingredients to feel close to home is always a hassle. Here's my journey finding achiote for my Puertorican Sofrito in the Midwest, how that becomes part of my identity and why Latino-owned businesses it matters. 

En este episodio, exploramos lo que significa identidad -we talk to Lydia about being Mexican and African American in the Midwest - dealing with the issues of Inmigración and racial profiling - and about the threats her undocumented father received after Trump’s election.

In the first three months President Trump was in office, an average of over 5,000 immigrants a month were arrested and nearly 200,000 families were approved for Parole in Place, according to Homeland Security. Before 2013, members of the U.S. armed forces with undocumented families could leave for training or to fight in other countries and return a una casa vacía, to a deported family.

En este episodio, We meet Pedro Alvarado. He tells us about the deal he made to keep his parents in this country. In fact, miles de personas like Pedro have made this very same deal. Un acuerdo que puede desanimar a algunos and that it involves loyalty and trust for his parents and this country.

The Aztecs made Pulque by fermenting the nectar of a cactus plant, llamada Magüey.

The drink of the gods is at least 2000 years old and is seen as a cultural resistance to today’s political divide by those from the native land of Pulque.

We wanted to know why is this drink becoming a catch in North America's heartland because no hace mucho you could only try Pulque in places like New York, California and Chicago pero ahora pulque has made its way to smaller cities like Frankfort, Indiana, where Ye Olde Spirit Shoppe, sold us two cans of this fermented Mexican drink.

We tried Pulque with Norma Rosas Mayén y  Manuel Apodaca-Valdez, Mexican immigrants who teach Spanish at the University of Southern Indiana;  at their home en un pequeño barrio en Evansville, Indiana, where Norma tells us what does it mean for Mexicans to drink pulque en el Medio Oeste?

¿Tienes preguntas? Got any questions? Email us at [email protected]. Dinos, ¿qué pasa, midwest?