In this episode, Eddie Aguirre sits down with Leo Martinez of VC Defensa to talk community defense, what the work really looks like behind the scenes, and why joy might be the most important organizing tool you have.

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03:28 Intro and Credits

03:59 Run Ins With ICE

04:46 Building Rapid Response

07:08 Roots and Influences

09:45 Mobilizing Through Culture

13:28 Mamas Luchonas Strategy

14:52 Organize Rage Defend Joy

21:38 Manifestations Not Protests

25:00 Behind The Scenes Support

26:39 Family Aid and Mutual Aid

29:49 Scaling Teams and Programs

31:15 Handling Internal Tensions

32:13 Accountability Over Clout

32:46 Patrol Stress And Ego

34:28 Trauma Bonds And Culture

35:53 Volunteer Projects And Retention

37:52 Facing Fear And Police Harassment

40:17 Understanding Agent Psychology

41:50 HSI Raid Story And Aftermath

44:51 Radical Transparency Strategy

47:34 Safe Roles Beyond Patrol

50:43 How To Build Local Networks

53:46 School Drop Off Defense Plan

55:49 Wrap Up And Where To Find Them

In this episode with Diana Morales, executive director of the SELA Arts Foundation, we get into what it actually takes to build cultural infrastructure in a region that's been overlooked by philanthropy and forced to create with nothing. We talk about South Gate cutting its Cultural Arts Division, the long road to getting the SELA Cultural Center built, and what it really means to make communities care about art.

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01:55 First Steps in Public Service

03:21 FBI Raid and DACA Pivot

04:25 Panda Express Hustle

06:25 Innovation Kitchen Breakthrough

08:50 Back to Public Sector

09:24 DC Internship at Planned Parenthood

12:22 Post Election Advocacy Work

14:49 First Government Job Field Rep

17:50 Why SELA Needed Arts

18:23 LA River Festival Origins

21:35 Community Impact of Festival

23:33 Building the Cultural Center

27:28 SELA Arts Foundation Mission

28:41 Funding Strategy and Philanthropy Gap

30:35 South Gate Arts Cuts

32:52 Proving Arts Value

35:36 Artists Allies Network

38:01 Getting Residents Involved

39:21 Everyday Art Karaoke

41:55 Youth Stories Confidence

44:14 Gentrification Displacement Fears

44:54 Policy Protections Toolkit

48:07 Cultural Center As Hub

51:55 Site Timeline Phasing

54:20 How To Stay Involved

In this episode, Brenda Gonzalez of the Tamarindo Podcast joins for a conversation on navigating burnout, learning and unlearning through hundreds of conversations, and what it means to keep showing up during heavy and uncertain times.

We get into the impact of recent revelations surrounding Cesar Chavez, what it means to hold multiple truths, and how communities begin to process harm while still honoring what was built.

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00:53 Wellness and Advocacy

02:56 Dolores Huerta and Voting

04:06 Cesar Chavez Revelations

05:24 Holding Two Truths

08:43 Accountability and Reckoning

10:41 Why Abuse Happens

13:34 Listening to Survivors

18:04 Ten Years of Tam Marino

18:24 Centering Marginalized Voices

26:03 Podcast Origins and Influences

28:19 Workshops and Retreats

30:35 Learning by Doing

30:59 Finding Your Mic Voice

32:13 Podcast Skills Pay Off

33:48 Listener Love and Impact

35:07 Staying Current and Transparent

38:38 Tech Addiction and Happiness

41:17 Youth Community and Organizing

44:19 Discernment Before Sharing

49:31 Accountability for Men

52:55 Workshops and Where to Follow

54:11 Dolores Huerta and Staying Engaged

In this episode of the Social Primate: Aida Ashouri, attorney and candidate for Los Angeles City Attorney, joins Eddie and special guest JT the LA Storyteller for a raw conversation about what it really takes to create change from the inside. From leading a walkout of 1,500 students at 17, to working legal aid, to running outside the two-party system.

They get into the roots of community organizing, finding common ground across the divide, and what it means to speak with people instead of at them.

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00:00 Resilience In Chaos

01:48 Fundraiser And Mutual Aid

04:52 Mini Videos And Community Love

06:30 Youth Walkouts And Organizing

10:33 Student Rights And Backlash

14:26 Meet Aida Ashouri And Her Story

19:43 From Activism To City Attorney

22:18 Anti Muslim Hate And Political Urgency

24:20 Drawing Lines Beyond Two Parties

25:15 Both Parties Drift Right

27:16 Surveillance State Expansion

28:00 Beyond Two Party Politics

29:27 Why Change Feels Impossible

31:09 Money In Politics Problem

32:45 Movement Politics Blueprint

34:36 Organizing Traditions Today

38:44 Bridging Community Divides

40:24 Finding Common Ground

48:30 Hope For Los Angeles

How long have you been sitting on your story?

In this episode, Eddie sits down with Natalie Garcia, a Chicana writer, storyteller, actress, and creator from the San Fernando Valley. Natalie stopped waiting for someone to hand her the mic and built her own stage instead.

From a shy girl filling diaries with everything she wasn't allowed to say out loud, to putting the San Fernando Valley on screen through her TV series BRUJAS, founding the Chicana in the City media platform, and publishing her debut poetry collection, Natalie has been quietly building something loud for a long time.

She gets real about the fear of being seen, the rejection that fueled her, the "plot twist" mindset that keeps her moving, and why visibility for Chicanas in media isn't just personal. It's political.

This one is for everyone who has a story they've been too afraid to tell. Cast the stone. Watch the ripple.

