1 00:00:05,400 --> 00:00:08,480 Speaker 1: Welcome to more Anita, a deep dive into the Latin 2 00:00:08,720 --> 00:00:11,400 Speaker 1: X experience. With more Anita, we want to create a 3 00:00:11,440 --> 00:00:14,800 Speaker 1: community and a shared space with you while sharing knowledge 4 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:18,640 Speaker 1: and inspiration. This show is about celebrating our culture with 5 00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:23,840 Speaker 1: guests who exemplify the best of us. I'm Darrylene Castillo Vito. 6 00:00:28,880 --> 00:00:33,640 Speaker 1: Hey everyone. Coming up is my interview with Congressman Abriano Espayat. 7 00:00:34,000 --> 00:00:36,199 Speaker 1: We love that convo and we can't wait for you 8 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:38,760 Speaker 1: to hear it, but we wanted to do something a 9 00:00:38,800 --> 00:00:41,720 Speaker 1: little different to start the show today. It is Black 10 00:00:41,840 --> 00:00:45,000 Speaker 1: History Month and next week we have a conversation with 11 00:00:45,120 --> 00:00:48,520 Speaker 1: the Voice winner Javier go Along, followed by a podcast 12 00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:51,920 Speaker 1: team up with Broadway Plus on the two. So we 13 00:00:52,040 --> 00:00:54,520 Speaker 1: thought today was a perfect time to have a conversation 14 00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:56,960 Speaker 1: about Black History Month and what it means to me. 15 00:00:57,600 --> 00:00:59,560 Speaker 1: What we did was we turned on the mic and 16 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:02,680 Speaker 1: tapes of the conversations we've been having off air and 17 00:01:02,800 --> 00:01:05,440 Speaker 1: decided to share it with you. You'll hear one of 18 00:01:05,480 --> 00:01:08,840 Speaker 1: my favorite producers, Carlos and I discussing some issues, and 19 00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:11,560 Speaker 1: then we'll follow up with our conversation with the Congressman. 20 00:01:12,080 --> 00:01:19,480 Speaker 1: I hope you enjoy. Hey, Darrelen, how are you feeling today? 21 00:01:19,720 --> 00:01:24,560 Speaker 1: I am feeling great on this beautiful, beautiful Monday in Atlanta. 22 00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:29,640 Speaker 1: You are in Atlanta currently on a show. Yes, I 23 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:34,000 Speaker 1: am performing um in a show called dream House playing 24 00:01:34,040 --> 00:01:37,839 Speaker 1: at the Alliance Theater. Um. We're in our last week 25 00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:41,120 Speaker 1: of the run, which is crazy because a month and 26 00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:43,600 Speaker 1: a half has passed by, Like where does the time go? 27 00:01:43,959 --> 00:01:46,280 Speaker 1: It is insane. We're hoping to give the listeners an 28 00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:48,360 Speaker 1: opportunity to hear something a little bit different today. So, 29 00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:52,600 Speaker 1: without further ado, it's Black History Month. It is. I 30 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 1: feel like it's always Black History Month for me? Is 31 00:01:55,760 --> 00:01:59,600 Speaker 1: that right? It's Black History every day? It should be 32 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:01,960 Speaker 1: for everybody, but it doesn't. But we you know, we 33 00:02:02,040 --> 00:02:03,960 Speaker 1: only get the month. You know, we'll take a week 34 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:08,240 Speaker 1: and get So what does it feel? What does it 35 00:02:08,280 --> 00:02:10,160 Speaker 1: mean to you? What does Black History Month mean? Do 36 00:02:10,200 --> 00:02:12,520 Speaker 1: you you know that that look, that question is very 37 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:18,480 Speaker 1: loaded because growing up being Dominican, right and in my household, 38 00:02:19,040 --> 00:02:22,320 Speaker 1: I mean, it was never ignored that we were of color, 39 00:02:22,440 --> 00:02:24,360 Speaker 1: you know my I mean, I know you hear people 40 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:27,799 Speaker 1: always here like oh, Dominican and Puerto Ricans denied the 41 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:29,880 Speaker 1: blackness or this and that, like I didn't come from 42 00:02:29,919 --> 00:02:32,480 Speaker 1: that kind of family. I didn't come from that. I 43 00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:34,080 Speaker 1: don't I don't want to say family. I didn't come 44 00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:36,400 Speaker 1: from that kind of home. My mother and father, they 45 00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:40,200 Speaker 1: didn't build that kind of that kind of foundation in 46 00:02:40,240 --> 00:02:43,440 Speaker 1: the house. UM around my mother and my father, you 47 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:48,880 Speaker 1: know they were there was denial and there's denial of 48 00:02:49,040 --> 00:02:51,520 Speaker 1: their blackness. Um or even when I would say I 49 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:53,440 Speaker 1: was black, my grandma would be like, you're not black. 50 00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:56,600 Speaker 1: You know what a negada, you know, like you're not black, 51 00:02:57,280 --> 00:03:00,360 Speaker 1: and and and that's just the denial, you know, of 52 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:02,560 Speaker 1: the blackness where my skin is black. I mean, we 53 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:05,679 Speaker 1: can't deny that. You know. Maybe my grandmother can because 54 00:03:05,720 --> 00:03:10,560 Speaker 1: she's lighter complexion, a lot lighter and can pass UM. 55 00:03:10,600 --> 00:03:13,560 Speaker 1: But unfortunately I don't have that privilege, and neither did 56 00:03:13,639 --> 00:03:17,760 Speaker 1: my mother and neither did my father. So um, being 57 00:03:17,760 --> 00:03:22,080 Speaker 1: black was not a not an unknown thing. However, when 58 00:03:22,080 --> 00:03:26,080 Speaker 1: my mother remarried and UM to my stepfather, who is 59 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:29,480 Speaker 1: African American, blackness was like highlighted in my in my 60 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:33,800 Speaker 1: house even more, you know. So UM, I feel like 61 00:03:33,919 --> 00:03:36,680 Speaker 1: I had like the best worlds of growing up of 62 00:03:36,720 --> 00:03:40,480 Speaker 1: this awareness UM. And also I had somebody teach me 63 00:03:41,080 --> 00:03:43,480 Speaker 1: in my household, like the history of the history that 64 00:03:43,520 --> 00:03:47,040 Speaker 1: I'm a part of, you know. Um. And that's something 65 00:03:47,080 --> 00:03:50,040 Speaker 1: that has always stuck with me in my years of 66 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:53,480 Speaker 1: my adulthood. It's like I was able to have a 67 00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:56,960 Speaker 1: connection to my blackness and realize that I'm actually a 68 00:03:56,960 --> 00:03:59,920 Speaker 1: part of that. I'm not separate. My Latinida does not 69 00:04:00,120 --> 00:04:03,520 Speaker 1: make me completely separate, separated from that. Okay, So you 70 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:06,520 Speaker 1: said so much to unpack there when I really did. 71 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:09,280 Speaker 1: I'm so sorry that was a very long run on. No, 72 00:04:09,440 --> 00:04:12,880 Speaker 