Abuelas en Acción: A Multicultural Podcast for Our Common Good

Here on Abuelas we gather around our virtual table to tell our stories, share our defining moments, our gratitude, our pain and our hopes.  Our warming climate, global conflicts and the erosion of our civil rights all remind us of the importance of meeting whatever life brings us with an open heart, a balanced mind and committed action. Our guest today, Phyllis Andersen, is a wise woman with an op...

Today we are joined by Washington State University English Professor, Bryan Fry, and students, Gabriela Alvarez and Alex Diaz who share their journey in writing as a tool to express, connect and heal.  In this special episode our Co-Host Itzia Mejia and our guests read their poems, "I am From," poetry with powerful images of their roots, familia, cultura, comida and most of all resilienc...

Our ancestors taught us that we are all interconnected in life to our relationships, mother earth, our communities and all the beings and activities that surround us.  Dr. Rosemary shares the beauty and the power of telling our stories through art and poetry.   "I am From"  is a powerful way to draw strength from our familia and our antepasados to remember who we are. Support the show

Join us for this very powerful interview with Dr. Tanmeet Sethi, author of the book, “Joy is my Justice.  Dr. Sethi is a board-certified Integrative Family Medicine physician and Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine.  Tanmeet speaks with raw authenticity about our capacity for healing through the mystical, ancient wisdom and modern science.  She speaks ab...

Join Abuelas as we talk about our new series, Nuestra Sabiduria:  Unwrapping our Stories for Soul Filled Living and building our resilience for moving through these intense and challenging times.  Our sabiduría; our wisdom, our inner knowledge has been slumbering in our souls, awaiting a time to be reawakened.  You might say we are decolonizing the Sacred as our ancestors and universe have been wa...

Join the Comadres as we talk with Dr. Jennifer Madden about the power  of collaboration and design thinking.  Jennifer talks about the synergy that can result from collaborations that can allow us to create something from nothing.  She talks about resilience and our skills for living with ambiguity and uncertainty during these complex times.  You will be inspired by our interview with Jennifer. Su...

Today we talk with Dr. Tricia Glazebrook about Ecofeminism; the impact of the climate crisis on the lives of women and girls who disproportionately are suffering the impacts of climate change.  Climate change adds to injustices experienced by women and children, and other vulnerable populations including gender based violence and poverty. The patriarchal powers that exploit women and children also...

Join the Abuelas in a rich and beautiful conversation about life and hope.  Marcia Robinson talks with Marie and Dr. Rosemary about defining moments and turning our pain into our strengths and gifts. She also shares the beauty of finding the artist in ourselves, including our pain and trauma, through tapping into our creativity.  Soul work.  Marcia so eloquently shares how hope is central to her l...

Marce Gutiérrez Graudins talks about her journey of determination as the Founder and Executive director of Azul, an international Latinx organization that works to protect coasts and oceans.   Marce is environmental justice advocate who began her career in the commercial fishing and aquaculture fields, She talks about hope for the future of our oceans and returning to our roots and values of our f...

Mark Magaña, CEO of GreenLatinos, talks about this important moment for all of us to do our part for climate change.  He talks about the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Egypt (COP 27) and what all of us can do in our families and communities.   Join us for this inspirational interview that will propel each of us to take action.  You can become a member of GreenLatinos at greenlatinos.o...

Dr. Tammy Yi shares her powerful journey as a first gen Korean student to Professor of Music at Chapman University.  Tammy listened to mariachi music growing up in her diverse community of immigrants in Los Angeles. Along with her distinguished career as a musician and music educator she brought her love of mariachi music to the  Chapman University campus to form Mariachi Panteras.  Tammy speaks a...

Diana Rodriguez-Pena felt a sense of calmness when she first visited the campus of Washington State University.  She knew this was the right university for her.  She shares the challenges of being an undocumented and first gen student and the power of her support network and familia, Mariposas Poderosas. Support the show

Mayra Angel talks about two defining moments in her life as an undocumented, queer Latinx.  She also talks about participating in counseling with her parents and how it strengthened her relationship with them.  She shares the importance of parents listening to their children. Support the show

Alex Diaz speaks about her defining moment as a 10 year old who moved with her family to Texas.  She talks about the role her mother's value of education played in her journey to Washington State University. Support the show

Itzia Mejia Barragan, Student Ambassador for the Washington State University (WSU) Undocumented Student Center talks about her life's journey.  Her journey is one full of light, strength and the power of hope.  She talks about gratitude and the importance of her family and all of those in her life who support her and give her strength during challenging moments in her life including experienc...

Climate Activist Tony DeFalco from Latino Network, in Portland, Oregon, speaks about hope and the work of young Latinx and their communities on Climate Justice.  He speaks about the importance of looking to our culture, spirituality and traditions to guide us with hope and action on our long journey for a thriving and sustainable Mother Earth.  Support the show

We are excited to welcome Rob Hernandez back to our podcast to talk about his book, “Simply Love…Changing the Paradigm of Thought One Heart at a Time.  Rob talks about why he wrote his book, love, relationships, triggers, traumasand our power to change our lives. Support the show

Spiritual conocimiento is a wisdom based on our traditions, our intuitions and our lived experience. “Conocimiento is the inner exploration of the meaning and purpose of life..a form of spiritual inquiry… reached through creative acts- writing, art making, dancing, healing, teaching, meditation and spiritual activism."  Gloria Anzaldua Support the show

The more we listen to our inner voice and intuition,  we will be more understanding and empathetic toward others.  Being present emotionally increases our ability to hear what people are not saying.   Support the show

Today we talk about turning our life challenges into humility and self-compassion.   Psychologist Steven Hayes says, “In your pain you find your values, and in your values, you find your pain.”    Support the show

Today in our series, "Platicas de la Vida/Talks about Life" we talk about how our emotions affect us.  Many of us are uncomfortable with our emotions.   Emotional wellbeing depends on acknowledging all of our feelings and can lead to enhanced compassion for ourselves and others.  The poet Naomi Shihab Nye said, "Before you know kindness as the deepest thing inside, you must know sor...

Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass but learning how to dance in the rain.  How do we live with  hurtful experiences in our lives?   Today Dr. Rosemary and Marie talk about turning trauma, loss and wounds into gifts for renewed living.   Support the show

Dr. Rosemary and Marie talk about love, pain and compassion.  Compassion for ourselves and others.  We build compassion by paying attention to the present moment; to our senses.  They tell us we are alive and that this journey is worth it.  Life is rich with beautiful moments like smelling the wonderful pot of beans on the stove with a tortilla hot off the press.   Support the show

Maya Muñoz Tobón speaks about movement, embodiment, and the expressive arts for healing. We are all artists who can nurture our creative powers for ourselves and our families.    Maya, through her gentle presence,  provides concrete ways to "locate ourselves" in our busy lives through taking the time to breathe, feeling our bodies, and being present. Support the show

Psychologist Dr. Ruth Zúñiga, speaks about the healing power of our relationships, community, connectedness to others and spirituality.   She offers steps that we can all take for personal and collective healing and emotional well being during these times of pain and trauma in our country and globally. Support the show