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Attention dedicated educators.

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Click the link in the description

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section of this podcast for more information about

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Alex and Cetera Investors. You can also find

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information about their great work for educators,

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at tudopeachers.com,

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as well as on our Patreon page.

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Remember,

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your financial success is just as important as

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your student success. So start putting together your

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financial

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plan today.

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Cetera Investors is the marketing name of Cetera

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Investment Services. Securities and insurance products are offered

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through Cetera Investment Services, LLC

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doing insurance business in California as CFGSTC

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Insurance Agency,

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LLC.

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Member,

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finra/sipc.

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Advisory services are offered through Cetera Investment Advisors,

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LLC,

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California

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insurance license number 0 L05650.

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Alexander Sierra, CFP,

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is located at 155 North Lake Avenue, Suite

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430,

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Pasadena,

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California, 91101,

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and can be reached at phone number 626-408-1333,

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extension

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306.

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I feel like I should ask you about

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the Puerto Rico comments.

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I am so down, and you know I

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came ready for my party. So Uh-oh. Uh-oh.

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So,

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so what would you say that,

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Trump lost

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80% of the Puerto Rican vote, 90% of

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the Puerto Rican vote? Like, what's this looking

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like right now?

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Okay. So I just feel like

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yeah. Right away, I'm sure votes are going

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to be pulled, but it's just really is

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something that

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we as a community

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are just writhing over. Right now Yeah. I

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mean, the Puerto Rican community

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is in an uproar. And not that we're

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reacting, but we're responding. And I feel that

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there's a difference.

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I do You've definitely seen the people, like,

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especially prominent Puerto Ricanos coming out and just

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kinda being like, hey. So I'm gonna go

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ahead and just tell you who we are

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supporting and how this is gonna play out.

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It's just that I mean, it's it's a

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ongoing disrespect of,

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folks living in the legacies and the current

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realities of colonialism and imperialism.

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But, I mean, we knew they thought this

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way about us. Right?

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Yeah. But it just really is just so

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jarring

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to see what we already know exists, but

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to see it play out on such a

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national stage and with so much permission.

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And as and as

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a Boricua,

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you know, I mean, we all know this.

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The arino Puerto Rico is a commonwealth. We

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are a US territory.

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And so

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to be so insulting like that and mask

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it under the guise of a joke, nobody's

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laughing. And Yeah. You know what? Jokes are

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supposed to be funny.

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Yeah. And

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this is not funny, and we will continue

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to push back, and we will continue to

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resist. So thank you for asking that question.

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I'm sure our ancestors

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are somewhere

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ready to just be, like, looking. It's just

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it's like whatever you put. Also, just for

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new listeners, I'm not identifying as Puerto Rican.

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I'm not Puerto Rican. Chicano. You know me.

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I'm the Chicanito from the east side, so

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please don't think I'm trying to, like, hop

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on this identity. But I feel like I

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feel like,

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Chicana people and Puerto Ricanos, man, we, like,

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we definitely,

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have lived

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similar

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things.

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Alright.

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Well, let's just jump into this.

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Hey. Yo. What's going on? Welcome to the

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Chicano Logs. I'm your host Gerard Munoz,

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aka Philosopher King. I am out here exploring

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the complex Latine

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identities,

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all of our complexities, all of our layers,

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all of our exceptionalities

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and specificities,

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if you will,

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from my positionality is just a little Chicanito

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from the east side. The Chicano Logs is

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a 2DOPE production.

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If you're interested in hearing more stories like

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this, more content like this, please hit us

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up

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on,

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2DOPE teachers,

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and that whole podcast feed. We do have

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our own podcast feed.

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Still struggling to get some engagement there, but

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we tend to get the listens,

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on the 2DOPE teachers page,

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podcast feed. So make sure you, subscribe

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to that podcast. Leave us a 5 star

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review,

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that helps others discover

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this

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show.

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I wanted to come to you today. I've

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got a great interview,

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on tap with,

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the great Sofia Gonzales,

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a teacher in the Chicagoland

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area,

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who I think you're gonna find her extremely

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interesting and poignant and powerful and motivational.

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So we're gonna have that in a minute.

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But I wanna take a moment and just,

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say what's up to y'all. It's been a

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really long time,

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since

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I came to you.

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I think the last time you heard from

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me was when I interviewed,

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the walking vibe herself, Sandra Jo Galvan, formerly,

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superintendent

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of Greenfield Union,

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in Greenfield Union School District.

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We

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understand that she has now moved to another

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school, and, of course, she's making a splash.

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But that was the last time we had

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a Chicanolog. So, the Chicanologues

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is a place to monologue and dialogue about

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our complex, identidades.

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No one Latine person is the same. I

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use Latine because that is

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a kind of inclusive

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term where hopefully

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more of our hint they can find a

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way into the conversation through that through that

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broad,

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categorization.

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These ethnic and national and identity categories aren't

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perfect. Right? But it gives us a way

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to come in,

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to the fold.

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We have a big house. It's a Latine,

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gente,

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and,

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we hope that you can find a room

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or build an addition or customize it for,

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what makes sense

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for you.

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And so and once you're in, we honor

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your identities. I identify as Chicano. My

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pronouns are he, him, el

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and that does not mean everybody has to

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identify like me.

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Well, I wanna talk a little bit about

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this long absence.

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I think the last time I dropped a

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Chicano Logs podcast

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was prior to the passing of my father,

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Leonardo

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Munoz.

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Rest in peace. He, went to be with

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the ancestors

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on June 27th,

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of this year at about 9:12

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PM. And, those of you who follow me

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on other platforms know that that really did

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shake me,

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to my core.

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I'm gonna be really honest and say my

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dad and I did not have the best

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relationship for

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a lot of years

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and,

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but I always loved him. I will always

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love him. And it's really weird to kinda

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say this, but I feel like since his

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passing, I feel a little bit closer to

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him.

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I feel like his spirit is, reaching out

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to me

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and, showing up in his very patented Leonardo

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ways. And so I just wanna I just

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wanna let you all know that,

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that I'm on the

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I'm on this healing tip. It's gonna be,

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it's gonna be a while and, I don't

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feel like I'm the same person I was,

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prior.

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What that is manifested in is it makes

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it really difficult

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to engage people whether in person or whether

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from the safety of this microphone in 2

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Dope Studios.

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It's hard y'all. Like it's just it's a

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lot to carry. The work situation hasn't been

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great.

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The financial situation hasn't been great. My mental

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health hasn't been great. But I just want

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to let everybody know that I'm working my

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way back,

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because I really do hope to establish a

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talking space, an existing space,

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a

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humanizing space for our gente.

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At some point, we're going to have kind

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of a longer conversation about the 2024 election.

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A lot of lot of eyes still on

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us as a comunidad.

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And you'll notice I don't use. We're

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not one community.

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We are a collective

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of

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so I'll always refer to our communities in

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the plural because we're not all the same,

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but it doesn't mean that we can't connect.

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That's what coalition building is y'all. That's what

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solidarity is.

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So,

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if you are new to the Chicano logs,

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you can hit us up. We are out

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00:10:52,190 --> 00:10:54,269
here. You can reach us the same way

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00:10:54,269 --> 00:10:57,044
you reach any other 2 Dope production, 2

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00:10:57,044 --> 00:10:57,544
Dope,

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00:10:58,004 --> 00:10:59,065
teachers atgmail.com.

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You can follow us on socials,

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on

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00:11:04,165 --> 00:11:06,345
Instagram, on x formerly Twitter,

285
00:11:06,884 --> 00:11:08,644
at 2 Dope Teachers. You can find us

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00:11:08,644 --> 00:11:10,569
on TikTok at 2 Dope Teachers. You can

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also,

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00:11:13,370 --> 00:11:14,970
give us a like on Facebook. This is

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00:11:14,970 --> 00:11:16,730
where that's also where I'll post some of

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00:11:16,730 --> 00:11:17,470
our episodes,

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00:11:20,009 --> 00:11:21,069
which is facebook.com/2

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00:11:21,850 --> 00:11:24,029
dopeteachers and a mic with all the hyphens

293
00:11:24,089 --> 00:11:25,309
between the words.

294
00:11:26,764 --> 00:11:27,904
And listen y'all,

295
00:11:28,845 --> 00:11:30,845
times are hard, and I know times are

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00:11:30,845 --> 00:11:32,544
hard for all of us right now.

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And,

298
00:11:35,324 --> 00:11:38,625
2DOPE productions could really use some financial support.

299
00:11:38,684 --> 00:11:40,580
We're not a nonprofit. We would just ask

300
00:11:40,580 --> 00:11:42,519
you to do this out of the

301
00:11:42,980 --> 00:11:45,240
out of the generosity of your heart,

302
00:11:46,179 --> 00:11:48,419
without the benefit of a of of a

303
00:11:48,419 --> 00:11:50,500
tax write off. We're not there yet. Maybe

304
00:11:50,500 --> 00:11:52,179
a while before we're there, but we're still

305
00:11:52,179 --> 00:11:55,375
trying to bring you stories and, Tudor productions,

306
00:11:56,154 --> 00:11:58,394
we got about 3 to 5000 downloads a

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00:11:58,394 --> 00:12:00,154
month that tell us that there are folks

308
00:12:00,154 --> 00:12:02,014
out there that value what we do.

309
00:12:02,394 --> 00:12:04,154
For as little as $5 a month to

310
00:12:04,154 --> 00:12:04,654
Patreon,

311
00:12:05,034 --> 00:12:05,774
you can

312
00:12:07,169 --> 00:12:08,710
you can support us.

313
00:12:09,570 --> 00:12:11,250
And at $15 a month, you get a

314
00:12:11,250 --> 00:12:13,330
sticker. We're gonna remake some of what's available,

315
00:12:13,330 --> 00:12:13,649
but,

316
00:12:14,289 --> 00:12:16,129
you know, really we just hope that you

317
00:12:16,129 --> 00:12:16,629
value,

318
00:12:17,809 --> 00:12:20,529
storytelling from black and brown communities as much

319
00:12:20,529 --> 00:12:22,334
as I do, as much as Kevin does,

320
00:12:22,334 --> 00:12:23,394
as much as,

321
00:12:24,254 --> 00:12:27,634
the very, very small staff at Tudo Productions.

322
00:13:00,139 --> 00:13:01,420
This amazing content.

323
00:13:01,740 --> 00:13:03,340
We really do it really does mean the

324
00:13:03,340 --> 00:13:05,100
world to us, those of you who support.

325
00:13:05,100 --> 00:13:06,620
And we just thank you for sticking with

326
00:13:06,620 --> 00:13:07,680
us when we're inconsistent.

327
00:13:08,540 --> 00:13:10,540
But you know that this art is always

328
00:13:10,540 --> 00:13:12,620
ready for you when you are ready for

329
00:13:12,620 --> 00:13:12,975
it.

330
00:13:14,254 --> 00:13:15,794
I wanna do a quick pivot

331
00:13:16,574 --> 00:13:18,495
and wanna talk a little bit, and that's

332
00:13:18,495 --> 00:13:19,154
really funny,

333
00:13:19,774 --> 00:13:21,794
but for reasons I'll explain in a second.

334
00:13:23,134 --> 00:13:25,534
My guest today is a pretty dope human,

335
00:13:25,534 --> 00:13:26,034
y'all.

336
00:13:26,894 --> 00:13:29,959
Sophia Gonzalez is 20 19 teacher of the

337
00:13:29,959 --> 00:13:32,440
year with the National Society of High School

338
00:13:32,440 --> 00:13:32,940
Scholars.

339
00:13:33,480 --> 00:13:36,299
Sofia is a nonprofit leader for the organization

340
00:13:36,440 --> 00:13:37,339
project 214

341
00:13:37,879 --> 00:13:41,019
and an education activist from the Chicagoland area.

342
00:13:41,705 --> 00:13:43,705
She's a very sought after public speaker. If

343
00:13:43,705 --> 00:13:45,644
you don't believe me, follow her Instagram,

344
00:13:46,504 --> 00:13:47,884
at sophia speaks,

345
00:13:49,065 --> 00:13:50,524
regarding the state of education,

346
00:13:51,544 --> 00:13:53,804
who is known for her cutting edge presentations

347
00:13:53,865 --> 00:13:57,220
and dynamic illustrations with a passion that is

348
00:13:57,279 --> 00:13:57,779
infectious.

349
00:13:58,159 --> 00:14:00,419
And I'll tell you, I met Sophia

350
00:14:00,959 --> 00:14:03,039
at the National Network of State Teachers of

351
00:14:03,039 --> 00:14:04,819
the Year Conference here in my hometown,

352
00:14:05,360 --> 00:14:07,199
and I've never seen a keynote like that

353
00:14:07,199 --> 00:14:07,699
before.

354
00:14:08,240 --> 00:14:09,139
There were props.

355
00:14:09,665 --> 00:14:10,325
There was

356
00:14:10,865 --> 00:14:12,245
music. There was performance.

357
00:14:13,264 --> 00:14:16,085
It's like the kind of key if like,

358
00:14:16,785 --> 00:14:19,285
if a BIPOC keynote was brought to life,

359
00:14:19,985 --> 00:14:21,524
this is what it would look like.

360
00:14:22,545 --> 00:14:25,799
And it gets you motivated, and it gets

361
00:14:25,799 --> 00:14:27,879
you wondering if you can tap into your

362
00:14:27,879 --> 00:14:28,360
own,

363
00:14:29,399 --> 00:14:30,539
into your own creativity

364
00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:32,700
when you speak in front of a group.

365
00:14:33,080 --> 00:14:35,240
She is a high school teacher. She's been

366
00:14:35,240 --> 00:14:36,700
teaching for 15 years.

367
00:14:37,159 --> 00:14:37,899
A veterana,

368
00:14:38,440 --> 00:14:40,059
a teacher leader, an alumnus,

369
00:14:40,565 --> 00:14:42,804
an alumna, I should say, in a variety

370
00:14:42,804 --> 00:14:45,684
of spaces like Fulbright, Latinos for Education, the

371
00:14:45,684 --> 00:14:47,625
Latinx Education Collaborative,

372
00:14:48,004 --> 00:14:50,904
Storytellers for Change, and Urban Leaders Fellowship.

