Speaker 1: Populistic girl a Mada Lata and you're listening to exactly
Speaker 1: a Mada a production of I Heart Radio. I am
Speaker 1: so excited because today we're celebrating our all year celebrating. Yes,
Speaker 1: we're celebrating how proud we are of our ancess fears were. Yes,
Speaker 1: all that good stuff, our music, our culture, all those
Speaker 1: amazing things you know, um as Latinos, and I think
Speaker 1: that also as Latina, as a black woman, as an
Speaker 1: Afro Latina, as a woman in this country overall, I'm
Speaker 1: part of all those things that is so important for
Speaker 1: us to talk about the National Hispanic Heritage Month and
Speaker 1: why we should celebrate it all year round and not
Speaker 1: just like a one month thing, kind of like how
Speaker 1: they do with Black History Month, which is so annoying
Speaker 1: to me that they just do it like one month.
Speaker 1: Let's celebrate it all year around, because all year we're
Speaker 1: doing amazing things all around the world, the importance of
Speaker 1: Latinos in our culture, Latinos and media in the entertainment industry,
Speaker 1: and Latinos every day in life. So today I'm super
Speaker 1: excited because we have amazing guests. Better, before I even
Speaker 1: get to that, okay, I have to see this show
Speaker 1: wouldn't be the same without my co host Stevie Noonez
Speaker 1: or Stevie Nunez. You know you talk about what talking
Speaker 1: about Hispanic Heritage Month, We definitely need to talk about
Speaker 1: all the amazing politicians we have, um, that are playing
Speaker 1: important roles that really make an impact not only the
Speaker 1: Latino community, but in the United States and the community overall. Um.
Speaker 1: We have amazing athletes that'm being you like sports um
Speaker 1: uh If I like the athletes of worse, I do.
Speaker 1: They're beautiful. Oh my god, I feel like bodies, Like
Speaker 1: why do you think a rod Victor Cruise athletes are
Speaker 1: as a Dominicano? Have to talk about the Dominicano that
Speaker 1: are making it happen, like you said, Alex Rodriguez amongst many.
Speaker 1: Do you see how important, Sammy? Do you know how
Speaker 1: important it is? Big body? Like all these important Latinos
Speaker 1: that have impacted in so many different ways. I don't
Speaker 1: know too much about you know, scientists, but I know
Speaker 1: that in the science department, and that they've also been
Speaker 1: impactful in the entertainment industry. Of course, we know a
Speaker 1: lot of Latinos that have been impactful. Um. I'll start
Speaker 1: with one. I go with one and you go with
Speaker 1: the other one. Okay, Cruise yes? Or Anthony, oh wait,
Speaker 1: Gloria Stefan okay, um Mark Anthony Yes, and Stepan Mark Anthony.
Speaker 1: Oh my god God, but we gotta diversify, yes, Jenny Rivera,
Speaker 1: there's so many. The list goes on and on and
Speaker 1: on and on. Oh I know another one too. I
Speaker 1: bet you don't know this one. They don't do it
Speaker 1: as see savey. You see, this is a great thing.
Speaker 1: It's not just about like the Caribbeans but Chile. I meant, hintena.
Speaker 1: The list goes on of how versatile we are and
Speaker 1: how amazing we are, how impactful we've been in so
Speaker 1: many different departments as actors may strolls, as doctors. I mean,
Speaker 1: like we have truly immigrants, no matter how much they
Speaker 1: want to, you know, because there's always a little group
Speaker 1: of people they're like, oh, we don't want to know
Speaker 1: about immigrants, and kick them out of here, and we
Speaker 1: don't want them here. And now that shut up, okay,
Speaker 1: because without immigrants in this country, we shape our nation.
