1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:02,080 Speaker 1: This is one of our How I Made It segments 2 00:00:02,120 --> 00:00:04,320 Speaker 1: from last summer that we want to share with you again. 3 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:09,640 Speaker 2: I think anytime you have indigenous peoples, particularly from Latin America, 4 00:00:09,640 --> 00:00:13,560 Speaker 2: in any space, we tend to be invisibilized, rendered as 5 00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:17,200 Speaker 2: Latinos or Hispanos, rather than acknowledged for who we are 6 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:17,880 Speaker 2: and what we are. 7 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:25,640 Speaker 1: From futuro media, it's Latino Usa. I'm Maria ino Josa 8 00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:29,760 Speaker 1: today How I Made It with Charlie Uruchima, host and 9 00:00:29,840 --> 00:00:42,159 Speaker 1: co founder of Quichua Hatari. For Charlie Uruchima, Quichua is 10 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:45,519 Speaker 1: more than just a language, It's a culture and a 11 00:00:45,520 --> 00:00:49,920 Speaker 1: way of being. Charlie's parents are from Ecuador. They arrived 12 00:00:49,920 --> 00:00:52,959 Speaker 1: in New York City in the early nineteen eighties as 13 00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:57,440 Speaker 1: part of a wave of migration of Ecuadorans escaping economic recession. 14 00:00:58,240 --> 00:01:02,279 Speaker 1: Many of Ecuador's indigenous people were impacted, including those from 15 00:01:02,320 --> 00:01:07,240 Speaker 1: the Quichua community. Quichua is a variant of the Quechua language. 16 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:10,720 Speaker 1: It's rooted in the South American Andes and widely spoken 17 00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:14,680 Speaker 1: in Ecuador. Today. The New York metropolitan area is home 18 00:01:14,720 --> 00:01:19,000 Speaker 1: to the largest Ecuadorian population in the United States. Among 19 00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:23,000 Speaker 1: them are thousands of Quichua's like Charlie and his family 20 00:01:23,760 --> 00:01:26,319 Speaker 1: as a kid in New York City, Charlie did not 21 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:30,360 Speaker 1: grow up speaking Quichua. However, when he took his first 22 00:01:30,440 --> 00:01:34,160 Speaker 1: Quechua course at New York University, he says he felt 23 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:37,640 Speaker 1: it was more of a process of remembering than learning. 24 00:01:38,160 --> 00:01:40,440 Speaker 2: We're remembering a language that was stripped from us, from 25 00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:42,720 Speaker 2: our parents, from our grandparents, from our ancestors. 26 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:46,039 Speaker 1: With the knowledge of Quichua, Charlie then began to learn 27 00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:50,360 Speaker 1: the variant spoken in Ecuador, which is Quichua. At the 28 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:52,320 Speaker 1: same time, he also began to see the need for 29 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:57,000 Speaker 1: resources for New York's Quichua community, like interpretation in schools 30 00:01:57,000 --> 00:02:01,480 Speaker 1: and hospitals. To help organize the com unity, Charlie and 31 00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:08,040 Speaker 1: his collaborators Segundo Angamarca and Luis Antonio Lema founded Quichua Hatari, 32 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:13,120 Speaker 1: the first Quichua language radio station in the United States. 33 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:18,520 Speaker 1: In July of twenty fourteen, Quichua Hatari aired its first. 34 00:02:18,280 --> 00:02:25,880 Speaker 3: Broadcast, h Yah Shunchi Shina Sparkahi. 35 00:02:24,919 --> 00:02:29,440 Speaker 1: And six years later, Charlie and his team continue to 36 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:32,800 Speaker 1: use the power of radio to empower others to learn 37 00:02:32,840 --> 00:02:37,560 Speaker 1: the language, organize as a community and connect with others. 