1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,840 Speaker 1: It is not easy. It was not easy, Maria, because 2 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:05,320 Speaker 1: I am a shy person. Even though I work on TV, 3 00:00:05,440 --> 00:00:07,240 Speaker 1: people think like when you work on. 4 00:00:07,240 --> 00:00:10,080 Speaker 2: TV, you are like extroverted. 5 00:00:10,520 --> 00:00:12,800 Speaker 1: It is so hard for me to speak about my 6 00:00:12,880 --> 00:00:16,600 Speaker 1: personal life, to speak in front of people. I admit it. 7 00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:22,160 Speaker 1: I am shy. It was a long, long, long journey 8 00:00:22,280 --> 00:00:26,720 Speaker 1: to find my voice in a way to speak where 9 00:00:26,760 --> 00:00:31,720 Speaker 1: I could tell my truth, tell this truth and tell 10 00:00:31,760 --> 00:00:34,400 Speaker 1: people that even though you see me today on TV, 11 00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:37,920 Speaker 1: things happened and it was hard for me. Castings were 12 00:00:37,920 --> 00:00:40,639 Speaker 1: denied because of the color of my skin, because they 13 00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:43,920 Speaker 1: never thought I could feed in the screens in Colombia, 14 00:00:44,240 --> 00:00:48,320 Speaker 1: and they never thought a black person could anchor a 15 00:00:48,479 --> 00:00:50,640 Speaker 1: main news show in prime time. 16 00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:59,000 Speaker 3: But she would achieve just that from Futuro media. 17 00:00:59,120 --> 00:01:02,200 Speaker 4: It's left you know us say, I'm Mariao Hosa today. 18 00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:06,640 Speaker 4: A conversation with Iliac Calderon, the first ever Afro Latina 19 00:01:06,720 --> 00:01:20,600 Speaker 4: to anchor a national newscast in the United States. After 20 00:01:20,680 --> 00:01:25,119 Speaker 4: a life facing racism up close and personal, from her 21 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:29,000 Speaker 4: childhood in her native Columbia to her rising career in 22 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:33,039 Speaker 4: the United States, Iliac Calderon recently published her first book, 23 00:01:33,440 --> 00:01:39,360 Speaker 4: My Time to Speak reclaiming ancestry and confronting race. Despite 24 00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:43,360 Speaker 4: or because of, growing up in a coastal town in 25 00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:47,520 Speaker 4: Colombia with limited resources and a river between her home 26 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:50,960 Speaker 4: and her school, Ilia learned from a very early age 27 00:01:51,000 --> 00:01:56,120 Speaker 4: to confront both physical and invisible obstacles. Ilia would go 28 00:01:56,240 --> 00:01:59,200 Speaker 4: on to complete her higher education and then became an 29 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:02,880 Speaker 4: anchor at an national news network in Colombia before joining 30 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:07,720 Speaker 4: Loticierro Telemundo in Miami. She then jumps shipped to Univision, 31 00:02:08,040 --> 00:02:10,920 Speaker 4: where since late twenty seventeen, she co anchors, along with 32 00:02:10,960 --> 00:02:16,920 Speaker 4: Horgramo's Loticierro Univision, the flagship newscast of the main Spanish 33 00:02:17,040 --> 00:02:20,360 Speaker 4: language network in the United States. It's a feat she 34 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:24,480 Speaker 4: achieved only three years ago after a steep climb in 35 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:27,240 Speaker 4: which she had to deal with the racism ingrained among 36 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:31,800 Speaker 4: Latinos and Latinas and their acceptance of her, but she 37 00:02:31,919 --> 00:02:35,040 Speaker 4: also had to deal with the racism of white people. 38 00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:39,640 Speaker 4: Here's Ilia in a twenty eighteen interview with the leader 39 00:02:39,720 --> 00:02:43,160 Speaker 4: of the ku klutz Klan for Aki Illaurra, which is 40 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:47,040 Speaker 4: another Univision show that she co hosts. The other female 41 00:02:47,160 --> 00:02:50,280 Speaker 4: voice and laughter that you'll hear in the background is 42 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:53,400 Speaker 4: the clan leader's wife. 43 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:56,919 Speaker 5: And I do understand that I'm probably the first black 44 00:02:56,960 --> 00:02:59,880 Speaker 5: person immigrant here in your property familiar. 