Speaker 1: We shape this country. You know, this country wouldn't have
Speaker 1: been the same without us because a lot of the times,
Speaker 1: guess who does the hard work we do while they
Speaker 1: want to do the cute stuff. The Latinos that come
Speaker 1: here Sulambo, sacrificing all types of things, we're the ones
Speaker 1: that really make what this country is. And hello, a
Speaker 1: lot of Latinos, a lot of Latinos worked for five
Speaker 1: dollars in our work and help build a lot of
Speaker 1: corporations in this country. Okay, we are we are the
Speaker 1: backbone of this country. A lot of us are the
Speaker 1: backbone of the country. And let's not even talk about
Speaker 1: Puerto Rico. How they made us. Um they haven't made
Speaker 1: us a state, but they made as a part of
Speaker 1: the country because they needed us. We never asked to
Speaker 1: be a part of the country. They needed us. I
Speaker 1: don't know what they have up in that country that
Speaker 1: they need. I do know, you know that's I don't
Speaker 1: want the government after me, but I know that that
Speaker 1: they we are very abhorant and we are not just
Speaker 1: the help. You know, we are not just There's so many, um,
Speaker 1: second generational like people that have came here, Like I'm
Speaker 1: a kid of immigrants, you know, parents, you know what
Speaker 1: I mean, I'm I'm that person. But we're gonna have
Speaker 1: some such amazing guests today that actually are kids and
Speaker 1: have been very successful from you know, they have migrated
Speaker 1: to this country and it's awesome. I can't wait. I
Speaker 1: cannot wait to bring on our guests. And that's why
Speaker 1: today's show it's so important. Today's is one of those
Speaker 1: shows that I want you guys to really pay attention
Speaker 1: the Latin X community, just the Latinos. If you come
Speaker 1: from parents that immigrated to this country, this conversation is
Speaker 1: for you, um, and for those that don't understand why
Speaker 1: we're so passionate, or for those that still feel certain
Speaker 1: type of way about immigrants coming to this country. That's
Speaker 1: why it was so important for me to have a
Speaker 1: very close friend of mine who also is an immigrant agent,
Speaker 1: who also fought for this country as an immigrant, who
Speaker 1: also came to this country to succeed to provide a
Speaker 1: better future for his family, for his country. UM, my
Speaker 1: friend France, So France, are you there? Thank you? Thank you.
Speaker 1: I'm great. I'm great. I don't know if I'm too
Speaker 1: loud or if it's okay the volume. No, you're fine.
Speaker 1: This is speak deeply to me when it comes to immigration,
Speaker 1: but for us, even speak for myself. I remember at
Speaker 1: the beginning a motter, I was talking about what don't
Speaker 1: we have, you know, a whole a whole year, Well,
Speaker 1: a brief history. You know. When Hispanic Month came in
Speaker 1: into place, it was one week they used to give
Speaker 1: you guys. It wasn't until nine Democratic President Lindon B.
Speaker 1: Johnson declared that it should be a whole month. And
Speaker 1: then twenty years later in nine press the Republican President
Speaker 1: Reagan signed in the law where they should have that
Speaker 1: celebrate for a whole month. And the reason being that
Speaker 1: it's celebrated within September fifteen to October fifteen is because
Speaker 1: this is when most of Latin American country or Hispanic
Speaker 1: countries they gained the independence from Spain. It wasn't September
Speaker 1: fifteen the majority. So that the reason why they keep
Speaker 1: the September fifteen. But I agree with you should be
Speaker 1: a whole year. Anyway, that was a brief history for
Speaker 1: what you just said. Thank you. It was a very
Speaker 1: educational moment. See, I didn't know that, and I love
Speaker 1: learning things. Yeah, I mean that's fine. So um, I
Speaker 1: am Olswids representative for immigration. I came here myself added
Speaker 1: political asylum. With the whole process I kept my head
Speaker 1: on straight. I was qualified for political asylum. I gave
Speaker 1: my green card are Jindal military. I signed in August eight,
Speaker 1: um two six, and I saw the book camp on
Speaker 1: January seven, two thousand seven. And I sat for fourteen
Speaker 1: years in the military, valiantly fought for this country as
Speaker 1: an immigrant, the very people they say, let them stay
Speaker 1: in the country, let them not do anything. So I
Speaker 1: was one of the people who came here proud and
Speaker 1: remain proud and do what I got to do. So
Speaker 1: when they keep on saying close the borders, one thing
Speaker 1: they have to understand with immigration and with immigrants in general,
Speaker 1: it's because of the separation of people in country and
Speaker 1: land that we are in this condition. For example, if
Speaker 1: you're in the continent of Africa, everyone in this continent,
Speaker 1: whe are you from Djibouti, so Maliya, Ga bond anywhere?