373
00:14:52,700 --> 00:14:56,700
Sofia's passion and energy towards education equity remains

374
00:14:56,700 --> 00:14:58,960
a leading voice for the 21st century classroom

375
00:14:59,259 --> 00:15:02,700
and beyond. Sofia believes that education is a

376
00:15:02,700 --> 00:15:04,620
fundamental right and not a privilege for the

377
00:15:04,620 --> 00:15:07,134
select few, and aims to lean from her

378
00:15:07,134 --> 00:15:07,634
Latina

379
00:15:08,175 --> 00:15:08,675
identity.

380
00:15:09,535 --> 00:15:11,774
Her recent focus has been taking her seat

381
00:15:11,774 --> 00:15:13,475
at the decision making tables

382
00:15:13,855 --> 00:15:15,934
and traveling the country as a keynote speaker

383
00:15:15,934 --> 00:15:18,014
where she can amplify the lived experience of

384
00:15:18,014 --> 00:15:19,235
the Latino community

385
00:15:19,549 --> 00:15:21,569
for the sake of social change and informing

386
00:15:21,629 --> 00:15:23,549
education policy. And I'll tell you, I'm gonna

387
00:15:23,549 --> 00:15:24,829
tell you right now, get ready for a

388
00:15:24,829 --> 00:15:25,809
ride. This is,

389
00:15:26,589 --> 00:15:29,709
this is a very energetic episode. We touch

390
00:15:29,709 --> 00:15:31,709
on lots of topics. And I'll be really

391
00:15:31,709 --> 00:15:33,809
honest, I didn't really know exactly

392
00:15:34,964 --> 00:15:35,784
how to

393
00:15:36,325 --> 00:15:39,764
craft this interview as a producer, because Sofia

394
00:15:39,764 --> 00:15:42,085
just has so much to offer and so

395
00:15:42,085 --> 00:15:45,125
much to say to all of us. And

396
00:15:45,125 --> 00:15:47,544
so I just kinda let it go y'all.

397
00:15:47,764 --> 00:15:49,365
I just let it ride, and it's a

398
00:15:49,365 --> 00:15:49,865
fantastic

399
00:15:50,379 --> 00:15:50,879
conversation.

400
00:15:51,339 --> 00:15:53,360
We talk about why she took this

401
00:15:53,740 --> 00:15:56,240
big leap to bet on herself and travel

402
00:15:56,459 --> 00:15:59,500
the country to speak and connect and get

403
00:15:59,500 --> 00:16:01,519
to know and network folk with folks.

404
00:16:02,779 --> 00:16:05,279
Trigger warning, she does speak very openly

405
00:16:05,904 --> 00:16:07,365
about her students,

406
00:16:08,384 --> 00:16:10,544
struggles and pain and and some of the

407
00:16:10,544 --> 00:16:12,945
tragedies that often come with being a high

408
00:16:12,945 --> 00:16:13,764
school teacher.

409
00:16:14,384 --> 00:16:16,565
She speaks very openly about these things.

410
00:16:16,945 --> 00:16:18,625
And we have a fun game at the

411
00:16:18,625 --> 00:16:19,125
end,

412
00:16:21,279 --> 00:16:23,620
that I think you will enjoy. So,

413
00:16:24,559 --> 00:16:26,800
I hope you have a long drive. I

414
00:16:26,800 --> 00:16:28,639
hope you're on a walk somewhere. I hope

415
00:16:28,639 --> 00:16:30,320
you're maybe you're just chilling by the fire

416
00:16:30,320 --> 00:16:30,820
pit,

417
00:16:31,759 --> 00:16:33,840
with a little beverage in hand, and you're

418
00:16:33,840 --> 00:16:36,865
just trying to listen to this, conversation. So,

419
00:16:37,644 --> 00:16:40,204
without any further ado, I bring you my

420
00:16:40,204 --> 00:16:40,704
conversation,

421
00:16:41,565 --> 00:16:42,065
with

422
00:16:42,445 --> 00:16:43,745
the Sofia

423
00:16:44,284 --> 00:16:44,784
Gonzales.

424
00:16:47,980 --> 00:16:49,519
This has been a long time coming.

425
00:16:49,980 --> 00:16:50,480
Right?

426
00:16:50,860 --> 00:16:54,059
We have it's kinda crazy, though. We've only,

427
00:16:54,059 --> 00:16:56,299
like, actually known each other 3 months at

428
00:16:56,299 --> 00:16:57,839
this point. Yeah.

429
00:16:58,379 --> 00:17:00,059
But I feel like you're the kind of

430
00:17:00,059 --> 00:17:02,644
person that, like, you you impact a person's

431
00:17:02,644 --> 00:17:04,085
life from the moment that they see you,

432
00:17:04,085 --> 00:17:05,545
and then it's hard to imagine

433
00:17:06,005 --> 00:17:08,265
a world where we didn't know you.

434
00:17:08,724 --> 00:17:11,445
What is up everybody? We are on the

435
00:17:11,445 --> 00:17:12,664
Chicano logs.

436
00:17:13,765 --> 00:17:15,045
As you know, I am,

437
00:17:15,820 --> 00:17:17,900
just a Chicanito from the east side trying

438
00:17:17,900 --> 00:17:20,720
to bring stories of our Latine gente, and,

439
00:17:22,140 --> 00:17:24,940
this this is an amazing conversation. I think

440
00:17:24,940 --> 00:17:26,539
I think we're we're about to have a

441
00:17:26,539 --> 00:17:27,600
blast right here.

442
00:17:28,059 --> 00:17:29,500
It's at the end of a long school

443
00:17:29,500 --> 00:17:31,505
day, but I wanna introduce

444
00:17:31,805 --> 00:17:34,865
to you a person whose credentials I listed

445
00:17:35,244 --> 00:17:36,785
in the intro,

446
00:17:37,244 --> 00:17:39,505
which is why this episode is so long,

447
00:17:40,205 --> 00:17:42,305
because this sister has

448
00:17:42,605 --> 00:17:44,465
accomplished a lot of things.

449
00:17:45,019 --> 00:17:46,960
Welcome to the Chicano logs,

450
00:17:47,259 --> 00:17:48,240
Sofia Gonzales.

451
00:17:49,579 --> 00:17:50,079
Man,

452
00:17:50,700 --> 00:17:52,700
said, I am so excited to be here.

453
00:17:52,700 --> 00:17:55,039
I'm so excited to share space with you.

454
00:17:55,259 --> 00:17:57,039
And likewise, I feel like

455
00:17:57,339 --> 00:17:59,259
I've only known you for just a short

456
00:17:59,259 --> 00:18:01,984
while, but, you know, the impact is mutual.

457
00:18:02,205 --> 00:18:03,984
And when you come

458
00:18:04,765 --> 00:18:07,484
into contact and when you cross paths with

459
00:18:07,484 --> 00:18:09,805
like minded and with people who operate on

460
00:18:09,805 --> 00:18:12,924
the same frequency of equity and justice and

461
00:18:12,924 --> 00:18:13,424
functioning

462
00:18:13,759 --> 00:18:14,660
in your Latino,

463
00:18:14,960 --> 00:18:15,460
Latinx

464
00:18:16,559 --> 00:18:17,059
identity.

465
00:18:18,080 --> 00:18:20,320
There's something powerful about that, and and that's

466
00:18:20,320 --> 00:18:22,420
something with that's that's worth mentioning.

467
00:18:23,039 --> 00:18:23,940
Yeah. Absolutely.

468
00:18:24,320 --> 00:18:27,220
Like, what I was just having this conversation

469
00:18:27,360 --> 00:18:28,500
with a friend about

470
00:18:28,945 --> 00:18:31,345
what does belonging mean, and what does it

471
00:18:31,345 --> 00:18:32,945
mean? Like, what do you do? So we

472
00:18:32,945 --> 00:18:34,404
talked a lot about masking

473
00:18:34,785 --> 00:18:37,765
and how masking is a part of, like,

474
00:18:37,984 --> 00:18:40,965
our everyday identities, but also neurodiverse identities.

475
00:18:41,720 --> 00:18:42,220
And,

476
00:18:42,519 --> 00:18:43,980
like, one of the ways

477
00:18:45,160 --> 00:18:47,080
to start being able to take off the

478
00:18:47,080 --> 00:18:48,920
mask is to find your people, is to

479
00:18:48,920 --> 00:18:50,279
find people that you know you can be

480
00:18:50,279 --> 00:18:52,200
yourself with. I've for me, it's always been

481
00:18:52,200 --> 00:18:52,700
argente

482
00:18:53,960 --> 00:18:54,619
and coming

483
00:18:55,694 --> 00:18:56,194
into

484
00:18:57,214 --> 00:18:58,515
community with you

485
00:18:59,054 --> 00:19:01,375
at a really, really hard time in my

486
00:19:01,375 --> 00:19:02,674
life was really awesome.

487
00:19:03,454 --> 00:19:03,954
So,

488
00:19:04,974 --> 00:19:06,515
there's, like, folks,

489
00:19:08,190 --> 00:19:09,630
Sofia is a purse so you know how

490
00:19:09,630 --> 00:19:11,169
they got that saying? Like

491
00:19:11,789 --> 00:19:12,849
like, some people

492
00:19:13,309 --> 00:19:15,169
have some people choose leadership,

493
00:19:16,029 --> 00:19:18,029
but not leadership. It's greatness. I'm doing great

494
00:19:18,029 --> 00:19:19,089
with quotes today.

495
00:19:19,710 --> 00:19:22,305
Some people choose greatness, others have greatness thrust

496
00:19:22,465 --> 00:19:24,805
upon them, but I feel like there's,

497
00:19:25,345 --> 00:19:27,684
like, a third option, which is both,

498
00:19:28,225 --> 00:19:30,305
where I feel like you engage spaces with

499
00:19:30,305 --> 00:19:30,805
greatness,

500
00:19:31,265 --> 00:19:33,025
but I also feel like greatness has found

501
00:19:33,025 --> 00:19:34,785
its way to your doorstep. And I think

502
00:19:34,785 --> 00:19:36,725
y'all are gonna get a really,

503
00:19:37,849 --> 00:19:39,710
just a really amazing story

504
00:19:40,090 --> 00:19:40,590
from,

505
00:19:41,130 --> 00:19:42,590
from this Maestro,

506
00:19:43,369 --> 00:19:44,970
from miss g out in,

507
00:19:45,450 --> 00:19:46,590
Chicago Landia,

508
00:19:47,049 --> 00:19:48,809
which I always almost slip and call it

509
00:19:48,809 --> 00:19:49,869
Chicano Landia.

510
00:19:50,625 --> 00:19:52,305
That's where I, like, I live and stuff.

511
00:19:52,305 --> 00:19:54,085
But let's let's start really quickly,

512
00:19:54,545 --> 00:19:57,265
with just kind of the the origin story.

513
00:19:57,265 --> 00:19:59,445
Right? Like, superheroes have an origin story.

514
00:20:00,705 --> 00:20:02,545
What is what was your road to becoming

515
00:20:02,545 --> 00:20:04,325
a teacher? Did you always wanna teach?

516
00:20:05,929 --> 00:20:07,929
So yeah. So that's a good question that

517
00:20:07,929 --> 00:20:10,169
I often get asked because of where I'm

518
00:20:10,169 --> 00:20:12,089
at right now in my path. People are

519
00:20:12,089 --> 00:20:14,569
like, where did you come from? Like, what's

520
00:20:14,569 --> 00:20:16,730
your story? Like, we don't even know where

521
00:20:16,730 --> 00:20:17,769
to me that, but I feel like they

522
00:20:17,769 --> 00:20:19,529
mean something different when they ask me. Where

523
00:20:19,529 --> 00:20:20,625
did you come from?

524
00:20:21,025 --> 00:20:23,845
Like, who are you? Who even are you?

525
00:20:26,065 --> 00:20:29,105
So I didn't always start with the idea

526
00:20:29,105 --> 00:20:31,684
of wanting to become a teacher. I actually

527
00:20:31,825 --> 00:20:32,325
started

528
00:20:32,785 --> 00:20:35,684
my professional journey in the nonprofit sector.

529
00:20:36,329 --> 00:20:38,569
So I was in the nonprofit world, and

530
00:20:38,569 --> 00:20:40,890
I was running, like, after school programs for

531
00:20:40,890 --> 00:20:44,009
at risk youth. And then I eventually became

532
00:20:44,009 --> 00:20:46,750
a traveling guest speaker for another nonprofit

533
00:20:47,369 --> 00:20:49,690
that won funding from the state to go

534
00:20:49,690 --> 00:20:50,190
into

535
00:20:50,890 --> 00:20:51,390
classrooms,

536
00:20:52,515 --> 00:20:54,215
both middle school, secondary.

537
00:20:55,555 --> 00:20:58,035
And we would go into their health classes,

538
00:20:58,035 --> 00:21:00,455
and we would talk stuff like sex,

539
00:21:00,914 --> 00:21:01,414
relationships,

540
00:21:02,115 --> 00:21:02,615
dating,

541
00:21:03,154 --> 00:21:03,654
marriage,

542
00:21:03,955 --> 00:21:04,455
divorce,

543
00:21:05,130 --> 00:21:05,630
healthy

544
00:21:06,250 --> 00:21:08,029
choices, sexually transmitted diseases.

545
00:21:08,570 --> 00:21:11,049
So you name it. Okay? All the all

546
00:21:11,049 --> 00:21:12,829
the things that young ones wanna know about.

547
00:21:12,970 --> 00:21:14,410
Like all the things that the young ones

548
00:21:14,410 --> 00:21:17,049
wanna know about, the hot button topics, and

549
00:21:17,049 --> 00:21:18,970
you really had to be dynamic and you

550
00:21:18,970 --> 00:21:20,190
really had to be believable.

551
00:21:20,734 --> 00:21:22,575
You had to be relevant. Like, you had

552
00:21:22,575 --> 00:21:24,595
to have this certain energy and vibe.

