Highlighting stories by, from, and about the Puerto Rican community.
Episodes
Tuesday Oct 27, 2020
Tuesday Oct 27, 2020
For this bonus episode, we're sharing audio from a Press Conference on Sunday, October 25, announcing the release of a nationwide Latinx LGBTQ Get Out the Vote commercial developed by the Immigration Reform Fund founded by former Congressman, Luis Gutiérrez. We’re going to play the commercial for you during this episode and stick around for the end when we will share never before heard candid thoughts from interviews post-presser with Congressman Jesus Chuy Garcia and IL State Senator Omar Aquino.
Speakers at this press conference include:
- Former Congressmen, Luis Gutiérrez
- Chicago Alderman of the 1st Ward, Daniel La Spata
- Congressman Jesus Chuy Garcia
- IL State Senator, Omar Aquino
- IL State Representative and Chair of the Black Caucus, Camille Y. Lilly
- IL State Representative Lamont Robinson
The Commercial: English + Spanish
Host: Joshua Smyser-DeLeon, Twitter @jsdeleon
Paseo Podcast Website + Facebook + Twitter + Instagram
Sound Editor: Richie Requena, Twitter @RichieRequena
Sounds: MEINL Percussion
Puerto Rican Cultural Center Website + Facebook + Twitter + Instagram
Thursday Oct 22, 2020
Thursday Oct 22, 2020
Our guest today is the first Democratic Socialist elected to Chicago’s City Council - Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th Ward). We talk about his Puerto Rican roots, what drew him to public office, his identity as a gay man, the Latinx vote this presidential election, Puerto Rico’s Governor endorsing Donald Trump for president and a whole lot more.
Host: Joshua Smyser-DeLeon, Twitter @jsdeleon
Paseo Podcast Website + Facebook + Twitter + Instagram
Sound Editor: Richie Requena, Twitter @RichieRequena
Publicist: Ambar Colón, Twitter @MeDicenAmbi
Sounds: Notification Sounds + Flor Meléndez Ramos
Carlos' Government Website + Facebook
Puerto Rican Cultural Center Website + Facebook + Twitter + Instagram
Thursday Oct 15, 2020
Thursday Oct 15, 2020
Marina Del Rios, MD, MS is with us today. We talk about what her experience has been teaching medical students, Covid-19’s impact on the Latinx community, her personal story of trying to avoid bringing the virus home to her husband and children, and a whole lot more.
Host: Joshua Smyser-DeLeon, Twitter @jsdeleon
Paseo Podcast Website + Facebook + Twitter + Instagram
Sound Editor: Richie Requena, Twitter @RichieRequena
Sounds: Notification Sounds + Flor Meléndez Ramos
Marina's Twitter
Illinois Unidos Website + Facebook + Twitter
Puerto Rican Cultural Center Website + Facebook + Twitter + Instagram
Thursday Oct 01, 2020
Thursday Oct 01, 2020
Small Business Development Center Director at the PRCC, Carlos Bosques joins the show today to talk about the Puerto Rican Cultural Center's business initiatives. Plus, we share a few thoughts on this week's presidential debate.
Host: Joshua Smyser-DeLeon, Twitter @jsdeleon
Paseo Podcast Website + Facebook + Twitter + Instagram
Sound Editor: Richie Requena, Twitter @RichieRequena
Sounds: Notification Sounds + Flor Meléndez Ramos
Puerto Rican Cultural Center Website + Facebook + Twitter + Instagram
Thursday Sep 24, 2020
Thursday Sep 24, 2020
Short show today. We take a trip back in time to a revolutionary moment in Puerto Rico's history, El Grito de Lares, and share our thoughts on the indictment in the Breonna Taylor case along with audio from the protests afterward. #SayHerName
Host: Joshua Smyser-DeLeon, Twitter @jsdeleon
Paseo Podcast Website + Facebook + Twitter + Instagram
Sound Editor: Richie Requena, Twitter @RichieRequena
Sounds: Notification Sounds + Flor Meléndez Ramos
Today in History: El Grito de Lares, September 23, 1868
Puerto Rican Cultural Center Website + Facebook + Twitter + Instagram
Thursday Sep 17, 2020
Thursday Sep 17, 2020
American contemporary visual artist Carlos Rolón is on the show today. We’re going to talk about his beginnings in the art world, the NBA season, using art as a form of social advocacy and more.
