Tamarindo

Body size is nobody’s business. On this episode of Tamarindo, we have a powerful conversation with guest Virgie Tovar, one of the nation's leading experts and lecturers on weight-based discrimination and body image. We discuss how diet culture and fat phobia permeate so much of our lives in often subconscious ways that can be damaging to our wellbeing. Virgie shows us how we can reflect on how we can start liberating from diet culture and stepping into radical self love.For our Calma, we encourage listeners to take notice of the times we think about food or bodies in ways that involve judgement. For example, when we say things like “I earned this cookie” or ask “have you lost weight, you look great!”More about our guest. Virgie Tovar is an author, activist and one of the nation's leading experts and lecturers on weight-based discrimination and body image. She holds a Master's degree in Sexuality Studies with a focus on the intersections of body size, race and gender. She is a contributor for Forbes where she

First Generation? Not Quite. All about that “ni de aquí, ni de allá" life! First generation is often used in reference to the first generation born in the United States. As two immigrants from Mexico that arrived in the country as small children, most of our life has been on this side of the border, yet we aren’t technically “first gen.”  What’s life like when you’re an immigrant but the majority of your life is shaped by a different country than where you were born? In this episode, we talk all about it. We share our own immigrant journeys, share some reflections from listeners, and embrace our “ni de aquí, ni de allá” identity by seeing it in a new light.  We start the episode with some reflections on the first days of the Biden/Harris administration, particularly when it comes to immigration. In our calma segment, we’ll show you how to set intentions to call in what you want for this year. As opposed to the more common resolutions, intentions are guiding principles for what you want to invite more of

In this episode, we talk about religion and spirituality with Kim Guerra, author and creator of the Latinx empowerment platform @brownbadassbonita. The global pandemic and political climate may have many of us leaning into spiritual practices as a source of strength and grounding. Many organized religions have at times been used to oppress, wage wars, and control people. Unfortunately, even today many religions continue to hurt and ostracized members of the LGBTQ community. That is why this episode centers the experiences and spiritual journeys of Kim and Ana Sheila, who both identify as spiritual and queer, as they share their relationship with religion and spirituality. More about our guest: Kim Guerra is an artist, writer, and entrepreneur. She is the creator of #BrownBadassBonita, a brand and movement she considers a revolutionary act of self love and love for our Latinx community. She was recently recognized as an “Agente de Cambio” at Univision’s Premios Juventud and has a masters in marriage and family

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has pushed many of us to reflect on what’s most important. It’s no surprise that in 2020 many of us have had to reset personal goals and adjust to a world with many uncertainties. As we close out the last episode of this season of Tamarindo and start to think of a new post-Trump era, we know many of you are doing introspective work right along with us. This is why we wanted to talk to you about how a leadership or life coach might be helpful in pushing you to achieve your goals.  Ana Sheila, our resident life coach, breaks down exactly what a coach does, how the work of a coach differs from that of a therapist, and what to consider when deciding to work with one. Brenda describes her experience working with an executive leadership coach, the phenomenal Liz Garcia, and how that was beneficial to her in exploring a career transition. If you’re looking to work with a coach, here are just a few of our favorites that you can learn about on instagram: Harry Lopez @theharrylopez Dari

Inspired by a conversation around the terms Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and Person of Color (POC) on this episode of  NPR’s Code Switch, we have a candid conversation around race, ancestry, and the power and limitation of words from our personal perspective as Mexican immigrants raised in the U.S. We also reflect on the effects of colonialism and colorism on our own connection to our ancestry and the diversity of Latinx experiences in this country.  We kick off this episode by taking some time to reflect on our collective resilience in getting through the uncertainty and difficulty of 2020 and offer some tips to prioritize self and community care in the coming week. During the episode we reference a conversation between writer Julissa Arce with UCLA Professor Laura Gomez, author of Manifest Destinies: The Making of the Mexican American Race,  Latinx voter data shared by Gerardo Cardava, Professor at Northwestern University, and this New York Times article written by Angela Onwuachi-Willig,