553
00:21:24,894 --> 00:21:26,654
And I think once I got into the

554
00:21:26,654 --> 00:21:29,315
classroom as a guest speaker, I'm like, yo,

555
00:21:29,855 --> 00:21:32,494
there's like a vibe here. There's an energy

556
00:21:32,494 --> 00:21:34,575
here. Like, I was connecting with the students.

557
00:21:34,575 --> 00:21:36,355
The students were connecting with me,

558
00:21:36,710 --> 00:21:38,069
and we were just having, like, a lot

559
00:21:38,069 --> 00:21:39,210
of moments

560
00:21:39,509 --> 00:21:40,250
and just

561
00:21:40,789 --> 00:21:41,849
really powerful,

562
00:21:42,630 --> 00:21:45,190
just sacred times that I was having with

563
00:21:45,190 --> 00:21:46,630
the students. And I'm like, I think I

564
00:21:46,630 --> 00:21:48,869
wanna pivot. I think I wanna go into

565
00:21:48,869 --> 00:21:51,529
the classroom. I was also doing, like,

566
00:21:52,085 --> 00:21:54,805
a lot of, social justice work and social

567
00:21:54,805 --> 00:21:57,605
activism work too at the time. And so

568
00:21:57,605 --> 00:21:58,904
it was like this juxtaposition,

569
00:21:59,365 --> 00:22:02,085
like this mix of paths, so to speak,

570
00:22:02,085 --> 00:22:05,065
that kind of pushed me, into the classroom.

571
00:22:05,630 --> 00:22:07,390
So I entered the classroom in the fall

572
00:22:07,390 --> 00:22:08,289
of 2009.

573
00:22:09,070 --> 00:22:11,789
That's that's so interesting. It's like, because well,

574
00:22:11,789 --> 00:22:12,990
I feel I feel like there's been a

575
00:22:12,990 --> 00:22:14,450
lot of circular, like,

576
00:22:14,990 --> 00:22:17,390
patterns in your life because I think, like

577
00:22:17,710 --> 00:22:20,029
but most people will go into teaching and

578
00:22:20,029 --> 00:22:23,085
then and then do something like going into

579
00:22:23,085 --> 00:22:25,184
the nonprofit world or going,

580
00:22:25,884 --> 00:22:27,884
you know, getting on the speaker circuit. And

581
00:22:27,884 --> 00:22:29,325
I and it's been kind of,

582
00:22:30,525 --> 00:22:32,684
it's been kind of simultaneous for you, but

583
00:22:32,684 --> 00:22:35,099
you kinda went the other way. I'm really

584
00:22:35,099 --> 00:22:37,359
interested in this idea of

585
00:22:39,180 --> 00:22:41,500
I I find that so just, like, reading

586
00:22:41,500 --> 00:22:43,660
over some of your stuff and just kinda,

587
00:22:43,660 --> 00:22:46,220
like, you know, getting a sense for your

588
00:22:46,220 --> 00:22:48,619
ideas that are out there. One thing I'm

589
00:22:48,619 --> 00:22:49,519
really curious

590
00:22:49,855 --> 00:22:50,355
about

591
00:22:51,054 --> 00:22:51,554
is,

592
00:22:52,815 --> 00:22:54,994
like, what's it like in miss g's classroom?

593
00:22:55,214 --> 00:22:56,595
Like, how do

594
00:22:57,294 --> 00:22:58,434
culture and identity

595
00:22:58,974 --> 00:23:00,894
kinda show up in that classroom? Like, I

596
00:23:00,894 --> 00:23:02,549
I have a sense, and I've I've seen

597
00:23:02,549 --> 00:23:04,809
little clips here and there that you've posted.

598
00:23:06,149 --> 00:23:07,990
It seems like a really unique space. Can

599
00:23:07,990 --> 00:23:09,750
you talk a little bit about just what

600
00:23:09,750 --> 00:23:10,970
it's like in that classroom?

601
00:23:11,909 --> 00:23:12,889
Yeah. Absolutely.

602
00:23:13,190 --> 00:23:14,924
So first of all, just for your listeners

603
00:23:15,164 --> 00:23:16,785
to understand, like, the intersectionality

604
00:23:17,164 --> 00:23:18,065
of my identity,

605
00:23:18,924 --> 00:23:20,465
half Puerto Rican, half Mexican,

606
00:23:21,085 --> 00:23:21,904
half Chicana,

607
00:23:22,285 --> 00:23:24,144
half Boricua, half That's

608
00:23:24,765 --> 00:23:24,994
like 4 ass.

609
00:23:26,605 --> 00:23:27,105
Listen.

610
00:23:27,970 --> 00:23:29,669
That those are my taglines.

611
00:23:29,970 --> 00:23:31,809
Those are my taglines. You don't teach math,

612
00:23:31,809 --> 00:23:33,829
though. Right? It's not math. It's like literature.

613
00:23:34,369 --> 00:23:36,149
It really is a creative

614
00:23:36,690 --> 00:23:39,269
process for me. So Yeah. No math,

615
00:23:39,569 --> 00:23:41,429
all English, language arts.

616
00:23:41,884 --> 00:23:43,484
Fair. Right? Yeah. You don't want me teaching

617
00:23:43,484 --> 00:23:45,804
math. Okay? You definitely don't want me teaching

618
00:23:45,804 --> 00:23:47,484
math. I just know the basics at this

619
00:23:47,484 --> 00:23:47,984
point.

620
00:23:49,325 --> 00:23:49,825
So

621
00:23:50,284 --> 00:23:52,764
I first and foremost, you know, lead from

622
00:23:52,764 --> 00:23:55,424
my cultural identity. So that's very prominent,

623
00:23:56,204 --> 00:23:57,105
in my classroom.

624
00:23:57,500 --> 00:23:59,500
I have a huge Mexican flag. I have

625
00:23:59,500 --> 00:24:01,660
a huge Puerto Rican flag hanging That's what's

626
00:24:01,660 --> 00:24:03,980
up. In my classroom just to kind of

627
00:24:03,980 --> 00:24:06,320
just show first and foremost the pride. Right?

628
00:24:06,700 --> 00:24:09,680
And represent who I am as their teacher

629
00:24:10,214 --> 00:24:12,775
and as their leader and as someone who

630
00:24:12,775 --> 00:24:14,474
is their advocate and guide.

631
00:24:15,335 --> 00:24:17,994
My kids, most of them come from Mexico.

632
00:24:18,054 --> 00:24:19,115
They're 1st generation.

633
00:24:19,894 --> 00:24:20,714
And so,

634
00:24:21,815 --> 00:24:24,554
I mainly serve black and Latinx students.

635
00:24:25,130 --> 00:24:27,369
As I mentioned, most of them come from

636
00:24:27,369 --> 00:24:27,869
Mexico.

637
00:24:28,250 --> 00:24:31,309
And so I really am so intentional

638
00:24:32,009 --> 00:24:32,509
about

639
00:24:33,130 --> 00:24:33,630
integrating

640
00:24:34,570 --> 00:24:35,789
culture, identity,

641
00:24:36,410 --> 00:24:38,330
1st and foremost, in the classroom. Right? So,

642
00:24:38,330 --> 00:24:38,830
visually,

643
00:24:39,544 --> 00:24:42,105
let me just tell you, okay, Gee, my

644
00:24:42,105 --> 00:24:43,804
class is a vibe. Okay.

645
00:24:44,184 --> 00:24:45,865
I know you're not shocked about that, but

646
00:24:45,865 --> 00:24:46,605
I feel like

647
00:24:47,704 --> 00:24:48,204
environment

648
00:24:48,744 --> 00:24:50,365
ambiance is everything.

649
00:24:50,744 --> 00:24:51,724
It is everything

650
00:24:52,184 --> 00:24:53,244
from the lighting.

651
00:24:53,784 --> 00:24:54,365
I'm like

652
00:24:54,809 --> 00:24:58,329
burning essential oils with my diffuser. I have

653
00:24:58,329 --> 00:24:58,829
lamps.

654
00:24:59,210 --> 00:25:00,750
I have a beanbag section.

655
00:25:01,450 --> 00:25:03,630
I have just, like, a lot of representation

656
00:25:03,849 --> 00:25:05,789
on the walls from the poster says, archavez,

657
00:25:05,929 --> 00:25:07,710
Dolores Huerta. Dolores

658
00:25:08,384 --> 00:25:10,244
signed a poster for my students.

659
00:25:10,625 --> 00:25:12,464
Who you met? Y'all gotta go to miss

660
00:25:12,464 --> 00:25:12,785
g's,

661
00:25:13,505 --> 00:25:15,424
Instagram, and you can really see, like, some

662
00:25:15,424 --> 00:25:17,345
of the amazing folks she's been in space

663
00:25:17,345 --> 00:25:17,845
with.

664
00:25:18,144 --> 00:25:20,305
Thank you. I so appreciate it. You know

665
00:25:20,305 --> 00:25:22,340
what? But you attract that. You know, the

666
00:25:22,340 --> 00:25:24,340
energy that you put out, the love that

667
00:25:24,340 --> 00:25:26,359
you put out, that comes back to you.

668
00:25:26,660 --> 00:25:28,580
And so first and foremost, to answer your

669
00:25:28,580 --> 00:25:30,900
question, is the space. I'm very intentional about

670
00:25:30,900 --> 00:25:33,080
the space. Yeah. And then secondly,

671
00:25:33,619 --> 00:25:34,119
I

672
00:25:34,525 --> 00:25:36,704
disrupt the text. I disrupt the text often,

673
00:25:36,765 --> 00:25:39,424
every school year, whatever section I teach.

674
00:25:39,964 --> 00:25:41,744
The folks know, the people know.

675
00:25:42,125 --> 00:25:44,605
And so it's not just about representation in

676
00:25:44,605 --> 00:25:46,605
the space, but also representation in the text.

677
00:25:46,605 --> 00:25:48,065
I think that's equally important.

678
00:25:48,430 --> 00:25:50,269
Yeah. And so they're studying some of their

679
00:25:50,269 --> 00:25:51,089
freedom fighters,

680
00:25:51,470 --> 00:25:53,230
and they're studying some of their poets, some

681
00:25:53,230 --> 00:25:55,390
of their artists that are from their cultural

682
00:25:55,390 --> 00:25:56,849
landscape, their cultural identity.

683
00:25:57,309 --> 00:25:59,009
Spanglish is welcome. Translanguaging

684
00:25:59,390 --> 00:26:00,049
is welcomed.

685
00:26:00,845 --> 00:26:03,244
You know? And so there's just a mix

686
00:26:03,244 --> 00:26:04,945
of just cultural celebration,

687
00:26:05,325 --> 00:26:06,545
and I think that the kids,

688
00:26:07,085 --> 00:26:09,005
gee, have been yearning for it. They have

689
00:26:09,005 --> 00:26:11,005
been craving it. They're even bringing their friends

690
00:26:11,005 --> 00:26:13,125
in. They're like, can I just So funny?

691
00:26:13,325 --> 00:26:15,164
Like, you already have your own English class.

692
00:26:15,164 --> 00:26:16,589
And they're like, no, just transfer

693
00:26:17,789 --> 00:26:19,645
me. I'm like, I would, my love, but

694
00:26:19,645 --> 00:26:20,429
you have to go back to class. I

695
00:26:20,429 --> 00:26:22,029
know. It was always like that. There one

696
00:26:22,029 --> 00:26:23,730
of my favorite memories from,

697
00:26:24,429 --> 00:26:26,210
from when I was a classroom teacher,

698
00:26:26,589 --> 00:26:28,429
there was a couple of boys who were

699
00:26:28,429 --> 00:26:29,869
ready to fight in the hallway. I had

700
00:26:29,869 --> 00:26:31,630
no idea. I was, like, you know, in

701
00:26:31,630 --> 00:26:32,289
my room,

702
00:26:32,724 --> 00:26:35,304
and, kids are starting to, like, come in.

703
00:26:35,845 --> 00:26:38,565
And, like, one of the teachers kinda drags

704
00:26:38,565 --> 00:26:40,825
this boy, David, into my classroom

705
00:26:41,845 --> 00:26:43,924
and was like, he's trying to fight. Don't

706
00:26:43,924 --> 00:26:45,204
let him. Just don't let him out of

707
00:26:45,204 --> 00:26:46,484
the room. I'm like, alright, man. Hey. Just

708
00:26:46,484 --> 00:26:48,049
take a seat real quick. And we're playing,

709
00:26:48,049 --> 00:26:50,329
like, cumbias, and there's, like, I got Papel

710
00:26:50,329 --> 00:26:52,569
Picado up, and all the artwork is, like,

711
00:26:52,569 --> 00:26:54,730
student generated. And the kids are just kinda

712
00:26:54,730 --> 00:26:56,349
hanging out. I'm like, yo, man. It's

713
00:26:56,730 --> 00:26:58,809
just, you know, taking the vibes, taking it's

714
00:26:58,809 --> 00:27:01,174
pretty chill in here. It's like, yeah. It's

715
00:27:01,394 --> 00:27:02,595
it's okay in here. Yeah. It's like, you

716
00:27:02,595 --> 00:27:04,115
don't wanna fight anymore. Right? We got too

717
00:27:04,115 --> 00:27:05,475
many vibes in here. It's like, no. You're

718
00:27:05,475 --> 00:27:07,075
right. You're right. I'm and it's great. And

719
00:27:07,075 --> 00:27:09,955
so fast forward a couple years later, I'm

720
00:27:09,955 --> 00:27:10,455
on,

721
00:27:11,235 --> 00:27:12,674
I don't even I think I was on

722
00:27:12,674 --> 00:27:14,755
the 10th floor of the admin building where

723
00:27:14,755 --> 00:27:17,589
I work now. There's a big cardboard cutout

724
00:27:17,589 --> 00:27:19,750
of him because we have all these, like,

725
00:27:19,750 --> 00:27:21,910
pictures of kids, like, all over the place,

726
00:27:21,910 --> 00:27:24,070
and so how do kid how do kids

727
00:27:24,070 --> 00:27:26,089
react when they first come into your classroom?

