1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:01,840 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, me hint there. I just want to give 2 00:00:01,880 --> 00:00:04,040 Speaker 1: you a heads up. The program you are about to 3 00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:07,840 Speaker 1: hear may have some explicit language, it may not. It 4 00:00:07,920 --> 00:00:10,639 Speaker 1: also depends on where the vibes and the spirit leads us. 5 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:19,600 Speaker 1: Hope you enjoy Welcome to more Anita, a deep dive 6 00:00:19,640 --> 00:00:22,840 Speaker 1: into the Latin X experience. With more Anita, we want 7 00:00:22,840 --> 00:00:25,599 Speaker 1: to create a community and a shared space with you 8 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:29,600 Speaker 1: while sharing knowledge and inspiration. This show is about celebrating 9 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:32,839 Speaker 1: our culture with guests who exemplify the best of us. 10 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:42,240 Speaker 1: I'm Darrylene Gastillo Bethane Beetle. All right, y'all, this week 11 00:00:42,520 --> 00:00:46,800 Speaker 1: you have to use your imagination. Imagine you are brought 12 00:00:46,840 --> 00:00:49,960 Speaker 1: to a country thinking that you are just going for 13 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:55,280 Speaker 1: a vacation, just to visit some family and see the sites. Now, 14 00:00:55,320 --> 00:00:59,960 Speaker 1: imagine you never ever go back home without any explanation 15 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:04,479 Speaker 1: and from anyone around you, and you yourself finally coming 16 00:01:04,520 --> 00:01:08,360 Speaker 1: to the realization that this vacation place, this place you 17 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:12,920 Speaker 1: were supposed to just pass by, is now your new home. 18 00:01:13,440 --> 00:01:16,240 Speaker 1: On top of this new home that you must adjust to, 19 00:01:16,760 --> 00:01:19,000 Speaker 1: you then come to find out later in your life 20 00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:23,039 Speaker 1: that you are actually undocumented. This place that you have 21 00:01:23,160 --> 00:01:27,000 Speaker 1: worked years into trying to recreate as your home. You 22 00:01:27,080 --> 00:01:30,440 Speaker 1: were never even invited to stay. A seat at the 23 00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:35,120 Speaker 1: table was never even prepared for you. Rafael Agostine, TV 24 00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:39,160 Speaker 1: writer from the award winning show Jane the Virgin, shares 25 00:01:39,240 --> 00:01:42,959 Speaker 1: with us in this incredible interview a memoir that he 26 00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:47,200 Speaker 1: has written called Illegally Yours. This book gives us a 27 00:01:47,319 --> 00:01:52,160 Speaker 1: front seat into Rafael's experience on how he accidentally discovered 28 00:01:52,440 --> 00:01:56,880 Speaker 1: he was undocumented and how this changed everything he thought 29 00:01:56,920 --> 00:02:00,960 Speaker 1: he kneeled about himself and his family. It challenges the 30 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:05,360 Speaker 1: question what does it mean to be an American? For me? 31 00:02:05,480 --> 00:02:09,200 Speaker 1: After reading it, the question that landed heavy was who 32 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:13,000 Speaker 1: is the American dream really for? Okay, I'll drop the 33 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:15,600 Speaker 1: serious tone because honestly, this book, though it made me 34 00:02:15,639 --> 00:02:18,800 Speaker 1: tear up multiple times, it also made me laugh out 35 00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:21,600 Speaker 1: loud l O L. You'll get it as you keep listening. 36 00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:27,520 Speaker 1: But like, seriously, half Ile's writing is next level. I 37 00:02:27,520 --> 00:02:31,720 Speaker 1: don't know how someone can take something so traumatic, something 38 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:36,920 Speaker 1: so scary, something so heartbreaking, and turn it into a comical, 39 00:02:37,400 --> 00:02:42,120 Speaker 1: heartwarming masterpiece. I think what truly makes it comical is 40 00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:46,640 Speaker 1: it's honesty. Some of it really makes you repeat to yourself. Damn, 41 00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:51,840 Speaker 1: this really happened. Illegally Yours is nothing but honest and 42 00:02:51,919 --> 00:02:55,200 Speaker 1: half Ile's words hit you in so many ways, and 43 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:58,000 Speaker 1: they come from so many angles you don't even see 44 00:02:58,040 --> 00:03:02,040 Speaker 1: it coming. So prepare yourself for this one, the ride 45 00:03:02,160 --> 00:03:14,080 Speaker 1: through Illegally Yours being people Rafael. Oh yeah, welcome to 46 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:18,320 Speaker 1: Oh my god, thank you for having me. It's so exciting. 47 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:22,160 Speaker 1: I'm so excited because, um, well, being a fan of 48 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:24,880 Speaker 1: your work and then to see your name pop up 49 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:28,040 Speaker 1: in my email from my manager, I was like, I 50 00:03:28,639 --> 00:03:35,440 Speaker 1: wrote a book. I did. It's it's incredible. Um. It's 51 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:40,440 Speaker 1: called Illegally Yours. Um, and it's a memoir and um, 52 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:45,000 Speaker 1: first off, the cover. Okay, can we talk about the cover, 53 00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:48,560 Speaker 1: the storytelling because this is this is it's eye catching, 54 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:51,480 Speaker 1: thank you, you know, believe it or not. That's the 55 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:54,080 Speaker 1: first picture my parents and I ever took in this 56 00:03:54,160 --> 00:03:57,800 Speaker 1: country together. So when we started discussing the cover, I said, 57 00:03:57,800 --> 00:03:59,600 Speaker 1: I'm not sure what we can do, but I want 58 00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:02,960 Speaker 1: this picture to be used. Uh. And then when we 59 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:05,320 Speaker 1: use that picture, I said, I wanted to cover my 60 00:04:05,400 --> 00:04:08,320 Speaker 1: parents eyes in a way of trying to protect their identity. 