38 00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:43,600 Speaker 1: Every week, Andrado el Tambo Stadio Quichua Hatari features Quichua artists, educators, 39 00:02:43,639 --> 00:02:46,760 Speaker 1: and activists from New York City and beyond. The show 40 00:02:46,800 --> 00:02:51,320 Speaker 1: is hosted in both Quichua and Spanish. In this segment 41 00:02:51,480 --> 00:02:55,400 Speaker 1: of How I Made It, Charlie Uruchima shares his journey 42 00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:59,840 Speaker 1: with his ancestral language and how through Quichua Hatari, Charlie 43 00:02:59,840 --> 00:03:04,160 Speaker 1: and his co host builds solidarity that defies borders. 44 00:03:05,960 --> 00:03:09,799 Speaker 2: I grew up, I didn't really think of Quichua beyond 45 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:13,520 Speaker 2: its presence in music, beyond its presence in day to 46 00:03:13,600 --> 00:03:18,520 Speaker 2: day language. You know certain words phrases like acha chai, 47 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:22,160 Speaker 2: something that we say to say it's cold. You know, 48 00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:25,160 Speaker 2: we step outside the door. Achachai is like synonymous to 49 00:03:25,240 --> 00:03:30,160 Speaker 2: its brick outside. It's like achat chai. My name is 50 00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:33,840 Speaker 2: Charlie Uruchima. I am born and raised in New York City. 51 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:38,560 Speaker 2: My parents are Ecuadorian. I am a little bit of 52 00:03:38,600 --> 00:03:43,520 Speaker 2: everything I do radio. I'm a community activist, COMMADI organizer, 53 00:03:44,240 --> 00:03:48,600 Speaker 2: and i am the co founder of Quichua Hatai. Qichu 54 00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:53,880 Speaker 2: is a language. Kicha is the variant of Ketchua. However, 55 00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:57,160 Speaker 2: I see Quichua as not only a language, but also 56 00:03:57,400 --> 00:04:01,080 Speaker 2: as an identity, a culture, and a way of being 57 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:06,560 Speaker 2: and existing. When I attended NYU as an undergrad, I 58 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:09,600 Speaker 2: discovered that they were teaching a ketchup course. I remember 59 00:04:09,640 --> 00:04:12,840 Speaker 2: the first class we learned what it meant to be Runa. 60 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:16,480 Speaker 2: Truna is a word that in Kechu means human being, 61 00:04:17,279 --> 00:04:19,919 Speaker 2: but across the end is you know, even an Ecuador. 62 00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:24,239 Speaker 2: Even at home most my family members, I've heard runa 63 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:28,799 Speaker 2: being used as a negative connotation growing up, and hearing 64 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:31,440 Speaker 2: that word in that context for so long and then 65 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:35,200 Speaker 2: switching that light on about what the word means about 66 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:37,720 Speaker 2: where it comes from was really new to me. It 67 00:04:37,839 --> 00:04:42,760 Speaker 2: was really eye opening. Growing up, I feel like I 68 00:04:42,839 --> 00:04:46,880 Speaker 2: didn't have a Kichu community. I think part of my 69 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:50,039 Speaker 2: work has been to build a Kichra community and belong 70 00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:54,440 Speaker 2: to it as well. Qichu hatai means Kichu. A's the 71 00:04:54,520 --> 00:04:57,520 Speaker 2: language Kichwa, and hatai means rise. And when I see 72 00:04:57,560 --> 00:04:59,960 Speaker 2: Kicha rise, I think we mean Kichu and all aspects. 