728
00:27:26,789 --> 00:27:27,289
Like,

729
00:27:27,684 --> 00:27:29,765
do they know what's coming? They probably do

730
00:27:29,765 --> 00:27:31,125
a little bit if they've been at the

731
00:27:31,125 --> 00:27:32,025
school previously,

732
00:27:32,644 --> 00:27:33,144
but

733
00:27:33,445 --> 00:27:35,605
I I'm just curious how how kids react

734
00:27:35,605 --> 00:27:37,384
when they walk into miss g's classroom.

735
00:27:38,325 --> 00:27:40,289
Yeah. Some of the kids, like, I've had

736
00:27:40,289 --> 00:27:43,169
their siblings as students, and so they get

737
00:27:43,169 --> 00:27:45,250
the 411. Like, oh, miss, she's this way.

738
00:27:45,250 --> 00:27:46,309
She's this way.

739
00:27:46,690 --> 00:27:48,309
Like, you know, she's

740
00:27:48,690 --> 00:27:51,409
pretty cut from a different cloth, and you're

741
00:27:51,409 --> 00:27:53,490
gonna experience this and that and the other.

742
00:27:53,490 --> 00:27:55,315
So some of them get, you know,

743
00:27:55,934 --> 00:27:58,734
prepped and primed, and some of them catch

744
00:27:58,734 --> 00:28:01,055
me on social media because sometimes our district

745
00:28:01,055 --> 00:28:02,595
will post some of my work.

746
00:28:03,214 --> 00:28:04,654
But then some of them meet me for

747
00:28:04,654 --> 00:28:06,654
the first time. And, you know, that 1st

748
00:28:06,654 --> 00:28:08,335
week of school, right, that get to know

749
00:28:08,335 --> 00:28:10,035
you 1st week,

750
00:28:11,000 --> 00:28:13,099
I lay it out, you know, and

751
00:28:13,559 --> 00:28:15,099
I lay the groundwork

752
00:28:15,480 --> 00:28:18,200
of who I am, where I'm coming from,

753
00:28:18,200 --> 00:28:20,119
how much I care for them. Like, right

754
00:28:20,119 --> 00:28:22,119
away, they must think it's so strange. Like,

755
00:28:22,119 --> 00:28:24,039
how does this lady, like, already care about

756
00:28:24,039 --> 00:28:26,234
me so deeply? And, like, I just got

757
00:28:26,234 --> 00:28:26,734
here.

758
00:28:27,515 --> 00:28:29,134
But I really feel like,

759
00:28:29,434 --> 00:28:32,315
you know, once you set that precedence and

760
00:28:32,315 --> 00:28:34,555
once you give them an opportunity to feel,

761
00:28:34,555 --> 00:28:37,055
like, instant concern, instant compassion,

762
00:28:37,859 --> 00:28:38,359
instant

763
00:28:38,900 --> 00:28:41,940
empathy, and, like, instant, like, I am team

764
00:28:41,940 --> 00:28:42,440
you.

765
00:28:43,460 --> 00:28:45,380
I think that that really sets the stage

766
00:28:45,380 --> 00:28:46,819
for the school year. And some of them

767
00:28:46,819 --> 00:28:49,220
are quite taken back. Like, you can tell,

768
00:28:49,220 --> 00:28:51,445
like, they're just, like, woah. And I and

769
00:28:51,445 --> 00:28:53,365
I try to contain my energy because you've

770
00:28:53,365 --> 00:28:54,265
seen me keynote.

771
00:28:54,565 --> 00:28:56,585
And I know that keynoting and teaching,

772
00:28:56,965 --> 00:28:59,684
they're different, but there are some similarities. Right?

773
00:28:59,684 --> 00:29:00,904
Absolutely. Absolutely.

774
00:29:01,205 --> 00:29:03,605
For engagement piece. Like, I think Yeah. I

775
00:29:03,605 --> 00:29:04,904
think people so

776
00:29:05,659 --> 00:29:06,159
downplay,

777
00:29:07,419 --> 00:29:07,919
what

778
00:29:08,380 --> 00:29:11,339
student engagement looks like and what that practice

779
00:29:11,339 --> 00:29:12,480
of engagement is.

780
00:29:12,859 --> 00:29:15,819
I taught for 23 years. I've seen lots

781
00:29:15,819 --> 00:29:16,799
of, like,

782
00:29:17,579 --> 00:29:18,079
nonengagement

783
00:29:18,460 --> 00:29:19,200
and disengagement.

784
00:29:19,500 --> 00:29:21,904
It's not that easy to do.

785
00:29:22,204 --> 00:29:24,684
So, yeah, I mean, you there is,

786
00:29:25,085 --> 00:29:27,024
there is an essence of the performer

787
00:29:27,484 --> 00:29:29,804
that I think great teachers have to have.

788
00:29:29,804 --> 00:29:32,444
Even even if you're not this, like, outgoing

789
00:29:32,444 --> 00:29:32,944
gregarious

790
00:29:33,325 --> 00:29:36,440
personality, there is a character that that is

791
00:29:37,099 --> 00:29:37,599
presented.

792
00:29:38,259 --> 00:29:39,799
Absolutely. And I

793
00:29:40,259 --> 00:29:42,099
once I step in front of them, sometimes

794
00:29:42,099 --> 00:29:44,419
I don't know the difference. And so, like,

795
00:29:44,419 --> 00:29:46,659
I just, like, come out the gate, and

796
00:29:46,659 --> 00:29:47,639
I'm just, like,

797
00:29:48,115 --> 00:29:50,595
weaving in and out the aisles and I'm

798
00:29:50,595 --> 00:29:53,315
like tapping shoulders and I'm just like leaning

799
00:29:53,315 --> 00:29:55,554
in and they're like, woah, does this lady

800
00:29:55,554 --> 00:29:58,775
have like a dimmer? Like, I'm not sure.

801
00:29:59,634 --> 00:30:01,075
And then some of them by like the

802
00:30:01,075 --> 00:30:03,419
2nd week of school, like, they're like, miss

803
00:30:03,419 --> 00:30:05,579
g, we love you. Like, we're here for

804
00:30:05,579 --> 00:30:08,379
you. Like, don't let anybody tell you nothing.

805
00:30:08,379 --> 00:30:11,099
Like, they're just, like, instantly, like, who we

806
00:30:11,099 --> 00:30:13,259
gotta fight? I'm like, I'm good. We're good.

807
00:30:13,259 --> 00:30:15,259
See, when I started coming in like, because

808
00:30:15,259 --> 00:30:16,779
there are days I just came in on

809
00:30:16,779 --> 00:30:17,279
1,

810
00:30:17,944 --> 00:30:19,545
and the students would be, like, sleepy, and

811
00:30:19,545 --> 00:30:20,285
they'd be like,

812
00:30:21,464 --> 00:30:23,065
They never called me mister. It was always

813
00:30:23,065 --> 00:30:23,565
just.

814
00:30:25,065 --> 00:30:26,684
You're here. You need to be here.

815
00:30:27,144 --> 00:30:28,904
Like, we need you to we need you

816
00:30:28,904 --> 00:30:30,424
to not do this to us right now.

817
00:30:30,424 --> 00:30:32,840
This kinda leads me to another question. So

818
00:30:32,840 --> 00:30:34,400
we know that the

819
00:30:34,840 --> 00:30:36,940
so so many things I wanna I wanna

820
00:30:37,160 --> 00:30:38,700
kind of comment on.

821
00:30:40,519 --> 00:30:42,840
The first thing is, like, so knowing that

822
00:30:42,840 --> 00:30:45,740
the teaching profession is still predominantly white predominantly

823
00:30:46,039 --> 00:30:48,365
white women, I think the last data I

824
00:30:48,365 --> 00:30:49,345
saw was 78%,

825
00:30:50,125 --> 00:30:50,625
nationwide

826
00:30:51,404 --> 00:30:52,944
of teachers are white.

827
00:30:53,404 --> 00:30:53,904
So

828
00:30:54,365 --> 00:30:54,865
how

829
00:30:55,565 --> 00:30:57,664
do you have your colleagues historically

830
00:30:57,964 --> 00:30:59,549
reacted to you? And you don't have to

831
00:30:59,549 --> 00:31:01,149
throw anybody under the bus right now. I

832
00:31:01,149 --> 00:31:02,929
understand we all gotta go to work tomorrow,

833
00:31:03,789 --> 00:31:05,649
but how have colleagues

834
00:31:05,950 --> 00:31:07,169
reacted to you?

835
00:31:08,429 --> 00:31:11,789
Yeah. I will say that in former buildings

836
00:31:11,789 --> 00:31:13,730
that I was in just even going

837
00:31:14,795 --> 00:31:16,414
way back, you know,

838
00:31:16,954 --> 00:31:19,214
I started at a 2nd chance charter,

839
00:31:19,914 --> 00:31:21,835
and I shared some of my story when

840
00:31:21,835 --> 00:31:23,934
we were both in Denver at the NSTOY

841
00:31:23,994 --> 00:31:24,494
conference

842
00:31:25,035 --> 00:31:27,035
of how it was a 2nd chance charter,

843
00:31:27,035 --> 00:31:28,634
and the kids were either kicked out or

844
00:31:28,634 --> 00:31:30,819
dropped out of the Chicago Public School System.

845
00:31:31,119 --> 00:31:33,039
And their last chance was with this charter

846
00:31:33,039 --> 00:31:34,819
school network that we were all at.

847
00:31:35,200 --> 00:31:37,299
And, of course, it was 100%

848
00:31:38,000 --> 00:31:39,619
student body of color.

849
00:31:40,079 --> 00:31:40,579
And,

850
00:31:41,200 --> 00:31:43,359
you know, I started losing my students to

851
00:31:43,359 --> 00:31:46,234
getting into gun violence pretty early on when

852
00:31:46,234 --> 00:31:46,894
I was there,

853
00:31:47,195 --> 00:31:48,255
in the fall of 2,009

854
00:31:49,595 --> 00:31:50,654
and into 2,012.

855
00:31:51,355 --> 00:31:53,914
And I clearly can recall one of my

856
00:31:53,914 --> 00:31:56,475
white colleagues saying, you're you're not gonna make

857
00:31:56,475 --> 00:31:57,914
it in the world of education if you

858
00:31:57,914 --> 00:31:59,535
care for these kids this much.

859
00:32:00,329 --> 00:32:00,910
I mean,

860
00:32:01,690 --> 00:32:03,789
you you really can't care for these kids.

861
00:32:04,029 --> 00:32:07,390
And I looked at her, and I'm like,

862
00:32:07,450 --> 00:32:08,269
these kids?

863
00:32:09,289 --> 00:32:11,929
Like, first of all and I I remember

864
00:32:11,929 --> 00:32:12,669
this conversation,

865
00:32:12,970 --> 00:32:15,144
g, as clear as day. I said, first

866
00:32:15,144 --> 00:32:16,285
of all, who's they?

867
00:32:16,904 --> 00:32:18,664
And she's just like, I mean, you know,

868
00:32:18,664 --> 00:32:21,305
I just mean, like, the students, like, our

869
00:32:21,305 --> 00:32:22,744
students. And I said, I think that that's

870
00:32:22,744 --> 00:32:24,585
a better way to phrase it, number 1.

871
00:32:24,585 --> 00:32:26,819
And number 2, do I not should I

872
00:32:26,819 --> 00:32:28,500
not care about them for me to be

873
00:32:28,500 --> 00:32:30,039
able to teach them? Or

874
00:32:30,419 --> 00:32:32,099
is that is that what you're saying? And

875
00:32:32,099 --> 00:32:34,019
quite frankly, I'm one of the only woman

876
00:32:34,019 --> 00:32:36,200
of color teachers here in this building. Yeah.

877
00:32:36,259 --> 00:32:37,779
That's right. And she was just kind of,

878
00:32:37,779 --> 00:32:39,720
like, taken back by my candor

879
00:32:40,259 --> 00:32:41,400
and by my forthrightness.

880
00:32:42,575 --> 00:32:44,035
But to answer your question,

881
00:32:44,974 --> 00:32:46,115
I think I disappointed

882
00:32:46,575 --> 00:32:47,714
a lot of my colleagues,

883
00:32:48,414 --> 00:32:51,375
in many instances. Like, you're caring too much,

884
00:32:51,375 --> 00:32:54,115
you're doing too much, you're going too far.

885
00:32:54,654 --> 00:32:56,259
And, you know, obviously,

886
00:32:56,720 --> 00:32:57,859
there's this dichotomy

887
00:32:58,240 --> 00:33:00,819
of, like, meeting the student where they're at

888
00:33:01,200 --> 00:33:03,519
and ultimately going the extra mile and being

889
00:33:03,519 --> 00:33:04,740
more than just a teacher

890
00:33:05,119 --> 00:33:07,200
and kind of, like, ebbing and flowing in

891
00:33:07,200 --> 00:33:07,940
that space.

892
00:33:09,519 --> 00:33:10,019
But

893
00:33:10,444 --> 00:33:12,384
I was met with a lot of disappointment.

894
00:33:12,605 --> 00:33:14,464
I was met with a lot of microaggressions,

895
00:33:15,085 --> 00:33:16,625
a lot of implicit bias.

896
00:33:17,164 --> 00:33:17,664
And

897
00:33:18,285 --> 00:33:20,525
I, early on, was like, wow. So these

898
00:33:20,525 --> 00:33:22,444
are some of the barriers, and these are

899
00:33:22,444 --> 00:33:25,099
some of the sensations that my students feel

900
00:33:25,960 --> 00:33:28,119
every single day. Right. Right? Yeah. That was

901
00:33:28,119 --> 00:33:30,679
definitely the experience I had because I I

902
00:33:30,679 --> 00:33:32,679
think I think we probably talked about this,

903
00:33:32,679 --> 00:33:35,640
but my my career started very much as

904
00:33:35,799 --> 00:33:38,220
like yours did. I was an alt licensee

905
00:33:38,954 --> 00:33:41,534
who essentially in in the state of Colorado,

906
00:33:43,194 --> 00:33:44,714
you, like, you get a job, and then

907
00:33:44,714 --> 00:33:46,394
they put you in a licensure program, and

908
00:33:46,394 --> 00:33:48,095
so those things had to run parallel.