Speaker 1: They call you African, right. But in America you're in
Speaker 1: Latin American country, they call you Latin American, they call
Speaker 1: you Dhysic or you that. But we are in the
Speaker 1: continent of America. Technically we are Americans, but this country
Speaker 1: claimed the name of American to give titles to different people.
Speaker 1: Now We're not gonna be bashing USA or anything like that.
Speaker 1: That's not what we're doing. But we're just trying to
Speaker 1: make sure that our people are educated enough to understood
Speaker 1: end when you're here, not only you're an American according
Speaker 1: to the Lens separation, but you are also part of
Speaker 1: this great nation that is that is being built. And
Speaker 1: this nation is built almost entirely on the backs of immigrants,
Speaker 1: almost entirely because you're gonna see like people like Senator
Speaker 1: macaol Wob I mean his family were they were they
Speaker 1: were immigrants. You have so many other people in in
Speaker 1: in politics had it not been for the people coming
Speaker 1: in to do exactly what they had to do to
Speaker 1: passs the kids paperwork. Like you said, a matter a
Speaker 1: lot of people from the border of Mexico coursing going
Speaker 1: to pan myself out, or before they get to Mexico
Speaker 1: they got rape, they got killed. Some people they get
Speaker 1: their family murder in four of them they cannot do
Speaker 1: anything about it. So um, when it comes to really
Speaker 1: strong education, as far as helping people, the political salum
Speaker 1: when they come in here, helping people get into a
Speaker 1: green card, helping them if they if they find a
Speaker 1: family members or applying for a visa. So we are
Speaker 1: here to help them to make sure they keep their
Speaker 1: on straight and they do what they got will do,
Speaker 1: and they remain in this country and work, bring to
Speaker 1: the family and building the land to where it came up.
Speaker 1: I have a question, do you feel that the immigration
Speaker 1: laws UM in the past two years or so have
Speaker 1: become more beneficial towards the Latino community or do you
Speaker 1: feel that there hasn't been any progress since the new UH,
Speaker 1: since our new president UM. Right now, it's kind of
Speaker 1: hard because it's still at a steady place because of
Speaker 1: so much Trump had done, with so many rules that
Speaker 1: he had come up with. So Biden had to reverse
Speaker 1: many laws that many many decisions that he has taken.
Speaker 1: For example, one of which was the public charge war.
Speaker 1: The public charge war was something stated in February when
Speaker 1: it says that let's say, if you were to marry someone,
Speaker 1: it was to go under theod of the support. Let's
Speaker 1: say I'm married somebody right like a woman, and then
Speaker 1: I'm making a hundred thousand a year, so according to
Speaker 1: what I'm making, she was able to get the green
Speaker 1: card easily. But when Trump said the public charge will
Speaker 1: in effect it's implements that they don't go by my
Speaker 1: income anymore. They go back. Okay, let's say, oh, you're
Speaker 1: found the republic. Oh you know what I feel like
Speaker 1: within two years you you're going to become a public charge,
Speaker 1: meaning you're gonna ask for benefits, You're gonna take up
Speaker 1: all our money. And the immigration officer I can decide
Speaker 1: at that point of time not to give you the
Speaker 1: wink card, which was terrible. So that's terrible. And this
Speaker 1: one to something we're still in effect because Biden cannot
Speaker 1: overbold every single day ye have done. But we are
Speaker 1: in the maze of confusion in immigration. And another thing
Speaker 1: because there's so many back aloud things that usually used
Speaker 1: to take a year to process. Let's say, if you
Speaker 1: apply for your son or daughter, used to take a year.
Speaker 1: Now you can take all the way up to two
Speaker 1: years depending on what office isn't. Did the pandemic really
Speaker 1: affect the way uh these cases are being now, like
Speaker 1: the pandemic is slowed the process of a lot or
Speaker 1: is it back open? Is it it was it still running?