61 00:04:08,720 --> 00:04:10,920 Speaker 1: And then the idea of doing it with the stars 62 00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:14,320 Speaker 1: with the stars from the American flag worked so well 63 00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:16,760 Speaker 1: because I don't know, you hiding their identity, but it's 64 00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:19,160 Speaker 1: clear they have like the American dreams in their their 65 00:04:19,200 --> 00:04:23,039 Speaker 1: pych It's yeah, perfect. I already like I knew what 66 00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:25,120 Speaker 1: I already knew what I was getting right when it 67 00:04:25,200 --> 00:04:29,600 Speaker 1: landed in Um. And then, I mean, by the way, 68 00:04:29,640 --> 00:04:35,240 Speaker 1: I was Emo before Emo was a thing. Look at that. So, 69 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:39,360 Speaker 1: I mean I opened the book, and um, I was 70 00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:41,880 Speaker 1: really busy. And I'm the kind of reader where like 71 00:04:42,040 --> 00:04:45,240 Speaker 1: I read seven books at a time. I don't know, 72 00:04:46,200 --> 00:04:47,880 Speaker 1: you know, I read and then I never finished them. 73 00:04:47,880 --> 00:04:51,960 Speaker 1: They just you're terrible. It kind of wrote it, you 74 00:04:51,960 --> 00:04:54,880 Speaker 1: know here. I was very impressed by your reading skills. Um, 75 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:56,720 Speaker 1: My mom is a writer, so like, you know, I 76 00:04:56,760 --> 00:05:00,039 Speaker 1: would just read and read and read growing up, and 77 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:02,200 Speaker 1: I don't know, I just I guess as I got older, 78 00:05:02,240 --> 00:05:03,479 Speaker 1: I'm like, oh, I'm bored with that book with me, 79 00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:05,360 Speaker 1: like you know, move on and move on. And I 80 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:07,040 Speaker 1: sat down with your book and I read it in 81 00:05:07,080 --> 00:05:15,400 Speaker 1: two days. It's so good, Raphael. I mean I laughed 82 00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:17,279 Speaker 1: a lot. I even wrote and trying to like find 83 00:05:17,320 --> 00:05:19,479 Speaker 1: like little spots I wrote like l O L in 84 00:05:19,520 --> 00:05:22,159 Speaker 1: all the places that I thought were really funny, and 85 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:25,080 Speaker 1: then I stopped writing L L because like after every sentence, 86 00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:28,839 Speaker 1: I was like, Okay, okay, it's giving comedy. It's giving comedy. 87 00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:34,760 Speaker 1: It's giving um just so many like memories for myself, 88 00:05:35,520 --> 00:05:39,120 Speaker 1: within my family and within my friends stories and my 89 00:05:39,240 --> 00:05:43,960 Speaker 1: families stories. Um, and then it's giving tears. You like 90 00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:45,800 Speaker 1: hit me with the left punch on that one. I 91 00:05:45,880 --> 00:05:48,520 Speaker 1: was like crying in bed and my fiance is like, 92 00:05:48,920 --> 00:05:55,400 Speaker 1: are you crying. I'm like yeah, like it got me. Um. Well, 93 00:05:55,480 --> 00:05:57,520 Speaker 1: first and foremost, let me say that it was very 94 00:05:57,560 --> 00:05:59,320 Speaker 1: important to me that I wrote it as a comedy. 95 00:05:59,839 --> 00:06:03,360 Speaker 1: I think so many times we have like trauma porn 96 00:06:03,440 --> 00:06:06,560 Speaker 1: in our in our TV and our books and the 97 00:06:06,640 --> 00:06:10,159 Speaker 1: woe is Me narrative, but that's not our community. Like, yeah, 98 00:06:10,320 --> 00:06:13,479 Speaker 1: we go through hardships and yeah, there's some very very 99 00:06:13,520 --> 00:06:16,000 Speaker 1: tough circumstances that we have to overcome, but we always 100 00:06:16,040 --> 00:06:18,680 Speaker 1: find the joy in the humor in life. And that's 101 00:06:18,680 --> 00:06:21,600 Speaker 1: what I wanted to like incorporate in the book, Like, 102 00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:25,159 Speaker 1: despite how terrible our existence is, undocumented Americans were in 103 00:06:25,200 --> 00:06:29,120 Speaker 1: the United States, we still laugh and had so much fun. 104 00:06:29,839 --> 00:06:35,440 Speaker 1: You definitely did. And I'm just before we dive into 105 00:06:35,480 --> 00:06:38,160 Speaker 1: what the book is about, I'd love for you to 106 00:06:39,240 --> 00:06:43,240 Speaker 1: let me and the listeners know, um, because it was 107 00:06:43,279 --> 00:06:45,680 Speaker 1: just something that immediately came to my mind while I 108 00:06:45,720 --> 00:06:47,680 Speaker 1: was reading it. I just was, what drew you to 109 00:06:47,720 --> 00:06:50,280 Speaker 1: write the book? Was this the COVID project? Was this, uh, 110 00:06:50,520 --> 00:06:52,600 Speaker 1: something you've been working on for years and years and years. 111 00:06:52,600 --> 00:06:54,440 Speaker 1: You've just been writing a little pieces here and there. 112 00:06:54,760 --> 00:06:58,720 Speaker 1: What led you to finally, you know, do the thing? Wow? 113 00:06:58,839 --> 00:07:02,400 Speaker 1: I feel like my entire your career um can be 114 00:07:02,640 --> 00:07:09,039 Speaker 1: summarized by me insisting on writing myself into existence. Ever 115 00:07:09,120 --> 00:07:10,800 Speaker 1: ever since I was like at U c l A 116 00:07:10,920 --> 00:07:12,800 Speaker 1: and I was like not getting by the way. I 117 00:07:12,800 --> 00:07:15,480 Speaker 1: went to U Cilia on an acting scholarship, quickly realized 118 00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:18,120 Speaker 1: they're like no rules for like minorities that alone Latinos 119 00:07:18,160 --> 00:07:20,080 Speaker 1: and Latina. So I started That's how we came out 120 00:07:20,080 --> 00:07:22,600 Speaker 1: of play, right, That's how I started writing stuff. Um. 121 00:07:22,640 --> 00:07:24,800 Speaker 1: So even back then, I used to just have the 122 00:07:24,840 --> 00:07:28,000 Speaker 1: mantra I have to write myself into existence. And this 123 00:07:28,120 --> 00:07:32,720 Speaker 1: book was actually a TV pilot from many years ago. 124 00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:35,480 Speaker 1: It was like realizing that I wanted to tell my 125 00:07:35,560 --> 00:07:38,280 Speaker 1: parents story, my journey of coming to the United States, 126 00:07:38,320 --> 00:07:41,440 Speaker 1: my journey of discovering that I was undocumented while in 127 00:07:41,560 --> 00:07:45,640 Speaker 1: high school, Like super late in the game. Uh, when 128 00:07:45,720 --> 00:07:47,960 Speaker 1: I decided to write that as a TV pilot, that 129 00:07:48,320 --> 00:07:52,520 Speaker 1: script is what made me a Sun Dance Institute episodic fellow. 130 00:07:53,440 --> 00:07:56,160 Speaker 1: That script got me my first Hollywood TV agent. That 131 00:07:56,280 --> 00:07:58,920 Speaker 1: script got me in my first TV writer's room. That 132 00:07:59,040 --> 00:08:02,040 Speaker 1: script got me my first TV cell with CBS Studios 133 00:08:02,680 --> 00:08:05,680 Speaker 1: UM And then you know, you go through the system 134 00:08:05,760 --> 00:08:08,800 Speaker 1: and sometimes projects get picked up or they or they 135 00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:11,920 Speaker 1: die in development. And when that script didn't move forward 136 00:08:12,000 --> 00:08:15,960 Speaker 1: to a TV show, I kind of felt like I 137 00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:18,760 Speaker 1: felt like the story was too important not to share. 138 00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:20,600 Speaker 1: So I was like, that's okay, if it's not a 139 00:08:20,640 --> 00:08:22,640 Speaker 1: TV I'll just write as a book. And there's so 140 00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:26,160 Speaker 1: much There was so many anecdotes that I couldn't tell 141 00:08:26,240 --> 00:08:29,400 Speaker 1: in the pilot that we were writing that I figured 142 00:08:29,560 --> 00:08:31,559 Speaker 1: that maybe the book is the best way of telling 143 00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:34,480 Speaker 1: the story. And then you're right. It was because of 144 00:08:34,559 --> 00:08:37,559 Speaker 1: COVID is because of the Great Pause. It was the 145 00:08:37,559 --> 00:08:41,719 Speaker 1: the world coming to to a halt and me realizing, oh, 146 00:08:41,960 --> 00:08:44,840 Speaker 1: I've been like in this rat race for so long. 147 00:08:45,520 --> 00:08:49,040 Speaker 1: I've been working NonStop for like four or five years. 