909
00:33:48,474 --> 00:33:50,075
And so I had no experience. I was

910
00:33:50,075 --> 00:33:51,329
22 years old. I was

911
00:33:54,769 --> 00:33:55,730
a kid, and, realizing very quickly that I

912
00:33:55,730 --> 00:33:57,730
had more in common with my students than

913
00:33:57,730 --> 00:33:59,409
I did with most of my colleagues, and

914
00:33:59,409 --> 00:34:01,730
the and especially if you're younger, like, it

915
00:34:01,730 --> 00:34:03,649
puts you in this really interesting space, but

916
00:34:03,649 --> 00:34:05,750
then I realized with age it didn't change.

917
00:34:06,244 --> 00:34:07,545
Like, there was still

918
00:34:08,164 --> 00:34:09,065
this kind

919
00:34:09,684 --> 00:34:11,445
of sense that I wasn't I was a

920
00:34:11,445 --> 00:34:12,184
thing apart

921
00:34:12,724 --> 00:34:14,324
from the rest of the staff, and that

922
00:34:14,324 --> 00:34:16,244
my comfort zone was really with my students

923
00:34:16,244 --> 00:34:18,405
and their families. Like, that's really where it,

924
00:34:18,405 --> 00:34:20,025
like, lived for me.

925
00:34:21,045 --> 00:34:23,650
The the other thing I wanna kinda name

926
00:34:23,650 --> 00:34:26,230
is that, you know, you've been very open

927
00:34:26,369 --> 00:34:26,869
about

928
00:34:28,369 --> 00:34:31,269
about experiencing loss among your students.

929
00:34:31,570 --> 00:34:33,110
And even very

930
00:34:33,410 --> 00:34:33,910
recently,

931
00:34:34,849 --> 00:34:35,090
there

932
00:34:35,694 --> 00:34:37,234
it seems to me

933
00:34:38,494 --> 00:34:41,234
that there is a sort of resiliency

934
00:34:42,335 --> 00:34:42,835
that

935
00:34:44,094 --> 00:34:44,914
that one

936
00:34:45,694 --> 00:34:46,755
should really develop

937
00:34:47,214 --> 00:34:49,454
as as a teacher. I I think that

938
00:34:49,454 --> 00:34:52,150
whoever was it made those comments to you.

939
00:34:52,289 --> 00:34:54,050
To me that to me that's a trauma

940
00:34:54,050 --> 00:34:54,550
response.

941
00:34:54,849 --> 00:34:56,450
Mhmm. Because it's kinda like, well, why don't

942
00:34:56,450 --> 00:34:58,369
you care? It probably hurts too much to

943
00:34:58,369 --> 00:35:00,690
care. You've probably seen what society has done,

944
00:35:00,690 --> 00:35:02,450
what the world has done to these young

945
00:35:02,450 --> 00:35:04,675
people, but talk a little bit about that

946
00:35:04,735 --> 00:35:07,155
resiliency and what that journey has been like.

947
00:35:08,494 --> 00:35:10,815
Yeah. I think, man, that's such a deep

948
00:35:10,815 --> 00:35:12,835
and that's such a real question.

949
00:35:13,375 --> 00:35:14,974
I think early on keep it real over

950
00:35:14,974 --> 00:35:17,454
here. You know? I know. I see. Eastside

951
00:35:17,454 --> 00:35:20,010
style. You know? See it. Wow. I'm down

952
00:35:20,010 --> 00:35:20,510
with

953
00:35:21,050 --> 00:35:23,530
it. Double g action right here. That's right.

954
00:35:23,530 --> 00:35:25,849
That's right. That's right. You know, early on

955
00:35:25,849 --> 00:35:28,090
in my career, I really had to come

956
00:35:28,090 --> 00:35:29,150
to terms with,

957
00:35:29,769 --> 00:35:32,175
damn. Do I do I really wanna do

958
00:35:32,175 --> 00:35:33,934
this, or do I not wanna do this?

959
00:35:33,934 --> 00:35:37,055
Because when I commit to something, it's like

960
00:35:37,055 --> 00:35:38,675
I'm all in. And

961
00:35:39,295 --> 00:35:40,114
there's just

962
00:35:40,494 --> 00:35:40,994
no

963
00:35:41,454 --> 00:35:44,255
middle ground for me. And so resilience was

964
00:35:44,255 --> 00:35:46,515
something that I really had to learn

965
00:35:46,949 --> 00:35:51,030
how to adapt to and also adjust in,

966
00:35:51,030 --> 00:35:53,030
if that makes sense. If I was going

967
00:35:53,030 --> 00:35:53,690
to survive,

968
00:35:54,150 --> 00:35:54,650
right,

969
00:35:55,190 --> 00:35:57,670
obviously, there were pivots that I had to

970
00:35:57,670 --> 00:35:58,170
engage.

971
00:35:58,949 --> 00:36:00,855
I was only able to stay at the

972
00:36:00,855 --> 00:36:03,175
charter that I started my teaching journey in

973
00:36:03,175 --> 00:36:04,235
for a few years,

974
00:36:04,695 --> 00:36:07,094
because it just got increasingly dangerous. And then

975
00:36:07,094 --> 00:36:08,934
it was there. And I'm also very open

976
00:36:08,934 --> 00:36:10,394
about my mental health challenges

977
00:36:10,775 --> 00:36:13,014
where I, you know, was diagnosed with post

978
00:36:13,014 --> 00:36:16,235
traumatic stress disorder and vicarious trauma and compassion

979
00:36:16,510 --> 00:36:17,010
fatigue.

980
00:36:17,390 --> 00:36:17,890
And

981
00:36:18,750 --> 00:36:20,430
that's something that I don't think we talk

982
00:36:20,430 --> 00:36:22,269
about enough, and that's something that I feel

983
00:36:22,269 --> 00:36:24,530
like is my personal social and civic responsibility

984
00:36:25,230 --> 00:36:27,390
as a teacher that has committed to teaching

985
00:36:27,390 --> 00:36:28,930
in high needs, high stakes environments

986
00:36:29,309 --> 00:36:31,364
to talk about. Because we have to tell

987
00:36:31,364 --> 00:36:32,965
our stories. Because if we don't tell our

988
00:36:32,965 --> 00:36:34,804
stories, somebody's gonna tell our stories for us.

989
00:36:34,804 --> 00:36:36,644
And guess what? They're gonna get it wrong.

990
00:36:36,644 --> 00:36:38,324
And so let me set the record straight.

991
00:36:38,324 --> 00:36:38,824
Right?

992
00:36:39,284 --> 00:36:42,005
And so but with that, you know, I

993
00:36:42,005 --> 00:36:42,744
had to

994
00:36:43,125 --> 00:36:46,660
know when to pull back. Right? And know

995
00:36:46,660 --> 00:36:49,619
when to call on my support. So I

996
00:36:49,619 --> 00:36:51,000
became an advocate,

997
00:36:51,300 --> 00:36:53,400
not just for my students, but for myself.

998
00:36:54,019 --> 00:36:56,280
Yeah. I was not gonna suffer in silence.

999
00:36:56,579 --> 00:36:58,579
I was not gonna sit here in silo

1000
00:36:58,579 --> 00:36:59,320
and isolation.

1001
00:36:59,804 --> 00:37:01,724
I was in my principal's office. I was

1002
00:37:01,724 --> 00:37:04,204
in my school psychologist's office. You know what

1003
00:37:04,204 --> 00:37:05,964
I'm saying? Like, I was just tapping into

1004
00:37:05,964 --> 00:37:06,944
all my resources.

1005
00:37:07,324 --> 00:37:09,724
I was just rallying other like mindeds. I

1006
00:37:09,724 --> 00:37:11,505
was calling on community organizers.

1007
00:37:11,885 --> 00:37:13,964
I was working with the Chicago police department.

1008
00:37:13,964 --> 00:37:15,025
I could keep going.

1009
00:37:15,349 --> 00:37:16,730
But to answer your question,

1010
00:37:17,190 --> 00:37:19,829
resilience isn't just an individual act, but it's

1011
00:37:19,829 --> 00:37:23,050
collective agency in addition to that. I've yeah.

1012
00:37:23,110 --> 00:37:25,429
And that's what's gotten me here. Yeah. I'm

1013
00:37:25,429 --> 00:37:27,429
really glad that you said that because I

1014
00:37:27,429 --> 00:37:30,275
think that particularly when we talk about teacher

1015
00:37:30,275 --> 00:37:32,614
wellness, when we talk about things like burnout,

1016
00:37:32,914 --> 00:37:34,674
we talk about these things as if they're

1017
00:37:34,674 --> 00:37:35,174
individual

1018
00:37:36,194 --> 00:37:36,694
situations.

1019
00:37:37,234 --> 00:37:39,154
At worst, people talk about them as if

1020
00:37:39,154 --> 00:37:41,494
they're an individual choice. Right? Mhmm.

1021
00:37:42,194 --> 00:37:42,694
And,

1022
00:37:43,900 --> 00:37:45,739
you know, and this this is in an

1023
00:37:45,739 --> 00:37:48,059
old podcast episode. I recommend folks go back

1024
00:37:48,059 --> 00:37:50,400
and find my conversation with Emily Santiago

1025
00:37:50,940 --> 00:37:53,199
who sorta talks about how,

1026
00:37:53,739 --> 00:37:56,385
you know, burnout is a community issue, and

1027
00:37:56,385 --> 00:37:58,945
so the community has to be willing to

1028
00:37:58,945 --> 00:38:00,784
step up. We also have to realize we're

1029
00:38:00,784 --> 00:38:02,945
not alone in this, and I just think

1030
00:38:02,945 --> 00:38:04,644
that's, like, super powerful.

1031
00:38:05,505 --> 00:38:07,585
Last thing I wanna say is I love

1032
00:38:07,585 --> 00:38:09,364
how you describe your classroom

1033
00:38:10,065 --> 00:38:10,965
as a text.

1034
00:38:11,409 --> 00:38:12,710
Right? Mhmm. Like

1035
00:38:13,170 --> 00:38:14,130
and and how

1036
00:38:14,610 --> 00:38:16,690
and this is something I always try to

1037
00:38:16,690 --> 00:38:19,250
cultivate in in my practice as a teacher,

1038
00:38:19,250 --> 00:38:21,090
and I still kinda do it, you know,

1039
00:38:21,090 --> 00:38:23,010
working in central office because some of these

1040
00:38:23,010 --> 00:38:24,610
people need to be taught. I'm not even

1041
00:38:24,610 --> 00:38:25,695
gonna lie to you.

1042
00:38:26,494 --> 00:38:27,715
But I think about,

1043
00:38:28,175 --> 00:38:30,675
you know, before kids can be reading books,

1044
00:38:31,215 --> 00:38:33,135
in your classroom, they gotta read the environment.

1045
00:38:33,135 --> 00:38:35,695
They gotta read the room. They're reading us

1046
00:38:35,695 --> 00:38:36,434
as teachers.

1047
00:38:36,815 --> 00:38:39,055
They're reading what's on the walls. They're That's

1048
00:38:39,055 --> 00:38:41,375
right. They're sometimes they're reading what we drive,

1049
00:38:41,375 --> 00:38:42,859
which hurts my feelings sometimes.

1050
00:38:43,719 --> 00:38:46,119
I just this actually reminds me. So would

1051
00:38:46,119 --> 00:38:48,039
you say that my my sneaker game is

1052
00:38:48,039 --> 00:38:48,779
is decent?

1053
00:38:49,960 --> 00:38:51,719
Yeah. I was thinking of your sneaker game

1054
00:38:51,719 --> 00:38:53,880
in Denver. Yeah. It it wasn't always like

1055
00:38:53,880 --> 00:38:56,035
that. Like, I was a new teacher at

1056
00:38:56,035 --> 00:38:57,635
the school I was teaching at, and I

1057
00:38:57,635 --> 00:38:58,695
was there for registration.

1058
00:38:59,555 --> 00:39:01,795
Some little 7th grade dude runs up to

1059
00:39:01,795 --> 00:39:03,635
me. He's like, are you a teacher here?

1060
00:39:03,635 --> 00:39:05,315
I'm like, yeah. He's like, I know. I'm

1061
00:39:05,315 --> 00:39:07,094
like, how'd you know? He's like, your shoes.

1062
00:39:07,820 --> 00:39:09,659
Oh, no. And I looked down, and I

1063
00:39:09,659 --> 00:39:12,300
was wearing these raggedy Vans, and they just

1064
00:39:12,300 --> 00:39:14,380
didn't look great. And, literally, I was there

1065
00:39:14,380 --> 00:39:15,920
to move things into my classroom,

1066
00:39:16,219 --> 00:39:17,900
but I made a I made a decision

1067
00:39:17,900 --> 00:39:20,380
that day to never be identifiable as a

1068
00:39:20,380 --> 00:39:22,880
teacher by my shoes ever again.

1069
00:39:23,784 --> 00:39:25,405
But I think about what

1070
00:39:26,025 --> 00:39:27,405
kids are reading

1071
00:39:28,265 --> 00:39:30,744
and the way they're constantly interacting with how

1072
00:39:30,744 --> 00:39:31,885
we show up and cultivate

1073
00:39:32,184 --> 00:39:32,684
environments.

1074
00:39:33,065 --> 00:39:35,644
That's right. And that's what they're reading before

1075
00:39:35,784 --> 00:39:36,525
they read

1076
00:39:36,869 --> 00:39:38,710
any instructions that we give them. And it

1077
00:39:38,710 --> 00:39:39,529
sounds like

1078
00:39:39,909 --> 00:39:41,929
you've really put a put a premium

1079
00:39:42,309 --> 00:39:42,809
on

1080
00:39:43,190 --> 00:39:45,909
not only establishing a text around them, but

1081
00:39:45,909 --> 00:39:47,909
kind of being a text for them to

1082
00:39:47,909 --> 00:39:48,409
read.

