In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits down with Memo Torres, Director of Engagement and multimedia journalist at the James Beard Award–winning L.A. Taco, for a moving conversation about storytelling, community, and the emotional responsibility of bearing witness. From his roots as a third-generation landscaper to becoming one of LAs’ most trusted narrative voices, Memo shares how writing and cultural reporting can serve as medicine for working-class and immigrant communities. Together, Mike and Memo explore the sacred role of the storyteller holding pride and grief at once, documenting truth without exploitation, and finding humanity in moments of crisis.

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In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits down with Isaac Zamora, youth advocate and family therapist for a number of youth-serving organizations. Rooted in Chumash and Chicano heritage, Isaac’s journey from incarceration to higher education at Santa Barbara City College, UCLA, and Pepperdine University reveals how culture, kinship, and redemption can turn shame into healing. Together, Mike and Isaac explore education as liberation, the power of community healing, and the importance of walking with, rather than apart from, those impacted by the system.

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In part two of this special Sacred Lessons episode, host Mike de la Rocha sits down with his longtime mentor, poet, and cultural leader Luis J. Rodríguez. Together, they explore how mentorship, purpose, and creativity can turn pain into power and how our stories carry the seeds of healing and belonging.

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This is part one of a two part episode of Sacred Lessons where Mike de la Rocha sits down with his longtime mentor, poet, and cultural leader Luis J. Rodríguez. From his early years navigating gang life and addiction in East L.A. to becoming an acclaimed author and community organizer, Luis shares how words, art, and storytelling became medicine for survival and transformation.

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 In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits down with internationally renowned musician and changemaker Aloe Blacc. Together, they explore how music can be more than art, it can be medicine, activism, and a call to healing. From his Panamanian roots and Afro-Latino identity to global hits like “The Man” and “I Need a Dollar,” Aloe shares how his artistry bridges culture, justice, and resilience. This conversation dives deep into identity, fatherhood, and the courage it takes to redefine masculinity by leading with love.

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In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits down with world-champion hoop dancer, filmmaker, and cultural ambassador Eric Michael Hernandez. Together, they explore how hoop dance became a path of resilience, healing, and cultural belonging. From growing up Lumbee and Chicano in Southern California to touring the world with Cirque du Soleil, Eric shares how movement reconnected him to his ancestors and purpose. He also reflects on his award-winning film Courage, a reclamation of identity and family legacy that continues to inspire. This conversation weaves themes of masculinity, Indigenous visibility, and the courage to heal generational wounds.

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In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits down with Steve Corona, Chicano skater, storyteller, and community voice whose skating blends culture, pride, and healing. From his viral “Pati-Charro” video at Mariachi Plaza to managing a skate shop in Lincoln Heights, Steve has become a cultural bridge between skateboarding and Chicano identity. Together, they explore how skating can be more than sport, it can be sanctuary, therapy, and a way to reclaim culture on your own terms. With honesty and humility, Steve reminds us that falling isn’t failure, it’s part of the process, both on the board and in life. 

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In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits down with legendary photographer and director Estevan Oriol, whose lens has defined Los Angeles and global street culture for decades. From tour-managing Cypress Hill and House of Pain to receiving his first camera from his father, Estevan shares how photography became his medicine. Together, they explore how images can heal by restoring dignity, visibility, and belonging to those often unseen. Through his work, Estevan reminds us that representation is care, memory is justice, and every image can be an act of healing. 

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In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits down with Curly Velásquez, storyteller, actor, and producer known for BuzzFeed’s Latinx, PBS’s Dead & Buried, and iHeart/Sonoro’s The Super Secret Bestie Club. Curly has built a career proving that the Latino community is not monolithic, uplifting voices across queerness, Afro-Latinidad, Indigeneity, and mixed heritage. Together, they explore how identity can heal rather than divide, how grief can become medicine, and how living truthfully offers liberation for all men redefining masculinity.

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In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits down with comedian Jerry Garcia, whose journey from Huntington Park stages to HBO and Netflix has made him one of today’s most relatable voices. Beyond the laughs, Jerry is a father of three boys whose humor bridges culture, family, and healing. Together, they explore how comedy helps men embrace vulnerability, how culture shapes storytelling, and how fatherhood changes everything.

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