Speaker 1: What happened for those people that had open cases? Um,
Speaker 1: the pandemic really affect a lot of things because as
Speaker 1: we can see the entire world as as if it
Speaker 1: is being redone like not. A lot of officers were closed,
Speaker 1: and a lot of cases were pushed back, and some
Speaker 1: applications that were done only like when they send it
Speaker 1: back to you like taking even way more time. That's
Speaker 1: the reason why recently about like a month ago, Biden
Speaker 1: signed something where even unless it's somebody who got married
Speaker 1: with someone, they're gonna assigned officers where they're gonna open
Speaker 1: immigration on saturdays. So pretty strongly you're gonna see some
Speaker 1: people start getting interviews on Saturdays, things that never happened
Speaker 1: in immigration here. So that's the progress. And he just
Speaker 1: hired a lot of immigration officers do we view cases?
Speaker 1: Because the backloging immigration is as much as the backlog
Speaker 1: in High Rest now for your attacks, So it's really
Speaker 1: really bad. But they are making progress because he's made
Speaker 1: every effort to how your more immigration agents. Absolutely. So, um,
Speaker 1: just yourself, I would like to hear more about France
Speaker 1: about you. Um, so you came from Haiti me and
Speaker 1: made the I T right. Um, tell us a little
Speaker 1: bit about your like your family coming here? Did you
Speaker 1: come on your own? Did your family come and what
Speaker 1: were the the goals did you like as an immigrant
Speaker 1: because I know my dad was an immigrant. Do you
Speaker 1: come here with goals or you just played by ear?
Speaker 1: What what is it that you wanted to to accomplish
Speaker 1: in America? Because listen, I was raised in America, right,
Speaker 1: and I know how my Dominican family views America. They
Speaker 1: think is like the American dream and all of this.
Speaker 1: And I'm like, well, I live in the project in
Speaker 1: the food you know, do you I'm sending money to you,
Speaker 1: but we're also struggling on our and we're not as
Speaker 1: rich as you think we are. You know, Um, what
Speaker 1: was the with your experience? I want to know about
Speaker 1: the front experience? Well, Um, back when I was in Haiti,
Speaker 1: I was a cop. So I served in the country
Speaker 1: of Haiti for five years and then after a while,
Speaker 1: I decided to come here on my own. I didn't
Speaker 1: have you know, my mom I passed away ninety eight.
Speaker 1: My dad was in the military. When the military that
Speaker 1: dissolves in Haiti. Um, we didn't have any hope anymore
Speaker 1: because it was only the soup provider. So when I
Speaker 1: became a cop, I was the soap provider. Now in
Speaker 1: my family, including taking care of my dad and a
Speaker 1: sister brother, all of them older than me. So UM,
Speaker 1: as I was coming to the state, I put in
Speaker 1: my head, you know what, I love writing and I
Speaker 1: love you know guns. You know that's reason wh I
Speaker 1: serving the police. I knew I was gonna be serving
Speaker 1: in the military here. I had that in my mind
Speaker 1: and to continue with my writing career. So as soon
Speaker 1: as I learned in this country, like I said before, UM,
Speaker 1: I applied for political slum. I wanted the case and
Speaker 1: quickly applied for the military, which was continued on following
Speaker 1: my dream. While I was in the military, I was
Speaker 1: on diplomat in Spain. This is when I wrote my
Speaker 1: first book while I was in the military. So every
Speaker 1: single thing that I've done, I calculate everything. That doesn't
Speaker 1: mean I don't make mistakes here. That's not what I'm saying.
Speaker 1: What I'm saying is I keep my head on street
Speaker 1: to the vision, and when I have a setback, I
Speaker 1: kept myself up, and I drugged myself up and I
Speaker 1: kept going. This is a very important topic for me.
Speaker 1: It was important to not just celebrate um just thinking
Speaker 1: about Hispanic heritage month, but thinking about immigrants in this country.
Speaker 1: I know that data. And I know that you know,
Speaker 1: the Dreamers have has been a really big topic, UM
Speaker 1: that we've all seen on national TV. We've seen on
Speaker 1: social media, We've seen people protesting, We've seen all these things.
Speaker 1: Do you can you update us a little bit on
Speaker 1: the laws with dot guy? And for those those students
Speaker 1: that want to or those children that were born in
Speaker 1: this country and are going to school, for those that
Speaker 1: are out of the country that want to come to
Speaker 1: this country to study, um, what would be the right steps?