148 00:08:49,640 --> 00:08:52,200 Speaker 1: What what do I want my legacy to be on 149 00:08:52,240 --> 00:08:53,880 Speaker 1: this earth? What do I want to say? And what 150 00:08:53,960 --> 00:08:56,600 Speaker 1: do I want to leave behind? That's when I went 151 00:08:56,640 --> 00:08:58,559 Speaker 1: back to the TV pilot and I was like, oh, 152 00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:00,560 Speaker 1: you know what, I'm going to write it as a book. 153 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:03,920 Speaker 1: And I created a book proposal. I got a book agent, 154 00:09:04,040 --> 00:09:07,480 Speaker 1: a badass Latino from New York. Uh, and then we 155 00:09:07,800 --> 00:09:11,360 Speaker 1: got a book deal out of it. And Yeah, honestly, 156 00:09:11,400 --> 00:09:13,400 Speaker 1: if it wasn't for the pandemic, I don't know if 157 00:09:13,400 --> 00:09:15,280 Speaker 1: I would have had the time to sit down and 158 00:09:15,280 --> 00:09:18,480 Speaker 1: write the book. Yeah. Yeah, Um, I think that a 159 00:09:18,520 --> 00:09:23,200 Speaker 1: lot of us artists definitely so a lot from be 160 00:09:23,360 --> 00:09:26,640 Speaker 1: impacted from COVID and what that really did for us 161 00:09:26,640 --> 00:09:30,800 Speaker 1: and sitting in silence kind of and and what are 162 00:09:30,840 --> 00:09:34,360 Speaker 1: we going to do now kind of feelings? Um? In 163 00:09:34,400 --> 00:09:36,800 Speaker 1: your words, I just just because I'm I mean, i 164 00:09:36,800 --> 00:09:39,440 Speaker 1: could sit here and talk about the book chapter by chapter. 165 00:09:39,600 --> 00:09:43,280 Speaker 1: I'm talking about the book word for word, but L 166 00:09:43,320 --> 00:09:49,160 Speaker 1: O L but I'm curious, um in your words, like 167 00:09:49,520 --> 00:09:56,200 Speaker 1: what is what is illegally yours about it? You know? UM? 168 00:09:56,240 --> 00:10:00,280 Speaker 1: I describe it as a comedic coming of age more 169 00:10:01,080 --> 00:10:05,319 Speaker 1: about an all American family that just happens to be undocumented. 170 00:10:06,080 --> 00:10:10,160 Speaker 1: That's the thing like I really wanted, I say, general 171 00:10:10,200 --> 00:10:14,080 Speaker 1: market audiences, but you know, white people, white people to read, 172 00:10:14,160 --> 00:10:16,760 Speaker 1: to read this book and be like, oh my god, 173 00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:20,080 Speaker 1: this family sounds just like mine, or at the very least, 174 00:10:20,080 --> 00:10:25,240 Speaker 1: I couldn't relate to their hopes, their dreams, aspirations and everything. Um, 175 00:10:25,880 --> 00:10:29,160 Speaker 1: you know, my my my framing device was always like 176 00:10:30,120 --> 00:10:33,240 Speaker 1: my life felt like the sitcom growing up, So how 177 00:10:33,280 --> 00:10:35,920 Speaker 1: does that sit come play out? That was how I 178 00:10:35,960 --> 00:10:39,520 Speaker 1: wanted to write and attack the book. And um, there's 179 00:10:39,559 --> 00:10:41,720 Speaker 1: one thing that I didn't mention that I really loved 180 00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:47,720 Speaker 1: about your book, Um, you teach in the book. There's 181 00:10:47,760 --> 00:10:54,400 Speaker 1: a lot of the splintingint I mean, there's a lot 182 00:10:54,440 --> 00:10:58,640 Speaker 1: of educating and teaching moments that I think, Um, yeah, 183 00:10:58,679 --> 00:11:00,480 Speaker 1: I think a white audience can be if it from. 184 00:11:00,520 --> 00:11:03,640 Speaker 1: But also I also think our community can benefit from 185 00:11:03,679 --> 00:11:07,600 Speaker 1: as Latina people and and and American you know American 186 00:11:07,720 --> 00:11:11,079 Speaker 1: Latina people. I think, Um, something that really fascinated me 187 00:11:11,120 --> 00:11:15,440 Speaker 1: about you and can I call you? Yeah, of course, okay, 188 00:11:15,640 --> 00:11:18,720 Speaker 1: something that I really connected with you about and something 189 00:11:18,720 --> 00:11:22,160 Speaker 1: that I was very surprised about. And I've been speaking 190 00:11:22,200 --> 00:11:25,080 Speaker 1: about it with my fiance here he's Colombian, and with 191 00:11:25,120 --> 00:11:29,679 Speaker 1: his family. But I related so much to this sense 192 00:11:29,679 --> 00:11:34,679 Speaker 1: of awareness that you've always had in your book, in 193 00:11:34,720 --> 00:11:37,800 Speaker 1: your in your life. And something that like really stuck 194 00:11:37,800 --> 00:11:40,760 Speaker 1: out to me was a sentence that you had mentioned 195 00:11:40,760 --> 00:11:44,400 Speaker 1: when you had landed in Madrid Finally. I won't I 196 00:11:44,440 --> 00:11:48,240 Speaker 1: won't spoil the juice, but it's it's a juicy story 197 00:11:48,320 --> 00:11:51,160 Speaker 1: that you know, you ended up in kind of immigration jail, 198 00:11:51,600 --> 00:11:54,920 Speaker 1: and um, you finally were aver. You finally were able 199 00:11:54,960 --> 00:11:58,959 Speaker 1: to um go to Madrid and and land there and 200 00:11:59,240 --> 00:12:06,679 Speaker 1: walk outside, and you had a very open eyed realization 201 00:12:06,840 --> 00:12:10,120 Speaker 1: of the white tourists all around you and the lack 202 00:12:10,440 --> 00:12:14,960 Speaker 1: of um color just in that moment. And there's so 203 00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:19,520 Speaker 1: many moments of this in the book that I don't 204 00:12:19,520 --> 00:12:21,880 Speaker 1: know why. It just really stuck out to me, because, 205 00:12:21,920 --> 00:12:23,880 Speaker 1: as I mean, we being round, and I used to 206 00:12:23,920 --> 00:12:26,040 Speaker 1: travel a lot when I was younger, and and I 207 00:12:26,080 --> 00:12:28,520 Speaker 1: have family in Spain, so I remember that same moment 208 00:12:28,559 --> 00:12:33,360 Speaker 1: you're talking about and being like, oh, where is everybody? 209 00:12:33,440 --> 00:12:36,360 Speaker 1: Because it's something that I've always questioned for myself, and 210 00:12:36,400 --> 00:12:38,920 Speaker 1: I even asked my parents, like, how did you instill 211 00:12:39,040 --> 00:12:42,079 Speaker 1: that awareness in me? What is that? And where did 212 00:12:42,120 --> 00:12:45,560 Speaker 1: that come from? And I'm curious for you, where do 213 00:12:45,640 --> 00:12:51,480 Speaker 1: you think that came from for you? Because it's something that, yeah, 214 00:12:51,520 --> 00:12:53,280 Speaker 1: it can it can be, it can be taught, but 215 00:12:53,360 --> 00:12:57,959 Speaker 1: it's something to me that I think it's more felt. Wow, 216 00:12:58,080 --> 00:13:00,640 Speaker 1: I have to say that probably comes from my mom. 217 00:13:00,960 --> 00:13:03,440 Speaker 1: My mom loves everybody and she has such a big 218 00:13:03,440 --> 00:13:05,880 Speaker 1: open heart that I like, it was hard for me 219 00:13:05,920 --> 00:13:09,280 Speaker 1: to make those barriers for myself with people of different 220 00:13:09,960 --> 00:13:12,520 Speaker 1: you know, ethnicities and color in my life. To me, 221 00:13:12,559 --> 00:13:15,559 Speaker 1: they were all my brothers and sisters. Um, but you 222 00:13:15,840 --> 00:13:19,439 Speaker 1: hit on something in the book that my my book 223 00:13:19,720 --> 00:13:21,640 Speaker 1: editor tried to get me away from because it was 224 00:13:21,640 --> 00:13:23,439 Speaker 1: so much easier for me to frame this book as 225 00:13:23,559 --> 00:13:26,600 Speaker 1: the lessons that I learned, Right, That's what I wanted 226 00:13:26,640 --> 00:13:28,920 Speaker 1: to share, and she was like, no, that's boring. You 227 00:13:28,920 --> 00:13:31,400 Speaker 1: have to like I had that within the storytelling. So 228 00:13:31,520 --> 00:13:34,320 Speaker 1: it's funny that you picked up on that because every 229 00:13:34,360 --> 00:13:36,080 Speaker 1: chapter I was like, what did I agree from all this? 230 00:13:36,280 --> 00:13:41,560 Speaker 1: You know? Um, but I have a great friend and mentor. 