1083
00:39:49,029 --> 00:39:51,190
And I think to your point, like, that

1084
00:39:51,190 --> 00:39:52,329
was out of survival

1085
00:39:52,684 --> 00:39:55,025
at first. Mhmm. That was out of survival,

1086
00:39:55,085 --> 00:39:57,405
and that was actually to not just set

1087
00:39:57,405 --> 00:39:59,585
the environment, but to create a safe space,

1088
00:40:00,204 --> 00:40:02,684
for some of my most prominent gang members

1089
00:40:02,684 --> 00:40:03,505
in Chicago.

1090
00:40:03,965 --> 00:40:06,364
I needed to create some type of an

1091
00:40:06,364 --> 00:40:08,224
environment that they can at least

1092
00:40:08,820 --> 00:40:10,920
halfway wanna come back to because

1093
00:40:11,539 --> 00:40:13,860
I didn't always win the kids over. And

1094
00:40:13,860 --> 00:40:14,360
so,

1095
00:40:14,820 --> 00:40:16,739
like, a lot of them had issues with

1096
00:40:16,739 --> 00:40:18,500
me, like, why you all up on my

1097
00:40:18,500 --> 00:40:20,500
grill? Like, why you Yeah. Why you care

1098
00:40:20,500 --> 00:40:22,099
too much? Like, why you do too much?

1099
00:40:22,099 --> 00:40:23,619
Like, do you know what I mean? And

1100
00:40:23,619 --> 00:40:26,414
so they didn't always like me. No. And

1101
00:40:26,414 --> 00:40:29,135
and that's that's backhanded compliment I got from

1102
00:40:29,135 --> 00:40:30,894
a student was, like, in my 2nd or

1103
00:40:30,894 --> 00:40:31,714
3rd year,

1104
00:40:32,014 --> 00:40:33,614
and I asked him to, oh, could you

1105
00:40:33,614 --> 00:40:35,295
revise this real quick? Like, you just have

1106
00:40:35,295 --> 00:40:37,054
a couple of things to do. And he

1107
00:40:37,054 --> 00:40:38,275
walks away. He's like,

1108
00:40:38,820 --> 00:40:40,980
okay. I guess you're one of them good

1109
00:40:40,980 --> 00:40:43,960
teachers and just was so annoyed. I'm like,

1110
00:40:44,500 --> 00:40:45,000
thank

1111
00:40:45,380 --> 00:40:46,280
you. Wait.

1112
00:40:47,059 --> 00:40:48,980
Thank you. Wait. And let me just circle

1113
00:40:48,980 --> 00:40:50,579
back to the shoe game. The shoe game

1114
00:40:50,579 --> 00:40:52,420
is real, and that gives you so much

1115
00:40:52,420 --> 00:40:53,160
street credibility.

1116
00:40:53,974 --> 00:40:56,855
So my son had to take me to

1117
00:40:56,855 --> 00:40:58,775
school and educate me on the shoe game.

1118
00:40:58,775 --> 00:40:59,735
So now I've got the You need the

1119
00:40:59,735 --> 00:41:01,414
you need the sneak yeah. You need I

1120
00:41:01,414 --> 00:41:03,815
got the Chicago lost and founds. I've got

1121
00:41:03,815 --> 00:41:05,515
the black and whites, the pandas.

1122
00:41:05,960 --> 00:41:06,539
Yep. Listen.

1123
00:41:06,839 --> 00:41:08,440
Got to being out there in the Shai

1124
00:41:08,440 --> 00:41:10,119
for real, like, that you you have to

1125
00:41:10,119 --> 00:41:12,599
come correct. Out here, like, it it's just

1126
00:41:12,599 --> 00:41:14,619
different in Denver. People don't, like,

1127
00:41:14,920 --> 00:41:16,219
do this as much.

1128
00:41:16,920 --> 00:41:18,735
We're gonna get to a really quick break.

1129
00:41:19,215 --> 00:41:20,894
When we come back, we're gonna talk a

1130
00:41:20,894 --> 00:41:23,055
little bit about miss g going to a

1131
00:41:23,055 --> 00:41:23,875
next level,

1132
00:41:24,575 --> 00:41:26,815
in her work as an educator and as

1133
00:41:26,815 --> 00:41:28,914
a public figure. But first,

1134
00:41:29,454 --> 00:41:31,235
miss g, when you first started teaching,

1135
00:41:32,349 --> 00:41:35,089
did you were you thinking about building generational

1136
00:41:35,150 --> 00:41:35,650
wealth?

1137
00:41:35,949 --> 00:41:37,309
Did you feel like you have made enough

1138
00:41:37,309 --> 00:41:39,469
money to start building generational wealth as a

1139
00:41:39,469 --> 00:41:40,369
brand new teacher?

1140
00:41:40,750 --> 00:41:42,269
Well, we know the answer to that. That

1141
00:41:42,269 --> 00:41:45,144
is I mean, no. Oh, wild. No. Yeah.

1142
00:41:45,144 --> 00:41:47,005
Like, we don't we don't think about generational

1143
00:41:47,065 --> 00:41:49,785
wealth being a thing in the same, like,

1144
00:41:49,785 --> 00:41:52,505
universe as teachers. Like, I always thought that

1145
00:41:52,505 --> 00:41:54,425
the way you do you do you get

1146
00:41:54,425 --> 00:41:56,585
generational wealth is to be born with it.

1147
00:41:56,585 --> 00:41:57,085
Right?

1148
00:41:58,250 --> 00:41:59,949
So my friends, Alex and Tori,

1149
00:42:00,329 --> 00:42:02,650
over at Saterra Investments, they're out of Pasadena,

1150
00:42:02,650 --> 00:42:04,889
California. Pasadena's dope, by the way. It's really

1151
00:42:04,889 --> 00:42:07,230
pretty unaffordable for me, but

1152
00:42:07,929 --> 00:42:10,349
Tori and Alex, Tori's mom,

1153
00:42:10,889 --> 00:42:13,015
is a teacher, and so they both work

1154
00:42:13,015 --> 00:42:14,235
as financial planners,

1155
00:42:14,775 --> 00:42:17,894
and they have a way that even brand

1156
00:42:17,894 --> 00:42:20,295
new teachers can start investing and start building

1157
00:42:20,295 --> 00:42:22,315
their financial future. It's super dope.

1158
00:42:23,094 --> 00:42:24,375
Do you feel like as a new teacher

1159
00:42:24,375 --> 00:42:26,375
you would've wanted to know that that you're

1160
00:42:26,375 --> 00:42:27,869
not making a lot of money, but we

1161
00:42:27,869 --> 00:42:29,389
can start helping you build wealth now. Would

1162
00:42:29,389 --> 00:42:31,809
that have been something that would've interested you?

1163
00:42:31,949 --> 00:42:34,509
That would've been extremely helpful. Yes. Cool. I'm

1164
00:42:34,509 --> 00:42:36,029
gonna text Alex right now and tell him

1165
00:42:36,029 --> 00:42:37,469
that no. I'm just kidding. So,

1166
00:42:37,869 --> 00:42:40,109
so they've got a subscription based service. They

1167
00:42:40,109 --> 00:42:41,969
are sponsors of this of this podcast,

1168
00:42:43,125 --> 00:42:43,625
and

1169
00:42:44,005 --> 00:42:46,804
they are just doing this amazing work. They

1170
00:42:46,804 --> 00:42:48,184
both have a heart for educators.

1171
00:42:48,885 --> 00:42:51,385
Alex is completely familiar with all the retirement

1172
00:42:51,445 --> 00:42:52,985
systems all over the place,

1173
00:42:53,285 --> 00:42:55,364
and, he's even helping me a little bit

1174
00:42:55,364 --> 00:42:57,679
with my retirement, which may be sooner rather

1175
00:42:57,679 --> 00:42:58,420
than later.

1176
00:42:58,880 --> 00:43:01,519
Okay. I'm getting very excited about that, but,

1177
00:43:02,000 --> 00:43:04,159
hit him up. If you go to the

1178
00:43:04,159 --> 00:43:06,739
link in the show notes, it's alexandtorre.cetera.com/2dope.

1179
00:43:10,155 --> 00:43:12,255
That's t o o d o p e.

1180
00:43:12,795 --> 00:43:13,855
You can get 25%

1181
00:43:14,394 --> 00:43:16,815
off of some of their services,

1182
00:43:17,594 --> 00:43:20,474
and also shout out to, Alex and Tori.

1183
00:43:20,474 --> 00:43:22,235
Hope little Frankie's doing they got a new

1184
00:43:22,235 --> 00:43:22,619
baby.

1185
00:43:23,099 --> 00:43:25,180
They're on that end of, like, building that

1186
00:43:25,180 --> 00:43:26,780
family, and they got this new little baby

1187
00:43:26,780 --> 00:43:29,180
named Frankie, and so we hope you and

1188
00:43:29,180 --> 00:43:32,720
Frankie are doing well. Hit them up. Seterra

1189
00:43:33,420 --> 00:43:33,920
Investments.

1190
00:43:34,875 --> 00:43:36,414
Alright. Back here

1191
00:43:36,715 --> 00:43:37,695
with the imminent,

1192
00:43:38,715 --> 00:43:41,295
the dopest, Sophia Gonzales here on the Chicano

1193
00:43:41,434 --> 00:43:41,934
logs.

1194
00:43:44,235 --> 00:43:46,554
So your path is really interesting to me.

1195
00:43:46,554 --> 00:43:48,175
Like, I was always a person

1196
00:43:49,280 --> 00:43:49,940
who felt,

1197
00:43:51,119 --> 00:43:53,519
for no good reason whatsoever, that I needed

1198
00:43:53,519 --> 00:43:54,579
to wait my turn.

1199
00:43:54,960 --> 00:43:57,699
Mhmm. That if I wanted to be heard

1200
00:43:58,000 --> 00:44:00,659
or if I wanted to influence bigger spaces,

1201
00:44:01,325 --> 00:44:02,765
then I just had to wait my turn

1202
00:44:02,765 --> 00:44:04,945
that I wasn't that person. And so

1203
00:44:05,244 --> 00:44:06,845
a lot of it and and it and

1204
00:44:06,845 --> 00:44:09,405
it's like dueling things. We all have, like,

1205
00:44:09,405 --> 00:44:11,565
the generational trauma that we're born into

1206
00:44:12,125 --> 00:44:14,765
Yeah. And the trauma that this profession kinda

1207
00:44:14,765 --> 00:44:16,605
wrought upon me for the first few years

1208
00:44:16,605 --> 00:44:18,910
that I was doing it. Sure. What I

1209
00:44:18,910 --> 00:44:20,690
see in you is somebody

1210
00:44:21,469 --> 00:44:23,010
who was like,

1211
00:44:23,949 --> 00:44:25,630
if I wait my turn, I'm gonna be

1212
00:44:25,630 --> 00:44:26,369
here forever.

1213
00:44:26,910 --> 00:44:28,690
And so at some point

1214
00:44:29,235 --> 00:44:29,735
in

1215
00:44:30,434 --> 00:44:33,715
your journey, you decided to go into a

1216
00:44:33,715 --> 00:44:34,535
new level

1217
00:44:34,994 --> 00:44:35,494
of

1218
00:44:35,875 --> 00:44:39,875
advocacy, including this incredible project 2 214 214.

1219
00:44:39,875 --> 00:44:42,289
Can you talk a little bit about that

1220
00:44:42,289 --> 00:44:45,269
project and how what it represented for you?

1221
00:44:46,449 --> 00:44:48,309
Yeah. Great question. So

1222
00:44:48,610 --> 00:44:51,170
early on, as I had mentioned, when I

1223
00:44:51,170 --> 00:44:52,630
was working in our city Chicago,

1224
00:44:53,489 --> 00:44:55,329
with some of I feel are were our

1225
00:44:55,329 --> 00:44:57,110
nation's most vulnerable youth,

1226
00:44:57,465 --> 00:44:59,405
A nonprofit was actually born,

1227
00:44:59,785 --> 00:45:01,565
and it started very grassroots.

1228
00:45:02,585 --> 00:45:04,825
We call it project 214 in honor of

1229
00:45:04,825 --> 00:45:07,085
my first classroom number, room 214,

1230
00:45:07,785 --> 00:45:10,364
where the magic, the mess, and the cinema,

1231
00:45:10,425 --> 00:45:11,965
I like to say, all began.

1232
00:45:12,890 --> 00:45:16,010
And it really was just a response to

1233
00:45:16,010 --> 00:45:17,630
basic needs that families

1234
00:45:19,369 --> 00:45:19,869
demonstrating.

1235
00:45:20,410 --> 00:45:22,269
And so at the classroom level,

1236
00:45:22,969 --> 00:45:25,050
I was bringing in donations. I was bringing

1237
00:45:25,050 --> 00:45:25,789
in donations,

1238
00:45:26,090 --> 00:45:26,590
resources,

1239
00:45:27,414 --> 00:45:28,315
classroom materials,

1240
00:45:28,934 --> 00:45:29,434
snacks,

1241
00:45:30,054 --> 00:45:32,634
and I was providing it for my students,

1242
00:45:32,934 --> 00:45:33,755
bus passes.

1243
00:45:34,614 --> 00:45:37,594
And at at the time, I was also

1244
00:45:37,654 --> 00:45:38,154
servicing,

1245
00:45:39,809 --> 00:45:42,849
a local church, and I would do, like,

1246
00:45:42,849 --> 00:45:43,510
the mission,

1247
00:45:44,210 --> 00:45:44,869
the international

1248
00:45:45,250 --> 00:45:46,949
exploit work. And

1249
00:45:47,969 --> 00:45:49,590
I wound up in Central

1250
00:45:50,210 --> 00:45:52,449
America at the same time that I was

1251
00:45:52,449 --> 00:45:55,190
teaching inner city at this particular charter.