Host: Joshua Smyser-DeLeon, Twitter @jsdeleon
Paseo Podcast Website + Facebook + Twitter + Instagram
Sound Editor: Richie Requena, Twitter @RichieRequena
Sounds: Notification Sounds + Flor Meléndez Ramos
Carlos Rolón Website + Facebook + Instagram
Puerto Rican Cultural Center Website + Facebook + Twitter + Instagram
Thursday Sep 10, 2020
Thursday Sep 10, 2020
Artist Alli Arochi joins the show. We talk about vejigantes, the tradition of making vejigante masks, her transition from the tech world to making her art full-time and her experience as an artist amidst Covid-19.
Host: Joshua Smyser-DeLeon, Twitter @jsdeleon
Site: paseomedia.org
Facebook + Twitter + Instagram: @paseopodcast
Sound Editor: Richie Requena, Twitter @RichieRequena
Sounds: Notification Sounds + Flor Meléndez Ramos
Alli Arocho's Website + Instagram
Thursday Sep 03, 2020
Thursday Sep 03, 2020
We talk a lot about the importance of knowing our history as Puerto Ricans on this show, including the ways in which our history is kept from us. Some people recommend watching documentaries and reading books, but what about seeing and reading our history in the form of a graphic novel?
Storyteller, artist and art teacher, John Vasquez Mejias, joins the show to talk about the Puerto Rican War - a graphic novel that tells the story of Puerto Rican revolutionaries fighting American colonialism in 1950. We spoke to him a couple of weeks ago to talk about his purpose behind this graphic novel, his art and his perspective on the back-to-school debate as a teacher amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.
Host: Joshua Smyser-DeLeon, Twitter @jsdeleon
Site: paseomedia.org
Facebook + Twitter + Instagram: @paseopodcast
Sound Editor: Richie Requena, Twitter @RichieRequena
Sounds: Notification Sounds + Flor Meléndez Ramos
Thursday Aug 27, 2020
Thursday Aug 27, 2020
We spoke with Rosa Clemente, the 1st Black Puerto Rican/Afro-Latina to run for Vice-President for the Green Party. Soon to be Dr. Clemente, she is an organizer, lecturer, and independent journalist. We covered a lot of topics - the younger generation fighting for racial justice, George Floyd motivating people to take action from the streets to the suites, speaking to family around issues of race, resistance in the face of oppression, the Presidential Election and a whole lot more.
P.S. It's our Birthday episode!!!
Host: Joshua Smyser-DeLeon, Twitter @jsdeleon
Site: paseomedia.org
Facebook + Twitter + Instagram: @paseopodcast
Sound Editor: Richie Requena, Twitter @RichieRequena
Sounds: Notification Sounds + Flor Meléndez Ramos
Rosa Clemente's Website + Facebook + Instagram + Twitter + YouTube
Tuesday Aug 25, 2020
Tuesday Aug 25, 2020
Afro-Puerto Rican comic book writer, Vita Ayala, joins the show to discuss their work, how they fell in love with comics, the comic industry, dealing with trolls online and more.
Keep in mind this episode was recorded just before the pandemic made us all quarantine, so some references and insights - while worth listening to - may be dated.
