Paseo Podcast: Sharing Puerto Rican Stories

On today’s episode of the Paseo Podcast, we welcome back to the show, Executive Director of the Puerto Rican Cultural Center  in Chicago, José López. We also welcome tenured professor at Stanford University, Dr. Jonathan Rosa . In our discussion, we talk about the organizing mindset of Community as a Campus. We take a deep dive into what this mindset is and why it matters. Host: Joshua Smyser-DeLe...

Co-founders of Healing Jodonas, Melissa Cintron and Dorian Ortega join the show. We discuss what Healing Jodonas is, their monthly healing poetry circles, and the effects healing poetry circles can have on someone dealing with things like burnout, trauma, etc. We also had the chance to listen to some poetry from past Healing Jodonas Healing Poetry Circles.  Host: Joshua Smyser-DeLeon, Twitter @jsd...

This bonus episode is a recording of a Puerto Rican Agenda press conference on Monday, February 24, in Chicago. We also have a video of the press conference on our Facebook page , if you would like to see that version instead. This press conference was to report what the Illinois delegation, organized by the Puerto Rican Agenda, witnessed on the 6 municipality tour they took in Puerto Rico. They w...

Sabrina Alicea returns to talk about Somos Arte and the beginning of the road to the Puerto Rican Festival in Chicago. We also welcome Jaiku Neoj to the show. She is a Trans Afro-Taína poet and visual artist here in Chicago. We’re going to talk about her experience speaking at the Protagonistas series, what it’s like to share her story, self-love, Trans Chicago and a bunch more. Host: Joshua Smyse...

We sat down with the Cook County Assessor, Fritz Kaegi. Not many people know what the role of the Cook County Assessor is and what their office does, so we took the deep dive with Assessor Kaegi on the role of the Cook County Assessor, property taxes in Cook County, affordable housing, new ways for seniors to access property tax exemptions, and a lot more. We even snuck in a Raiders of the Lost Ar...

Edoardo Ortiz, a graduate student at the University of Chicago School of Public Policy joins the show to share his experience at the Iowa Caucus. He went to Iowa for the caucuses as part of a Puerto Rican delegation from Chicago. If you haven’t heard already, things did not go quite as planned at the Iowa Caucus, so we took the deep dive with Edoardo on what his experience was like before, during,...

Did you hear? JLo and Shakira performed at the Super Bowl LIV Halftime Show. We invited 2 special guests to share their reactions and address some of the online debates that occurred after it. Let us know your opinions on our social media channels and let us know if we missed anything. Respectful debate is always welcome.  P.S. Sorry about the audio! We had to use a backup because our raw audio fi...

On this week’s episode of the Paseo Podcast, I am joined by Sabrina Alicea. She is the creator of Shop La Maestra , is a 7th grade Chicago Public School Teacher, Member of the Chicago Teachers Unions , CTU Local 1, and a Chicago Boricua with a master's degree from the Ivy League.  We are going to talk about Sabrina’s Shop La Maestra brand, life as a POC at Harvard University, the realities of bein...

On this week’s episode, Cristina Pacione-Zayas, Associate Vice President of Policy at the Erikson Institute and Co-chair of the Puerto Rican Agenda here in Chicago joins the show. We’re going to talk about her work in early childhood development and with the PR Agenda as well as community organizing and the Presidential Candidates' Puerto Rico policy. Host: Joshua Smyser-DeLeon, Twitter @jsdeleon...

In honor of Weed being legal now in Illinois, Michelle Vazquez from Che.dibles joins the Paseo Podcast to discuss her cannabis-infused treats. Che.dibles is Puerto Rican owned, latina owned, a small business, and Chicago made. Host: Joshua Smyser-DeLeon, Twitter @jsdeleon Site: paseomedia.org Facebook & Twitter : @paseopodcast Sounds: Notification Sounds + Flor Meléndez Ramos + Adobe + Sabado Giga...

This bonus episode is a recording of a Puerto Rican Agenda press conference Friday, January 10, in Chicago. We also have a video of the press conference on our Facebook page , if you would like to see that version instead. The press conference was to announce the relaunch of the successful 3Rs Campaign the PR Agenda used to raise money and send supplies to the hardest hit areas of Puerto Rico afte...

The Puerto Rican Flags here in Chicago turn 25! Located in the Humboldt Park neighborhood, they act as gateways to Puerto Rican culture on Paseo Boricua. They're huge too! These two 59-foot banderas have won countless architectural awards and are the world's largest monument to a flag. Our guest on today's episode, CEO of the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture  and former Alderman at t...

It's a special bonus episode of the Paseo Podcast! Joshua attended an event at the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture  on October 24, 2019 to listen in on a conversation between  Dr. Yarimar Bonilla & Ald. Rosanna Rodriguez (33rd Ward, Chicago). The conversation was centered around the recent release of the book, Aftershocks of Disaster: Puerto Rico Before and After the Storm , which Y...