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02:51 Early Creative Roots

04:26 From Corporate To Poetry

05:53 Book Launch To New Projects

07:50 Authenticity And Inspiration

10:18 Brujitas Series Concept

15:12 Themes Decolonization Healing

18:48 Writing From Life And History

21:18 San Fernando Valley On Screen

25:52 Chicana In The City Origins

31:20 Rejection To Building Platforms

32:22 Mentorship and Legacy

33:02 Rejection as Plot Twist

34:44 Finding Real Balance

37:26 Parenting and Boundaries

40:18 Doubt and Vulnerability

44:17 Confidence and Cringe

46:25 First Stage Breakthrough

49:34 Persistence and Vision

52:19 Building an Archive

On Friday the 13th, schools across SELA and beyond held a student walkout against ICE.
As someone who grew up in Southeast LA, seeing these walkouts happen again took me back to my own high school days at Bell High School, where we participated in the 2006 walkouts. At the time, I didn’t fully understand the weight of the issues at hand, but I knew something didn’t sit right.
Looking back, that moment activated something in me. It pushed me to pay attention, to ask questions, and to care.
So watching this new generation take that same step felt like coming full circle. Civic engagement isn’t perfect, and it doesn’t always begin with full clarity. Sometimes it starts with a feeling. Sometimes it starts with a walkout.
It was a proud moment to witness as someone from this community. More than anything, it left me with hope.
These kids are going to do great things.

In this episode of The Social Primate, Eddie Aguirre speaks with Peruvian activist and journalist Paolo about U.S. imperialism in Latin America, the criminalization of dissent, and the limits of protest as a strategy for real change. Drawing from firsthand experience in Peru, Paolo connects the 2022 coup against President Pedro Castillo to broader patterns of U.S.-backed lawfare, sanctions, and regime change across the region — including Venezuela

-----00:55 Political Awakening and Activism03:02 US Involvement in Latin American Politics04:22 Historical Context and Current Events05:32 Impact of US Policies on Latin America09:23 Peruvian Political Landscape11:56 Colonialism and Neocolonialism17:54 Migration and Economic Displacement19:43 US Imperialism and Global Impact32:12 Exposing Political Elites and the Drug Trade33:14 Colonial Tactics and International Solidarity34:46 US Military Influence in Latin America36:27 The Language of Fear and Control37:25 The Collapse of Colonial Empires39:52 Activism and Political Repression40:36 Building People Power and Unity44:01 Trump's Influence in Latin America49:34 The Role of Organizations in Social Change01:01:06 Global Struggles Against US Imperialism

In this episode of Social Primate, Eddie Aguirre sits down with documentary filmmaker Matthew Solomon to discuss his upcoming film, Seeds for Liberation, a documentary that centers on the Palestinian liberation movement and its connections to broader struggles against imperialism and state violence.

The conversation explores how state power, policing, surveillance, and narrative control repeat themselves across borders, linking occupation abroad to the lived realities of marginalized communities in the United States.

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01:04 Matthew Solomon's Background and Early Influences

02:49 From Music to Filmmaking and Conflict Resolution

04:15 The Impact of George Floyd and the Path to Documentary Filmmaking

07:26 Seeds for Liberation: Concept and Connections

10:24 Challenges and Pushbacks in Advocacy

14:40 Understanding Historical Context and Personal Transformation

18:58 The Global Impact of Oppression and Resistance

22:09 The Role of Cop Cities and International Training

25:47 Evolving Perspectives and Final Thoughts

28:52 Understanding Interconnected Struggles

30:01 Empathy Through Exposure

30:50 Revisiting 'American Me' and Systemic Issues

33:46 The Palestinian Genocide and Media Misrepresentation

37:03 US-Israel Relations and Historical Context

45:27 Solidarity and Community Building

48:25 The Role of White and Jewish Allies

53:34 Conclusion and Film Promotion

What does it mean to oppose federal enforcement from inside local government, where silence isn’t neutral but compliance?

In this episode, Eddie Aguirre speaks with Bell Gardens City Council member Jorgel Chavez to explain why staying silent is not neutral but a form of compliance, and how local officials can push back by creating policy, demanding records, and forcing accountability into the open.

The conversation breaks down the real limits of local power, the responsibility cities inherit, and why refusing quiet compliance matters when communities are left to deal with the consequences.

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01:30 – Roots in Southeast LA
06:30 – Distrust, Corruption, and Skepticism
10:30 – Accessibility as Accountability
14:30 – ICE Raids and City Response
19:30 – Silence vs Responsibility
24:30 – Public Backlash and Trauma
29:30 – Activism Inside Office
33:30 – Protest, Police, Presence
38:30 – When the City Pays the Cost
46:30 – Coalition, Limits, and Possibility
58:30 – Closing: Accountability Flows Up

In this episode with journalist Izzy Ramirez , we discuss the realities and challenges of tracking ICE operations, the importance of community support, and the emotional toll of dealing with state-sponsored violence.

This episode sheds light on the critical work being done to protect vulnerable communities and offers a glimpse into the efforts of those fighting on the front lines.

*This episode was recorded the morning of 1/8 prior to information and identity of Renee Good, murdered by ICE agents.

Rest in Power Renee Good*

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01:00 The Journey to Journalism

01:38 Community Activism and ICE Tracking

03:27 Challenges and Emotional Toll

07:25 The Importance of Accurate Reporting

22:32 Patterns in ICE Operations

25:30 Navigating City Streets and Border Patrol Tactics

27:16 The Process of Detaining and Processing Individuals

27:44 Targeting Vulnerable Populations

29:47 Community Impact and Response

31:35 Youth Activism and Historical Context

36:11 Community Support and Verification Process

43:53 Misconceptions and Broader Implications

45:52 Hope and Action for the Future

Music ft: Listless Dreams - 2025