1: it's great, it's a podcast. We can just keep on taping. Um. Yes. 73 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:18,160 Speaker 1: So when you say your grandmother she would deny blackness, 74 00:04:19,880 --> 00:04:21,599 Speaker 1: where do you think that comes from? What's what's the 75 00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:23,000 Speaker 1: source of that? What do you think the source of 76 00:04:23,040 --> 00:04:28,080 Speaker 1: that is for as you said, for us Bodiquas and Dominicans, 77 00:04:28,200 --> 00:04:32,159 Speaker 1: And what is it that makes us want to deny 78 00:04:32,279 --> 00:04:36,200 Speaker 1: our blackness? Who should I go get some wine? Is 79 00:04:36,200 --> 00:04:39,919 Speaker 1: it too early for Is it too early for wine? No? Um? Uh, 80 00:04:39,920 --> 00:04:42,200 Speaker 1: I mean god, that's a deep rooted question too, because 81 00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:46,240 Speaker 1: there's so much that's that we can unpack there with 82 00:04:46,279 --> 00:04:51,680 Speaker 1: the historical context of everything. But okay, so it goes 83 00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:54,600 Speaker 1: along with so many things. It's like even with hair, 84 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:56,839 Speaker 1: and I might go a little off topic here, but 85 00:04:57,000 --> 00:04:59,680 Speaker 1: there is a great place to start. Absolutely, hair is 86 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:04,080 Speaker 1: a great place to start. I remember, like like clockwork, 87 00:05:04,120 --> 00:05:06,800 Speaker 1: it's like before I went to see my family, We're 88 00:05:06,839 --> 00:05:08,720 Speaker 1: going to the saloon. We're gonna straighten our hair, We're 89 00:05:08,720 --> 00:05:11,240 Speaker 1: gonna get our hair blow dried. And then the days that, 90 00:05:11,640 --> 00:05:13,360 Speaker 1: you know, my mom didn't have the time to blow 91 00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:15,760 Speaker 1: dry my hair and I would go with my pajon 92 00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:20,640 Speaker 1: with with the messy hair, right with the natural hair. 93 00:05:21,440 --> 00:05:27,320 Speaker 1: The minute I walked in my aunt grandma, everybody, oh, 94 00:05:27,400 --> 00:05:28,680 Speaker 1: we have to go to the theater dealand has to 95 00:05:28,680 --> 00:05:30,520 Speaker 1: go to the salon before we go to the family 96 00:05:30,520 --> 00:05:34,040 Speaker 1: event or this or that. It's like so there there 97 00:05:34,120 --> 00:05:41,520 Speaker 1: was always this erasing of the natural nous, of the identity, 98 00:05:41,720 --> 00:05:44,880 Speaker 1: you know, And and that's something that's stuck in my mind. 99 00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:47,880 Speaker 1: Um from a young age. I don't think, you know, 100 00:05:47,920 --> 00:05:52,000 Speaker 1: my mother, my father never that was never like a 101 00:05:52,040 --> 00:05:53,640 Speaker 1: focus for them. But like you know, when you go 102 00:05:53,839 --> 00:05:56,160 Speaker 1: to visit the you go to visit your ailla or 103 00:05:56,200 --> 00:05:58,480 Speaker 1: whatever that was, it was a big deal, you know. 104 00:05:59,480 --> 00:06:01,279 Speaker 1: And I remember we're feeling like a lot of shame, 105 00:06:02,080 --> 00:06:03,200 Speaker 1: you know, like when I would have come in with 106 00:06:03,240 --> 00:06:06,719 Speaker 1: my bah and and like or if my mom didn't 107 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:10,960 Speaker 1: do my hair before. I remember being like anxious about 108 00:06:11,600 --> 00:06:14,400 Speaker 1: even walking in with my hair like this, or my 109 00:06:14,480 --> 00:06:17,760 Speaker 1: hair in the natural state. Um. I mean, I just 110 00:06:17,800 --> 00:06:20,160 Speaker 1: think it goes so far back, so much farther than 111 00:06:20,160 --> 00:06:24,159 Speaker 1: we could even imagine that. It's it's just the culture 112 00:06:24,200 --> 00:06:27,720 Speaker 1: just wants to erase that part of us. And I 113 00:06:27,760 --> 00:06:33,520 Speaker 1: think that's just conditioned in past generations as a as 114 00:06:33,560 --> 00:06:36,760 Speaker 1: a natural way of thinking, you know, I mean to this, 115 00:06:36,839 --> 00:06:40,320 Speaker 1: to this day, I walk in with maybe I don't 116 00:06:40,360 --> 00:06:42,240 Speaker 1: get it as much as I used to because you know, 117 00:06:42,360 --> 00:06:45,000 Speaker 1: obviously now a lot of a lot more people are 118 00:06:45,040 --> 00:06:48,320 Speaker 1: embracing the natural nous. And I think that the older 119 00:06:48,360 --> 00:06:50,680 Speaker 1: generation is kind of looking at things a little differently, 120 00:06:50,839 --> 00:06:54,080 Speaker 1: you know, with a little bit more empathy, um and 121 00:06:54,160 --> 00:06:59,080 Speaker 1: more thought. Um. So I think think things now are 122 00:06:59,080 --> 00:07:01,400 Speaker 1: a little different. You know, there's still times where I 123 00:07:01,640 --> 00:07:05,000 Speaker 1: do walk in and and my grandmother's like I meet 124 00:07:05,080 --> 00:07:07,760 Speaker 1: us at the home, we like it is beautiful, but 125 00:07:08,839 --> 00:07:12,520 Speaker 1: it's like so um, I don't know if that's ever 126 00:07:12,560 --> 00:07:15,760 Speaker 1: going to be something that the past generation can look 127 00:07:15,840 --> 00:07:21,600 Speaker 1: past and change, but um, yeah, I mean they're trying. 128 00:07:21,640 --> 00:07:24,360 Speaker 1: I guess yeah. I think. I think it's one of 129 00:07:24,400 --> 00:07:26,360 Speaker 1: the ways that Black History Month has evolved is that 130 00:07:26,640 --> 00:07:29,480 Speaker 1: instead of just celebrating I mean, obviously the term is 131 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:35,880 Speaker 1: black history, but aside from understanding people who have brought 132 00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:38,560 Speaker 1: these issues to light. When you you know, Martin Luther 133 00:07:38,600 --> 00:07:40,680 Speaker 1: King's always brought up right because the Civil rights movement 134 00:07:41,280 --> 00:07:45,320 Speaker 1: and Malcolm X and other leaders, met Grevers, all these 135 00:07:45,400 --> 00:07:47,760 Speaker 1: leaders in the civil rights movements. But I think more 136 00:07:47,760 --> 00:07:49,800 Speaker 1: and more as the month has evolved, it's become the 137 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:53,800 Speaker 1: things that you're talking about, where people can start discussing 138 00:07:53,840 --> 00:07:59,920 Speaker 1: what conditioning does people all over the place, and especially 139 00:08:00,200 --> 00:08:02,720 Speaker 1: difficult and brings me back to the other thing you 140 00:08:02,720 --> 00:08:05,760 Speaker 1: said about your father. You know it really it's incredibly 141 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:10,920 Speaker 1: difficult for Latinos. We are of both worlds at all times. 