Yale students, Adriana Colón Adorno & Gabriela Morales Nieves, from the Yale Endowment Justice Coalition join the show to talk about Puerto Rico’s debt, divestment, what the day of the Harvard/Yale game protest was like, & how they were able to mobilize & organize so many different people to protest in solidarity for the same cause. Their student organization along with many others were responsibl...

Urban Pilón founder, Chef Roberto Pérez, joins the podcast just in time for the holidays. We talk cooking dos & don'ts, recipe suggestions for beginners & pros, & creating a Puerto Rican Thanksgiving...we don't always have to have a Turkey - baked pasteles anyone? Host: Joshua Smyser-DeLeon, Twitter @jsdeleon Site: paseomedia.org Facebook & Twitter : @paseopodcast Sounds: Notification Sounds + Flo...

Actors Viviana Torres, Nore Feliciano & Efraín Rosa visit the show. They are part of the play, Un monólogo sobre la vida de Lolita Lebrón. ICYMI, last week we shared a clip of our interview with them, but now you get to hear the full thing! Host: Joshua Smyser-DeLeon, Twitter @jsdeleon Site: paseomedia.org Facebook & Twitter : @paseopodcast Sounds: Notification Sounds + Flor Meléndez Ramos Nore's...

Lolita Lebrón's name elicits strong responses from many within & outside of the Puerto Rican community. Let's find out why. Guests on today's show include the Executive Director of the Puerto Rican Cultural Center here in Chicago, Jose Lopez, activist and artist Michael Reyes, whose song Lolita You May Cry Now you will hear later in the episode, Former political prisoner, Oscar Lopez, Co-Jefas of...

Puerto Rican film maker, author, & activist, Carlos Jiménez Flores, joins the podcast. We talk Latino Hollywood, POC representation in film & The 3rd Annual Boricua Film Festival. Host: Joshua Smyser-DeLeon, Twitter @jsdeleon Site: paseomedia.org Facebook & Twitter : @paseopodcast Sounds: Notification Sounds + Flor Meléndez Ramos Carlos' IMBD , Facebook & Instagram USC Annenberg Study - Latinos in...

Puerto Rican culture & investigative journalist, Isabel Dieppa, joins the podcast. We talk POC representation in media & our Top 10...soft of...list of Puerto Rican comic book characters. Host: Joshua Smyser-DeLeon, Twitter @jsdeleon Site: paseomedia.org Facebook & Twitter : @paseopodcast Sounds: Notification Sounds, Flor Meléndez Ramos, baniger3711 on YouTube, X-Men 90s Cartoon Theme Song, Sunflo...

Puerto Rican Journalist, Manny Ramos , from the Chicago Sun-Times joins the podcast. We talk journalism, a little baseball, and what too much Adobo looks like in a story. Host: Joshua Smyser-DeLeon, Twitter @jsdeleon  Facebook & Twitter : @paseopodcast Site: paseomedia.org Sounds: Notification Sounds + Flor Meléndez Ramos

Puerto Rican author, Abdin Noboa Rios , joins the podcast to talk about his new book, The Story of Latinos and Education in American History . Host: Joshua Smyser-DeLeon, Twitter @jsdeleon  Facebook & Twitter: @paseopodcast Site: paseomedia.org Sounds & Photo: Notification Sounds + Flor Meléndez Ramos + Ankur Singh

Puerto Rican actor, producer, & co-founder of the Urban Theater Company , Ivan Vega , joins the show! We talk UTC & the Chicago theater scene. Host: Joshua Smyser-DeLeon, Twitter @jsdeleon  Facebook & Twitter: @paseopodcast Site: paseomedia.org Sounds: Notification Sounds + Flor Meléndez Ramos Back in the Day La Tribu

Puerto Rican Muralist, Cristian Roldan , joins the show to talk about his art, his start as a muralist, & the importance of using public art to share our stories. Host: Joshua Smyser-DeLeon, Twitter @jsdeleon  Facebook & Twitter: @paseopodcast Site: paseomedia.org Sounds: Notification Sounds + Flor Meléndez Ramos + ABC News Cristian's IG

It's been 2 years since Hurricane Maria. PR Agenda Co-Chair, Jessie Fuentes, explains how the PR Agenda took action to aid Puerto Rico after the 2017 tragedy. Local photographer, Lauren Herrmann, shares how she's lending a hand to help PR. Host: Joshua Smyser-DeLeon, Twitter @jsdeleon  Facebook & Twitter: @paseopodcast Site: paseomedia.org Sounds: Notification Sounds + Flor Meléndez Ramos + ABC Ne...

Co-Chair of the Puerto Rican Agenda, Jessie Fuentes, discusses the PROMESA Act & National Day of Action in Washington D.C. to advocate for a resolution of Puerto Rico's debt. Host: Joshua Smyser-DeLeon, @jsdeleon on Twitter.  Facebook+Twitter: @paseopodcast Website: paseomedia.org PR Agenda Music: Notification Sounds + Flor Meléndez Ramos