231 00:13:42,040 --> 00:13:46,520 Speaker 1: His name is jos Antonio Vargas uh pull A surprise, 232 00:13:46,600 --> 00:13:48,760 Speaker 1: winning on he came out his own documented on the 233 00:13:48,800 --> 00:13:53,760 Speaker 1: cover of Time magazine, Right the Filipino American UM. He 234 00:13:53,880 --> 00:13:56,880 Speaker 1: told me, the problem with people like us, like the 235 00:13:56,920 --> 00:13:59,880 Speaker 1: people who are socially conscious, the woke right, is that 236 00:14:00,040 --> 00:14:02,880 Speaker 1: we tend to lead with our politics because we enter 237 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:05,240 Speaker 1: rooms where there's no one else like us, so we 238 00:14:05,640 --> 00:14:09,560 Speaker 1: kind of like overcompensate. So early early on, he always 239 00:14:09,559 --> 00:14:12,600 Speaker 1: told me it's important that people like us lead with 240 00:14:12,640 --> 00:14:16,720 Speaker 1: our hearts and not our politics. And that's what this 241 00:14:16,760 --> 00:14:18,679 Speaker 1: book was for me. I was like, how can I 242 00:14:18,800 --> 00:14:23,760 Speaker 1: lead with imagine talking about immigration and talk about undocumented Americans. 243 00:14:23,800 --> 00:14:26,960 Speaker 1: It's already so like politically charged that it was important 244 00:14:26,960 --> 00:14:28,720 Speaker 1: to lead with my heart. It was important to lead 245 00:14:28,760 --> 00:14:31,840 Speaker 1: with the humor in the comedy so that it's easier 246 00:14:31,880 --> 00:14:34,360 Speaker 1: for everyone else who might not be on document or 247 00:14:34,400 --> 00:14:36,440 Speaker 1: might not have anybody who's on document in their family, 248 00:14:36,840 --> 00:14:40,240 Speaker 1: can come to this story and see us as people. Right. 249 00:14:40,240 --> 00:14:43,480 Speaker 1: And this is something I learned from Jenny Snyder Ermine 250 00:14:43,600 --> 00:14:46,600 Speaker 1: that the creator of Jane the Virgin. She said, people 251 00:14:46,680 --> 00:14:53,240 Speaker 1: can ignore topics, people can ignore politics, people can ignore issues, 252 00:14:53,520 --> 00:15:01,080 Speaker 1: but people can ignore other people. M Uh, this book 253 00:15:01,160 --> 00:15:05,440 Speaker 1: is is um I felt your heart out reading it. 254 00:15:05,720 --> 00:15:20,360 Speaker 1: I really did. I really did not too gloss over it, 255 00:15:20,440 --> 00:15:23,600 Speaker 1: but you mentioned that the Spain, the Spain thing that 256 00:15:23,720 --> 00:15:27,400 Speaker 1: was the my God. And again not not too many 257 00:15:27,400 --> 00:15:30,800 Speaker 1: spoiler alerts here, but I do open up the book 258 00:15:30,880 --> 00:15:33,400 Speaker 1: with me being deported from Spain and then when I 259 00:15:33,840 --> 00:15:37,840 Speaker 1: when I taken to the Spanish prison at the airport, 260 00:15:38,320 --> 00:15:42,200 Speaker 1: it's me and a bunch of black people. They just 261 00:15:42,280 --> 00:15:45,880 Speaker 1: happened to be from Venezuela and Colombia and Cuba, but 262 00:15:45,960 --> 00:15:48,440 Speaker 1: they were all black. And that was just so shocking 263 00:15:48,520 --> 00:15:51,240 Speaker 1: to me that it didn't matter where you went in 264 00:15:51,320 --> 00:15:54,640 Speaker 1: the world, like your black skin was gonna be a 265 00:15:54,680 --> 00:15:57,920 Speaker 1: detriment to your peaceful existence. And I needed to see 266 00:15:57,960 --> 00:16:00,960 Speaker 1: that because I would see that in and films and 267 00:16:01,040 --> 00:16:03,840 Speaker 1: TVs in the United States, but to see it at 268 00:16:03,880 --> 00:16:09,560 Speaker 1: international waters as well, I was like, what is going on? Yeah? 269 00:16:10,080 --> 00:16:13,040 Speaker 1: And if I may add um because the very first 270 00:16:13,080 --> 00:16:17,320 Speaker 1: chapter I get to it, I was the my The 271 00:16:17,360 --> 00:16:19,320 Speaker 1: biggest shock in my life was discovering I was on 272 00:16:19,440 --> 00:16:21,880 Speaker 1: document in high school. But the first big reveal and 273 00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:24,920 Speaker 1: shock for me was discovering that I wasn't white. And 274 00:16:25,000 --> 00:16:26,680 Speaker 1: that happened to me right away when I got to 275 00:16:26,720 --> 00:16:28,960 Speaker 1: this country because I grew up thinking I was just 276 00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:31,520 Speaker 1: a regular white kid with the beautiful olive ted you know, 277 00:16:32,080 --> 00:16:36,080 Speaker 1: and living in my grandparents big house in Ecuador, South America, 278 00:16:36,160 --> 00:16:39,600 Speaker 1: and growing up with like maids and chauffeurs. And then 279 00:16:39,640 --> 00:16:42,040 Speaker 1: I come to the United States and I moved into 280 00:16:42,080 --> 00:16:45,320 Speaker 1: my aunt's garage and I'm like, okay, so here the 281 00:16:45,400 --> 00:16:48,040 Speaker 1: United States, we're the maids and chauffeurs. And then I 282 00:16:48,520 --> 00:16:52,280 Speaker 1: go to my first day of public school in this country, 283 00:16:52,600 --> 00:16:54,760 Speaker 1: and it was a reality I had not seen in 284 00:16:54,800 --> 00:16:57,920 Speaker 1: all the films and TVs that I watched in eperor 285 00:16:57,960 --> 00:17:00,840 Speaker 1: from the United States. Every when I saw on the 286 00:17:00,880 --> 00:17:02,840 Speaker 1: screen was blonde and blue eyed, and that's what I 287 00:17:02,840 --> 00:17:06,119 Speaker 1: thought America was. So when I saw the great diversity 288 00:17:06,160 --> 00:17:09,520 Speaker 1: in this country, I was like, what the hell is 289 00:17:11,200 --> 00:17:15,920 Speaker 1: what's going on here? The one thing that was really 290 00:17:16,240 --> 00:17:17,960 Speaker 1: I mean, I'm a theater I'm a theater girl, and 291 00:17:18,040 --> 00:17:20,240 Speaker 1: you know, turned onto TV film and this nut and 292 00:17:20,320 --> 00:17:23,159 Speaker 1: understanding that I love it. I loved reading that like 293 00:17:23,240 --> 00:17:28,240 Speaker 1: you're you were, you know, a theater was like. And 294 00:17:28,280 --> 00:17:31,440 Speaker 1: also hearing that like in l a like hearing that 295 00:17:31,560 --> 00:17:34,520 Speaker 1: kind of energy that was surrounding the work you were 296 00:17:34,560 --> 00:17:38,320 Speaker 1: doing and the work you were starting. That's refreshing, first off, 297 00:17:38,640 --> 00:17:40,720 Speaker 1: because I guess we don't really get that part because 298 00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:44,000 Speaker 1: you know, obviously illegally yours part two is not coming 299 00:17:44,040 --> 00:17:47,919 Speaker 1: out just yet, right, Um, what was the jump from 300 00:17:47,960 --> 00:17:49,919 Speaker 1: there to TV and film? Was that just because you 301 00:17:49,960 --> 00:17:52,679 Speaker 1: were in Cali and it just kind of fell into 302 00:17:52,720 --> 00:17:56,159 Speaker 1: that or like, what was that for you? That's no? Um, 303 00:17:56,240 --> 00:17:59,919 Speaker 1: So I can honestly say that my immigration problems are 304 00:18:00,040 --> 00:18:03,200 Speaker 1: would led me to this career and led me into 305 00:18:03,280 --> 00:18:05,000 Speaker 1: the arts because I come from a long line of 306 00:18:05,280 --> 00:18:07,600 Speaker 1: doctors and lawyers, right, so maybe that was gonna be 307 00:18:07,600 --> 00:18:10,399 Speaker 1: my path. But with my immigration problems and I couldn't 308 00:18:10,440 --> 00:18:14,520 Speaker 1: get financiality, Um, I couldn't get any type of support. 309 00:18:14,560 --> 00:18:16,800 Speaker 1: I had no direction. I ended up at community college 310 00:18:16,960 --> 00:18:20,159 Speaker 1: here in California, and because I had no idea how 311 00:18:20,200 --> 00:18:24,120 Speaker 1: long my immigration limbo would last, I took every class 312 00:18:24,480 --> 00:18:27,680 Speaker 1: that that community college had to offer. Literally went down 313 00:18:27,720 --> 00:18:30,440 Speaker 1: in alphabetic border. I was like a for anthropology, be 314 00:18:30,600 --> 00:18:33,520 Speaker 1: for biology, see for chemistry. Think about how many classes 315 00:18:33,560 --> 00:18:37,120 Speaker 1: I took before I got to tea in theater A million? 