Speaker 1: How has the law of been beneficial for the Latino
Speaker 1: community to study in this country? And so on? You
Speaker 1: know this this topic can go on and on. I
Speaker 1: can talk to you forever about all these immigration issues
Speaker 1: because I feel that we really need to get informed
Speaker 1: and study these things. But will go for it. Uh, Well,
Speaker 1: with the whole doctor is still in the h it's
Speaker 1: still on the table. So it's not fully it's not
Speaker 1: fully resolved yet. But as far as you know, children
Speaker 1: coming here to study, whether they come legally or illegally,
Speaker 1: they are different world. So let's say they come as
Speaker 1: a refugee, there's their specific programs which they can be
Speaker 1: part of until then because they're not gonna refuse anyone
Speaker 1: medical care or refuse anyone education in this country just
Speaker 1: because you are an immigrant. Of course, there's some universities
Speaker 1: and colleges you would need to have your your legal paper.
Speaker 1: Now there are different out of countries now I mean
Speaker 1: Haiti included and a Servador and other places Venezuela where
Speaker 1: they can also acquire tps. Now with the new law
Speaker 1: that just came about. And in immigration you can have
Speaker 1: as many as two three cases you know open until
Speaker 1: everything in result. Because remember when I said, you know, uh,
Speaker 1: the formal president really made a mess out of almost
Speaker 1: a lot of things in immigration, and there are certain
Speaker 1: things when they are done it is not as easy
Speaker 1: as one to three to get them undone. But this
Speaker 1: is something where a lot of um social activists are
Speaker 1: fighting right now to see how the DAKA program can
Speaker 1: come back into the place again so that those children
Speaker 1: can have a possibility and a venue where they can
Speaker 1: be protected and then to study and to stay in
Speaker 1: this country. Is there a phone number, uh, Instagram page
Speaker 1: a platform where people can reach out to you with
Speaker 1: the one more information as far as immigration that you
Speaker 1: can kind of guide them through MHM right now, they
Speaker 1: can contact me on my phone which is seven A
Speaker 1: six four it's seven seven. And I do have another
Speaker 1: Instagram page also which I'm gonna be creating, but so
Speaker 1: far right now, they can contact me on my organization
Speaker 1: because I do have a mouth organization where I have
Speaker 1: I go a lot in Haiti about four times a
Speaker 1: year and I have a hundred twenty kids that I
Speaker 1: pay school for to go to school free and he
Speaker 1: so hand International ink on that page. They can find
Speaker 1: me hand International in their hand stands for Human Assistance
Speaker 1: for Necessary Development. Okay, look at Gero. We're so proud
Speaker 1: to have you on our show today. Thank you so
Speaker 1: much for being such an amazing person, for being such
Speaker 1: an amazing human, for helping, supporting, for being a hope
Speaker 1: and guide not only for other Haitians in your country,
Speaker 1: for other immigrants in this country as well. They can
Speaker 1: look at look up to you as an inspiration. They
Speaker 1: can also serve in the military. They can also figure
Speaker 1: out ways to provide a better future for their family.
Speaker 1: And I am so grateful to have you on today's show.
Speaker 1: So before we end the show, I'm and I just
Speaker 1: want to ask you, you know, as I love how
Speaker 1: I say that acts, um, how did what was your
Speaker 1: immigration experience with um mama on um Oh, hell no,
Speaker 1: you're not about a mess up my mama's name. No,
Speaker 1: you know what it is. No, no, no, you know
Speaker 1: what it is. The other day, real quick and real brief,
Speaker 1: they put Mamiani on the internet, so it confused the
Speaker 1: hell out of me. Is Mommianna Reddy And you know
Speaker 1: that's my t T alright ready, I was born here
Speaker 1: in Miami. That's what I was talking about. It's about
Speaker 1: how amazing it is to have those parents that are
Speaker 1: winning to sacrifice their lives to give us a better future.