45 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:03,000 Speaker 6: That I found that. 46 00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:05,880 Speaker 5: I found that offensive, and I don't think you need 47 00:03:05,919 --> 00:03:09,240 Speaker 5: to go that because my skin color doesn't define me. 48 00:03:14,320 --> 00:03:18,720 Speaker 4: Ilia Calderon, Welcome to Latino, USA. Congratulations on your position, 49 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:21,000 Speaker 4: it's a little late, and congratulations on your book. 50 00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:22,000 Speaker 2: Thank you so much. 51 00:03:22,040 --> 00:03:25,440 Speaker 1: I'm so happy with the book, and you know, finally 52 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:27,880 Speaker 1: open up a little bit about my life. 53 00:03:28,400 --> 00:03:32,040 Speaker 4: Going back to your little town, which is called It's Mina. 54 00:03:32,680 --> 00:03:34,160 Speaker 2: It's Mina, yes, correct. 55 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:36,200 Speaker 4: You know, when I was reading your book, I had 56 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:39,400 Speaker 4: a sense of where this place might be and what 57 00:03:39,520 --> 00:03:43,560 Speaker 4: it might look like. But when you really see it, 58 00:03:43,560 --> 00:03:47,880 Speaker 4: it's like, yiehleh. This little town is far far, far, far, 59 00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:51,440 Speaker 4: far far far away from just about everything. Did you 60 00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:53,800 Speaker 4: feel when you were a little girl on the coast 61 00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:56,560 Speaker 4: in this little town in Colombia? Did you feel like 62 00:03:56,640 --> 00:03:59,000 Speaker 4: you were far away from everything? Or did you feel 63 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:02,080 Speaker 4: like you were at the center of this kind of 64 00:04:02,120 --> 00:04:03,920 Speaker 4: amazing life in your Barbrito. 65 00:04:05,160 --> 00:04:09,040 Speaker 1: I know that was like our little paradise. We were 66 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:13,760 Speaker 1: so happy despite all the odds. We're talking about the 67 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:16,440 Speaker 1: you know, the seventies, and we didn't have electricity. 68 00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:18,240 Speaker 2: We lack off a lot of. 69 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:24,120 Speaker 1: Things, predominantly black, abandoned by the governments, robbed by the 70 00:04:24,279 --> 00:04:25,840 Speaker 1: local politicians. 71 00:04:26,240 --> 00:04:29,200 Speaker 2: But we were happy, or at least. 72 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:32,719 Speaker 1: We thought we were happy with the little that we had. 73 00:04:33,320 --> 00:04:36,400 Speaker 1: We didn't miss anything that we didn't know at that age. 74 00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:42,000 Speaker 4: But Ilia, oh yeah, may I wow. Like you had 75 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:45,760 Speaker 4: to get on a little boat every morning to cross 76 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:48,520 Speaker 4: the river to get to school, like that was for real, 77 00:04:48,760 --> 00:04:51,960 Speaker 4: Like you had to there was no bridge connecting your 78 00:04:52,080 --> 00:04:54,599 Speaker 4: side of the town to the other side of the town. 79 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:57,880 Speaker 2: Correct until later on, we didn't have a bridge. 80 00:04:57,920 --> 00:05:01,040 Speaker 1: So we used to go by groups, all the girls 81 00:05:01,080 --> 00:05:04,719 Speaker 1: to school, walk miles and then. 82 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:08,280 Speaker 2: Go to the other side of the river and a little. 83 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:12,920 Speaker 1: Boat and walk a little bit more on rocks, very 84 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:18,560 Speaker 1: very hot, very humid sometimes the river Estara Crecido and 85 00:05:18,800 --> 00:05:23,320 Speaker 1: we couldn't attend school. But yeah, you know, doing whatever 86 00:05:23,400 --> 00:05:26,080 Speaker 1: we had to do just to go to school. It 87 00:05:26,200 --> 00:05:30,560 Speaker 1: was so important for us to have our education. 88 00:05:31,440 --> 00:05:33,680 Speaker 4: Was it in your head already that you were going 89 00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:36,560 Speaker 4: to go to university? Was that already part of what 90 00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:38,640 Speaker 4: you're what you knew was going to happen in your life. 91 00:05:39,080 --> 00:05:42,039 Speaker 2: That was our goal, like for everybody. 92 00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:45,839 Speaker 1: I remember my mom telling us, like, before you know, 93 00:05:45,960 --> 00:05:50,880 Speaker 1: having a boyfriend, or getting married or bringing niar desito, 94 00:05:51,120 --> 00:05:54,800 Speaker 1: you have to bring a diploma first. My mother she 95 00:05:54,880 --> 00:05:58,120 Speaker 1: started working as a teacher before she got married, like 96 00:05:58,160 --> 00:06:02,520 Speaker 1: without going to college. When she was pregnant with me, 97 00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:07,480 Speaker 1: her mother and her sister died on a plane crash, 98 00:06:08,839 --> 00:06:13,679 Speaker 1: and my mom started working with my grandfather, her father, 99 00:06:14,080 --> 00:06:18,279 Speaker 1: to give you know, education to all the siblings. So 100 00:06:18,520 --> 00:06:23,640 Speaker 1: until the last one, Alexis, graduated from the school of engineer. 