We love reliable and unbiased data and this is especially true with the 2020 Presidential Election only days away! This is why we’re excited to welcome back to Tamarindo Stacie de Armas, SVP, Diverse Consumer Insights and Initiatives at Nielsen —a global measurement and data analytics company that provides the most complete and trusted view available of consumers and markets worldwide—to discuss their 2020 Election Hub. The hub is where you can find the most up-to-date data on this year’s biggest election events. Like Nielsen, we want to highlight the importance of voting and the importance of educating yourself prior to voting. So, please visit the 2020 Election Hub today for accurate information. Stacie breaks down the data on Latinos and voting and also gives us a lot to be hopeful about the power that we hold as a community. From the Southwest to South Beach, Latinos seem to have gotten the message on their untapped power, with populations that make up even larger percentages of the electorate in key Swin

On this episode of Tamarindo, Brenda and Ana Sheila catch up on the Presidential Debate, Trump’s virus diagnosis, and discuss words they are retiring. Next, Ana Sheila chats with film director, activist, and author Paola Mendoza, about her new book Sanctuary, co-authored with Abby Sher. Sanctuary tells the story of a young girl in a near dystopian future who is forced to flee to a xenophobic government to find sanctuary. Drawing parallels to our current political climate, the book is harrowing, but also hopeful in showing that we all have the power to effect change. As co-founder of the Women’s March, Paola tells us her family’s inspirational story of resilience which shapes her activism. Paola wants to leave readers with the sense that we can all be freedom fighters. This is especially inspirational when so many may feel discouraged. This episode will remind you that your actions can influence the outcome of this election and that we, especially Black and Brown folks,  have the power to change what this coun

On this episode, Brenda and Ana Sheila reflect on the passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bather Ginsburg, #RBG, hours after learning the news. We talk about what this means for the future of our country, the hypocrisy of Republican Senator Mitch McConell, and the overall sadness we are collectively feeling. #ditchmitch The risk of Trump ramming through another nomination (this would be his 3rd!) to the Supreme Court makes us double down on our advocacy efforts to get Biden/Harris elected. Join us on October 3 for phone banking. Anyone can join no matter where you are in the country and we will be calling Spanish-speaking Floridians for this activity. Why? Because Florida is a swing state where we have a real opportunity to turn things around. Join us: https://www.mobilize.us/seedthevote/event/320782/  Next, we talk about redefining notions of success as we reflect on our chat with award-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa about her recent book “Once I Was You: A Memoir of Love and Hate in a Torn America.” Tr

On this episode of Tamarindo, Brenda and Ana Sheila discuss the 2020 Election. From the Supreme Court to course-correcting on immigration, there are so many reasons to vote in November and not only against Trump. We discuss the policy priorities that some of our listeners shared with us and talk about what is at stake with this election.  We each share why we are voting,  some small ways we can all get involved, and we make promises to step up our advocacy because we know that no one can afford four more years of the same.  As a palette cleanser for your ears, this episode ends with a love story. We know so many of you enjoyed our episode on love that we wanted to continue the reflections on relationships with this episode. We end with a recording of a live performance of Brenda telling a story of a meaningful first date. This performance was pre-Covid at an excellent event called Talking While Female,  hosted by Teatro Luna, an all-Latina theater ensemble.  The audio is not spectacular on this live-story, bu

This episode is all about reflections on love and relationships especially in the time of Covid. Brenda is sitting this one out and passing the mic to Kim Guerra, the talent behind Brown Badass Bonita, a brand and movement set on empowering mujeres to give themselves wings. Kim is guest hosting with Ana Sheila and they discuss “all about love” a powerful book on love by American author, professor, feminist, and social activist bell hooks. Kim and Ana Sheila also react and reflect to listeners' own submissions on love and relationships.  Kim Guerra is an artist, writer, and entrepreneur. She is the creator of Brown Badass Bonita, a brand and movement she considers a revolutionary act of self-love and love for our Latinx community. Kim creates apparel that celebrates our culture and empowers mujeres. She creates art that celebrates and explores the complexities of being a Latinx, mujer, PoC, survivor, and guerrera. Kim was recently recognized as an “Agente de Cambio” at Univision’s #premiosjuventud and is pursu