Host: Joshua Smyser-DeLeon, Twitter @jsdeleon
Site: paseomedia.org
Facebook, Twitter & Instagram: @paseopodcast
Sound Editor: Richie Requena, Twitter @RichieRequena
Sounds: Notification Sounds + Flor Meléndez Ramos
Vita's Work:
- https://blackmaskstore.com/collections/the-wilds…
- https://bookshop.org/books/submerged-vol-1/9781939424426…
- https://m.comixology.com/Quarter-Killer-comiXology-Originals/comics-series/135654…
- https://m.comixology.com/Vita-Ayala/comics-creator/103563…
- https://serialbox.com/serials/jessica-jones…
- https://open.spotify.com/show/3yoqo2jjk76AClwrjJhocZ?si=iHkLACYORKm25ePZLxw1QQ
Friday Aug 21, 2020
Friday Aug 21, 2020
Dr. Yadira Nieves Pizarro, Assistant Professor and Chair of the Communications Department in the Inter American University of Puerto Rico (Bayamón Campus), joins the show to discuss media activism in Puerto Rico. We talk about the media's role in Afro-Latinx representation, the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, protests, how people and the news are covered on la Isla and more.
Keep in mind this episode was recorded just before the pandemic made us all quarantine, so some references and insights - while worth listening to - may be dated.
Host: Joshua Smyser-DeLeon, Twitter @jsdeleon
Site: paseomedia.org
Facebook, Twitter & Instagram: @paseopodcast
Sounds: Notification Sounds + Flor Meléndez Ramos
Dr. Yadira Nieves Pizarro Website + Twitter
Dr. Yadira's work mentioned:
- When Everything Else Fails: Radio Journalism during Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico
- The Representation of Latin@’s in Media: A Negation of Blackness
Hurricane Marie Website Dr. Yadira mentioned: losmuertosdemaria.com
Tuesday May 19, 2020
Tuesday May 19, 2020
Vanessa Torres thought she would be celebrating her birthday solo in quarantine, but she was surprised by a Boricua Birthday Parade on her block just for her with cars filled with family and friends. We invited Vanessa Torres, Anais Zayas, and Mary Santana from the Miracle Center to talk about this moment, why it mattered and what their work at TMC looks like during the COVID-19 quarantine.
Host: Joshua Smyser-DeLeon, Twitter @jsdeleon
Site: paseomedia.org
Facebook & Twitter: @paseopodcast
Sounds: Notification Sounds + Flor Meléndez Ramos
Block Club Chicago Article on the Boricua Birthday Parade
Vanessa Torres Facebook + Instagram + Twitter + Negocios Now Latinos 40 under 40
Anais Zayas Facebook + Instagram + Tik Tok, @zayasanais
Mary Santana Facebook + Instagram
Wednesday Apr 01, 2020
Wednesday Apr 01, 2020
This bonus episode is dedicated to the Census. We had a discussion with leaders from the Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership. Michael N. Okińczyc-Cruz, Rose Ocampo, and Rosette Mumboleo join the show to discuss why the Census is important, address misconceptions, and share what you should consider when completing your Census questionnaire.
Host: Joshua Smyser-DeLeon, Twitter @jsdeleon
Website: paseomedia.org
Facebook & Twitter: @paseopodcast
Sounds: MEINL Percussion
Coalition for Spiritual and Public Leadership Website + Twitter + Facebook + Instagram
Friday Mar 27, 2020
Friday Mar 27, 2020
COVID-19 has impacted our daily lives significantly. There is a lot of information out there on what the virus is and the preventative measures you can take, so make sure you are accessing information from trustworthy news sources. It is very contagious and we all need to do our part in social distancing in order to flatten the curve and slow the spread of the virus. This will also help prevent our healthcare system from being overwhelmed. To break this all down within the context of Puerto Rico, freelance journalist, Angélica Serrano-Román, joins the show. She’s been posting daily COVID-19 updates on Twitter as details are released by the Government of Puerto Rico. We recorded this on March 24 and mentioned the total cases in Puerto Rico was at 39. Now there are 64 on la Isla as of this posting.