101 00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:27,560 Speaker 1: My mom didn't start her college and she went to 102 00:06:27,600 --> 00:06:32,000 Speaker 1: study Spanish, and when she graduated, I was on my 103 00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:36,400 Speaker 1: high school already. She was so determined and that was 104 00:06:36,839 --> 00:06:39,000 Speaker 1: one of the goals that we had in our house. 105 00:06:40,200 --> 00:06:42,799 Speaker 4: So Ilia, I wonder if you could paint a picture 106 00:06:42,839 --> 00:06:46,880 Speaker 4: of your town in Colombia. You say it was predominantly black, 107 00:06:47,320 --> 00:06:49,920 Speaker 4: and you know, I'm wondering what it was like to 108 00:06:49,960 --> 00:06:53,800 Speaker 4: grow up in an environment where you actually didn't experience 109 00:06:53,839 --> 00:06:56,880 Speaker 4: as much racism as you might have if you had 110 00:06:56,880 --> 00:07:00,120 Speaker 4: been living, for example, in Bogota or someplace else in 111 00:07:00,160 --> 00:07:02,080 Speaker 4: Latin America or even in the United States. 112 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:06,920 Speaker 1: Yes, we were all black. I call it my black paradise. 113 00:07:08,000 --> 00:07:14,040 Speaker 1: And we had some white friends and white families, but. 114 00:07:14,280 --> 00:07:17,119 Speaker 2: It didn't matter for us. We were all the same. 115 00:07:17,440 --> 00:07:20,480 Speaker 1: I remain friends with, you know, with my white friends, 116 00:07:20,720 --> 00:07:24,800 Speaker 1: and they belonged to the culture they call themselves, like 117 00:07:24,960 --> 00:07:27,840 Speaker 1: when they refer to us as all of us blacks. 118 00:07:28,720 --> 00:07:31,800 Speaker 2: So it's beyond the skin color. 119 00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:35,880 Speaker 1: Is the culture, you know, who you grow up with, 120 00:07:36,280 --> 00:07:40,960 Speaker 1: and how do you assimilate in the black culture they 121 00:07:41,120 --> 00:07:45,280 Speaker 1: feel when we talk about we were abandoned by the government. 122 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:50,040 Speaker 1: My white friends too, it's like we are all Taquanos, 123 00:07:50,480 --> 00:07:52,040 Speaker 1: we are all it's minennios. 124 00:07:52,680 --> 00:07:55,840 Speaker 2: And when they do this, they do it to all 125 00:07:55,880 --> 00:07:56,520 Speaker 2: of us. 126 00:07:57,040 --> 00:08:01,960 Speaker 4: So your mom, when she talks about you, she actually 127 00:08:02,000 --> 00:08:08,600 Speaker 4: says she calls you negata negata in Spanish black And 128 00:08:08,640 --> 00:08:11,120 Speaker 4: what was the term that you used for yourself and 129 00:08:11,840 --> 00:08:14,320 Speaker 4: was it a term that felt good, that felt right? 130 00:08:15,240 --> 00:08:19,080 Speaker 1: We call ourselves negatives. We are negatives, and we are 131 00:08:19,160 --> 00:08:23,400 Speaker 1: proud to be negatives. That means black. That doesn't mean 132 00:08:24,120 --> 00:08:28,840 Speaker 1: the end word. I think it just depends on how 133 00:08:28,920 --> 00:08:33,840 Speaker 1: comfortable you feel with I feel absolutely comfortable calling myself 134 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:39,960 Speaker 1: black negata. I feel comfortable calling myself Afro Latina or 135 00:08:40,440 --> 00:08:41,520 Speaker 1: African descendants. 136 00:08:42,040 --> 00:08:44,319 Speaker 2: And I don't have any preference. 137 00:08:45,120 --> 00:08:48,440 Speaker 4: I want to stay on the issue of race. So 138 00:08:48,679 --> 00:08:52,600 Speaker 4: at what point do you remember just saying okay, wait, 139 00:08:52,640 --> 00:08:55,440 Speaker 4: wait a second. So I'm Negata and I love this, 140 00:08:55,600 --> 00:09:00,320 Speaker 4: It's all good, but now somebody just insulted me. Do 141 00:09:00,360 --> 00:09:02,600 Speaker 4: you remember the first time when you kind of became 142 00:09:02,640 --> 00:09:05,960 Speaker 4: conscious of this other thing which is no, wait what? 143 00:09:06,400 --> 00:09:07,760 Speaker 4: And can you tell us that story? 144 00:09:08,240 --> 00:09:12,520 Speaker 1: As I told you, we in Chokol, we of course 145 00:09:12,520 --> 00:09:15,600 Speaker 1: we see the differences in the tone of the skin, 146 00:09:16,200 --> 00:09:18,240 Speaker 1: but they were not important for us. 147 00:09:18,320 --> 00:09:19,439 Speaker 2: We were all friends. 148 00:09:20,160 --> 00:09:22,240 Speaker 1: And when I moved to Melijin when I was ten 149 00:09:22,360 --> 00:09:25,000 Speaker 1: years old, between ten and eleven, I moved to a 150 00:09:25,120 --> 00:09:30,080 Speaker 1: Catholic school, all girls, and I was the only black. 