1252
00:45:55,704 --> 00:45:57,964
And it was kind of like a merging

1253
00:45:58,344 --> 00:45:59,405
of my international

1254
00:46:00,264 --> 00:46:01,484
mission humanitarian

1255
00:46:02,264 --> 00:46:03,724
work and my classroom

1256
00:46:04,585 --> 00:46:05,085
advocacy

1257
00:46:05,385 --> 00:46:07,704
and justice work. And that's kinda like where

1258
00:46:07,704 --> 00:46:09,484
project 214 was born.

1259
00:46:09,840 --> 00:46:12,400
And I thought to myself, you know, the

1260
00:46:12,400 --> 00:46:14,480
world is a global classroom and every student

1261
00:46:14,480 --> 00:46:17,440
matters. So Yeah. The same area we were

1262
00:46:17,440 --> 00:46:19,440
in El Salvador at the time, which is

1263
00:46:19,440 --> 00:46:22,079
our longest standing partnership. We sponsor a children's

1264
00:46:22,079 --> 00:46:23,684
home out there. We've sent

1265
00:46:24,565 --> 00:46:26,585
children to school and provided resources

1266
00:46:26,885 --> 00:46:28,664
through grant monies that we won,

1267
00:46:29,204 --> 00:46:31,305
which I am extremely proud of.

1268
00:46:31,684 --> 00:46:34,244
And we started doing back to school stuff

1269
00:46:34,244 --> 00:46:35,385
out there in Central

1270
00:46:36,469 --> 00:46:39,429
America. And Yeah. We were passing our backpacks.

1271
00:46:39,429 --> 00:46:41,269
We were doing back to school parties. We

1272
00:46:41,269 --> 00:46:44,650
were, you know, just hosting these presentations.

1273
00:46:45,029 --> 00:46:45,529
Mira,

1274
00:46:45,909 --> 00:46:47,690
I was giving keynotes in Spanish.

1275
00:46:57,795 --> 00:46:59,875
Yeah. Like, I had to say everything in

1276
00:46:59,875 --> 00:47:01,655
Spanish, and I was, like, sweating.

1277
00:47:02,195 --> 00:47:04,199
But you know what? Like, you fake this

1278
00:47:04,199 --> 00:47:05,559
till you make it. Okay? I would have

1279
00:47:05,559 --> 00:47:07,159
been I would have been the biggest in

1280
00:47:07,159 --> 00:47:09,239
El Sabo kid up in the mix. Like,

1281
00:47:09,239 --> 00:47:11,339
that would I would probably died.

1282
00:47:11,639 --> 00:47:14,039
That's that's that's a different podcast, but I

1283
00:47:14,039 --> 00:47:15,880
had to reclaim my language. Because when my

1284
00:47:15,880 --> 00:47:18,894
parents came, the message was we speak English

1285
00:47:18,894 --> 00:47:20,974
here. They spoke English to myself and my

1286
00:47:20,974 --> 00:47:22,434
brother, so I had to reclaim it.

1287
00:47:22,974 --> 00:47:24,114
But nevertheless,

1288
00:47:24,894 --> 00:47:27,074
and so a group of volunteers

1289
00:47:27,614 --> 00:47:28,434
and leaders,

1290
00:47:29,199 --> 00:47:30,660
they're like, let's 501c3

1291
00:47:31,119 --> 00:47:34,079
this. Like, let's create a nonprofit. Like, you're

1292
00:47:34,079 --> 00:47:36,079
doing work at the local level, and then

1293
00:47:36,079 --> 00:47:38,099
we've already been doing work at the international

1294
00:47:38,160 --> 00:47:39,619
level in the name of education.

1295
00:47:40,400 --> 00:47:43,199
Let's just make this a legit organization, and

1296
00:47:43,199 --> 00:47:44,579
so we did. And I cofounded,

1297
00:47:45,414 --> 00:47:47,734
with a with a few, like, really good

1298
00:47:47,734 --> 00:47:49,894
friends of mine at the time, and it

1299
00:47:49,894 --> 00:47:50,795
just took off.

1300
00:47:51,174 --> 00:47:53,335
Yeah. I I think, like and that speaks

1301
00:47:53,335 --> 00:47:55,574
to so many levels. Like, I I did

1302
00:47:55,574 --> 00:47:58,375
a little research on just project 214 and

1303
00:47:58,375 --> 00:48:01,219
just kinda looking at the commitment to

1304
00:48:01,760 --> 00:48:04,000
disrupting and eventually ending the school to prison

1305
00:48:04,000 --> 00:48:04,500
pipeline.

1306
00:48:04,800 --> 00:48:07,219
Yeah. Also, it appeals to my intellectual

1307
00:48:07,519 --> 00:48:09,760
heart. I was a Latin American studies major

1308
00:48:09,760 --> 00:48:10,659
as an undergrad

1309
00:48:11,119 --> 00:48:12,019
in understanding

1310
00:48:13,244 --> 00:48:13,404
the

1311
00:48:14,125 --> 00:48:15,664
that through line

1312
00:48:16,525 --> 00:48:17,664
of anti communism

1313
00:48:18,204 --> 00:48:18,704
into

1314
00:48:19,085 --> 00:48:21,025
dictatorships in Central America,

1315
00:48:21,324 --> 00:48:24,284
which then drove refugees out of the region

1316
00:48:24,284 --> 00:48:26,605
into the US and then falling in with

1317
00:48:26,605 --> 00:48:29,619
gangs and then being deported back, and how

1318
00:48:29,619 --> 00:48:31,320
we've got this kind of transnational,

1319
00:48:32,820 --> 00:48:35,960
epidemic of corruption and violence. It's kinda happening,

1320
00:48:36,019 --> 00:48:37,940
and I think that that's just such a

1321
00:48:37,940 --> 00:48:38,920
powerful thing.

1322
00:48:39,460 --> 00:48:40,420
I think also

1323
00:48:41,094 --> 00:48:42,775
it's funny. You talked about the language. This

1324
00:48:42,775 --> 00:48:45,574
wasn't necessarily a topic of conversation, but that

1325
00:48:45,574 --> 00:48:47,494
that decision to reclaim the language, I don't

1326
00:48:47,494 --> 00:48:49,355
people I don't think people understand

1327
00:48:50,454 --> 00:48:52,934
the challenge of doing that. Like, when we

1328
00:48:52,934 --> 00:48:54,394
talk about heritage language,

1329
00:48:55,030 --> 00:48:57,210
people think that we're only talking about

1330
00:48:57,670 --> 00:49:00,150
people who speak Spanish as their first language

1331
00:49:00,150 --> 00:49:03,269
and and learned English. Heritage language is the

1332
00:49:03,269 --> 00:49:06,250
language of your roots, and Right. You know,

1333
00:49:06,550 --> 00:49:07,289
for me,

1334
00:49:07,625 --> 00:49:09,224
it was a lot of the same stuff.

1335
00:49:09,224 --> 00:49:11,144
I just never had a chance to learn

1336
00:49:11,144 --> 00:49:12,684
the language until I became

1337
00:49:12,984 --> 00:49:14,505
an adult, and now I feel like I'm

1338
00:49:14,505 --> 00:49:16,664
passable in English in Spanish and, well, in

1339
00:49:16,664 --> 00:49:17,405
English too.

1340
00:49:18,264 --> 00:49:19,085
But I think,

1341
00:49:19,625 --> 00:49:21,405
I I think that takes

1342
00:49:21,809 --> 00:49:24,710
such a monumental commit commitment and effort

1343
00:49:25,010 --> 00:49:26,369
to Yeah. To go out there and and

1344
00:49:26,369 --> 00:49:28,369
actually make a statement that I'm gonna reclaim

1345
00:49:28,369 --> 00:49:29,110
my language.

1346
00:49:30,130 --> 00:49:32,210
And so shout out. The closest thing I

1347
00:49:32,210 --> 00:49:33,969
have to do at keynote in Spanish was

1348
00:49:33,969 --> 00:49:35,410
when we were doing a pair of the

1349
00:49:35,410 --> 00:49:36,869
teacher session in my district,

1350
00:49:37,194 --> 00:49:38,815
and we didn't have interpretation,

1351
00:49:39,194 --> 00:49:40,875
and so I had to do the slides

1352
00:49:40,875 --> 00:49:42,635
both in English and in Spanish, but I

1353
00:49:42,635 --> 00:49:44,875
didn't always know what the Spanish was. And

1354
00:49:44,875 --> 00:49:46,394
so I'm kinda like talking around it, but

1355
00:49:46,394 --> 00:49:48,335
then I realized that there were some Latinos

1356
00:49:48,394 --> 00:49:49,375
in the audience

1357
00:49:49,809 --> 00:49:51,889
who knew enough of the language to be

1358
00:49:51,889 --> 00:49:53,109
able to, like, translate.

1359
00:49:53,489 --> 00:49:55,429
So it turned into this, like, total

1360
00:49:55,809 --> 00:49:56,309
community

1361
00:49:56,769 --> 00:49:58,309
translation sort of

1362
00:49:58,609 --> 00:50:00,769
thing. We're all, like, helping each other out.

1363
00:50:00,769 --> 00:50:03,344
I love it. This is cool. I feel

1364
00:50:03,344 --> 00:50:06,144
so inadequate right now, but it's so great

1365
00:50:06,144 --> 00:50:07,664
to, like, be in this space where we're

1366
00:50:07,664 --> 00:50:09,744
helping each other through the language. But, yeah,

1367
00:50:09,744 --> 00:50:11,505
I'm a long way away from a keynote

1368
00:50:11,505 --> 00:50:13,605
in Spanish. So, like, that's just facts.

1369
00:50:14,945 --> 00:50:15,105
But

1370
00:50:15,860 --> 00:50:18,039
so the work with project 214 continues.

1371
00:50:19,780 --> 00:50:22,119
So what's been going on with project 214

1372
00:50:22,420 --> 00:50:23,960
is this. Project 214,

1373
00:50:24,579 --> 00:50:26,840
has been in the midst of some restructuring.

1374
00:50:27,460 --> 00:50:30,574
Okay. And so right now, we're Post COVID,

1375
00:50:30,574 --> 00:50:33,135
it's crazy too. Like, post COVID, yeah, there

1376
00:50:33,135 --> 00:50:34,734
were just, like, you know, my board of

1377
00:50:34,734 --> 00:50:36,914
directors, many of them resigned.

1378
00:50:37,695 --> 00:50:38,195
And,

1379
00:50:38,655 --> 00:50:39,795
it was just difficult

1380
00:50:40,409 --> 00:50:42,030
to maintain the funding

1381
00:50:42,409 --> 00:50:43,369
and the

1382
00:50:43,769 --> 00:50:45,389
what I call the task force.

1383
00:50:45,929 --> 00:50:46,429
But

1384
00:50:47,130 --> 00:50:48,670
I still have some volunteers,

1385
00:50:49,289 --> 00:50:49,789
and,

1386
00:50:50,250 --> 00:50:52,569
there are some folks that are interim board

1387
00:50:52,569 --> 00:50:53,069
members.

1388
00:50:53,605 --> 00:50:54,105
And

1389
00:50:54,644 --> 00:50:56,184
here is my latest

1390
00:50:56,805 --> 00:50:59,684
idea with project 214 because I don't want

1391
00:50:59,684 --> 00:51:00,585
project 214

1392
00:51:00,965 --> 00:51:01,625
to die,

1393
00:51:02,724 --> 00:51:03,224
is

1394
00:51:03,525 --> 00:51:05,305
I am the vice president,

1395
00:51:05,925 --> 00:51:07,305
for the ed council

1396
00:51:07,960 --> 00:51:08,460
5238

1397
00:51:08,920 --> 00:51:09,660
for LULAC.

1398
00:51:10,280 --> 00:51:12,840
And for Okay. Yeah. And and for your

1399
00:51:12,840 --> 00:51:15,160
audience United Latin American citizens. Sorry. This is

1400
00:51:15,160 --> 00:51:17,400
for people who don't know. This is but

1401
00:51:17,400 --> 00:51:18,619
let the people know.

1402
00:51:18,920 --> 00:51:20,405
Gotta let the people know. Come Come on.

1403
00:51:20,405 --> 00:51:21,484
We gotta let the people know. It's like

1404
00:51:21,484 --> 00:51:23,525
the oldest it's like the oldest organization, isn't

1405
00:51:23,525 --> 00:51:25,385
it? It's like even before

1406
00:51:25,684 --> 00:51:26,184
council,

1407
00:51:26,885 --> 00:51:27,625
which is now,

1408
00:51:29,125 --> 00:51:32,085
like, USA or Latinos. Okay. Now I'm really

1409
00:51:32,405 --> 00:51:33,304
Yeah. Latinos.

1410
00:51:35,260 --> 00:51:37,920
Yeah. So LULAC has, like, a 94 year

1411
00:51:37,980 --> 00:51:38,480
history.

1412
00:51:38,780 --> 00:51:41,579
Yeah. And many folks have compared it, you

1413
00:51:41,579 --> 00:51:43,500
know, to the n, double a, c p.

1414
00:51:43,500 --> 00:51:45,340
So it's like it's almost like our n,

1415
00:51:45,340 --> 00:51:47,440
double a, c p, right, of Yeah. Advocacy

1416
00:51:47,660 --> 00:51:49,760
work and just a long

1417
00:51:50,059 --> 00:51:50,559
history.

1418
00:51:50,985 --> 00:51:51,485
So

1419
00:51:52,105 --> 00:51:54,445
I recently became VP for Illinois.

1420
00:51:54,744 --> 00:51:57,385
What? What is that? I'm like What is

1421
00:51:57,385 --> 00:52:00,105
that? What is that? She says fully aware

1422
00:52:00,105 --> 00:52:02,105
that she deserves it and has earned it.

1423
00:52:02,105 --> 00:52:03,780
Gosh. He's like, what?

1424
00:52:04,739 --> 00:52:06,119
It still freaks me out.

1425
00:52:07,380 --> 00:52:08,840
I'm so freaked out right now.

1426
00:52:13,300 --> 00:52:14,599
Like, a little bit slower.