316 00:18:37,240 --> 00:18:39,200 Speaker 1: And then it was in that class where I first 317 00:18:39,200 --> 00:18:44,720 Speaker 1: started to find my self worth and my self esteem 318 00:18:44,920 --> 00:18:50,200 Speaker 1: and my self respect, because there's something interesting about secretly 319 00:18:50,320 --> 00:18:55,639 Speaker 1: needing that love from your community, feeling mothered, feeling like 320 00:18:55,680 --> 00:18:57,840 Speaker 1: you're not wanted in this country, and then all of 321 00:18:57,920 --> 00:19:00,679 Speaker 1: a sudden, you're on the stage and people are admiring 322 00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:02,719 Speaker 1: you and loving you and clapping for you. And I 323 00:19:02,760 --> 00:19:04,200 Speaker 1: was like, oh my god, I need this. I don't 324 00:19:04,240 --> 00:19:06,080 Speaker 1: even I didn't even know why I needed it, but 325 00:19:06,160 --> 00:19:09,400 Speaker 1: I needed it. And like I say in the book, 326 00:19:09,440 --> 00:19:11,680 Speaker 1: I had been acting American my whole life, so the 327 00:19:11,760 --> 00:19:15,679 Speaker 1: acting seemed like natural to me, but it was what 328 00:19:15,760 --> 00:19:19,040 Speaker 1: I did. So I started doing theater community college, transferred 329 00:19:19,040 --> 00:19:20,960 Speaker 1: to u c l A School Theater, Film, and Television, 330 00:19:21,320 --> 00:19:24,359 Speaker 1: continue to do theater again, writing myself into existence. I 331 00:19:24,359 --> 00:19:26,679 Speaker 1: started writing my own comedy shows and it was one 332 00:19:26,720 --> 00:19:28,880 Speaker 1: of those comedy shows that I toured the nation with 333 00:19:29,400 --> 00:19:32,119 Speaker 1: that eventually got picked up for TV development. So I 334 00:19:32,200 --> 00:19:37,040 Speaker 1: transitioned from theater to TV because I created a play 335 00:19:37,080 --> 00:19:41,320 Speaker 1: that everyone wanted to exploit and it was that simple. Again, 336 00:19:41,760 --> 00:19:44,640 Speaker 1: Hollywood people try to make it seem like, Oh, it's 337 00:19:44,680 --> 00:19:47,879 Speaker 1: the agents that run this town, or it's the producers, 338 00:19:48,000 --> 00:19:51,560 Speaker 1: is the business, is the lawyers? That's all bullshit. Hollywood 339 00:19:51,640 --> 00:19:55,080 Speaker 1: runs on story period. They might call it I P 340 00:19:55,520 --> 00:19:58,560 Speaker 1: everyone calls it intellectual property. That's that's another fancy way 341 00:19:58,560 --> 00:20:00,920 Speaker 1: of saying story. So if you wrote a book, if 342 00:20:00,920 --> 00:20:03,040 Speaker 1: you wrote a play, if you wrote a comic book, 343 00:20:03,080 --> 00:20:06,360 Speaker 1: if you have a podcast, if you have something that 344 00:20:06,400 --> 00:20:09,000 Speaker 1: people want to exploit, you have all the power in 345 00:20:09,040 --> 00:20:12,840 Speaker 1: this town. So that I realized that with the play 346 00:20:12,880 --> 00:20:15,639 Speaker 1: that I wrote, everyone wanted to adapt it into a 347 00:20:15,680 --> 00:20:19,280 Speaker 1: TV show. And that was my first experience. Granted I 348 00:20:19,320 --> 00:20:23,480 Speaker 1: was too young, too young, and too inexperienced, so it 349 00:20:23,560 --> 00:20:26,080 Speaker 1: was a ship show for me because I didn't fight 350 00:20:26,160 --> 00:20:30,119 Speaker 1: for my voice, or even worse, I was an immigrant 351 00:20:30,600 --> 00:20:33,040 Speaker 1: and I was a people pleaser. So when you're in 352 00:20:33,040 --> 00:20:37,120 Speaker 1: the middle of that TV machinery, if you don't fight 353 00:20:37,160 --> 00:20:39,159 Speaker 1: for your vision and you don't fight for your voice, 354 00:20:39,640 --> 00:20:42,720 Speaker 1: it's just gonna be like a Frankenstein thing with your 355 00:20:42,800 --> 00:20:46,040 Speaker 1: name on it that you're not even gonna like, right, 356 00:20:46,119 --> 00:20:49,399 Speaker 1: And that was that was my biggest lesson in Hollywood. 357 00:20:49,840 --> 00:20:55,960 Speaker 1: Success has many parents, but failure is an orphan. When 358 00:20:56,000 --> 00:20:58,959 Speaker 1: that show that we adapted didn't work, it was my fault. 359 00:20:59,280 --> 00:21:03,480 Speaker 1: It didn't matter it that I listened to every showrunner, producer, director, 360 00:21:03,520 --> 00:21:07,240 Speaker 1: TV executive to make sure they were happy. When it 361 00:21:07,280 --> 00:21:10,840 Speaker 1: didn't work, it was my fault. And again I was like, man, 362 00:21:11,080 --> 00:21:13,639 Speaker 1: maybe I don't belong in this town. Maybe I should 363 00:21:13,640 --> 00:21:16,919 Speaker 1: just stick to doing plays in theater. Gave this is crazy, 364 00:21:17,240 --> 00:21:18,919 Speaker 1: So you realize it's like, oh, it's just this is 365 00:21:18,960 --> 00:21:21,320 Speaker 1: what it is. This is what it is. Yeah, this 366 00:21:21,400 --> 00:21:24,880 Speaker 1: is just what it is. And I'm just until I 367 00:21:24,920 --> 00:21:28,240 Speaker 1: realized if I'm going to fail, I want to fail 368 00:21:28,359 --> 00:21:31,520 Speaker 1: by my choices and by my merits, which is why 369 00:21:31,560 --> 00:21:34,320 Speaker 1: I decided to write that TV pilot because I was like, Okay, 370 00:21:34,520 --> 00:21:36,560 Speaker 1: this thing didn't work and I played it by your rules. 371 00:21:36,560 --> 00:21:38,520 Speaker 1: So now I'm going to create something on my own 372 00:21:38,800 --> 00:21:41,800 Speaker 1: that could also could probably suck, but at least if 373 00:21:41,840 --> 00:21:45,000 Speaker 1: it fails, I know I did everything I could. You 374 00:21:45,080 --> 00:21:48,160 Speaker 1: did it. Yeah, I think that that's what a lot 375 00:21:48,200 --> 00:21:50,760 Speaker 1: of and it's just something that a lot of my 376 00:21:50,960 --> 00:21:54,080 Speaker 1: lapina for an act fellow actors, you know, we all 377 00:21:54,640 --> 00:21:59,360 Speaker 1: struggle with that same thing or speaking about where it's like, oh, 378 00:21:59,600 --> 00:22:02,080 Speaker 1: I guess we got to write our own stories because 379 00:22:02,119 --> 00:22:05,080 Speaker 1: at the end of the day, you know, I mean, 380 00:22:05,119 --> 00:22:08,280 Speaker 1: I'm just going to keep being overlooked, right or overviewed 381 00:22:08,280 --> 00:22:10,560 Speaker 1: if I don't start taking control. I mean obviously in 382 00:22:10,960 --> 00:22:14,720 Speaker 1: imposter syndrome and like all that and um, but it's like, oh, 383 00:22:14,880 --> 00:22:17,119 Speaker 1: is what I have to say enough? Like, it's what 384 00:22:17,240 --> 00:22:20,760 Speaker 1: I have to offer as an artist, as a human 385 00:22:20,800 --> 00:22:25,720 Speaker 1: being enough. I think a lot of especially Latino artists 386 00:22:25,800 --> 00:22:29,760 Speaker 1: you know, struggle with that. Um. Well, let this podcast 387 00:22:29,760 --> 00:22:32,040 Speaker 1: be a testament to what what you have to say 388 00:22:32,040 --> 00:22:34,720 Speaker 1: and what you bring to the table is enough. Yeah. Absolutely, 389 00:22:34,960 --> 00:22:37,320 Speaker 1: it's a it's a reminder and all that. And I've 390 00:22:37,320 --> 00:22:40,960 Speaker 1: spoken to a lot of like, especially like aspiring artists 391 00:22:41,040 --> 00:22:43,520 Speaker 1: and theater students throughout my years, and I always tell 392 00:22:43,560 --> 00:22:45,600 Speaker 1: them the best thing you could do is learn how 393 00:22:45,600 --> 00:22:48,439 Speaker 1: to write, because you will never go without work if 394 00:22:48,440 --> 00:22:50,359 Speaker 1: you know how to write, because you can always right 395 00:22:50,440 --> 00:22:55,520 Speaker 1: yourself into existence, into existence. Um. And even that, there's 396 00:22:55,520 --> 00:22:57,399 Speaker 1: a moment in the book where you you discussed like 397 00:22:57,400 --> 00:23:00,960 Speaker 1: the struggle of Okay, well, and I'd hit me hard 398 00:23:00,960 --> 00:23:05,720 Speaker 1: because I'm like, yeah, totally, Um, the placement of Latino 399 00:23:05,840 --> 00:23:08,040 Speaker 1: people in this country and what does that actually mean 400 00:23:08,080 --> 00:23:10,520 Speaker 1: in creating space for ourselves where you know, you came, 401 00:23:10,680 --> 00:23:12,760 Speaker 1: you came to this country and you're like, oh, the 402 00:23:12,840 --> 00:23:16,320 Speaker 1: black people have that. White people got this, but what 403 00:23:16,400 --> 00:23:20,400 Speaker 1: about us where we go? Um? And I think that's 404 00:23:20,440 --> 00:23:22,760 Speaker 1: always just I think, no matter if you're after Latino, 405 00:23:22,760 --> 00:23:24,960 Speaker 1: if you're white, let me know if there's always that 406 00:23:25,119 --> 00:23:30,080 Speaker 1: feeling of like where do I fit? And race in 407 00:23:30,080 --> 00:23:32,639 Speaker 1: America is so tough, it's so tough to talk about. 