142 00:08:10,960 --> 00:08:13,840 Speaker 1: When we're in the United States. You know, we're neither 143 00:08:14,280 --> 00:08:18,640 Speaker 1: American nor are we fully Latin, and so it's even 144 00:08:18,680 --> 00:08:22,640 Speaker 1: more difficult for a person of darker skin color. So 145 00:08:22,880 --> 00:08:25,880 Speaker 1: tell me about that experience when your father, your your 146 00:08:25,880 --> 00:08:29,520 Speaker 1: stepfather started celebrating that blackness. What was the sea change 147 00:08:29,560 --> 00:08:32,720 Speaker 1: the air for you, Carlos? It was like my eyes 148 00:08:33,040 --> 00:08:34,760 Speaker 1: you know, like when you're when you're a little kid 149 00:08:35,559 --> 00:08:38,319 Speaker 1: and your eyes just start getting like wider and wider 150 00:08:38,360 --> 00:08:41,720 Speaker 1: and wider and wider, and you're like whoa, you know. 151 00:08:41,960 --> 00:08:46,559 Speaker 1: So that was the feeling for me growing up. And 152 00:08:46,559 --> 00:08:49,880 Speaker 1: and and I also want to add I was very 153 00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:52,560 Speaker 1: very fortunate, um you know, at a very young age 154 00:08:52,600 --> 00:08:56,400 Speaker 1: to travel. My mother and my stepfather made it a 155 00:08:56,520 --> 00:08:58,719 Speaker 1: very big priority to travel. I mean like we went 156 00:08:58,760 --> 00:09:01,600 Speaker 1: to Amsterdam when I was like our team. We did London, Paris, 157 00:09:01,600 --> 00:09:03,360 Speaker 1: and we have family in Spain. We went we did 158 00:09:03,360 --> 00:09:07,240 Speaker 1: a whole month trip in Europe and and um, you know, 159 00:09:07,320 --> 00:09:08,720 Speaker 1: I mean we go to d R and just go 160 00:09:08,800 --> 00:09:12,080 Speaker 1: to just travel, like just to just to show. And 161 00:09:12,120 --> 00:09:15,559 Speaker 1: also my stepfather is a history He was a history teacher, um, 162 00:09:15,600 --> 00:09:19,600 Speaker 1: and he loves history. Um. Not only that, you know, 163 00:09:19,679 --> 00:09:22,560 Speaker 1: he also went to law school. And he's just a 164 00:09:22,600 --> 00:09:27,120 Speaker 1: brilliant a brilliant man, Melvin Shaw, He's brilliant um and 165 00:09:27,640 --> 00:09:30,880 Speaker 1: he um just I think always wanted to expose me. 166 00:09:30,920 --> 00:09:33,880 Speaker 1: And my mom supported that and was like yeah, you're right, 167 00:09:33,920 --> 00:09:36,599 Speaker 1: and like you know, they both work in the educational 168 00:09:36,679 --> 00:09:41,040 Speaker 1: field and the education field. UM, so that was important 169 00:09:41,080 --> 00:09:42,640 Speaker 1: that was like a big deal. And they were, and 170 00:09:42,679 --> 00:09:44,800 Speaker 1: you know, we had books and books and books in 171 00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:47,480 Speaker 1: the house. And and mel you know if I'm and 172 00:09:47,480 --> 00:09:49,800 Speaker 1: and you know, Melvin, my stepfather knew that I had 173 00:09:49,800 --> 00:09:52,400 Speaker 1: a love for art. So how does he speak to 174 00:09:52,480 --> 00:09:55,920 Speaker 1: me through art? Right? He speaks to me by showing 175 00:09:55,960 --> 00:09:58,800 Speaker 1: me who Nat King Cole is. He speaks to me, 176 00:09:59,320 --> 00:10:02,160 Speaker 1: you know, through going through not just Michael Jackson's hits, 177 00:10:02,160 --> 00:10:06,600 Speaker 1: but his entire entire like album, and sitting through discussing 178 00:10:06,600 --> 00:10:08,480 Speaker 1: with me talking about it. He goes through by being 179 00:10:08,480 --> 00:10:12,000 Speaker 1: like whose elephants Gerald? And and that's when my eyes 180 00:10:12,040 --> 00:10:15,880 Speaker 1: were like whoa, whoa, whoa, And you know, and realizing 181 00:10:15,920 --> 00:10:18,880 Speaker 1: that I'm a part of this and I I'm not 182 00:10:19,000 --> 00:10:22,800 Speaker 1: detached from this just because I'm Latina or um I 183 00:10:22,880 --> 00:10:26,120 Speaker 1: speak Spanish, so um. It's the reason of who I 184 00:10:26,160 --> 00:10:28,320 Speaker 1: am today. It's the reason of why my connection is 185 00:10:28,320 --> 00:10:31,080 Speaker 1: with my blackness today. It's the reason why I don't 186 00:10:31,120 --> 00:10:34,559 Speaker 1: ignore that part of me. It's the reason why I 187 00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:38,440 Speaker 1: believe it should be highlighted. And and also I want 188 00:10:38,440 --> 00:10:40,120 Speaker 1: to because I want to say too, like there's times 189 00:10:40,160 --> 00:10:43,040 Speaker 1: like you know, where I've been around, um, you know, 190 00:10:43,080 --> 00:10:45,480 Speaker 1: some of my black friends and my African American friends 191 00:10:45,520 --> 00:10:48,760 Speaker 1: and they're like, oh, you're not black, You're you're Spanish, 192 00:10:48,840 --> 00:10:50,360 Speaker 1: you know. Or even I've been around someone what my 193 00:10:50,400 --> 00:10:52,960 Speaker 1: white friends and they're like, you're not black, You're Spanish. 194 00:10:53,200 --> 00:10:54,520 Speaker 1: Like I wouldn't look at you and be like and 195 00:10:54,520 --> 00:10:56,600 Speaker 1: I was like, you know what, let's also like break 196 00:10:56,679 --> 00:11:00,440 Speaker 1: something down. Let's talk about race and ethnicity. Carlos. For sure, 197 00:11:00,640 --> 00:11:03,480 Speaker 1: you can be black and you can be Latino. You 198 00:11:03,480 --> 00:11:06,120 Speaker 1: can be a white Latino, you can be a brown Latino. 199 00:11:06,280 --> 00:11:10,880 Speaker 1: You can be both of those things. And to deny 200 00:11:11,160 --> 00:11:14,240 Speaker 1: one is to not complete yourself as a whole. And 201 00:11:14,280 --> 00:11:16,719 Speaker 1: that is just And you know there's people that are like, oh, 202 00:11:16,720 --> 00:11:19,240 Speaker 1: it's not our month, It's it's not Latino Heritage Month, 203 00:11:19,280 --> 00:11:20,520 Speaker 1: and I'm like, well, for me, it's it is my 204 00:11:20,720 --> 00:11:23,559 Speaker 1: part of my month. You know, I have black experience, 205 00:11:23,600 --> 00:11:28,560 Speaker 1: and I I identify as such. And unfortunately, like you know, 206 00:11:28,760 --> 00:11:31,320 Speaker 1: I've dealt with a lot of racism and a lot 207 00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:34,400 Speaker 1: of things in my world. So you know what, I 208 00:11:34,440 --> 00:11:39,719 Speaker 1: got my black hard like enough enough. So yeah, I 209 00:11:39,720 --> 00:11:41,560 Speaker 1: think that's something that you grapple with every week on 210 00:11:41,600 --> 00:11:44,400 Speaker 1: the show with with your guess is the it's so 211 00:11:44,520 --> 00:11:48,760 Speaker 1: reductive to say that you can only be one identity, 212 00:11:48,840 --> 00:11:51,840 Speaker 1: to reduce everyone down to only being one thing. And 213 00:11:51,880 --> 00:11:54,080 Speaker 1: I think that again goes back to the conditioning that 214 00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:58,000 Speaker 1: we talked about earlier, where it does allow for this 215 00:11:58,480 --> 00:12:01,280 Speaker 1: purity and I'm using air quotes here, with this purity 216 00:12:01,360 --> 00:12:03,600 Speaker 1: that has always been this test and that we're finally 217 00:12:03,600 --> 00:12:07,480 Speaker 1: moving away from where you don't have to be one thing. 218 00:12:07,720 --> 00:12:11,120 Speaker 1: You We are all many, many, many things. We are 219 00:12:11,200 --> 00:12:14,760 Speaker 1: all a mix with this beautiful blend of different things. 