73 00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:02,760 Speaker 2: Kichu as a language, Quicho as a culture, Quichu as 74 00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:04,880 Speaker 2: an identity as a way of being as a way 75 00:05:04,880 --> 00:05:07,880 Speaker 2: of existing. This is the process in which we were 76 00:05:07,920 --> 00:05:11,120 Speaker 2: heading towards. And when I say we, I mean myself 77 00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:13,320 Speaker 2: and the people I met along this process, like Luis 78 00:05:13,360 --> 00:05:16,000 Speaker 2: Antonio Lema, who happened to teach me kichu on the 79 00:05:16,040 --> 00:05:18,080 Speaker 2: summer of twenty fourteen, the summer that we found in 80 00:05:18,120 --> 00:05:28,360 Speaker 2: Kicho Hatati, and then meeting Segunda America. America had his 81 00:05:28,440 --> 00:05:32,160 Speaker 2: own makeshift radio station in his home. He had divided 82 00:05:32,200 --> 00:05:36,919 Speaker 2: his bedroom into part bedroom, part radio studio. When I 83 00:05:36,920 --> 00:05:40,400 Speaker 2: met Segundo, he was very open. He told us that 84 00:05:40,520 --> 00:05:44,240 Speaker 2: he had tried to hold Kicho programs in the station, 85 00:05:44,400 --> 00:05:48,440 Speaker 2: but people weren't really gravitating towards it, and they were 86 00:05:48,440 --> 00:05:51,599 Speaker 2: actually questioning him for the reasons why he was speaking 87 00:05:51,600 --> 00:05:55,120 Speaker 2: the language or bringing that language into the radio in 88 00:05:55,160 --> 00:05:59,200 Speaker 2: a context like New York City. In those conversations, we 89 00:05:59,279 --> 00:06:03,240 Speaker 2: thought about pilot radio program where we can have a 90 00:06:03,440 --> 00:06:06,680 Speaker 2: sort of talk show exchange about what Quichua means for 91 00:06:06,839 --> 00:06:12,159 Speaker 2: us and also what Quicho means for the community. Sinaka 92 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:20,720 Speaker 2: yeah machkun kaiko hai prakta. For about two years, we 93 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:23,520 Speaker 2: actually didn't have to invite guests because guests were inviting 94 00:06:23,560 --> 00:06:26,840 Speaker 2: themselves and it was beautiful to see that, to see 95 00:06:26,880 --> 00:06:29,920 Speaker 2: that every week we had new people on, people were 96 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:32,000 Speaker 2: meeting each other. It was also a space wh people 97 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:36,159 Speaker 2: were building community and getting to collaborate and initiate collaborations, 98 00:06:36,200 --> 00:06:38,800 Speaker 2: you know, a musician with the language activists for example, 99 00:06:39,440 --> 00:06:45,320 Speaker 2: illustrators with the musical artists. And seeing that space opening 100 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:49,200 Speaker 2: up in Quicho Hatari made us aware that radio has 101 00:06:49,200 --> 00:06:54,440 Speaker 2: a power beyond just words. In twenty nineteen, there was 102 00:06:54,920 --> 00:06:59,120 Speaker 2: an indigenous uprising in Ecuador, and it's not the first 103 00:06:59,160 --> 00:07:03,680 Speaker 2: time in this communities come together to topple governments in 104 00:07:03,680 --> 00:07:06,200 Speaker 2: the past, be it in the nineties, be in the 105 00:07:06,279 --> 00:07:10,480 Speaker 2: sixties and the seventies. And what happened between nineteen was 106 00:07:10,680 --> 00:07:15,480 Speaker 2: the welcoming of the current president, Lennin Moreno, of the 107 00:07:15,520 --> 00:07:17,560 Speaker 2: International Monetary Fund into the country. 108 00:07:17,880 --> 00:07:21,440 Speaker 4: We begin today's show in Ecuador where tens of thousands 109 00:07:21,480 --> 00:07:24,920 Speaker 4: of people, led by indigenous leaders are expected to again 110 00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:28,960 Speaker 4: bring the country to a standstill today in massive ongoing 111 00:07:29,040 --> 00:07:30,680 Speaker 4: anti government protests. 112 00:07:30,760 --> 00:07:33,840 Speaker 2: And because of this introduction of the IMF, certain of 113 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:38,760 Speaker 2: thirty measures were passed that would eliminate subsidies to oil 114 00:07:39,040 --> 00:07:43,160 Speaker 2: in the country. It would increase costs for transportation, and 115 00:07:43,200 --> 00:07:47,480 Speaker 2: this is really what connects indigenous communities to urban cities. 116 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:50,520 Speaker 2: This was going to affect people from the working class 117 00:07:50,840 --> 00:08:03,400 Speaker 2: even more than anybody else. And so the indigenous communities 118 00:08:03,400 --> 00:08:06,480 Speaker 2: really got together and marching the capital city of Pito Vacuod. 