408 00:23:32,720 --> 00:23:35,600 Speaker 1: It's so tough to understand if you don't fit perfectly 409 00:23:35,600 --> 00:23:39,199 Speaker 1: in that black and white dichotomy. Um, after all of 410 00:23:39,240 --> 00:23:44,439 Speaker 1: these years, to me, race is and has always been 411 00:23:44,440 --> 00:23:48,120 Speaker 1: a social construct, right. The problem is that even though 412 00:23:48,240 --> 00:23:52,119 Speaker 1: race is not real, racism is very real. So you 413 00:23:52,160 --> 00:23:55,119 Speaker 1: need the concept of race just to understand the impact 414 00:23:55,160 --> 00:23:59,120 Speaker 1: of racism. It's so it's such a mindful to me, absolutely, 415 00:23:59,240 --> 00:24:01,560 Speaker 1: And then it's also then then you know the community, 416 00:24:01,560 --> 00:24:04,720 Speaker 1: the Latina community then wants to deny it. It's just 417 00:24:04,840 --> 00:24:06,159 Speaker 1: they don't want to be a part of it. Or 418 00:24:08,359 --> 00:24:13,080 Speaker 1: people sometimes racist. I'm like Jesus Christ, what's wrong with you? 419 00:24:13,160 --> 00:24:17,280 Speaker 1: Which leads me into another sector of this interview with you, 420 00:24:17,359 --> 00:24:20,360 Speaker 1: where you are today and what you're seeing in the 421 00:24:20,400 --> 00:24:25,879 Speaker 1: industry now, and if you're seeing some kind of difference 422 00:24:25,960 --> 00:24:28,720 Speaker 1: in some kind of change, in any kind of way 423 00:24:28,920 --> 00:24:31,480 Speaker 1: in the work that you've been doing and the access 424 00:24:31,520 --> 00:24:35,440 Speaker 1: that you have, has there been changed. Do you think 425 00:24:35,480 --> 00:24:38,480 Speaker 1: it's enough? What do you think on your ends we 426 00:24:38,560 --> 00:24:41,080 Speaker 1: need to do? And I say this too as like 427 00:24:41,119 --> 00:24:43,120 Speaker 1: you know, as an Afro Latina actress. Yeah, I've I've 428 00:24:43,119 --> 00:24:44,679 Speaker 1: seen a couple of things. Yeah, I've been in for 429 00:24:44,800 --> 00:24:47,200 Speaker 1: like finally I'm getting in for the series regulars and 430 00:24:47,240 --> 00:24:49,320 Speaker 1: I'm doing that. I'm having this conversation and I'm bringing 431 00:24:49,320 --> 00:24:51,520 Speaker 1: that into the audition, But at the end of the day, 432 00:24:51,720 --> 00:24:54,000 Speaker 1: they're still booking the white girl, you know, So it's 433 00:24:54,040 --> 00:24:56,840 Speaker 1: like what or not even the white the white latina, 434 00:24:57,080 --> 00:24:59,480 Speaker 1: right or or that or this. So like I'm curious 435 00:24:59,640 --> 00:25:02,280 Speaker 1: for you as being someone who's in the room where 436 00:25:02,280 --> 00:25:09,960 Speaker 1: it happens, I'm curious for you, like what has that 437 00:25:10,040 --> 00:25:13,960 Speaker 1: been like, especially reading this book and your experiences, because 438 00:25:13,960 --> 00:25:20,160 Speaker 1: there's someone who's very aware things are painfully slowly getting better. 439 00:25:20,880 --> 00:25:23,720 Speaker 1: It's not by any means where it needs to be. 440 00:25:23,840 --> 00:25:27,520 Speaker 1: And a lot of the times casting is the first 441 00:25:27,560 --> 00:25:30,639 Speaker 1: place where we can start seeing some positive change. But 442 00:25:30,720 --> 00:25:34,879 Speaker 1: we're talking about structural power in Hollywood that we have 443 00:25:34,960 --> 00:25:37,440 Speaker 1: to change. We need more executives and positions of power, 444 00:25:37,520 --> 00:25:40,840 Speaker 1: more producers and positions of power. Um, we need more 445 00:25:40,960 --> 00:25:45,439 Speaker 1: like directors and writers, you know, and we don't have 446 00:25:45,560 --> 00:25:48,600 Speaker 1: enough of that. So that's what I'm hoping we continue 447 00:25:48,640 --> 00:25:55,720 Speaker 1: to develop. I remind people that we had better representation 448 00:25:56,080 --> 00:26:00,280 Speaker 1: in the nineteen fifties and everyone in the mayor Erica 449 00:26:00,400 --> 00:26:03,760 Speaker 1: was accustomed to having a Latino in their living room 450 00:26:03,880 --> 00:26:07,000 Speaker 1: every day and the biggest hit show in the country, 451 00:26:07,040 --> 00:26:09,639 Speaker 1: and that's I Love Lucy, that's Naisi Ernest and I 452 00:26:09,680 --> 00:26:15,480 Speaker 1: Love Lucy. And we're just trying to get back to that, right. 453 00:26:16,720 --> 00:26:22,919 Speaker 1: Um yeah, I mean we've had slow progress and it 454 00:26:22,960 --> 00:26:26,720 Speaker 1: needs to get better, but it's not by any means 455 00:26:27,560 --> 00:26:32,000 Speaker 1: where it needs to be, right, especially in Hollywood, especially 456 00:26:32,000 --> 00:26:36,440 Speaker 1: in Los Angeles. As close to like fifty percent Latinos 457 00:26:36,560 --> 00:26:39,919 Speaker 1: in this county where Hollywood resides, and yet we're like 458 00:26:41,320 --> 00:26:46,840 Speaker 1: five percent of the speaking roles or maybe fifteen percent 459 00:26:47,040 --> 00:26:53,440 Speaker 1: of the workforce here. And that's that's like below the line. 460 00:26:53,560 --> 00:26:55,160 Speaker 1: When it comes to above the line and it comes 461 00:26:55,200 --> 00:26:59,720 Speaker 1: to executives, god, we're probably like three percent or at mo. 462 00:27:00,400 --> 00:27:05,680 Speaker 1: That's those are disgusting numbers. That's that's structural racism that 463 00:27:05,760 --> 00:27:08,879 Speaker 1: no one really wants to talk about absolutely, but you know, 464 00:27:09,359 --> 00:27:13,119 Speaker 1: we we the best we could do is tell our stories, 465 00:27:14,080 --> 00:27:16,600 Speaker 1: be the difference we want to see in the world. 466 00:27:16,920 --> 00:27:19,720 Speaker 1: Keep showing up and keep showing up. You know you 467 00:27:19,760 --> 00:27:21,800 Speaker 1: said something at the at the beginning of this question 468 00:27:21,880 --> 00:27:24,240 Speaker 1: that really hit me. I got into a big fight 469 00:27:24,280 --> 00:27:27,280 Speaker 1: with the bunch of my friends not too long ago 470 00:27:27,720 --> 00:27:30,679 Speaker 1: because I said, listen, you can be Latin X and 471 00:27:30,720 --> 00:27:33,040 Speaker 1: not be a person of color, and they were like, 472 00:27:33,160 --> 00:27:40,640 Speaker 1: what are you saying? I I acknowledge my privilege, and 473 00:27:40,680 --> 00:27:42,920 Speaker 1: I also acknowledge that there's some of us in our 474 00:27:42,920 --> 00:27:45,720 Speaker 1: community that are saying, oh my god, what is me? 475 00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:48,680 Speaker 1: I'm a person of color and you're blond and blue eyed, 476 00:27:48,720 --> 00:27:51,600 Speaker 1: and I'm like, what on your experience? Not not all 477 00:27:51,640 --> 00:27:54,320 Speaker 1: experiences are equals. So you have to be careful. And 478 00:27:54,400 --> 00:27:57,439 Speaker 1: by the way, let's be clear, we love white people. 479 00:27:57,640 --> 00:28:01,520 Speaker 1: Were not bashing on white people. Always say is come, be, Come, 480 00:28:01,600 --> 00:28:03,560 Speaker 1: be the change that you want to see in the world. 