220 00:12:14,800 --> 00:12:18,079 Speaker 1: And so that's what the show celebrates every single week, absolutely, 221 00:12:18,320 --> 00:12:19,880 Speaker 1: and I think that's what you're trying to engage and 222 00:12:19,880 --> 00:12:22,040 Speaker 1: you're trying to get out of all of these guests 223 00:12:22,040 --> 00:12:24,120 Speaker 1: that we have on here, is you're trying to understand 224 00:12:24,200 --> 00:12:27,360 Speaker 1: how it is that they live in this world being 225 00:12:27,880 --> 00:12:31,280 Speaker 1: so many different things, identifying in so many different ways. 226 00:12:31,320 --> 00:12:34,120 Speaker 1: And and so that's why I thought this conversation was 227 00:12:34,160 --> 00:12:37,440 Speaker 1: so interesting about Black History Month, because it is a 228 00:12:37,520 --> 00:12:40,640 Speaker 1: celebration of what African Americans have done in this country 229 00:12:40,800 --> 00:12:44,199 Speaker 1: and it's wonderful. Absolutely. I think the more that the 230 00:12:44,280 --> 00:12:48,920 Speaker 1: Latino community becomes aware of the impact that people, as 231 00:12:48,960 --> 00:12:51,480 Speaker 1: you said, Martin Luther King, has had on our community 232 00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:55,760 Speaker 1: and we can show appreciation for that. It just opens 233 00:12:55,960 --> 00:12:59,160 Speaker 1: arms even from from the black community, you know, to 234 00:12:59,559 --> 00:13:01,400 Speaker 1: be to realize like, oh, we are all in the 235 00:13:01,440 --> 00:13:05,440 Speaker 1: segatt we're all here. Because there's also this like this separation, right, 236 00:13:05,480 --> 00:13:07,600 Speaker 1: It's like even Latinos and even black it's like, all 237 00:13:07,640 --> 00:13:09,720 Speaker 1: we we have to have our separate thing. They're not 238 00:13:09,760 --> 00:13:12,679 Speaker 1: invited to the cookout, like they're not and it's like 239 00:13:13,120 --> 00:13:15,520 Speaker 1: and it's like at the end of the day, like 240 00:13:16,440 --> 00:13:19,040 Speaker 1: we all kind of support each other. And if there's 241 00:13:19,080 --> 00:13:21,880 Speaker 1: and if there's a black Latino, like they should be 242 00:13:21,960 --> 00:13:24,079 Speaker 1: invited to the cookout. It's a black Latino, you know 243 00:13:24,080 --> 00:13:26,080 Speaker 1: what I mean, if they have that Black experience and 244 00:13:26,120 --> 00:13:29,200 Speaker 1: they have that connection to that to that culture, then 245 00:13:29,840 --> 00:13:33,880 Speaker 1: I mean, I truly believe that once the Latino community, 246 00:13:34,080 --> 00:13:36,400 Speaker 1: especially like the Afro Latino community in the Black Latin 247 00:13:36,559 --> 00:13:38,760 Speaker 1: the Black community can come together and work together, like 248 00:13:38,800 --> 00:13:41,079 Speaker 1: it's just we're the more we are in numbers, the 249 00:13:41,520 --> 00:13:44,040 Speaker 1: more powerful we are. I wouldn't want to say it's 250 00:13:44,280 --> 00:13:47,160 Speaker 1: missing much because I think that we do have to 251 00:13:47,280 --> 00:13:50,800 Speaker 1: respect at the root in the core of the history. 252 00:13:51,040 --> 00:13:53,480 Speaker 1: Um and that's a respect that that needs to be given. 253 00:13:54,000 --> 00:14:01,520 Speaker 1: Um And I think that Um, I just uh, as 254 00:14:01,520 --> 00:14:04,520 Speaker 1: I said, I think that we are more in numbers 255 00:14:04,559 --> 00:14:08,320 Speaker 1: when we're together. And I feel like right now, we're 256 00:14:08,320 --> 00:14:14,240 Speaker 1: living in a society where everyone wants their own everybody 257 00:14:14,280 --> 00:14:18,600 Speaker 1: wants there like you know, like no, well like where 258 00:14:18,679 --> 00:14:21,840 Speaker 1: the where the afric Latinos on the East coast, where 259 00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:23,920 Speaker 1: the Afro Latinos on the West coast, like you stay 260 00:14:23,960 --> 00:14:28,440 Speaker 1: over there. And it's like I understand that we we 261 00:14:28,520 --> 00:14:31,560 Speaker 1: all have those different experiences. However, the one thing that 262 00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:36,800 Speaker 1: connects us is our blackness, or the one thing that 263 00:14:36,840 --> 00:14:41,880 Speaker 1: connects us is our language. Um. And I think that 264 00:14:42,080 --> 00:14:44,520 Speaker 1: the one thing I would love to see and change 265 00:14:44,560 --> 00:14:47,520 Speaker 1: is more of us coming together. Now now listen that 266 00:14:47,600 --> 00:14:49,920 Speaker 1: that that could be a fairy tale. You know I 267 00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:54,200 Speaker 1: love a good happy ending. I'm a romantic, Okay, I'm 268 00:14:54,200 --> 00:14:56,840 Speaker 1: a I'm you know, I love things like that. But 269 00:14:57,040 --> 00:14:59,600 Speaker 1: that would be a beautiful thing. Yeah, for sure. And 270 00:14:59,680 --> 00:15:01,800 Speaker 1: I think we're getting there. I think we are getting there. 271 00:15:01,800 --> 00:15:04,560 Speaker 1: I don't think we're far We're way far off. I 272 00:15:04,600 --> 00:15:08,480 Speaker 1: think we are coming to a place where people are 273 00:15:08,520 --> 00:15:13,240 Speaker 1: respecting the intricate layers that other people are, like, you know, 274 00:15:13,320 --> 00:15:16,040 Speaker 1: people are not just just looking at things in a 275 00:15:16,080 --> 00:15:18,160 Speaker 1: one way, you know. I mean, of course you still 276 00:15:18,160 --> 00:15:20,760 Speaker 1: have a couple groups and those groups that do that, 277 00:15:20,840 --> 00:15:23,800 Speaker 1: but it's like, I think we're getting somewhere where people 278 00:15:23,840 --> 00:15:27,440 Speaker 1: are like, you know, really diving deep into each other's 279 00:15:27,480 --> 00:15:29,960 Speaker 1: experiences a little bit more like. I mean, we're able 280 00:15:30,000 --> 00:15:32,840 Speaker 1: to do this show, you know, and and there's a 281 00:15:32,840 --> 00:15:34,520 Speaker 1: bunch of other great shows and a bunch of other 282 00:15:34,520 --> 00:15:37,280 Speaker 1: great platforms and things that are highlighting things like this, 283 00:15:37,360 --> 00:15:39,320 Speaker 1: and that's what we need. That's what we're doing. I 284 00:15:39,360 --> 00:15:52,800 Speaker 1: think we're doing the work, slowly but surely. Today, it 285 00:15:52,880 --> 00:15:57,960 Speaker 1: is my distinct pleasure to welcome Congressman ADRIANO. Espaat. Congressman 286 00:15:58,720 --> 00:16:01,760 Speaker 1: is currently serving as the representative for New York's thirteen 287 00:16:01,800 --> 00:16:06,360 Speaker 1: congressional district, which covers Upper Manhattan, Harlem, and Washington Heights. 288 00:16:06,720 --> 00:16:09,520 Speaker 1: The Congressman and I had a great conversation today about 289 00:16:09,520 --> 00:16:12,960 Speaker 1: how race matters, how we can affect change in our neighborhoods, 290 00:16:13,120 --> 00:16:20,680 Speaker 1: and how we can all serve Hello, Congressman narian No, 291 00:16:20,880 --> 00:16:24,840 Speaker 1: good to meet you. I'm last from Morenita. So happy 292 00:16:24,880 --> 00:16:28,800 Speaker 1: to have you. Thank you, thank you for having me. Absolutely, 293 00:16:28,840 --> 00:16:32,000 Speaker 1: it's an absolute honor and a pleasure. Um, I guess 294 00:16:32,040 --> 00:16:34,640 Speaker 1: we're just gonna dive right into it. I want to 295 00:16:34,720 --> 00:16:39,200 Speaker 1: hear about your path to Congress. How did you get 296 00:16:39,240 --> 00:16:43,920 Speaker 1: from Santiago to Washington Heights. Either went to Washington d C. 297 00:16:45,480 --> 00:16:50,400 Speaker 1: Pan American Airlines is not around anymore. Yes, Yes, I 298 00:16:50,480 --> 00:16:54,240 Speaker 1: came in the sixties. My grandparents have been here in 299 00:16:54,320 --> 00:16:57,600 Speaker 1: the city before I was even born. They've been where 300 00:16:57,640 --> 00:17:01,920 Speaker 1: he has since the fifties. Um, they lived in Washington Heights. 301 00:17:02,320 --> 00:17:04,439 Speaker 1: They first lived in the in the West Side in 302 00:17:04,440 --> 00:17:08,080 Speaker 1: the eighties. Many people don't know that Dominicans the the 303 00:17:08,760 --> 00:17:12,440 Speaker 1: roots right, the origin of our diasparides on the West 304 00:17:12,520 --> 00:17:16,520 Speaker 1: side of Manhattan. And in the eighties you had a 305 00:17:16,560 --> 00:17:20,800 Speaker 1: bunch of like a single occupancy hotel. My grandmother lived 306 00:17:20,840 --> 00:17:25,159 Speaker 1: in the Embassy Hotel, in several other hotels, including the 307 00:17:25,200 --> 00:17:31,960 Speaker 1: Beacon which is now a big fancy and theaters there. 