119 00:08:11,960 --> 00:08:13,560 Speaker 2: When they were there, they were actually met with a 120 00:08:13,560 --> 00:08:16,760 Speaker 2: lot of repression, met with the military, met with rubber bullets, 121 00:08:16,880 --> 00:08:21,400 Speaker 2: tear gas. Many lives were lost. Actually was fortunate enough 122 00:08:21,400 --> 00:08:26,560 Speaker 2: to belong then to a collective Caldronas and resistance. We 123 00:08:26,600 --> 00:08:29,400 Speaker 2: all came together wanted to announce what was happening in 124 00:08:29,440 --> 00:08:31,720 Speaker 2: the languages that we speak, like English. 125 00:08:31,560 --> 00:08:35,120 Speaker 5: Indigenous brothers and sisters, we understand your pain and the field, 126 00:08:35,640 --> 00:08:38,080 Speaker 5: all the people who have been injured, all the people 127 00:08:38,080 --> 00:08:41,800 Speaker 5: who have died, that families and the communities deserve justice. 128 00:08:41,960 --> 00:08:45,360 Speaker 2: And to the support communities there that were being most 129 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:48,839 Speaker 2: affected and organizations that were at the forefront to build 130 00:08:48,880 --> 00:08:57,800 Speaker 2: solidarity across the diaspora. I think as we lived through 131 00:08:57,800 --> 00:09:01,160 Speaker 2: this pandemic, we're having to has a lot of questions 132 00:09:01,400 --> 00:09:03,640 Speaker 2: for a lot of folks in our community, in the 133 00:09:03,720 --> 00:09:07,760 Speaker 2: Kichu community and Ecuadorian community as a whole, We're living 134 00:09:07,960 --> 00:09:11,000 Speaker 2: a double crisis. The situation both here in the. 135 00:09:10,960 --> 00:09:13,600 Speaker 1: States, here in New York City where the coronavirus has 136 00:09:13,640 --> 00:09:15,920 Speaker 1: hit immigrant community is the hardest. 137 00:09:15,800 --> 00:09:19,800 Speaker 2: And of our family and community back in Ecuador. 138 00:09:19,520 --> 00:09:22,520 Speaker 1: In Latin America. Ecuador is seeing one of the world's 139 00:09:22,520 --> 00:09:24,240 Speaker 1: worst coronavirus outbreaks. 140 00:09:24,400 --> 00:09:26,720 Speaker 2: So I see a lot of what's happening currently with 141 00:09:26,840 --> 00:09:30,880 Speaker 2: the COVID crisis also as a moment for supporting each 142 00:09:30,880 --> 00:09:33,959 Speaker 2: other through words as well. I'd taken the Kicho radio program. 143 00:09:33,960 --> 00:09:37,080 Speaker 2: We've been able to do that. We've been talking to 144 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:42,880 Speaker 2: frontline workers in Ecuadora and both here about their experiences. 145 00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:54,000 Speaker 6: We're going to have to Kitary media important in a communisty. 146 00:09:54,080 --> 00:09:57,440 Speaker 2: But what does it mean to be Kito and not 147 00:09:57,600 --> 00:10:02,280 Speaker 2: recognize necessarily here in New York City as being indigenous? 148 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:05,120 Speaker 2: What does that mean in terms of like accessing resources 149 00:10:05,240 --> 00:10:07,800 Speaker 2: or like having to rely on your own community at 150 00:10:07,840 --> 00:10:10,440 Speaker 2: the end of the day for support. And then what 151 00:10:10,480 --> 00:10:13,640 Speaker 2: does it mean to be Quichua in Ecuador where there 152 00:10:13,640 --> 00:10:17,520 Speaker 2: are no resources, where the state will never really take 153 00:10:17,559 --> 00:10:21,360 Speaker 2: care of you. As is Shue and our radio, you've 154 00:10:21,360 --> 00:10:34,000 Speaker 2: been able to really have moments of deep reflection. Sam Luang, 155 00:10:34,280 --> 00:10:37,800 Speaker 2: a representative of the Roots for Change collective. A Quicho 156 00:10:37,920 --> 00:10:42,480 Speaker 2: woman in her community in Chicago said, are Indigenous communities 157 00:10:42,520 --> 00:10:48,720 Speaker 2: characterized themselves by the minga. Mingas are when everyone works together. 158 00:10:48,800 --> 00:10:54,880 Speaker 2: See you think if I have a neighbor who needs food, 159 00:10:55,000 --> 00:10:56,439 Speaker 2: I will call them over and feed them. 160 00:10:57,040 --> 00:10:58,160 Speaker 6: Laminga's important. 