151 00:09:30,600 --> 00:09:34,680 Speaker 1: And one day when we were forming for assembly in 152 00:09:34,720 --> 00:09:38,880 Speaker 1: the morning where you pray and pledge of allegiance, I 153 00:09:38,960 --> 00:09:44,240 Speaker 1: was passing by to my spot and one of the 154 00:09:44,559 --> 00:09:49,400 Speaker 1: older girls says, Negron Mika Baju black, not even my horse, 155 00:09:49,760 --> 00:09:53,760 Speaker 1: and she backed up as if, you know, like as 156 00:09:53,760 --> 00:09:56,480 Speaker 1: if I was going to taught her and harm her 157 00:09:56,679 --> 00:10:01,360 Speaker 1: or you know. It was weird, and I I felt 158 00:10:02,520 --> 00:10:06,600 Speaker 1: so many things at that moment, I felt alone. I 159 00:10:06,760 --> 00:10:21,480 Speaker 1: felt abandoned, I felt offended, furious, frustrated, like no one 160 00:10:22,120 --> 00:10:24,760 Speaker 1: said anything, not a friend. I didn't have any friends. 161 00:10:24,800 --> 00:10:28,000 Speaker 1: I was just, you know, just the new girl. No 162 00:10:28,040 --> 00:10:32,400 Speaker 1: one said anything to defend me. No one grabbed my 163 00:10:32,480 --> 00:10:36,560 Speaker 1: hand and said it's okay, don't worry. It was a 164 00:10:36,600 --> 00:10:42,320 Speaker 1: weird and strange moment for you know, a ten eleven 165 00:10:42,440 --> 00:10:43,360 Speaker 1: year old girl. 166 00:10:44,600 --> 00:10:47,920 Speaker 4: Did you like, come home and tell Liam and Mama 167 00:10:48,080 --> 00:10:50,720 Speaker 4: look at what happened. Did it end up actually leaving 168 00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:52,760 Speaker 4: that kind of impression on you? 169 00:10:53,520 --> 00:10:56,400 Speaker 2: It hurt me so deep that I decided just you know, 170 00:10:56,600 --> 00:10:59,280 Speaker 2: to Terre Terre. 171 00:10:59,520 --> 00:11:02,320 Speaker 1: I didn't on my mom. I was thinking, like, Okay, 172 00:11:02,400 --> 00:11:05,040 Speaker 1: my mom is doing a lot of sacrifice with my 173 00:11:05,160 --> 00:11:06,800 Speaker 1: grandfather to pay. 174 00:11:06,559 --> 00:11:08,120 Speaker 2: For this school to keep me here. 175 00:11:08,600 --> 00:11:11,960 Speaker 1: They are, you know, working so hard to keep me here, 176 00:11:12,040 --> 00:11:15,800 Speaker 1: and I'm not going to, you know, let this moment 177 00:11:16,320 --> 00:11:19,840 Speaker 1: get in my way of becoming a professional. And I 178 00:11:19,880 --> 00:11:23,480 Speaker 1: am not giving that girl or any other one that 179 00:11:23,600 --> 00:11:27,720 Speaker 1: looked different at me, or or or said something racist 180 00:11:27,720 --> 00:11:30,600 Speaker 1: to me getting my way. And I'm not going to 181 00:11:30,640 --> 00:11:33,079 Speaker 1: give them the benefit of making me feel bad. I 182 00:11:33,480 --> 00:11:35,840 Speaker 1: just said, like, I'm just gonna keep going I'm gonna 183 00:11:35,920 --> 00:11:36,280 Speaker 1: keep going. 184 00:11:36,320 --> 00:11:37,400 Speaker 2: I'm going to pretend that. 185 00:11:37,360 --> 00:11:40,800 Speaker 1: Didn't happen, and if it happens again, I'm just, you know, 186 00:11:40,920 --> 00:11:42,960 Speaker 1: going to put it away and I'm gonna keep going. 187 00:11:43,200 --> 00:11:47,120 Speaker 1: And that's what I exactly did until a few years 188 00:11:47,120 --> 00:11:53,760 Speaker 1: ago that I started realizing that, you know, that happens 189 00:11:53,800 --> 00:11:56,719 Speaker 1: to a lot of people, even in this country. I 190 00:11:56,760 --> 00:11:59,920 Speaker 1: am a mother, and then my my daughter Anna was 191 00:12:00,120 --> 00:12:01,840 Speaker 1: going to face the same situation. 192 00:12:02,440 --> 00:12:06,120 Speaker 2: So I decided to, you know, to try. 193 00:12:05,920 --> 00:12:08,640 Speaker 1: To find my way, to start doing something, speaking up, 194 00:12:08,920 --> 00:12:10,080 Speaker 1: trying to find my voice. 195 00:12:16,200 --> 00:12:16,800 Speaker 3: Coming up on. 196 00:12:16,800 --> 00:12:20,640 Speaker 4: Latino USA, Ilia tells us about how she's trying to 197 00:12:20,800 --> 00:12:24,559 Speaker 4: educate the Latino community about racism from her prominent position 198 00:12:24,720 --> 00:12:28,280 Speaker 4: at the anchor desk, but also in her role as 199 00:12:28,320 --> 00:13:38,720 Speaker 4: a mother of a multicultural, multi racial child. Stay with us, notes, Hey, 200 00:13:38,920 --> 00:13:43,680 Speaker 4: we're back before the break. Ilia Calderon, the first Afro 201 00:13:43,800 --> 00:13:47,280 Speaker 4: Latina anchor of a national newscast in the United States, 202 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:52,000 Speaker 4: shared with me about her childhood in Colombia and the 203 00:13:52,040 --> 00:13:56,120 Speaker 4: importance of education, as well as her first experience with racism. 204 00:13:56,760 --> 00:13:59,880 Speaker 4: We're going to get back to the conversation now. 205 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:01,280 Speaker 3: Worked incredibly hard. 206 00:14:01,320 --> 00:14:05,520 Speaker 4: You took every opportunity starting from the small local television 207 00:14:05,559 --> 00:14:08,440 Speaker 4: station in midde yin one of my favorite cities in 208 00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:12,040 Speaker 4: the world, and then being set to anchor the evening 209 00:14:12,120 --> 00:14:12,679 Speaker 4: news on. 210 00:14:12,720 --> 00:14:14,640 Speaker 3: Univision with Ramos. 