Speaker 1: Because I had the opportunity of being born here in
Speaker 1: America with you know, many possibilities, and thanks to those sacrifices,
Speaker 1: I'm here today. So I personally didn't have those immigration issues,
Speaker 1: but I definitely can relate and understand the pain of
Speaker 1: those that do because I got to see with my
Speaker 1: own eyes. I got to see, like my mom working
Speaker 1: with no papers and then later on they didn't want
Speaker 1: to pay her, and they would, you know, tell her
Speaker 1: all the time, oh we're gonna call immigration on you,
Speaker 1: and all these terrible things that a lot of immigrants
Speaker 1: have to go through in this country. Um, but I
Speaker 1: just wanted to say, how hard was it for you
Speaker 1: to have to go all the time to the store
Speaker 1: and have to help your mom? Like I always had
Speaker 1: to be the translator for mydas from the midmigrant public.
Speaker 1: The language was very I was always like, this little
Speaker 1: kid and you know what, I've seen this the other day,
Speaker 1: because now I'm in Florida, I've seen this little boy
Speaker 1: he must have been only like seven doing being that
Speaker 1: person he was at the store and then um, and
Speaker 1: he's like, my parents want this, and what did your
Speaker 1: parents say? And he was like the mediator and it
Speaker 1: was just translator and it was just so nice at
Speaker 1: an early age that we have to take that initiative,
Speaker 1: that leadership, you know position. Did you ever go through
Speaker 1: this too? Did you ever go through this to my mom?
Speaker 1: Always felt when I was younger and still to this day,
Speaker 1: because I know how to fix I know how to
Speaker 1: speak English, I should be able to fix anything, well,
Speaker 1: like fix this, Well, don't you know English. I'm like, yeah,
Speaker 1: but that doesn't mean I know how to do it.
Speaker 1: And you know what I'm saying, But these are all
Speaker 1: real life situations. Um, I really really wish that I
Speaker 1: could I stay with France even a little bit longer,
Speaker 1: because I have so many questions, and not just for me,
Speaker 1: but questions for like other people that want to, like
Speaker 1: you know, come out of their country. They want to
Speaker 1: get a visa, they want to get a tourist visa,
Speaker 1: they want to get a work permit, they want to
Speaker 1: get married, that have children that want to bring them
Speaker 1: to this country. Like, there's so many questions. There's endless
Speaker 1: immigration questions that I could ask all day because I
Speaker 1: know there's a lot of people that want to know.
Speaker 1: I'm always gonna be putting France, which is the immigration agent.
Speaker 1: I'm gonna be putting all his information on exactly I'm
Speaker 1: out his page. So you guys can contact him, talk
Speaker 1: to him directly if you need any guidance, if you
Speaker 1: need any help, if you have if you feel like
Speaker 1: you're lost, if you want to start anything, whatever the case,
Speaker 1: maybe he got you. And also if you also want
Speaker 1: to support his foundation that helps uh, you know, the
Speaker 1: children and all the people in Haiti, you can also
Speaker 1: do that as well, because you know that our brothers
Speaker 1: and sisters are out there in Haiti right now, just
Speaker 1: went through a terrible tragedy and they need our love
Speaker 1: and support right now as well. So with that being said, Latina,
Speaker 1: I know that Stevie you are as well. Okay, each
Speaker 1: today listen to me da, don't get me started. It
Speaker 1: is a rap. Okay, dug, Yeah, it's a rap. Don't
Speaker 1: forget to join us each Thursday for all new episodes
Speaker 1: of Exactly a Mada. You can also find us on
Speaker 1: Instagram and on Twitter at Ada also at exactly a
Speaker 1: Mata And of course you have to follow us at
Speaker 1: Michael through that podcast on Instagram. Stevie, what are your
Speaker 1: social me this so they can follow YouTube It's Stevin
Speaker 1: nos s t e v e y n e w
Speaker 1: n easy and I know I look like Stevia Hanna
Speaker 1: Anoi And what a great show. Exactly and also all
Speaker 1: of our episodes are available on YouTube by searching or
Speaker 1: or exactly amada. Um you can find all the episodes.
Speaker 1: Just in case we want to watch it again. We
Speaker 1: got you. This has been such a great and amazing show.
Speaker 1: I am so happy and excited. This has been a
Speaker 1: production of I Heart Radios Michael podcast network. For more
Speaker 1: podcasts from my Heart, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple podcast,
Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows you already
Speaker 1: know Relate, we got you, and we're celebrating our corda
Speaker 1: all year long. Okay, thank you so much for joining us.
Speaker 1: We will be back next Thursday with more exactly