308 00:17:32,040 --> 00:17:34,919 Speaker 1: So then they when they met, when they reunited with 309 00:17:34,960 --> 00:17:37,720 Speaker 1: their families, when they brought their kids to the United 310 00:17:37,760 --> 00:17:41,600 Speaker 1: States and their families, they needed bigger apartments. So that's 311 00:17:41,640 --> 00:17:44,720 Speaker 1: when we began to come uptown. I came in the sixties, 312 00:17:45,320 --> 00:17:49,040 Speaker 1: nine six four, the end of sixty four to Washington Heights, 313 00:17:49,119 --> 00:17:53,480 Speaker 1: different place back then. Um we're just a handful, not 314 00:17:53,640 --> 00:17:58,400 Speaker 1: many of us. But got involved in in in community stuff. 315 00:17:59,160 --> 00:18:01,679 Speaker 1: I went to school, went to college, and when I 316 00:18:01,760 --> 00:18:05,159 Speaker 1: came back, you know, got involved in informal politics. So 317 00:18:05,760 --> 00:18:09,439 Speaker 1: it was a tough journey because um that even them 318 00:18:09,720 --> 00:18:13,560 Speaker 1: that our party, my party, the Democratic Party, wasn't always welcoming. 319 00:18:13,760 --> 00:18:17,720 Speaker 1: It was a party continues I think, to be a 320 00:18:17,760 --> 00:18:23,320 Speaker 1: party that doesn't see on the lateral size and you 321 00:18:23,480 --> 00:18:27,080 Speaker 1: just see forward, and they don't see what's happening around them. 322 00:18:27,080 --> 00:18:31,080 Speaker 1: And as a result, we get caught by surprise, you know, 323 00:18:31,160 --> 00:18:35,320 Speaker 1: and we don't we don't necessarily usshure people in from 324 00:18:35,359 --> 00:18:40,280 Speaker 1: new communities, new neighborhoods. We saw like pull up a wall, 325 00:18:40,320 --> 00:18:43,800 Speaker 1: and I think that's a big disadvantage. But got involved 326 00:18:43,800 --> 00:18:46,840 Speaker 1: in community stuff. It was during the sixties, the war 327 00:18:46,920 --> 00:18:51,480 Speaker 1: in Vietnam, civil rights movement like the ABLI, the abating 328 00:18:51,520 --> 00:18:55,120 Speaker 1: back home. We saw how that many of the constitutionalists, 329 00:18:55,480 --> 00:18:59,200 Speaker 1: the young guys that fought the US invasion were coming 330 00:18:59,200 --> 00:19:01,679 Speaker 1: to the United States. So all of that was like 331 00:19:01,720 --> 00:19:05,280 Speaker 1: a perfect storm that this allowed me to do anything 332 00:19:05,280 --> 00:19:11,160 Speaker 1: but politics. That's pretty much the argent of it. Um, 333 00:19:11,359 --> 00:19:13,159 Speaker 1: and then my family of course had a lot to 334 00:19:13,160 --> 00:19:15,040 Speaker 1: do with it as well. So I'm curious on a 335 00:19:15,080 --> 00:19:17,840 Speaker 1: personal level, what draws you to public service. I mean, 336 00:19:18,359 --> 00:19:20,640 Speaker 1: let's be real, you know, with the country the way 337 00:19:20,640 --> 00:19:23,480 Speaker 1: that it is right now, it doesn't it doesn't look 338 00:19:23,480 --> 00:19:27,920 Speaker 1: from outside like a very fun uh fun a job. 339 00:19:28,160 --> 00:19:30,600 Speaker 1: So I'm just curious what, you know, what is it 340 00:19:30,640 --> 00:19:33,919 Speaker 1: for public service that draws you full contact sport. But 341 00:19:34,000 --> 00:19:36,560 Speaker 1: at the root of it, for me, it's the same 342 00:19:36,680 --> 00:19:39,160 Speaker 1: kind of feeling that I had when my grandmother used 343 00:19:39,200 --> 00:19:42,200 Speaker 1: to force me to go translate for her friends at 344 00:19:42,200 --> 00:19:44,680 Speaker 1: a local clinic or something like that. Used to cut 345 00:19:44,680 --> 00:19:47,920 Speaker 1: into my baseball time and I didn't like it, but 346 00:19:47,920 --> 00:19:50,440 Speaker 1: but it was service. It was service. It's the same 347 00:19:50,520 --> 00:19:53,240 Speaker 1: feeling when I try to help out tenants net work 348 00:19:53,760 --> 00:19:57,520 Speaker 1: facing a bad situation, we needed to organize the building. 349 00:19:57,840 --> 00:20:02,639 Speaker 1: It's the same feeling when we organ as against crack. Uh. 350 00:20:02,640 --> 00:20:06,600 Speaker 1: It's it hasn't really changed for me. I mean, it's, uh, 351 00:20:06,640 --> 00:20:08,199 Speaker 1: the little guy, how do you help the one that 352 00:20:08,240 --> 00:20:13,800 Speaker 1: doesn't have the voice? Ram Rich folks have lawyers and 353 00:20:14,440 --> 00:20:19,960 Speaker 1: certified public accountants and great insurance plans and have a 354 00:20:20,040 --> 00:20:24,360 Speaker 1: doormat and their garbage gets picked up on time, and 355 00:20:24,520 --> 00:20:28,560 Speaker 1: so they can fence off by themselves. Their issues is 356 00:20:28,680 --> 00:20:32,480 Speaker 1: like taxes and things of that nature. But the person 357 00:20:32,560 --> 00:20:37,639 Speaker 1: that doesn't have that then gets bounced around. Usually what 358 00:20:37,720 --> 00:20:42,199 Speaker 1: happens is they get bounced around and they eventually said, well, 359 00:20:42,240 --> 00:20:44,159 Speaker 1: let me go to my local politicians. Maybe maybe he 360 00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:46,280 Speaker 1: could write a letter for me, maybe he could push 361 00:20:46,440 --> 00:20:50,560 Speaker 1: you know. So when they get to me, in many cases, uh, 362 00:20:50,640 --> 00:20:54,000 Speaker 1: their problems are so severe that it really takes a 363 00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:56,359 Speaker 1: lot of push to to resolve them. But we're there 364 00:20:56,880 --> 00:20:59,480 Speaker 1: so like in the trenches, it's like the last resort 365 00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:02,920 Speaker 1: any case, and they come to us with a whole 366 00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:06,080 Speaker 1: host of problems. And that's where I'm in this primarily 367 00:21:06,119 --> 00:21:10,280 Speaker 1: for constituent services. Then there's the legislative side of it, 368 00:21:10,400 --> 00:21:14,280 Speaker 1: and there's the fiscal side of it, the money that 369 00:21:14,359 --> 00:21:17,240 Speaker 1: you draw into the district and the legislation that you 370 00:21:17,320 --> 00:21:22,040 Speaker 1: passed in public policy. But my my niche is is 371 00:21:22,119 --> 00:21:25,840 Speaker 1: really constituent services. That's what I like to do. M hmm. 372 00:21:26,240 --> 00:21:28,639 Speaker 1: What position did you play in baseball? I was a 373 00:21:28,720 --> 00:21:34,400 Speaker 1: basement with vannies. Okay, I got to Congress. They got 374 00:21:34,400 --> 00:21:36,920 Speaker 1: a congressional baseball team and they said, well, it comes 375 00:21:36,920 --> 00:21:39,280 Speaker 1: in the Minigan guy, I said, you know, I'll hit 376 00:21:39,960 --> 00:21:43,679 Speaker 1: you know, but I can't run. I won't run the 377 00:21:43,680 --> 00:21:47,840 Speaker 1: first base, not with my banknies. So I'm focusing on 378 00:21:47,880 --> 00:21:52,200 Speaker 1: some of the the issues, um that we've been seeing 379 00:21:52,359 --> 00:21:57,160 Speaker 1: and experiencing in the country since the murder of George Floyd. 380 00:21:57,640 --> 00:22:00,600 Speaker 1: This country has been going through a long overdue amination 381 00:22:00,960 --> 00:22:04,800 Speaker 1: of race in America, and in a November Pew Research 382 00:22:04,840 --> 00:22:10,160 Speaker 1: report of latinos said that having darker skin affects them 383 00:22:10,200 --> 00:22:15,359 Speaker 1: getting ahead. How do we begin addressing institutional racism in 384 00:22:15,400 --> 00:22:19,560 Speaker 1: our own community? Race? Race matters, right, I think it 385 00:22:19,640 --> 00:22:25,120 Speaker 1: matters every time, all the time, even in the hallways 386 00:22:25,160 --> 00:22:28,240 Speaker 1: of Congress, I think, and so you know, I don't 387 00:22:28,240 --> 00:22:30,720 Speaker 1: know if you could ever sort of like do away 388 00:22:30,760 --> 00:22:35,919 Speaker 1: with it, but you can certainly, uh institute the laws 389 00:22:36,040 --> 00:22:41,879 Speaker 1: that will prevent you prevent them from huh most importantly, 390 00:22:41,960 --> 00:22:44,360 Speaker 1: stop them right at the tip of your nose. Right 391 00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:49,399 Speaker 1: because someone that has power could could hurt you because 392 00:22:49,440 --> 00:22:53,240 Speaker 1: of race. Someone that doesn't have power could try to 393 00:22:53,359 --> 00:22:54,959 Speaker 1: hurt you, or maybe could hurt you a little bit, 394 00:22:55,000 --> 00:22:57,840 Speaker 1: but not like someone with power. So those people that 395 00:22:58,000 --> 00:23:02,439 Speaker 1: with power that the economy of power, political power, social power. 