Latina to Latina

Film director and activist Paola Mendoza embodies today's political resistance. As Creative Director of the Women's March, her visionary work helped galvanize millions around the world, and continues with the "I Am a Child" campaign and efforts to stop the latest Supreme Court nominee. Paola was raised by a single mother, and, as a rebellious teen, found salvation in the arts. She talks with Alicia about gaining strength from her mother's difficult choices and why for her joy is an act of resistance.

Follow Paola @paolamendoza on Twitter and IG. If you loved this episode, listen to Nelini Stamp, Jess Morales Rocketto and Cristina Jiménez on advocacy and organizing. Show your love and become a Latina to Latina Patreon supporter!

Marizol's transition not only tested her determination to live life on her own terms, it also tested her lifelong bond to her sister Selenis. A failing marriage, an acting career on the rocks, and mental health woes did not allow Selenis to be there for her beloved sister as much as she would have liked. In their memoir, "My Sister: How One Sibling's Transition Changed Us Both," they recount the difficult decisions they each had to make to be whole and to love each other through unimaginable hurt.

Follow Marizol @iam_marizol on Twitter and IG; follow Selenis on Twitter @selenis_leyva and IG @selenisleyvaofficial. Show your love and become a Latina to Latina Patreon supporter!

She started organizing at 15, dropped out of college to become an entrepreneur, and has been blazing her own path ever since. Favianna shares how she got clear about the things she was fighting for, and how she built a life that allows her to embrace pleasure and joy.

Follow Favianna Rodriguez on Instagram @favianna1. If you loved this episode, listen to Why Tech Visionary Irma Olguin Jr. Went Back to Her Farming Roots and How Artist Scherezade Garcia Came to Work and Exist on Her Own Terms. Show your love and become a Latina to Latina Patreon supporter!

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Cristina Jiménez knows how to agitate for change. The co-founder and Executive Director of United We Dream convinced President Obama to act on DACA. Now, as she prepares to step away from an organization she helped build, Cristina’s sharing what she’s learned: everything from her work on "decolonizing my understanding of myself" to warning against the perils of putting your ego ahead of the cause. She tells Alicia about her private conversations with the president and about the criticism she and her fellow organizers faced as they rallied millions to their cause by “defying all conventional wisdom.”

Follow Cristina on Twitter @CrisAlexJimenez and IG @crisalx. If you loved this episode, listen to Jess Morales-Rocketto and Paola Mendoza for more on advocacy. Show your love and become a Latina to Latina Patreon supporter!

The executive director of pro-choice Frontera Fund discusses the ramifications of the loss of abortion rights in Texas, and the challenges that lay ahead for the state and the the country. Zaena also gives Alicia insight into what it takes to keep abortion care at the forefront of the national healthcare movement.

Follow Zaena and Frontera Fund on instagram @fronterafundrgv. If you loved this episode, listen to For Sociologist Nicole Gonzalez Van Cleve Getting Latinos to Care about Justice Reform Is Personal and Why Actress Selenis Leyva and Her Sister, Trans Activist Marizol Leyva, Are Closer Than Ever. Show your love and become a Latina to Latina Patreon supporter!