211 00:14:15,400 --> 00:14:19,280 Speaker 4: It was a huge move for anybody who watches Spanish 212 00:14:19,360 --> 00:14:23,760 Speaker 4: language Univision and to be the first Afro Latina anchor. 213 00:14:23,880 --> 00:14:28,800 Speaker 4: So as you say, noise, facil none of it. You 214 00:14:28,880 --> 00:14:31,840 Speaker 4: make it look easy, but that's because you're professional. 215 00:14:32,600 --> 00:14:36,320 Speaker 1: So as harf when you are a minority within a minority, 216 00:14:36,640 --> 00:14:41,480 Speaker 1: when you work for the Hispanic community, but inside that 217 00:14:41,600 --> 00:14:47,000 Speaker 1: Hispanic community is a black Hispanic community that is not visible, 218 00:14:47,560 --> 00:14:50,760 Speaker 1: and then you represent them, but some people don't think 219 00:14:50,760 --> 00:14:57,160 Speaker 1: you represent the Hispanic community. My biggest challenges is to 220 00:14:57,200 --> 00:15:03,840 Speaker 1: make our audience in our people understand that there is 221 00:15:03,960 --> 00:15:06,800 Speaker 1: racism and we need to address it. 222 00:15:07,200 --> 00:15:09,680 Speaker 2: We need to talk about it in our houses. 223 00:15:10,280 --> 00:15:13,920 Speaker 1: We need to call it by its name, is racism, 224 00:15:14,640 --> 00:15:19,960 Speaker 1: and try to be better and try to educate our kids. 225 00:15:20,360 --> 00:15:24,000 Speaker 1: When are we going to stop this? When are we 226 00:15:24,120 --> 00:15:30,520 Speaker 1: going to accept and admit and start changing it. Also, 227 00:15:30,880 --> 00:15:34,640 Speaker 1: when all this, the marches and the movement of Black 228 00:15:34,720 --> 00:15:40,680 Speaker 1: Lives Matter, from some messages that I receive that sense 229 00:15:40,880 --> 00:15:45,080 Speaker 1: of you know we are different and we don't want 230 00:15:45,080 --> 00:15:46,840 Speaker 1: to be together with the black community. 231 00:15:47,840 --> 00:15:49,120 Speaker 2: It's just for us. 232 00:15:49,080 --> 00:15:53,200 Speaker 1: To know that when we fight for civil rights, we 233 00:15:53,240 --> 00:15:57,520 Speaker 1: are fighting for human rights and the civil rights movement 234 00:15:57,560 --> 00:15:58,320 Speaker 1: in the sixties. 235 00:15:59,840 --> 00:16:01,640 Speaker 2: I don't want to say that we. 236 00:16:01,600 --> 00:16:06,680 Speaker 1: Owe them anything, but we definitely benefit from it. Maria, 237 00:16:07,920 --> 00:16:11,760 Speaker 1: how without movement, I don't think it was going to 238 00:16:11,800 --> 00:16:14,240 Speaker 1: be easier for an immigrant family to send their kids 239 00:16:14,280 --> 00:16:14,760 Speaker 1: to school. 240 00:16:14,960 --> 00:16:17,520 Speaker 2: It was going to be harder for us send. 241 00:16:17,360 --> 00:16:20,040 Speaker 1: Them to school, take a public boss, go to a 242 00:16:20,040 --> 00:16:20,880 Speaker 1: public library. 243 00:16:21,760 --> 00:16:23,720 Speaker 2: That is something that we benefit from. 244 00:16:23,760 --> 00:16:26,960 Speaker 1: So we need to go back and fight for the 245 00:16:27,040 --> 00:16:32,080 Speaker 1: rights of you know, the group of people that is 246 00:16:32,200 --> 00:16:35,200 Speaker 1: being I don't want to call it victim, but you know, 247 00:16:35,880 --> 00:16:40,960 Speaker 1: affected by institutional racism, and just you know, do it 248 00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:44,520 Speaker 1: together because what it comes out of that fight is 249 00:16:45,040 --> 00:16:47,040 Speaker 1: going to be a better society. 250 00:16:47,160 --> 00:16:50,360 Speaker 2: We need to fight for the rights, for civil rights 251 00:16:50,360 --> 00:16:51,800 Speaker 2: for everybody. 252 00:16:51,880 --> 00:16:55,680 Speaker 1: And I don't like to see both communities where I 253 00:16:55,800 --> 00:16:58,600 Speaker 1: belong to because I am Black by race and I 254 00:16:58,640 --> 00:17:03,640 Speaker 1: am Hispanic by city. I would love to see both 255 00:17:03,640 --> 00:17:10,800 Speaker 1: communities united. I would love to see more empathy from 256 00:17:10,840 --> 00:17:15,359 Speaker 1: both sides. So you know, this is part of why 257 00:17:15,400 --> 00:17:19,800 Speaker 1: I'm speaking up and talking about the situation and what 258 00:17:19,920 --> 00:17:22,359 Speaker 1: happened to me, what I had to face, and my 259 00:17:22,480 --> 00:17:26,760 Speaker 1: identity and the struggles that I have because when we 260 00:17:26,760 --> 00:17:30,320 Speaker 1: were for Latin for Hispanic channels, we serve a community, 261 00:17:30,520 --> 00:17:32,000 Speaker 1: which is the Hispanic community. 262 00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:33,800 Speaker 2: But we can't forget that. 263 00:17:33,920 --> 00:17:40,960 Speaker 1: One out of four Hispanics admit having African roots, one 264 00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:42,959 Speaker 1: out of four according to Pew research. 