396 00:23:02,880 --> 00:23:06,080 Speaker 1: Now on social media, those are the folks and have power. 397 00:23:06,600 --> 00:23:10,480 Speaker 1: We have to have some kind of uh an effort 398 00:23:10,600 --> 00:23:13,240 Speaker 1: to have legislation to stop and right at the tip 399 00:23:13,280 --> 00:23:16,600 Speaker 1: of your nose so they don't want you right and 400 00:23:16,640 --> 00:23:18,920 Speaker 1: so and so that I don't know if we're ever 401 00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:23,760 Speaker 1: sort of like eliminated, because it's a social ill of 402 00:23:23,760 --> 00:23:28,280 Speaker 1: of of historical components, right, you know, there's a whole 403 00:23:28,400 --> 00:23:32,879 Speaker 1: you know, slavery and how and how the slave trade 404 00:23:33,040 --> 00:23:36,920 Speaker 1: was was strategized, and the role the people like from 405 00:23:36,920 --> 00:23:39,760 Speaker 1: the d R and the and the Caribbean you know 406 00:23:39,880 --> 00:23:45,199 Speaker 1: played uh geographically, how those islands were utilized for the 407 00:23:45,440 --> 00:23:47,960 Speaker 1: you know, this is just it's just a magnitude of 408 00:23:48,320 --> 00:23:51,000 Speaker 1: things that that I don't know if we'll be able 409 00:23:51,040 --> 00:23:54,600 Speaker 1: to resolve them or eliminate them in our lifetime. But 410 00:23:54,960 --> 00:23:56,679 Speaker 1: I think that we could stop somebody right at the 411 00:23:56,680 --> 00:23:59,120 Speaker 1: tip of our nose. Yeah, I love that. I think 412 00:23:59,160 --> 00:24:01,760 Speaker 1: I'm speaking right when you see it. I think that's something. 413 00:24:01,800 --> 00:24:04,520 Speaker 1: And having the courage to um speak out on it 414 00:24:04,600 --> 00:24:08,359 Speaker 1: and stop it before it continues to spread. That's I 415 00:24:08,400 --> 00:24:12,679 Speaker 1: think the goal that we should have towards racism absolutely. Um, 416 00:24:12,760 --> 00:24:21,359 Speaker 1: So you and I are both fellow Washington hiders. Yes, 417 00:24:22,160 --> 00:24:25,760 Speaker 1: um so something that's just every time I go back home, 418 00:24:26,080 --> 00:24:29,240 Speaker 1: every time I go back up to the heights in 419 00:24:29,320 --> 00:24:33,480 Speaker 1: wood Dykeman, Okay, say, up there, I see a lot 420 00:24:33,520 --> 00:24:36,639 Speaker 1: of corporate places, but it's difficult to see a lot 421 00:24:36,680 --> 00:24:40,760 Speaker 1: of locally owned businesses now. And we're seeing more renters 422 00:24:40,800 --> 00:24:44,560 Speaker 1: of apartments, but we're not seeing our people owning these apartments. 423 00:24:45,280 --> 00:24:48,480 Speaker 1: Um As we know or owning property is so important 424 00:24:48,520 --> 00:24:51,080 Speaker 1: to building wealth and generational wealth. So how can we 425 00:24:51,119 --> 00:24:54,520 Speaker 1: get there? How do we stop this hallowing of our neighborhoods, 426 00:24:54,600 --> 00:24:57,240 Speaker 1: How do we how do we bring our community together 427 00:24:57,280 --> 00:24:59,720 Speaker 1: so we can build that wealth and generational wealth. I 428 00:24:59,720 --> 00:25:02,160 Speaker 1: mean it's a very loaded question, but you know that's 429 00:25:02,160 --> 00:25:05,080 Speaker 1: a good question because, as I said earlier, I have 430 00:25:05,160 --> 00:25:09,200 Speaker 1: been in the in the in the neighborhood since the sixties, right, 431 00:25:09,760 --> 00:25:13,080 Speaker 1: and my parents In fact this my cousin has an 432 00:25:13,119 --> 00:25:17,520 Speaker 1: apartment on one fifty seven Street that belonged to my 433 00:25:17,640 --> 00:25:20,639 Speaker 1: grandmother and my uncle, and I think it's been with 434 00:25:20,760 --> 00:25:23,399 Speaker 1: us for maybe fifty sixty years with the same phone number, 435 00:25:23,440 --> 00:25:26,399 Speaker 1: by the way, and the rent is really cheap. I 436 00:25:26,440 --> 00:25:30,360 Speaker 1: wish I could have that. But you know, we've been 437 00:25:30,400 --> 00:25:34,240 Speaker 1: around for a long time and things evolved, right, and 438 00:25:34,800 --> 00:25:39,040 Speaker 1: I remember when we weren't the majority, when we were 439 00:25:39,600 --> 00:25:42,880 Speaker 1: a minority, a small group, right, trying to like push 440 00:25:42,920 --> 00:25:46,680 Speaker 1: our way in. And uh, I remember when the neighborhood was, 441 00:25:47,119 --> 00:25:52,199 Speaker 1: you know, predominantly Inwood was predominantly Irish, and Washington the 442 00:25:52,240 --> 00:25:58,879 Speaker 1: high Stoo was uh, Jewish and Cuban and Greek, and 443 00:25:58,920 --> 00:26:01,800 Speaker 1: so in Puerto Rican and African American. You know, I 444 00:26:01,880 --> 00:26:05,520 Speaker 1: remember those days. So that things evolved, and so that 445 00:26:05,680 --> 00:26:08,720 Speaker 1: both they guys that were there in all four corners, 446 00:26:09,040 --> 00:26:11,040 Speaker 1: somehow they were able to have it. But they got 447 00:26:11,080 --> 00:26:13,600 Speaker 1: in each of the four corners. I don't know how 448 00:26:14,960 --> 00:26:19,560 Speaker 1: I believe it. Look at Starbucks exactly exactly. And so 449 00:26:20,240 --> 00:26:23,760 Speaker 1: that has involved, right, and you no longer have all 450 00:26:23,840 --> 00:26:27,040 Speaker 1: four corners. You may have one now, but you know, 451 00:26:27,119 --> 00:26:31,399 Speaker 1: then we have more people like you, and more of 452 00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:35,240 Speaker 1: our young people are lawyers and nurses and teachers and 453 00:26:35,320 --> 00:26:41,160 Speaker 1: police officers. It's like the biggest ethnic group in the 454 00:26:41,200 --> 00:26:46,159 Speaker 1: New York City Police Department graduating classes Dominicans. Unfortunately, we 455 00:26:46,280 --> 00:26:49,760 Speaker 1: lost two of them this this past week. And so, uh, 456 00:26:49,800 --> 00:26:53,360 Speaker 1: you know, we're at every level of society artists, right, 457 00:26:54,560 --> 00:27:01,040 Speaker 1: and and and doctors and scientists and professors and firefighters, 458 00:27:01,320 --> 00:27:05,560 Speaker 1: and so those folks now look a life differently. Right, 459 00:27:05,600 --> 00:27:08,640 Speaker 1: They're not necessarily gonna go for the bolega. Right, They're 460 00:27:08,640 --> 00:27:11,480 Speaker 1: not gonna pick up my father's blega and pull it through. 