481 00:28:03,840 --> 00:28:23,119 Speaker 1: Exactly we are the world put off? What um after this? Well, 482 00:28:23,240 --> 00:28:25,120 Speaker 1: I mean you're doing it. You're you're you know, you're 483 00:28:25,160 --> 00:28:29,960 Speaker 1: talking about your book and you're sharing your story with everyone. Um, 484 00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:32,920 Speaker 1: and you've done incredible work. So far with your within 485 00:28:32,960 --> 00:28:36,879 Speaker 1: your writing. Um, what is next for you? Well, I 486 00:28:37,280 --> 00:28:40,600 Speaker 1: feel like in the nonprofit space because I help Edward 487 00:28:40,680 --> 00:28:42,880 Speaker 1: James almost run the Latino Film Institute. We've done a 488 00:28:42,920 --> 00:28:45,479 Speaker 1: lot of good stuff with the Youth Cinema Project and 489 00:28:45,560 --> 00:28:48,880 Speaker 1: with La Leif, the Los Angeles the Tina Tractional Film Festival, 490 00:28:49,200 --> 00:28:51,560 Speaker 1: and I now feel confident that I can leave that 491 00:28:51,720 --> 00:28:54,840 Speaker 1: with our new directors and our new leadership, and I 492 00:28:54,840 --> 00:29:00,360 Speaker 1: can strictly focus on Hollywood. Worker Gina Rodriguez or Leon 493 00:29:00,480 --> 00:29:03,760 Speaker 1: was like, you need to become a showrunner, she said 494 00:29:03,920 --> 00:29:07,160 Speaker 1: to me, before you even knew what a showrunner was. Then, 495 00:29:07,200 --> 00:29:08,840 Speaker 1: when I got into the Jane the Bridge and Writer's 496 00:29:08,920 --> 00:29:12,760 Speaker 1: room and discovered kind of like who really holds a 497 00:29:12,840 --> 00:29:16,920 Speaker 1: lot of the cloud and power and TV? That's kind 498 00:29:16,920 --> 00:29:19,520 Speaker 1: of my goal now. I wanna I wanna be able 499 00:29:19,600 --> 00:29:22,840 Speaker 1: to become a showrunner so that I can help create 500 00:29:22,960 --> 00:29:25,440 Speaker 1: those jobs for the people who I know are not 501 00:29:25,520 --> 00:29:28,640 Speaker 1: just worthy of them, but name them the most. It's 502 00:29:28,680 --> 00:29:30,520 Speaker 1: gonna take a while because you have to come up 503 00:29:30,640 --> 00:29:34,240 Speaker 1: the TV hierarchy and you have to take your steps 504 00:29:34,240 --> 00:29:38,280 Speaker 1: and pay your dues. But I'm slowly but surely I'm 505 00:29:38,360 --> 00:29:40,880 Speaker 1: getting there. I'm selling a TV show here and there, 506 00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:45,800 Speaker 1: getting a book deal, adapting this book into a TV show. 507 00:29:45,960 --> 00:29:49,440 Speaker 1: You know, it's a it's it's a long it's a 508 00:29:49,480 --> 00:29:52,360 Speaker 1: long process. It's a long it's a long journey. But 509 00:29:52,400 --> 00:29:55,240 Speaker 1: I'm here for it. I'm here for it, UM, and 510 00:29:55,360 --> 00:29:58,440 Speaker 1: I can't wait to continue watching your journey maybe one 511 00:29:58,520 --> 00:30:06,239 Speaker 1: day and working together. Yes, okay, UM, and I just 512 00:30:06,400 --> 00:30:09,160 Speaker 1: I'm I'm I'm so proud of you. I'm so honored 513 00:30:09,240 --> 00:30:14,960 Speaker 1: that you're one of us. UM. And I'm I'm so 514 00:30:15,600 --> 00:30:18,880 Speaker 1: excited to continue supporting your journey. UM in this crazy 515 00:30:18,960 --> 00:30:22,400 Speaker 1: thing that we call the entertainment industry. UM, you are 516 00:30:22,520 --> 00:30:25,800 Speaker 1: incredibly talented. You have so much to offer, and UM 517 00:30:26,640 --> 00:30:30,000 Speaker 1: it's it's yeah. I thank you for everything that you're doing. 518 00:30:32,640 --> 00:30:35,760 Speaker 1: I really do. I'm really I'm going through a moment 519 00:30:35,800 --> 00:30:38,080 Speaker 1: after reading your book. But I do have one question 520 00:30:38,120 --> 00:30:42,720 Speaker 1: for you before UM talk about this interview. UM, you 521 00:30:42,800 --> 00:30:49,360 Speaker 1: still got the Kirk Gibson. Oh wow, it's wow, So 522 00:30:49,520 --> 00:30:52,680 Speaker 1: that you know it's so funny, UM, because you have 523 00:30:52,760 --> 00:30:54,520 Speaker 1: to read the book. I'm sorry, Okay, you have to 524 00:30:54,560 --> 00:30:58,280 Speaker 1: read the book. It's chapter Field of Dreams. Do you 525 00:30:58,280 --> 00:31:03,000 Speaker 1: think so it was Steve Garby. I was in I was, yeah, 526 00:31:03,040 --> 00:31:09,160 Speaker 1: I was in love with Kirk Gibson. My cousin gave 527 00:31:09,200 --> 00:31:13,080 Speaker 1: me the Steve Garvey signed Dodger baseball and it was 528 00:31:13,320 --> 00:31:15,840 Speaker 1: you know what. I wanted to leave that chapter as 529 00:31:15,840 --> 00:31:21,760 Speaker 1: this beautiful chapter of just father and son playing catch. Um, 530 00:31:21,800 --> 00:31:24,640 Speaker 1: But the honest truth was, that's the only time my 531 00:31:24,720 --> 00:31:27,440 Speaker 1: dad and I ever played catch in our lives. As 532 00:31:27,480 --> 00:31:29,920 Speaker 1: an immigrant, he never had He worked like seven days 533 00:31:29,920 --> 00:31:32,120 Speaker 1: a week, and he never had time to spend with me. 534 00:31:32,480 --> 00:31:34,320 Speaker 1: And I knew that, which is why I cherished that 535 00:31:34,360 --> 00:31:37,560 Speaker 1: moment so much. So anyway, cut to I don't have 536 00:31:37,560 --> 00:31:39,640 Speaker 1: a baseball, so I decided to use this Steve Carvey 537 00:31:39,640 --> 00:31:43,440 Speaker 1: autographed baseball and I destroyed it that day. It was destroyed, 538 00:31:43,560 --> 00:31:46,160 Speaker 1: and it was heartbreaking because I love the Dodgers so 539 00:31:46,240 --> 00:31:48,640 Speaker 1: much when I first moved to this country. Um, but 540 00:31:48,920 --> 00:31:53,920 Speaker 1: someone read the book and sent me a sign Steve 541 00:31:53,960 --> 00:31:58,320 Speaker 1: Garby autographed baseball. You will not believe it. I nearly 542 00:31:58,400 --> 00:32:02,640 Speaker 1: cried when I opened that president it. Okay, isn't it remarkable? 543 00:32:02,800 --> 00:32:07,200 Speaker 1: See Garvey ball is in your possession. And I honestly 544 00:32:07,200 --> 00:32:09,520 Speaker 1: read that chapter and I was like, I just hope 545 00:32:09,520 --> 00:32:12,080 Speaker 1: he has the ball and you're you're right because Kurt, 546 00:32:12,160 --> 00:32:14,080 Speaker 1: you ended with Kirk Gibson. And that's where my mind. 547 00:32:14,080 --> 00:32:16,120 Speaker 1: I have a lot of things I've bled here, Okay 548 00:32:16,120 --> 00:32:19,760 Speaker 1: a lot because because I sent Kirk Gibson and that 549 00:32:19,920 --> 00:32:22,560 Speaker 1: home run in World Series when I first came to 550 00:32:22,600 --> 00:32:25,680 Speaker 1: this country was like my welcome to the United States. 551 00:32:25,920 --> 00:32:28,280 Speaker 1: But that baseball, you know, it was to me. It 552 00:32:28,320 --> 00:32:30,440 Speaker 1: was so deeply moving that someone read the book and 553 00:32:30,520 --> 00:32:33,320 Speaker 1: was like, I need to give him, I need to 554 00:32:33,360 --> 00:32:36,800 Speaker 1: give replaced that autographed baseball. But they did, and it 555 00:32:36,840 --> 00:32:38,880 Speaker 1: was so great. And did you finish it all the 556 00:32:38,880 --> 00:32:42,120 Speaker 1: way to the end. Yes? And then did let me 557 00:32:42,120 --> 00:32:45,960 Speaker 1: tell you something this is These are the two best 558 00:32:46,000 --> 00:32:48,400 Speaker 1: gifts I ever got. I was invited to go on 559 00:32:48,480 --> 00:32:53,000 Speaker 1: CBS Mornings and Gail King interviewed me and Gil King. 560 00:32:53,720 --> 00:32:58,480 Speaker 1: When I walked into the studio, she gifted me Vicks 561 00:32:58,560 --> 00:33:04,280 Speaker 1: vapor rub that she it to buy herself. Oh, come on, 562 00:33:04,720 --> 00:33:06,960 Speaker 1: why is everybody taking my ideas of my gifts that 563 00:33:07,000 --> 00:33:08,640 Speaker 1: I'm trying to give you. At the end of this episode, 564 00:33:09,760 --> 00:33:13,360 Speaker 1: thanks Gail, Okay, what's the next one? But it was 565 00:33:13,480 --> 00:33:17,200 