265 00:17:43,920 --> 00:17:48,320 Speaker 4: And that leads me to the question of actually your 266 00:17:48,400 --> 00:17:52,159 Speaker 4: visibility and your role as a journalist, because as you 267 00:17:52,200 --> 00:17:55,160 Speaker 4: brought up, you know, recently, this country is going through 268 00:17:55,200 --> 00:17:58,800 Speaker 4: a moment. I actually lived through the Civil rights era 269 00:17:58,880 --> 00:18:02,400 Speaker 4: in the late nineteen sixties and early seventies. I saw 270 00:18:02,400 --> 00:18:05,439 Speaker 4: what it looked like and felt like. But this is 271 00:18:05,480 --> 00:18:08,479 Speaker 4: a moment that we're living through as journalists, as women, 272 00:18:08,760 --> 00:18:12,520 Speaker 4: as Latinas, and you as an Afro Latina. There was 273 00:18:12,760 --> 00:18:15,399 Speaker 4: during a time of the heightened protests in the Movement 274 00:18:15,400 --> 00:18:20,080 Speaker 4: for Black Lives, Unibision was criticized for the way that 275 00:18:20,119 --> 00:18:23,639 Speaker 4: the network had framed the protests. There was, you know, 276 00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:28,439 Speaker 4: an online petition that was actually demanding both Unibision and 277 00:18:28,480 --> 00:18:34,960 Speaker 4: Telemundo to do more in terms of centering showing talking 278 00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:39,639 Speaker 4: to black voices pushing back against anti black stereotypes that 279 00:18:39,680 --> 00:18:43,040 Speaker 4: are deep in the Latino and Latin American community. So 280 00:18:43,240 --> 00:18:45,040 Speaker 4: can you tell us a little bit about what that 281 00:18:45,240 --> 00:18:47,320 Speaker 4: was like because you are you too are kind of 282 00:18:47,359 --> 00:18:50,520 Speaker 4: in this moment, So what was that like in terms 283 00:18:50,520 --> 00:18:53,840 Speaker 4: of those conversations inside the network because you do whield 284 00:18:53,920 --> 00:18:56,199 Speaker 4: power now you are the evening news anchor, and was 285 00:18:56,240 --> 00:18:57,840 Speaker 4: that a challenge for you too. 286 00:18:58,520 --> 00:19:00,679 Speaker 2: Yes, yes it was. 287 00:19:01,160 --> 00:19:04,840 Speaker 1: But when that happened, I remember calling my boss and 288 00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:09,679 Speaker 1: because I heard something on our channel in Miami, and 289 00:19:09,720 --> 00:19:12,280 Speaker 1: I remember calling him and he was totally aware and 290 00:19:13,040 --> 00:19:17,119 Speaker 1: in charge and calling everybody to make sure that we 291 00:19:17,400 --> 00:19:22,480 Speaker 1: started explaining contexts. The very next day, we had a 292 00:19:22,520 --> 00:19:27,320 Speaker 1: special on aki Yaora on what happened and the injustice 293 00:19:27,400 --> 00:19:32,600 Speaker 1: that African Americans had faced and exposing and explaining to 294 00:19:32,680 --> 00:19:37,200 Speaker 1: people where it comes from, and all the cases, explaining 295 00:19:37,240 --> 00:19:42,520 Speaker 1: about ferguson what happened with Michael Brown, Breonna Taylor. We mentioned, 296 00:19:42,760 --> 00:19:44,960 Speaker 1: you know, all the cases that we have had in 297 00:19:45,040 --> 00:19:45,960 Speaker 1: the past decade. 298 00:19:46,240 --> 00:19:52,960 Speaker 5: Marta de George Floyd Viso polic those media to say 299 00:19:53,040 --> 00:19:56,000 Speaker 5: is melt. 300 00:19:56,160 --> 00:19:59,920 Speaker 1: And explaining to people, to our people, trying to educate 301 00:20:00,119 --> 00:20:05,720 Speaker 1: our people on the real problem, and I'm going to 302 00:20:05,800 --> 00:20:10,119 Speaker 1: tell you something about and I'm talking for Univision, not 303 00:20:10,160 --> 00:20:13,200 Speaker 1: for the other channel, because I work for Nivision. When 304 00:20:13,280 --> 00:20:18,159 Speaker 1: we had that moment in the marches, every time I 305 00:20:18,320 --> 00:20:22,280 Speaker 1: said I think we need to go with the transmission 306 00:20:22,480 --> 00:20:27,640 Speaker 1: of George Floyd's funeral. I think we need another special 307 00:20:27,840 --> 00:20:32,960 Speaker 1: explaining or another hour doing this, they never said no. 308 00:20:33,280 --> 00:20:37,159 Speaker 1: And we are not a twenty four hour news channel. 309 00:20:37,520 --> 00:20:41,159 Speaker 1: We have programming, we have novelas, and we have entertainment, 310 00:20:41,920 --> 00:20:44,840 Speaker 1: and everybody was on board and they were very open 311 00:20:45,680 --> 00:20:51,560 Speaker 1: to educate our audience about this issue. From then, Univision 312 00:20:51,720 --> 00:20:58,720 Speaker 1: created a taskforce addressing the situation inside our company. The 313 00:20:58,840 --> 00:21:03,400 Speaker 1: CEO sent us a communication talking about how and what 314 00:21:03,440 --> 00:21:08,320 Speaker 1: are the plans for the company to open spaces for 315 00:21:08,480 --> 00:21:12,840 Speaker 1: AFRA Latinos. So I think for me what matters is 316 00:21:12,880 --> 00:21:18,960 Speaker 1: that my company learned from a mistake and it's trying 317 00:21:19,000 --> 00:21:19,679 Speaker 1: to do better. 