On this episode, Brenda and Ana Sheila put #Goya en la #basura and announce that we are taking a short break.  We talk about #policeaccountability with District Attorney George Gascón, who is running for District Attorney to modernize LA's criminal justice systems.  He is a Former District Attorney for the City & County of San Francisco, and former Assistant Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department. But don't let that fool you. LA’s cops are backing his opponent who has faced criticism for not holding cops accountable. Gascón is who the cops don't want to win... Gascón has earned a national reputation as a visionary in criminal justice reform. He’s been honored by the  Anti-Defamation League with their prestigious Civil Rights Award and the  Win With Justice, WNBA All-Star Maya Moore’s social action campaign, presented him with its Impact Award. Learn more about him at georgegascon.org  Tamarindo podcast is the Latinx show where hosts discuss politics, pop culture, and how to balance it all con calma, h

On this episode of Tamarindo, Ana Sheila discusses the evolution of wellness, different practices and resources that can help with the emotions and heaviness we are experiencing and how we can all be more intentional in our daily lives. She is joined by Iman Gibson, a health educator, meditation teacher and overall wellness evangelist to talk about the growth and problematic parts of the “wellness” space from a POC perspective and how we can use mindfulness to better anti-racists,  pay homage to our ancestors and be intentional about how and what we eat. Co-host Brenda is on break.  We also continue the conversation around anti-racism and anti-blackness in the Latinx community from the 90s to today. FREE RESOURCE: We are offering Tamarindo listeners an exclusivo peek to Iman’s new anti-racism meditations https://soundcloud.com/iman-gibson-tori-lund/sets/anti-racism-meditations  During our conversation, we mention Angel Kyodo Williams, and a few #calma practices like zen meditation, yin yoga, and introduce the

On this episode of Tamarindo, we discuss ways we can talk about anti-Blackness in our community, and we catch up with Julio Ricardo Varela about what Latino Rebels has been covering on Latinx solidarity with Black Lives Matters and Defunding the police. Julio is a journalist and the founder of LatinoRebels.com, one of the top U.S. Latino media sites in the world. Julio is the cohost of In the Thick with Maria Hinojosa and is a frequent contributor to Latino USA. Keep up with Julio on twitter @julito77 Julio's calma is his awesome playlist, take a listen on Spotify. We mention this episode of Call Your Girlfriend about Police Abolition with Miriame Kaba as well as her essay in the New York Times “Yes, We Mean Literally Abolish the Police Because Reform Won’t Happen.” We also reference this conversation on anti-Blackness facilitated by Paper Planes, LLC. Here are some helpful terms to talk about anti-racism in Spanish https://www.instagram.com/p/CBe821agQpn/  Lastly, we highlight our special event in honor of P

On this episode, Ana Shiela and Brenda unpack how unconscious bias comes into play to limit opportunities for women. We spoke to The Unconscious Bias Project, a nonprofit that brings creative, accessible, evidence-based solutions for unintentional bias to academic, technological, and governmental organizations and beyond. UBP sustains a welcoming home for inquisitive and creative minds and encourage a growth mindset, working by the motto, “0% Guilt, 100% Empowerment.”’ Tamarindo podcast is the Latinx show where hosts discuss politics, pop culture, and how to balance it all con calma, hosted by Brenda Gonzalez and Ana Sheila Victorino. Join us as we delve into discussions on culture, politics, identity, representation, and life! Find us at https://www.tamarindopodcast.com/. Producer Jeff provides original music and sound engineering. Michelle Andrade edits the show.  If you want to support our work, please rate and review our show here.   Follow Tamarindo on twitter @tamarindocast or on Instagram @Tamarindopod

On this episode, we sit with the author of More Than Ready: Be Strong and Be You and Other Lessons for Women of Color on the Rise, Cecilia Muñoz. Drawing from her experience as the first #Latinx to serve as the White House Domestic Policy Council (under President #Obama) and decades fighting for the rights of #immigrants while at #UnidosUS, Cecilia talks to us about her four strategies to combat #selfdoubt, the importance of #empowering your team, and the everyday #heros around us.  Cecilia now serves as vice president for public interest technology and local initiatives at New America and is a recipient of the MacArthur Genius Award. Learn more about Cecilia at www.ceciliamunoz.com and order your copy of More Than Ready at here. Tamarindo podcast is the Latinx show where hosts discuss politics, pop culture, and how to balance it all con calma, hosted by Brenda Gonzalez and Ana Sheila Victorino. Join us as we delve into discussions on culture, politics, identity, representation, and life! Find us at https://w