Speaker 1: so beautiful. Oh, I couldn't believe she did that. You're 566 00:33:17,200 --> 00:33:20,920 Speaker 1: gonna have an endless supply, endless supply for the rest 567 00:33:21,000 --> 00:33:25,720 Speaker 1: of your life, Okay, which I had all along, but 568 00:33:25,840 --> 00:33:29,320 Speaker 1: that it was that one. I'm sure it's you sitting 569 00:33:29,360 --> 00:33:32,280 Speaker 1: somewhere right. You haven't sitting somewhere special. I love that. 570 00:33:32,480 --> 00:33:35,560 Speaker 1: It's right next, it's right next. I love that. I 571 00:33:35,640 --> 00:33:39,000 Speaker 1: love that. Well. You deserve, you deserve, you deserve. Thank you. 572 00:33:43,840 --> 00:33:46,040 Speaker 1: This is the moment we've all been waiting for. Yeah, 573 00:33:46,160 --> 00:33:48,880 Speaker 1: this is the moment of the questions. Are you ready 574 00:33:48,880 --> 00:33:54,400 Speaker 1: for ready? Okay? Number one? What's a play you would 575 00:33:54,480 --> 00:33:57,920 Speaker 1: live in for a day, a play that I want 576 00:33:57,920 --> 00:34:01,160 Speaker 1: to live in for a day, or it could be 577 00:34:01,200 --> 00:34:04,760 Speaker 1: a musical mute Mulan Rouge. I'll say Mulan Rouge because 578 00:34:04,800 --> 00:34:07,400 Speaker 1: I just watched it at the Pantageous the other day 579 00:34:07,400 --> 00:34:10,320 Speaker 1: and I remember how much I love that story of 580 00:34:10,360 --> 00:34:18,600 Speaker 1: those songs. Oh don't jud here. Good. Number two, what's 581 00:34:18,680 --> 00:34:21,920 Speaker 1: something that didn't make into the book that you still 582 00:34:21,960 --> 00:34:27,279 Speaker 1: hold on to? You can't ask me that, Um, I 583 00:34:27,320 --> 00:34:30,920 Speaker 1: just did I know? Okay, So this is what happened. Um. 584 00:34:31,080 --> 00:34:33,440 Speaker 1: I had to share the chapters with everyone in my 585 00:34:33,480 --> 00:34:35,239 Speaker 1: life to make sure that they were okay with it. 586 00:34:35,640 --> 00:34:40,200 Speaker 1: Everyone was except one, and it's my best friend who 587 00:34:40,280 --> 00:34:45,680 Speaker 1: came out. He came out as on. He came out 588 00:34:45,719 --> 00:34:48,640 Speaker 1: as gay to me, like r right out of high school, 589 00:34:48,960 --> 00:34:52,960 Speaker 1: and and his courage to do that kind of like 590 00:34:53,080 --> 00:34:55,040 Speaker 1: affected me and gave me the courage to come out 591 00:34:55,080 --> 00:34:58,040 Speaker 1: of the shadows. So I wrote the chapter that way. 592 00:34:58,080 --> 00:35:00,000 Speaker 1: But he was like, I'm sorry, this is my personal life, 593 00:35:00,000 --> 00:35:02,160 Speaker 1: but I don't feel comfortable you're talking about it. And 594 00:35:02,800 --> 00:35:06,040 Speaker 1: I fully understand why he said that, and I removed 595 00:35:06,080 --> 00:35:08,919 Speaker 1: the chapter. But to this day, I'm like, oh God, 596 00:35:08,960 --> 00:35:10,640 Speaker 1: I just wish I would have added that in the book. 597 00:35:10,680 --> 00:35:13,040 Speaker 1: It was he had I don't think he understood how 598 00:35:13,080 --> 00:35:16,840 Speaker 1: much love I have for him and what that chapter 599 00:35:17,640 --> 00:35:20,040 Speaker 1: in my life meant. But yeah, that's the one I 600 00:35:20,080 --> 00:35:22,000 Speaker 1: wish I would have kept in the book. I kind 601 00:35:22,000 --> 00:35:25,359 Speaker 1: of remember slightly what you're speaking about. There's a little 602 00:35:25,400 --> 00:35:27,799 Speaker 1: moment that you do mentioned, but it was, it was, 603 00:35:27,880 --> 00:35:30,319 Speaker 1: it was an entire chapter. It was effective. I will 604 00:35:30,400 --> 00:35:33,280 Speaker 1: let you know that still was affected the small portion 605 00:35:33,360 --> 00:35:39,239 Speaker 1: that you died in there. Number three, What reminds you 606 00:35:39,360 --> 00:35:43,880 Speaker 1: of home or makes you feel at home? Oh that 607 00:35:44,000 --> 00:35:48,040 Speaker 1: is such a beautiful question. Um god, it it probably 608 00:35:48,320 --> 00:35:52,160 Speaker 1: is Okay, I'm not gonna say Biggs Paporook because we 609 00:35:52,200 --> 00:36:01,120 Speaker 1: just I'm gonna say, um it, it's gotta be my 610 00:36:01,160 --> 00:36:04,160 Speaker 1: mom's from Sevich. Whenever I ate my mom from Sevich, 611 00:36:04,200 --> 00:36:06,719 Speaker 1: I'm always like it. Tell supports me, like Rattatu. We 612 00:36:06,760 --> 00:36:09,640 Speaker 1: all the way back to like six years old, and 613 00:36:09,760 --> 00:36:13,239 Speaker 1: we know the drama with Cevich. You already know I 614 00:36:13,280 --> 00:36:15,920 Speaker 1: will go to war. I think our countries went to 615 00:36:15,960 --> 00:36:20,200 Speaker 1: war over who has uh created by credit on Cevich, 616 00:36:20,680 --> 00:36:23,239 Speaker 1: Peruvians or Ecuadorigans. I'm going to leave that one for 617 00:36:23,239 --> 00:36:25,719 Speaker 1: the for the listeners to tappen to tappen, we gotta 618 00:36:25,760 --> 00:36:29,880 Speaker 1: leave them with something. But it's been an absolute pleasure. 619 00:36:30,360 --> 00:36:34,080 Speaker 1: I've loved every minute with you too. I am a 620 00:36:34,200 --> 00:36:36,920 Speaker 1: huge fan. Like I said, I cannot wait to keep 621 00:36:36,920 --> 00:36:39,719 Speaker 1: following your journey. If our listeners want to follow you 622 00:36:39,800 --> 00:36:42,440 Speaker 1: and follow all the amazing things you're doing. Is there 623 00:36:42,440 --> 00:36:45,560 Speaker 1: a social media plug this is the moment? Yeah, of course, 624 00:36:46,000 --> 00:36:50,760 Speaker 1: I'm Mr Rafael Gustin everywhere. I just got on TikTok. 625 00:36:50,800 --> 00:36:52,840 Speaker 1: If you can believe that I just got on yesterday, 626 00:36:53,000 --> 00:36:56,000 Speaker 1: Oh my god, it's so difficult. It's been fun. It's 627 00:36:56,000 --> 00:36:58,920 Speaker 1: been fun. But apparently got you got somebody running that 628 00:36:59,000 --> 00:37:01,080 Speaker 1: for you? Were you doing yourself? I'm working with someone 629 00:37:01,120 --> 00:37:04,760 Speaker 1: a gen z er for sure, but might need their information. 630 00:37:04,800 --> 00:37:08,040 Speaker 1: I'm sorry. Okay, continue, but also here's some information for 631 00:37:08,080 --> 00:37:11,080 Speaker 1: all your readers that I didn't know. My publisher was 632 00:37:11,160 --> 00:37:16,480 Speaker 1: like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, they don't sell books. TikTok sells books, 633 00:37:16,600 --> 00:37:19,640 Speaker 1: and my god, they were right. I was able to 634 00:37:19,640 --> 00:37:21,840 Speaker 1: build a little audience on TikTok were like, oh I 635 00:37:21,880 --> 00:37:23,959 Speaker 1: love your book. I buy your book. On Instagram people 636 00:37:23,960 --> 00:37:26,680 Speaker 1: be like, yeah, yeah, you look cool. Whatever where Instagram 637 00:37:26,719 --> 00:37:31,400 Speaker 1: is just for show now, it's all lot. It's so crazy. 638 00:37:31,440 --> 00:37:33,239 Speaker 1: This is the world we live in. I know, and 639 00:37:33,320 --> 00:37:43,160 Speaker 1: I feel so old. Thank you so much impressed. Everybody, 640 00:37:43,280 --> 00:37:46,200 Speaker 1: go out and buy illegally yours. It's incredible. You won't 641 00:37:46,200 --> 00:37:50,200 Speaker 1: regret it. It's so good. Or or go watch seasons 642 00:37:50,400 --> 00:37:54,239 Speaker 1: four and five of Jane the Virgin. Thank you so much, 643 00:37:54,239 --> 00:37:56,520 Speaker 1: my love, thank you. It's been a pleasure. Pleasures on 644 00:37:56,640 --> 00:38:03,560 Speaker 1: my whenever. So Mona Nita is a production of Sonato 645 00:38:03,600 --> 00:38:07,160 Speaker 1: in partnership with I Heart Radio's Michael Bluda podcast Network. 646 00:38:07,480 --> 00:38:10,120 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the I 647 00:38:10,239 --> 00:38:13,480 Speaker 1: heart Radio app Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to 648 00:38:13,520 --> 00:38:14,440 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.