318 00:21:20,119 --> 00:21:23,600 Speaker 4: If you're not Latino, you may not know this, you know, 319 00:21:23,720 --> 00:21:26,480 Speaker 4: I mean, particularly now in this moment in history, we 320 00:21:26,560 --> 00:21:30,080 Speaker 4: are painted with such a broad brush, right, all Latinos, 321 00:21:30,200 --> 00:21:32,439 Speaker 4: we're all Mexican, We're all this, And it's like, no, 322 00:21:32,520 --> 00:21:36,720 Speaker 4: we're not. We're very different and distinct, and there is 323 00:21:36,840 --> 00:21:42,399 Speaker 4: this deep anti black experience in Latin America. So the 324 00:21:42,480 --> 00:21:47,080 Speaker 4: fact that you're in this very prominent position Idia in 325 00:21:47,160 --> 00:21:50,520 Speaker 4: a news network, and clearly you are using your voice. 326 00:21:50,840 --> 00:21:54,640 Speaker 4: So what if you could, if you were the boss, 327 00:21:55,359 --> 00:21:56,000 Speaker 4: what would you do? 328 00:21:56,160 --> 00:21:56,240 Speaker 5: Like? 329 00:21:56,320 --> 00:21:58,639 Speaker 4: What are some of the things that you actually say? Savskay. 330 00:21:58,760 --> 00:22:00,600 Speaker 4: We need to do this, We need to have more 331 00:22:00,640 --> 00:22:03,080 Speaker 4: of this. What would that be in terms of the 332 00:22:03,119 --> 00:22:03,960 Speaker 4: issue of race. 333 00:22:04,840 --> 00:22:07,320 Speaker 1: I think one of the biggest challenges that we have, Maria, 334 00:22:07,520 --> 00:22:10,960 Speaker 1: is that our community needs to understand and to be 335 00:22:11,119 --> 00:22:15,640 Speaker 1: open to bring that topic to the table. Every time 336 00:22:15,680 --> 00:22:21,240 Speaker 1: I promoted a show talking about racism, I have backlash. 337 00:22:22,080 --> 00:22:25,399 Speaker 1: You are so stupid again with this topic. Again, you 338 00:22:25,480 --> 00:22:29,080 Speaker 1: are being so racist. What are you talking about? Look 339 00:22:29,080 --> 00:22:32,399 Speaker 1: where you are. You are in a great position. This 340 00:22:32,560 --> 00:22:36,040 Speaker 1: country gave you everything. What are you talking about? And 341 00:22:36,080 --> 00:22:39,200 Speaker 1: then people don't want some people don't just want to know, 342 00:22:39,760 --> 00:22:41,320 Speaker 1: don't want to accept that. 343 00:22:41,400 --> 00:22:43,720 Speaker 2: We need to educate ourselves. 344 00:22:44,040 --> 00:22:49,399 Speaker 1: So from there we have a big challenge in you know, 345 00:22:49,480 --> 00:22:50,960 Speaker 1: in educating our people. 346 00:22:51,200 --> 00:22:54,560 Speaker 2: We need to keep the topic on the table. 347 00:22:55,920 --> 00:22:59,840 Speaker 6: Expect the moment, give me a seconds in community, Okay, 348 00:23:00,160 --> 00:23:12,560 Speaker 6: Anna say Hia. 349 00:23:07,359 --> 00:23:10,160 Speaker 4: So your little girl, Anna just walked into the room, 350 00:23:10,800 --> 00:23:14,240 Speaker 4: and I it's adorable that we you know, everybody's working 351 00:23:14,240 --> 00:23:16,560 Speaker 4: from home, even though you're a network news anchor, you're 352 00:23:16,600 --> 00:23:18,879 Speaker 4: working from home right now. I want to talk a 353 00:23:18,920 --> 00:23:21,719 Speaker 4: little bit about your role as a mom. You are 354 00:23:21,800 --> 00:23:26,920 Speaker 4: raising a child who is Afro Latina Colombian from Florida. 355 00:23:27,200 --> 00:23:31,919 Speaker 4: She's also part Asian. Her dad, Eugene, your husband, is 356 00:23:31,960 --> 00:23:35,439 Speaker 4: Korean American. So I'm wondering the conversations that you have 357 00:23:35,560 --> 00:23:40,600 Speaker 4: with her about the issue of racism and and what 358 00:23:40,640 --> 00:23:43,280 Speaker 4: they look like at a moment when it's really in 359 00:23:43,320 --> 00:23:44,240 Speaker 4: front of our faces. 360 00:23:44,760 --> 00:23:49,800 Speaker 1: It's a conversation that no parents, you know, don't want 361 00:23:49,840 --> 00:23:53,520 Speaker 1: to have, but it's necessary to talk about it. She 362 00:23:53,680 --> 00:23:59,439 Speaker 1: feels proud of her roots. She feels proud of being black. 363 00:24:00,119 --> 00:24:03,520 Speaker 1: She calls herself black. That doesn't mean that she doesn't 364 00:24:03,560 --> 00:24:05,640 Speaker 1: identify with her Asian roots. 365 00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:09,320 Speaker 4: So we're doing this interview with you before the presidential 366 00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:12,160 Speaker 4: race has been decided. But there was a moment when 367 00:24:12,200 --> 00:24:17,560 Speaker 4: your daughter sees Kamala Harris as being officially nominated and 368 00:24:17,640 --> 00:24:21,840 Speaker 4: being presented as the vice presidential candidate along with Joe Biden, 369 00:24:22,160 --> 00:24:24,960 Speaker 4: and that was a real special moment for your daughter. 370 00:24:25,040 --> 00:24:25,720 Speaker 3: So what happened? 371 00:24:26,400 --> 00:24:31,359 Speaker 1: I worked late because of the announcement and I came 372 00:24:31,400 --> 00:24:33,600 Speaker 1: home and she says, like, what. 373 00:24:33,600 --> 00:24:35,119 Speaker 2: Happened, Mammy? Why are you late? 374 00:24:35,160 --> 00:24:37,359 Speaker 1: And said like, but we were making the announcement of 375 00:24:37,720 --> 00:24:40,880 Speaker 1: you know, Kamala Harris is running for a vice president 376 00:24:40,920 --> 00:24:44,320 Speaker 1: with Joe Biden. And she said like, oh, the one 377 00:24:44,359 --> 00:24:51,040 Speaker 1: that is like us, that is that was amazing, Maria, 378 00:24:51,200 --> 00:24:54,080 Speaker 1: representation matters. When everybody says like, oh, what are you 379 00:24:54,119 --> 00:24:55,760 Speaker 1: talking about? What it doesn't mean. 380 00:24:56,040 --> 00:25:00,400 Speaker 2: It means a lot because my girl, other girls. 