461 00:27:12,040 --> 00:27:14,240 Speaker 1: You know, They're just not gonna do that. That's that's 462 00:27:14,240 --> 00:27:18,480 Speaker 1: how we are evolving. And so how do we maintain 463 00:27:18,560 --> 00:27:22,800 Speaker 1: our presence there right in the heights, right? How do 464 00:27:22,880 --> 00:27:30,800 Speaker 1: we leave our permanent fingerprints in a positive way to 465 00:27:31,000 --> 00:27:35,440 Speaker 1: show what we did right? Because had we not come 466 00:27:35,480 --> 00:27:39,840 Speaker 1: in from the eighties, right from Columbus and Amsterdam where 467 00:27:39,840 --> 00:27:45,800 Speaker 1: we were from originally, and moved uptown when those communities 468 00:27:45,920 --> 00:27:49,280 Speaker 1: left that were there before us, Northern Manhattan could have 469 00:27:49,280 --> 00:27:51,359 Speaker 1: been like the South Brinse. You could have gone up 470 00:27:51,359 --> 00:27:55,760 Speaker 1: in flames. But it was through our hard work and 471 00:27:56,240 --> 00:27:59,240 Speaker 1: you know, your mother's my mother and my father, my 472 00:27:59,320 --> 00:28:04,320 Speaker 1: grandparents working in factories and different types of jobs that 473 00:28:04,520 --> 00:28:07,840 Speaker 1: kept the neighborhood a lot. And I still think that, 474 00:28:08,240 --> 00:28:11,679 Speaker 1: even though there's changes, it's still the only real neighborhood 475 00:28:11,680 --> 00:28:13,760 Speaker 1: in the city of New York. I still walked through St. 476 00:28:13,840 --> 00:28:17,280 Speaker 1: Nicholas Avenue that maybe there are a bit less number 477 00:28:17,320 --> 00:28:22,640 Speaker 1: of vendors there. But the lady that sells is still there. 478 00:28:23,160 --> 00:28:26,200 Speaker 1: And the guy that says sells the past the pastelitos 479 00:28:26,280 --> 00:28:30,119 Speaker 1: is still on Warsawa and a first week right, so, 480 00:28:30,359 --> 00:28:34,520 Speaker 1: and the guy that sells the temple to kill the roaches, Yes, 481 00:28:36,520 --> 00:28:40,600 Speaker 1: he just brought me back, okay, so well, he used 482 00:28:40,640 --> 00:28:45,080 Speaker 1: to say temple temple, you know, take the roaches the 483 00:28:45,080 --> 00:28:46,600 Speaker 1: way he used to say, what it will take the 484 00:28:46,720 --> 00:28:51,360 Speaker 1: roaches and and uh mice And in a good weekend, 485 00:28:51,400 --> 00:28:55,080 Speaker 1: I'll take your mother in law. That's what I used 486 00:28:55,080 --> 00:28:59,400 Speaker 1: to say. Listen, have we got to support our people though, 487 00:28:59,440 --> 00:29:01,640 Speaker 1: I think that's the overall, you know, we have to 488 00:29:01,680 --> 00:29:05,920 Speaker 1: support Washington Heights is synonymous with us. It's still the 489 00:29:06,000 --> 00:29:09,200 Speaker 1: center of our It's the mothership. Right. So when I 490 00:29:09,240 --> 00:29:11,560 Speaker 1: go to Rhode Island and Providence, they think they got 491 00:29:11,560 --> 00:29:14,840 Speaker 1: it all of that. I said I bring you I 492 00:29:14,880 --> 00:29:17,240 Speaker 1: think I bring you greetings from the mothership, right, And 493 00:29:17,240 --> 00:29:20,120 Speaker 1: then they get upset. You know, you got a largest 494 00:29:20,160 --> 00:29:22,760 Speaker 1: Massachusetts Patterson, New Jersey and say you don't bring you 495 00:29:22,800 --> 00:29:27,400 Speaker 1: greetings from the mothership. Because everyone has a relative or 496 00:29:27,440 --> 00:29:30,960 Speaker 1: a friend or a story connected to the Heights. Right, 497 00:29:31,000 --> 00:29:35,680 Speaker 1: that's you know now that it's on the big screen. Right, Um, 498 00:29:35,840 --> 00:29:38,480 Speaker 1: maybe you know, so how do we how do we 499 00:29:39,080 --> 00:29:43,960 Speaker 1: keep that right permanently? Right? How do we build a 500 00:29:44,160 --> 00:29:49,600 Speaker 1: cultural and performing arts center of caliber right that could 501 00:29:49,840 --> 00:29:55,680 Speaker 1: track our our story of the diaspora? Right? How do 502 00:29:55,760 --> 00:30:00,760 Speaker 1: you do that? And how do you still push so 503 00:30:00,800 --> 00:30:03,880 Speaker 1: that we're not gentrified out of the out of the neighborhood. 504 00:30:03,880 --> 00:30:07,600 Speaker 1: How do you build wealth, generational wealth so we can stay? 505 00:30:07,720 --> 00:30:10,640 Speaker 1: But I find is people like you, your professionals now 506 00:30:10,760 --> 00:30:12,480 Speaker 1: want to come back, but you know, they want to 507 00:30:12,520 --> 00:30:16,360 Speaker 1: live in a place that they feel comfortable in. So 508 00:30:16,400 --> 00:30:19,120 Speaker 1: we had to provide that for them. That's the challenge. 509 00:30:19,440 --> 00:30:21,640 Speaker 1: But I love the neighborhood and I think it's still 510 00:30:21,720 --> 00:30:24,080 Speaker 1: got spunk and you know, I think it's there. I 511 00:30:24,120 --> 00:30:27,240 Speaker 1: go all around the city and there's very few places 512 00:30:27,280 --> 00:30:31,080 Speaker 1: that are like the Heights. Uh. You know, other places 513 00:30:31,120 --> 00:30:34,520 Speaker 1: are sort of like dramatically changing and they're really corporated, 514 00:30:34,960 --> 00:30:39,720 Speaker 1: but the High still has that lady see you lesson, 515 00:30:39,760 --> 00:30:49,120 Speaker 1: you're not say oh yeah, so that was me like 516 00:30:49,160 --> 00:31:06,280 Speaker 1: four weeks ago. It's an election year, our favorite time 517 00:31:06,360 --> 00:31:09,520 Speaker 1: of the years. Um, so I'm curious, what are the 518 00:31:09,800 --> 00:31:13,120 Speaker 1: elections every year for me, I know, that's that's what 519 00:31:13,200 --> 00:31:15,280 Speaker 1: I was gonna say. For you, it's every year, so 520 00:31:15,680 --> 00:31:19,160 Speaker 1: it's always an adventurous time. But what are the issues 521 00:31:19,200 --> 00:31:22,080 Speaker 1: that you will be focused on this year? Well, I mean, 522 00:31:22,120 --> 00:31:25,000 Speaker 1: I think that the issue of a violence, of gun 523 00:31:25,120 --> 00:31:29,080 Speaker 1: violence seems to be front center, right because we as 524 00:31:29,320 --> 00:31:32,560 Speaker 1: those two officers because a young woman got shot and 525 00:31:32,640 --> 00:31:35,880 Speaker 1: killed in Burger Can in East Harlem in my district, 526 00:31:36,320 --> 00:31:40,320 Speaker 1: because a young eleven off all baby got shot in 527 00:31:40,320 --> 00:31:43,040 Speaker 1: the face in the Bronx part of the district. That's 528 00:31:43,160 --> 00:31:47,440 Speaker 1: all within a week shakes shakes the neighborhood up, and 529 00:31:47,760 --> 00:31:50,640 Speaker 1: it should right And so how do we continue to 530 00:31:50,680 --> 00:31:55,080 Speaker 1: fight to get uh guns off the street? And then 531 00:31:55,080 --> 00:31:57,840 Speaker 1: you still have COVID you know, still around us. So 532 00:31:57,880 --> 00:32:02,120 Speaker 1: how are we gonna what's the pole COVID era are 533 00:32:02,160 --> 00:32:06,120 Speaker 1: gonna be gonna be? Like? What are small businesses are 534 00:32:06,120 --> 00:32:07,880 Speaker 1: gonna be? Like? How are they going to be able 535 00:32:07,920 --> 00:32:09,720 Speaker 1: to survive? How are people going to be able to 536 00:32:09,760 --> 00:32:12,880 Speaker 1: pay up that back rent they got? So we gotta 537 00:32:13,200 --> 00:32:17,760 Speaker 1: build an infrastructure of a legal services to protect them 538 00:32:17,760 --> 00:32:22,160 Speaker 1: so there's no massive evictions in the district. And that 539 00:32:22,480 --> 00:32:25,600 Speaker 1: and we've got to continue to bring resources for for 540 00:32:26,040 --> 00:32:29,840 Speaker 1: the small businesses which are the main employers of the neighborhood. 541 00:32:30,040 --> 00:32:33,560 Speaker 1: It's not the big corporation is it's those small businesses 542 00:32:33,560 --> 00:32:37,120 Speaker 1: that provide most of the jobs for people in the neighborhood. 