Host: Joshua Smyser-DeLeon, Twitter @jsdeleon
Site: paseomedia.org
Facebook & Twitter: @paseopodcast
Sounds: Notification Sounds + Flor Meléndez Ramos
Angélica Serrano-Román Website + Facebook + Twitter
3Rs Campaign For Earthquake Relief
Friday Mar 13, 2020
Friday Mar 13, 2020
It's an election-themed episode of the Paseo Podcast, so we invited a number of guests running for local office here in Illinois on Tuesday, March 17. We welcome State Senator and candidate for Clerk of the Cook County Circuit Court, Iris Martinez. We're going to discuss her campaign, what inspired her to run for elected office, & how she has navigated the male-dominated world of politics. After that, I sit down with Cook County Circuit Court Judge candidates, Araceli Reyes De La Cruz, Laura Ayala-Gonzalez, and Judge, Teresa Molina, to discuss their races, representation in the judicial system, and a whole lot more.
Host: Joshua Smyser-DeLeon, Twitter @jsdeleon
Site: paseomedia.org
Facebook & Twitter: @paseopodcast
Sounds: Notification Sounds + Flor Meléndez Ramos + Adobe + Sabado Gigante
Iris Martinez Website + Instagram + Facebook + Twitter
Araceli Reyes De La Cruz Website + Instagram + Facebook + Twitter
Laura Ayala-Gonzalez Website + Instagram + Facebook
Teresa Molina Website + Facebook
3Rs Campaign For Earthquake Relief
Puerto Rican Cultural Center Website + Facebook + Twitter
Election day in Illinois is this Tuesday, March 17.
Friday Mar 06, 2020
Friday Mar 06, 2020
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-DeLeon, Twitter @jsdeleon
Site: paseomedia.org
Facebook & Twitter: @paseopodcast
Sounds: Notification Sounds + Flor Meléndez Ramos + Adobe + Sabado Gigante
Jonathan Rosa Twitter
Puerto Rican Cultural Center Website + Facebook + Twitter
Community as a Campus: From "Problems" to Possibilities in Latinx Communities
Thursday Feb 27, 2020
Thursday Feb 27, 2020
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 @jsdeleon
Site: paseomedia.org
Facebook & Twitter: @paseopodcast
Sounds: Notification Sounds + Flor Meléndez Ramos + Adobe + Sabado Gigante
Healing Jodonas Facebook + Instagram + Email
Melissa's Instagram
Dorian's Instagram
Monday Feb 24, 2020
Monday Feb 24, 2020
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 were there to deliver over $30,000 in earthquake relief aid raised through the Puerto Rican Agenda’s 3R’s Campaign. To be brought up to speed, here's the link to the previous presser announcing the reactivation of the campaign.
To donate to the 3Rs Campaign, visit puertoricanchicago.org.
Host: Joshua Smyser-DeLeon, Twitter @jsdeleon
Site: paseomedia.org
Facebook & Twitter: @paseopodcast
Sounds: MEINL Percussion
Thursday Feb 20, 2020
Thursday Feb 20, 2020
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 Smyser-DeLeon, Twitter @jsdeleon
Site: paseomedia.org
Facebook & Twitter: @paseopodcast
Sounds: Notification Sounds + Flor Meléndez Ramos + Adobe + Sabado Gigante
Trans Chicago's Instagram + Facebook
Sabrina's Twitter + Instagram + Blog
Shop La Maestra Website + Facebook + Instagram
Puerto Rican Festival Chicago's Website + Facebook + Instagram
Previous Paseo Podcast Episodes with Sabrina Alicea: Episode 19
Monday Feb 17, 2020
Monday Feb 17, 2020
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 Ark reference.
Host: Joshua Smyser-DeLeon, Twitter @jsdeleon
Site: paseomedia.org
Facebook & Twitter: @paseopodcast
Sounds: MEINL Percussion
Cook County Assessor Website + Facebook + Twitter + Instagram