381 00:25:00,640 --> 00:25:03,879 Speaker 1: I think that it is possible for them to to 382 00:25:04,400 --> 00:25:08,880 Speaker 1: you know, to be working in the White House one day, 383 00:25:10,040 --> 00:25:11,880 Speaker 1: or to have big dreams. 384 00:25:17,160 --> 00:25:19,680 Speaker 4: Well, Ilia Calderon, thank you so much for what you're 385 00:25:19,720 --> 00:25:22,480 Speaker 4: doing for all of that in the United States of America. 386 00:25:23,119 --> 00:25:26,000 Speaker 3: We really appreciate it. You are You're part of history. 387 00:25:25,720 --> 00:25:28,320 Speaker 4: In this country and and we know that and appreciate 388 00:25:28,359 --> 00:25:30,000 Speaker 4: you telling your story and joining me on let you 389 00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:34,640 Speaker 4: know USA, which is. 390 00:25:32,680 --> 00:25:37,320 Speaker 1: Maria, thank you so much for for this conversation. And 391 00:25:37,359 --> 00:25:39,919 Speaker 1: you know, I hope what I'm doing is going to 392 00:25:39,960 --> 00:25:42,760 Speaker 1: help to build a better word. And thank you and 393 00:25:42,840 --> 00:25:46,200 Speaker 1: other women like Madelena Salina and Rodriguez for paving the path, 394 00:25:46,320 --> 00:25:49,600 Speaker 1: because if it wasn't because of you, I probably wouldn't 395 00:25:49,600 --> 00:25:51,520 Speaker 1: be here today, So thank you. 396 00:26:10,480 --> 00:26:13,960 Speaker 4: This episode was produced by Emil Sequiros and Janis Jamoca 397 00:26:14,080 --> 00:26:17,840 Speaker 4: and edited by Andrea Lopez Crusado. The Latino USA team 398 00:26:17,880 --> 00:26:22,920 Speaker 4: includes Miel Masis, Julieta Martinelli, Alisa es Carce, Gini Montalbo 399 00:26:23,200 --> 00:26:27,000 Speaker 4: and Alejandra Salasad, with help from Marta Martinez. 400 00:26:26,520 --> 00:26:27,400 Speaker 3: And Raul Perees. 401 00:26:27,680 --> 00:26:31,400 Speaker 4: Our engineers are Stephanie Lebau, Julia Caruso and Lia Shaw, 402 00:26:31,680 --> 00:26:35,720 Speaker 4: with help from Alishiba YouTube. Our digital director is Luis Luna. 403 00:26:35,840 --> 00:26:39,000 Speaker 4: Our New York Women's Foundation Nick knight Fellow is Julia Rocha. 404 00:26:39,440 --> 00:26:43,200 Speaker 4: Our interns are Jimenel Serro and Gabriela Baez. Our theme 405 00:26:43,280 --> 00:26:46,080 Speaker 4: music was composed by Zenie Robinos. If you like the 406 00:26:46,160 --> 00:26:49,320 Speaker 4: music you heard on this episode, stop by Latinousa dot 407 00:26:49,480 --> 00:26:52,480 Speaker 4: org and check out our weekly Spotify playlist. I'm your 408 00:26:52,480 --> 00:26:55,959 Speaker 4: host and executive producer Maria Uposa. Join us again on 409 00:26:56,000 --> 00:26:58,800 Speaker 4: our next episode, and in the meantime, look for us 410 00:26:58,840 --> 00:26:59,920 Speaker 4: on all of your social media. 411 00:27:00,240 --> 00:27:04,320 Speaker 3: Hi, gospil Joe. 412 00:27:05,560 --> 00:27:09,720 Speaker 7: Latino USA is made possible in part by the Annie 413 00:27:10,080 --> 00:27:13,800 Speaker 7: Casey Foundation, creates a brighter future for the nation's children 414 00:27:14,040 --> 00:27:19,199 Speaker 7: by strengthening families, building greater economic opportunity, and transforming communities. 415 00:27:20,119 --> 00:27:24,520 Speaker 7: New York Women's Foundation. The New York Women's Foundation funding 416 00:27:24,560 --> 00:27:28,560 Speaker 7: women leaders that build solutions in their communities, and celebrating 417 00:27:28,640 --> 00:27:34,000 Speaker 7: thirty years of radical generosity and funding for Latino USA 418 00:27:34,080 --> 00:27:37,080 Speaker 7: is Coverage of a culture of Health is made possible 419 00:27:37,119 --> 00:27:40,000 Speaker 7: in part by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. 420 00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:47,439 Speaker 1: Before I knew what a ros coonandul is was, I 421 00:27:47,560 --> 00:27:48,880 Speaker 1: was singing a roscon. 422 00:27:51,760 --> 00:27:54,560 Speaker 8: I didn't know it was a ro because for us, 423 00:27:54,640 --> 00:27:56,960 Speaker 8: it's that roscom holies. 424 00:27:59,480 --> 00:28:00,560 Speaker 3: I'm might you know holsa. 425 00:28:00,680 --> 00:28:05,080 Speaker 4: Next time on Latino USA, we're gonna get real about pregnancy. 426 00:28:05,359 --> 00:28:06,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, I didn't like that. 427 00:28:06,400 --> 00:28:08,639 Speaker 8: I didn't like that my aunt asked me when's the 428 00:28:08,720 --> 00:28:11,680 Speaker 8: next child? And I had a miscarriage last week, right, 429 00:28:12,080 --> 00:28:14,119 Speaker 8: And the more that we say it out loud, the 430 00:28:14,119 --> 00:28:16,479 Speaker 8: more that people are I like to think, are going 431 00:28:16,560 --> 00:28:19,480 Speaker 8: to change, right, Like, maybe your aunt won't ask you 432 00:28:19,520 --> 00:28:19,920 Speaker 8: that again. 433 00:28:20,119 --> 00:28:22,119 Speaker 3: That's next time on Latino USA.