On this episode of Tamarindo, we connect with Carlos Santos, the actor and comedian who plays Chris Morales, one of three cousins that are the central characters of the hit #Latinx #Netlix show #Gentefied. Whether you’ve seen the show or not, we know that many Latinos in the US identify with the experience of not being Mexican (or insert country of origin) enough, something that Carlos’s character Chris wrestles with in hilarious ways. Learn how Carlos brings his comedy chops to shape his Chris, aka, #guero,  making him one of the most memorable characters on the show.  Then, as a #calma segment, Ana Sheila shares some ways we can check-in with ourselves to better identify the activities that bring us #peace and those that can produce #anxiety so that we can do more of what we love and less of what we don’t need.   We also have an important message from UnidosUS. We know that even in the best of times, making healthy decisions can be tough and the coronavirus and economic crises hitting our country isn’t goin

 #PresentOverPerfect is just one of the many nuggets we took away from our conversation with Eliana Murillo, the founder of #Latinaswhobrunch, a community of badass Latinas. Many of us have grown up afraid to be truly seen or can be paralyzed from even starting to do the work we love because of fear and insecurities. On our latest episode in #thetimeofcorona, we sit down with Eliana to discuss #mindset and #self-development tools and approaches she uses to overcome insecurities, fear, and shame in order to show up most authentically and step into the work she’s called to do for others.  In addition to Latinas who brunch, Eliana is the co-founder of her family's organic Tequila Alquimia company, an award-winning USDA certified 100% organic and eco-friendly product that contributes 15% of every harvest to support nonprofit causes. While working at Google, Eliana founded the multicultural marketing team, She graduated from Harvard College and was included in the Forbes 30 Under 30 List in 2017. She's originally

Team Tamarindo is adjusting to the #physicaldistancing with a remote episode reflecting on what this moment means to Brenda and Ana Sheila and how they are coping with #covid. We share some of the creatives that are helping us find lightness during these dark times, as well as some great resources for information, and causes to support. We also take some time to celebrate our one year #anniversary and four years of #TamarindoPodcast.  For some fun creatives we’re enjoying, check out these accounts on instagram: @Latinaswhobrunch  @theharrylopez  @thecesarcamacho @marcellacomedy  For resources for immigrant communities, check out United We Dream and specifically how #undocumented folks can access health care.  We also find the information by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to be useful. For news, we've been liking the coverage of the LA Times and Tamarindo favorite, LA Taco.  Here is a template you can use if you would like to request a rent freeze.  For a worthy cause providing direct cash relief for #st

As distraction to the world-wide pandemic we are living through, we are releasing an episode that was created several weeks ago  before any of us knew how the coronavirus would impact our daily lives.  We take this opportunity to send you love, light, and courage during these hard times. This episode of Tamarindo is a collaboration with Project Enye. This is a compilation of many #Latinx #podcasters reacting to the #AmericanDirt debacle. American Dirt is the novel released earlier this year that was widely criticized for it's racist portrayal of #Mexicans. Thanks to Mexican-American writer  Myriam Gurba, the controversy behind American Dirt exposed how the publishing industry systematically silences voices from the #Latinx community.  Take a listen and let us know what you think!Tamarindo podcast is the Latinx show where hosts discuss politics, pop culture, and how to balance it all con calma, hosted by Brenda Gonzalez and Ana Sheila Victorino. Join us as we delve into discussions on culture, politics, identi

On this episode of Tamarindo Podcast, Ana Sheila and Brenda break down some of the most common #mindtraps or what we call mind “trampas”. We discuss the negative thought patterns that hold us back and what we can do when we catch ourselves in these spirals to release our inner #Cabrona (or Cabronx). We are putting  #genderedterms in the #basura and share the plans we have in the works for a #storytelling workshop with our friends at  #Latinaswhobrunch and the theatre company #Teatroluna. Stay tuned for more details!  Special thanks to our episode sponsor Fuchila Fresheners bringing you the extra #Latinx air fresheners including conchas, Frida and hot cheetos.  Use TAMARINDO20 for a special discount at checkout.  Tamarindo podcast is the Latinx show where hosts discuss politics, pop culture, and how to balance it all con calma, hosted by Brenda Gonzalez and Ana Sheila Victorino. Join us as we delve into discussions on culture, politics, identity, representation, and life! Find us at https://www.tamarindopodcas