161 00:11:02,480 --> 00:11:04,959 Speaker 2: Ingas are very important right now for us, as is 162 00:11:05,120 --> 00:11:08,480 Speaker 2: jus as families that we are. It's the most important 163 00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:12,920 Speaker 2: thing we have at this moment. When we started the 164 00:11:13,080 --> 00:11:17,160 Speaker 2: radio program, I started to identify the folks that I 165 00:11:17,320 --> 00:11:21,360 Speaker 2: was working with, us my community as my aju are 166 00:11:21,440 --> 00:11:25,720 Speaker 2: you in Quetchua and Quichua means family and community, And 167 00:11:25,800 --> 00:11:31,400 Speaker 2: little by little seeing the community grow, seeing Kichas in Queens, 168 00:11:31,679 --> 00:11:36,280 Speaker 2: see Kiss in Brooklyn, the Bronx, seeing the community the 169 00:11:36,360 --> 00:11:40,680 Speaker 2: diaspora reached all the way through to Canada to Chicago. 170 00:11:41,080 --> 00:11:43,760 Speaker 2: I think I'm comfortable enough to say that I consider 171 00:11:43,960 --> 00:11:47,480 Speaker 2: this is my community and I feel connected in a 172 00:11:47,520 --> 00:11:50,360 Speaker 2: way that I think growing up I didn't. 173 00:11:51,000 --> 00:12:09,160 Speaker 1: You're the words of Charlie Uruchima, host and co founder 174 00:12:09,240 --> 00:12:14,000 Speaker 1: of Gatari. To listen online and learn more about the program, 175 00:12:14,160 --> 00:12:44,240 Speaker 1: visitari dot org. Jan This episode was produced by Julia 176 00:12:44,360 --> 00:12:48,800 Speaker 1: Rocha and edited by Sophia Palissaka with help from Jane Yamoca. 177 00:12:49,040 --> 00:12:52,440 Speaker 1: It was mixed by Julia Caruso. The Latino USA team 178 00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:58,280 Speaker 1: includes Mike Sargent, Julieta Martinelli, Victoria Strada Monto, Alexandra Sa 179 00:12:58,600 --> 00:13:03,200 Speaker 1: and Renaldo with help from Rauperes. We're edited by Andrea 180 00:13:03,280 --> 00:13:07,160 Speaker 1: Lobees Grusado and Marta Martinez. Our editorial director is Julio 181 00:13:07,240 --> 00:13:11,480 Speaker 1: Ricardo Barela. Our engineers are Stephanie Lebau and Lea shaw Dameron, 182 00:13:11,600 --> 00:13:14,839 Speaker 1: with help this week from Gabriella Bayez. Our digital editor 183 00:13:14,960 --> 00:13:18,600 Speaker 1: is Luis Luna. Our New York Women's Foundation Ignite fellow 184 00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:22,680 Speaker 1: is Mari es Inca. Our intern is Oscarteleon. Our theme 185 00:13:22,720 --> 00:13:25,559 Speaker 1: music was composed by Zeenie Roinos. If you like the 186 00:13:25,640 --> 00:13:28,480 Speaker 1: music you heard on this episode, stop by Latinousa dot 187 00:13:28,600 --> 00:13:31,800 Speaker 1: org and check out our weekly Spotify playlist. I'm your 188 00:13:31,880 --> 00:13:34,679 Speaker 1: host and executive producer Maria Nojosa. Join us again on 189 00:13:34,760 --> 00:13:37,160 Speaker 1: our next episode and in the meanwhile, I'll see you 190 00:13:37,280 --> 00:13:40,679 Speaker 1: on social media. I knows memos A Stella Proxima Jao. 191 00:13:45,720 --> 00:13:49,640 Speaker 3: Latino USA is made possible in part by the Ford 192 00:13:49,720 --> 00:13:53,520 Speaker 3: Foundation working with visionaries on the front lines of social 193 00:13:53,640 --> 00:13:57,800 Speaker 3: change worldwide, the John D. And Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, 194 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:00,600 Speaker 3: and the Wind Foundation. 195 00:14:04,679 --> 00:14:07,240 Speaker 1: I'm your host and executive producer. Join me again on 196 00:14:07,320 --> 00:14:11,319 Speaker 1: our next episode. Oops, I should say my name like 197 00:14:11,520 --> 00:14:15,040 Speaker 1: Maria no Josa. Next time on Latino USA, when domestic 198 00:14:15,160 --> 00:14:17,920 Speaker 1: violence unfolds in a home, how can you protect the 199 00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:20,440 Speaker 1: children who live there? We look into the case of 200 00:14:20,560 --> 00:14:23,160 Speaker 1: Lea Garcia and see what happened to her son, Joseph 201 00:14:23,200 --> 00:14:25,920 Speaker 1: when he was taken and put into La County's foster 202 00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:26,600 Speaker 1: care system. 203 00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:28,880 Speaker 3: My head's just going out of control, like, where's my 204 00:14:28,960 --> 00:14:30,560 Speaker 3: son at Why hasn't anybody called me? 205 00:14:30,640 --> 00:14:31,840 Speaker 2: How can nobody contact me? 206 00:14:32,040 --> 00:14:33,640 Speaker 1: That's next time on Latino USA.