543 00:32:37,120 --> 00:32:41,040 Speaker 1: So those are the great challenges, you know, generational challenges 544 00:32:41,440 --> 00:32:43,360 Speaker 1: at this time that make you know, has put us 545 00:32:43,400 --> 00:32:46,440 Speaker 1: in a different track. And so you know it's normal 546 00:32:46,520 --> 00:32:50,280 Speaker 1: now to wearing the mask, right, you don't leave home 547 00:32:50,320 --> 00:32:54,160 Speaker 1: without it in somewhere, right, And so, how do we 548 00:32:54,200 --> 00:32:58,680 Speaker 1: reinvent ourselves? Um, those things that got us, that manifested 549 00:32:58,760 --> 00:33:03,440 Speaker 1: themselves because of the DMIC. You know, our diabetes, are 550 00:33:03,840 --> 00:33:08,120 Speaker 1: high blood pressure, ask my rates. All the things that 551 00:33:08,320 --> 00:33:11,640 Speaker 1: killed us during the pandemic. We gotta deal with them, right, 552 00:33:11,920 --> 00:33:20,360 Speaker 1: Guys like me, Right, yeah, guys like me. We gotta 553 00:33:20,480 --> 00:33:24,400 Speaker 1: talk about this, right, do you know what I mean? 554 00:33:24,520 --> 00:33:28,280 Speaker 1: We're gonna eat that, you know, are we gonna get 555 00:33:28,320 --> 00:33:30,720 Speaker 1: a country group and put let you go the contest. 556 00:33:31,400 --> 00:33:34,800 Speaker 1: That's like a sugar bomb, right, right, and so and 557 00:33:34,880 --> 00:33:37,800 Speaker 1: so we got to talk about our health, and we've 558 00:33:37,800 --> 00:33:40,960 Speaker 1: got to talk about how we're gonna do what we're 559 00:33:40,960 --> 00:33:44,160 Speaker 1: gonna do in our in our economy. Right, we're gonna 560 00:33:44,200 --> 00:33:48,960 Speaker 1: talk about our hospital and a health care system. Did 561 00:33:48,960 --> 00:33:52,440 Speaker 1: it fail us? Right? They did not answer the call? 562 00:33:53,920 --> 00:33:57,479 Speaker 1: And how we could we do better health wise so 563 00:33:57,520 --> 00:34:00,480 Speaker 1: that next time, you know, we can survive. You know, 564 00:34:00,560 --> 00:34:02,600 Speaker 1: we lost a lot of people and we were in 565 00:34:02,640 --> 00:34:05,560 Speaker 1: a mental health services because now you know, you lost 566 00:34:05,600 --> 00:34:07,479 Speaker 1: your mom, you lost your dad, you couldn't say good 567 00:34:07,520 --> 00:34:09,920 Speaker 1: bye to them, You lost your job, you shut down 568 00:34:10,000 --> 00:34:12,200 Speaker 1: your business. You were in the hospital of fighting for 569 00:34:12,239 --> 00:34:15,279 Speaker 1: your life for two months. You know, this is all 570 00:34:15,320 --> 00:34:21,560 Speaker 1: now a collective trauma, right, is manifesting itself. Some people 571 00:34:21,560 --> 00:34:24,359 Speaker 1: seem to think that the violence breed is very much 572 00:34:24,400 --> 00:34:31,520 Speaker 1: connected to to this uh traumatic experience we had pandemic. 573 00:34:31,600 --> 00:34:35,520 Speaker 1: So yes, it's time to heal. Time to heal, right, 574 00:34:35,640 --> 00:34:38,640 Speaker 1: take a deep breath and heal. Right, And you know 575 00:34:38,680 --> 00:34:41,759 Speaker 1: I put my meditation music in Alexa. You know my 576 00:34:42,480 --> 00:34:46,600 Speaker 1: apartma too. That's that's my That's like Alexa play coming music, 577 00:34:47,320 --> 00:34:54,800 Speaker 1: your meditation. You say meditation, that's the station that Alexa 578 00:34:54,840 --> 00:35:00,320 Speaker 1: always listens. I'm gonna stop saying her name. We've finish 579 00:35:00,360 --> 00:35:02,800 Speaker 1: every interview here. I'm gonna eat that with the same question, 580 00:35:03,000 --> 00:35:05,919 Speaker 1: and I want to ask that question to you, what 581 00:35:06,040 --> 00:35:08,840 Speaker 1: is the one thing that reminds you of home? However 582 00:35:08,920 --> 00:35:12,160 Speaker 1: it is that you define home. That's a loaded question. 583 00:35:12,400 --> 00:35:17,319 Speaker 1: Just look at that smile. Congressman. You know why that's 584 00:35:17,320 --> 00:35:20,600 Speaker 1: a loaded question because I have two moments. I have 585 00:35:20,680 --> 00:35:25,520 Speaker 1: Santiago and then I have Washington Heights. Right. Home to 586 00:35:25,640 --> 00:35:28,239 Speaker 1: me is like the hustle and bustle of of St. 587 00:35:28,320 --> 00:35:33,359 Speaker 1: Nicholas Avenue. That's hum the smile of St. Nicholas Avenue right, 588 00:35:33,600 --> 00:35:43,720 Speaker 1: the noise right, that's for for me. Santiagois like President 589 00:35:44,120 --> 00:35:49,640 Speaker 1: President called clamato. I don't know who who brought in 590 00:35:49,680 --> 00:35:53,040 Speaker 1: the clamato. It must have been a Mexican American Michelada 591 00:35:53,160 --> 00:35:55,400 Speaker 1: or something like that. But we took it. We took it, 592 00:35:55,440 --> 00:35:59,239 Speaker 1: and we ran with it. Congressman, thank you so much 593 00:35:59,280 --> 00:36:01,200 Speaker 1: for your time. I know your schedule is very busy. 594 00:36:03,120 --> 00:36:05,799 Speaker 1: I want you to be part of Dominicans on the Hill. Hey, 595 00:36:05,840 --> 00:36:07,919 Speaker 1: I would absolutely love to actually, if you don't mind 596 00:36:08,040 --> 00:36:10,279 Speaker 1: expressing what that is and want to let our listeners know. 597 00:36:10,719 --> 00:36:13,920 Speaker 1: Sure this Every every year for the month of February, 598 00:36:13,960 --> 00:36:16,840 Speaker 1: at the end of this month, we have Dominicans on 599 00:36:16,880 --> 00:36:19,560 Speaker 1: the the Hill. Unfortunately, we're gonna have to have it 600 00:36:19,600 --> 00:36:24,360 Speaker 1: for the second year remotely because of the pandemic, but 601 00:36:24,520 --> 00:36:27,840 Speaker 1: usually we would have it in Washington and hundreds thousands 602 00:36:27,880 --> 00:36:30,480 Speaker 1: of people used to come, And so we'll invite you 603 00:36:30,560 --> 00:36:33,799 Speaker 1: for this year. We'll send you the links and you 604 00:36:33,840 --> 00:36:37,520 Speaker 1: can tune in, and we'll have Big Poppy who's going 605 00:36:37,520 --> 00:36:40,640 Speaker 1: into the Hall of Fame. And we're gonna have Dr 606 00:36:40,719 --> 00:36:45,960 Speaker 1: Fauci and we're gonna have a discussion about gun violence 607 00:36:46,239 --> 00:36:52,120 Speaker 1: and and reforming the police between Fausto was a former 608 00:36:52,239 --> 00:36:54,800 Speaker 1: chief of police for the New York City Police Department 609 00:36:55,400 --> 00:36:59,640 Speaker 1: and young people. We're gonna have a real good discussion 610 00:37:00,080 --> 00:37:06,160 Speaker 1: and fun. You know, other people will be there. Yes, 611 00:37:06,360 --> 00:37:08,440 Speaker 1: we're gonna have a tribute for John even do that 612 00:37:08,520 --> 00:37:14,840 Speaker 1: his son is gonna be So we're gonna have really 613 00:37:15,040 --> 00:37:19,560 Speaker 1: some fun and some learning right and education, and so 614 00:37:19,680 --> 00:37:22,200 Speaker 1: please tune it. Looking forward to that. Again, Thank you 615 00:37:22,239 --> 00:37:24,080 Speaker 1: so much, Congressman, Thank you for your time. Have a 616 00:37:24,080 --> 00:37:31,160 Speaker 1: wonderful day. We want to thank the Congressman for giving 617 00:37:31,239 --> 00:37:35,080 Speaker 1: us time during his busy schedule. The Congressman mentioned Dominicans 618 00:37:35,120 --> 00:37:37,120 Speaker 1: on the Hill, and I also wanted to note that 619 00:37:37,160 --> 00:37:40,080 Speaker 1: on February ten, he will be hosting a virtual Black 620 00:37:40,160 --> 00:37:43,839 Speaker 1: History Month event on his Facebook page, so check that out. 621 00:37:44,200 --> 00:37:46,920 Speaker 1: It's an election year. If you are not registered to vote, 622 00:37:47,000 --> 00:37:50,160 Speaker 1: go register now. If you are, start reading up on 623 00:37:50,200 --> 00:37:53,160 Speaker 1: the issues, find out what's important to you, and go 624 00:37:53,200 --> 00:37:56,120 Speaker 1: out and make your voice heard. Together, we can all 625 00:37:56,200 --> 00:38:03,640 Speaker 1: make a difference. Vemos mon Anita is a production of 626 00:38:03,640 --> 00:38:07,760 Speaker 1: Sonato in partnership with I Heart Radio's micro Buda podcast network. 627 00:38:08,040 --> 00:38:10,719 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the i 628 00:38:10,840 --> 00:38:14,080 Speaker 1: heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to 629 00:38:14,120 --> 00:38:15,000 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.