1427
00:52:15,300 --> 00:52:15,800
And,

1428
00:52:16,994 --> 00:52:18,694
just speaking with my mentor

1429
00:52:18,994 --> 00:52:21,635
who's on the board with me, and on

1430
00:52:21,635 --> 00:52:22,295
the council,

1431
00:52:23,074 --> 00:52:24,534
you know, we're looking

1432
00:52:25,554 --> 00:52:27,894
at project 214 becoming an initiative

1433
00:52:28,610 --> 00:52:29,269
of LULAC.

1434
00:52:29,730 --> 00:52:31,250
That's not oh my god. You heard it

1435
00:52:31,250 --> 00:52:32,849
here first? Maybe not. But maybe you heard

1436
00:52:32,849 --> 00:52:34,550
it here first. Maybe you didn't. Yes.

1437
00:52:34,929 --> 00:52:37,809
Yes. So for the listening audience who wants

1438
00:52:37,809 --> 00:52:40,070
to wish that good vibes and good energy,

1439
00:52:41,410 --> 00:52:43,489
you know, there's some votes that has to,

1440
00:52:43,489 --> 00:52:46,094
you know, go go forth. But I think

1441
00:52:46,094 --> 00:52:48,195
that, gee, this is an opportunity,

1442
00:52:48,974 --> 00:52:51,535
for project 214 to survive. A lot of

1443
00:52:51,535 --> 00:52:53,695
nonprofits ebb and flow and go through highs

1444
00:52:53,695 --> 00:52:56,114
and lows. Yeah. And That's what's up.

1445
00:52:56,469 --> 00:52:58,150
You gotta be able to adapt. Right? Like,

1446
00:52:58,150 --> 00:52:59,289
you gotta be able

1447
00:52:59,590 --> 00:53:01,050
to like, the landscape

1448
00:53:01,349 --> 00:53:03,910
that the organization was born of is is

1449
00:53:03,910 --> 00:53:05,750
not the same landscape that we're sitting in

1450
00:53:05,750 --> 00:53:07,349
today, and I think a lot of a

1451
00:53:07,349 --> 00:53:09,769
lot of organizations are looking at that reality.

1452
00:53:10,664 --> 00:53:13,305
We're living in wild times, man. And by

1453
00:53:13,305 --> 00:53:16,265
the time this episode is out, the election

1454
00:53:16,265 --> 00:53:17,405
might have passed.

1455
00:53:17,864 --> 00:53:20,505
Right. So we don't know. We we don't

1456
00:53:20,505 --> 00:53:21,644
know at this moment.

1457
00:53:22,265 --> 00:53:24,344
You know, somebody from the future just help

1458
00:53:24,344 --> 00:53:26,159
us, you know, feel better about it. But

1459
00:53:26,159 --> 00:53:27,519
but that's really dope, and I think it

1460
00:53:27,519 --> 00:53:30,099
kinda goes into Thank you. The moment

1461
00:53:32,079 --> 00:53:33,780
where where I met you,

1462
00:53:34,320 --> 00:53:35,699
which is just

1463
00:53:36,480 --> 00:53:36,980
seeing

1464
00:53:37,440 --> 00:53:40,235
you just grabbing opportunities whether you have the

1465
00:53:40,235 --> 00:53:42,875
capacity or not. Like Yeah. Just realizing that

1466
00:53:42,875 --> 00:53:44,414
there's a moment to seize.

1467
00:53:45,114 --> 00:53:46,795
You gave a really dope keynote at the

1468
00:53:46,795 --> 00:53:48,894
National Network of State Teachers of the Year,

1469
00:53:49,675 --> 00:53:51,755
conference. I'd never seen a keynote like that

1470
00:53:51,755 --> 00:53:54,170
before, and then I was, like, shaking my

1471
00:53:54,170 --> 00:53:55,549
head saying, why don't more people,

1472
00:53:55,929 --> 00:53:57,769
like, really make it this kind of, like,

1473
00:53:57,769 --> 00:54:01,690
multifaceted, multisensory kind of experience? But this was

1474
00:54:01,690 --> 00:54:02,190
something

1475
00:54:02,650 --> 00:54:04,589
that I found out later

1476
00:54:05,105 --> 00:54:07,424
that you just kinda bet on yourself, like

1477
00:54:07,424 --> 00:54:10,545
going out and doing these things. Like again,

1478
00:54:10,545 --> 00:54:13,045
this is kind of like the difference between

1479
00:54:13,505 --> 00:54:14,885
you and me historically

1480
00:54:15,744 --> 00:54:17,585
is just saying I have something to say.

1481
00:54:17,585 --> 00:54:19,605
I'm gonna find a place to say it.

1482
00:54:19,904 --> 00:54:20,724
What did it

1483
00:54:21,880 --> 00:54:23,019
take to do that?

1484
00:54:23,559 --> 00:54:25,480
How was that year? You took, like, a

1485
00:54:25,480 --> 00:54:28,539
whole year I did. You weren't teaching.

1486
00:54:29,079 --> 00:54:31,239
You you weren't, like, in the classroom. You

1487
00:54:31,239 --> 00:54:34,360
kind of walked away from that entire safety

1488
00:54:34,360 --> 00:54:37,025
net. Yeah. Talk about that a little bit.

1489
00:54:37,964 --> 00:54:40,784
Oh my gosh. Oh, you just, like,

1490
00:54:41,085 --> 00:54:42,704
in my heart valves now.

1491
00:54:43,244 --> 00:54:43,744
Yeah.

1492
00:54:44,525 --> 00:54:46,125
Because my wife would have been like, hell

1493
00:54:46,125 --> 00:54:49,170
no. Like, you stay working. K? Right?

1494
00:54:50,030 --> 00:54:52,750
Well yeah. So this leave of absence was

1495
00:54:52,750 --> 00:54:55,070
just this past year, and it was my

1496
00:54:55,070 --> 00:54:57,550
1st year in 15 years where I was

1497
00:54:57,550 --> 00:54:59,230
out of the classroom. So that in and

1498
00:54:59,230 --> 00:55:01,489
of itself was very epic and very monumental.

1499
00:55:02,195 --> 00:55:05,574
I was after a professional opportunity and fellowship

1500
00:55:05,635 --> 00:55:07,335
that event that that unfortunately

1501
00:55:07,795 --> 00:55:08,614
fell through.

1502
00:55:08,914 --> 00:55:10,534
And so I found myself

1503
00:55:11,155 --> 00:55:11,974
at a crossroads.

1504
00:55:12,355 --> 00:55:14,275
I couldn't go back to the classroom because

1505
00:55:14,275 --> 00:55:16,514
they had given my teaching assignment to someone

1506
00:55:16,514 --> 00:55:16,829
else,

1507
00:55:17,630 --> 00:55:18,130
And

1508
00:55:19,070 --> 00:55:21,950
I didn't wanna apply to another school because

1509
00:55:21,950 --> 00:55:23,869
I knew that I wanted to return back

1510
00:55:23,869 --> 00:55:25,010
to my school community.

1511
00:55:25,469 --> 00:55:27,789
Not every teacher gets to teach where they

1512
00:55:27,789 --> 00:55:28,289
live.

1513
00:55:28,670 --> 00:55:31,704
And I find that something very personal for

1514
00:55:31,704 --> 00:55:33,405
me. I wanna teach in my community.

1515
00:55:33,864 --> 00:55:36,025
I wanna be with my families. I wanna

1516
00:55:36,025 --> 00:55:37,385
be with my students, and I know that

1517
00:55:37,385 --> 00:55:39,465
that's not the vibe or the flavor for

1518
00:55:39,465 --> 00:55:41,704
many stew or for many teachers. So you're

1519
00:55:41,704 --> 00:55:42,925
not you're not a colonizer.

1520
00:55:43,545 --> 00:55:46,289
That's right. Like, look at I teach

1521
00:55:46,829 --> 00:55:47,889
where I live,

1522
00:55:48,190 --> 00:55:50,510
and that's important for me to put my

1523
00:55:50,510 --> 00:55:52,609
roots down and for me to sow seeds,

1524
00:55:53,389 --> 00:55:54,289
in my barrio.

1525
00:55:54,829 --> 00:55:56,750
And so I did. I I came at

1526
00:55:56,750 --> 00:55:58,269
a crossroad, and I'm like, well, what am

1527
00:55:58,269 --> 00:55:59,650
I gonna do with the year?

1528
00:56:00,675 --> 00:56:02,994
I wasn't planning on having all of this

1529
00:56:02,994 --> 00:56:03,494
time,

1530
00:56:03,875 --> 00:56:04,614
and so

1531
00:56:04,914 --> 00:56:07,335
I created my own national tour.

1532
00:56:07,875 --> 00:56:10,614
And I leaned into what I was occasionally

1533
00:56:10,755 --> 00:56:12,454
doing on the side, which was

1534
00:56:13,559 --> 00:56:16,539
here and there some webinars, some online conferences

1535
00:56:17,000 --> 00:56:18,599
here and there, but I'm like, you know

1536
00:56:18,599 --> 00:56:20,760
what? Like, to your point, I'm like, I'm

1537
00:56:20,760 --> 00:56:21,900
gonna bet on myself.

1538
00:56:22,360 --> 00:56:23,719
Do you know what I'm saying? Because I

1539
00:56:23,719 --> 00:56:26,680
take very seriously. I am my ancestors' wildest

1540
00:56:26,680 --> 00:56:29,005
dreams, and we are the ones that we

1541
00:56:29,005 --> 00:56:31,724
are waiting for. That's right. And so I'm

1542
00:56:31,724 --> 00:56:33,485
like, let me just do it. So I

1543
00:56:33,485 --> 00:56:35,885
started leaning into my networks and my other

1544
00:56:35,885 --> 00:56:38,605
speaker friends and my other EDU activists and

1545
00:56:38,605 --> 00:56:41,025
act you know, and and people who advocate.

1546
00:56:41,324 --> 00:56:42,385
Yeah. And I'm like,

1547
00:56:42,849 --> 00:56:45,170
hey. Like, do you do you know how

1548
00:56:45,170 --> 00:56:46,069
I could generate

1549
00:56:46,530 --> 00:56:47,349
speaking opportunities

1550
00:56:48,210 --> 00:56:50,389
and, you know, getting myself out there?

1551
00:56:50,929 --> 00:56:54,309
And folks just started rallying around me and

1552
00:56:54,690 --> 00:56:55,750
giving me opportunities,

1553
00:56:56,264 --> 00:56:59,144
encouraging me, you know, showing me how to

1554
00:56:59,144 --> 00:57:01,244
create reels and videos

1555
00:57:01,704 --> 00:57:02,204
and

1556
00:57:02,585 --> 00:57:04,904
1 pagers. I had never created I didn't

1557
00:57:04,904 --> 00:57:06,505
even know what a 1 pager was, g.

1558
00:57:06,505 --> 00:57:07,964
I was like, what's a 1 pager?

1559
00:57:08,519 --> 00:57:11,340
Like, 1 page or what? Yeah. Yeah. Exactly.

1560
00:57:11,480 --> 00:57:13,800
Page of what? And they're like, well, your

1561
00:57:13,800 --> 00:57:16,440
topics, like, what are your rates? And this

1562
00:57:16,440 --> 00:57:18,679
is a whole other podcast too. But let

1563
00:57:18,679 --> 00:57:21,340
me tell you something, like the gender equity

1564
00:57:21,400 --> 00:57:23,260
pay gap and the misogyny

1565
00:57:23,855 --> 00:57:24,674
is Oh,

1566
00:57:25,054 --> 00:57:27,454
yeah. I can't even imagine because, like, it's

1567
00:57:27,454 --> 00:57:29,154
such an informal economy.

1568
00:57:29,534 --> 00:57:31,554
Yeah. You you can't. And,

1569
00:57:31,934 --> 00:57:34,654
you know, I really had to face that

1570
00:57:34,654 --> 00:57:36,974
head on as an extra barrier. And because

1571
00:57:36,974 --> 00:57:38,835
I'm a woman and because I'm a Latina,

1572
00:57:38,974 --> 00:57:40,010
a woman of

1573
00:57:41,110 --> 00:57:42,250
color, I was, like,

1574
00:57:42,789 --> 00:57:45,030
begging almost. And I'm like, wait a minute.

1575
00:57:45,030 --> 00:57:47,190
I should be begging here. Like, I'm gonna

1576
00:57:47,190 --> 00:57:49,110
rip this roof off. I'm not just any

1577
00:57:49,110 --> 00:57:50,869
kind of speaker here. I'm not gonna sit

1578
00:57:50,869 --> 00:57:51,690
behind a podium

1579
00:57:52,045 --> 00:57:53,405
and turn slack why we have to have

1580
00:57:53,405 --> 00:57:55,244
this on video. You're like you're like in

1581
00:57:55,244 --> 00:57:57,485
it right now. Yeah. Exactly. Saying. Like No.

1582
00:57:57,485 --> 00:57:59,005
But that's right. That's right. And I think

1583
00:57:59,005 --> 00:58:00,304
that level of, like,

1584
00:58:00,925 --> 00:58:03,164
of passion and commitment, like, I think that's

1585
00:58:03,164 --> 00:58:04,844
something that a lot of us can can

1586
00:58:04,844 --> 00:58:05,985
learn from because

1587
00:58:06,445 --> 00:58:08,650
I think I think of all the rooms

1588
00:58:08,950 --> 00:58:11,510
that folks like us walk into and walk

1589
00:58:11,510 --> 00:58:13,930
out of wishing Yeah. That they had

1590
00:58:14,230 --> 00:58:16,390
said something, wishing that they had been more

1591
00:58:16,390 --> 00:58:17,610
authentically themselves.

1592
00:58:17,910 --> 00:58:20,470
I think it's a real, like, example of

1593
00:58:20,470 --> 00:58:20,950
that that

1594
00:58:22,255 --> 00:58:22,755
and

1595
00:58:24,494 --> 00:58:25,795
it seems like it wasn't

1596
00:58:26,094 --> 00:58:27,855
I mean, I know for a fact wasn't

1597
00:58:27,855 --> 00:58:29,855
self serving. This was for you to be

1598
00:58:29,855 --> 00:58:31,554
able to be the advocate

1599
00:58:32,255 --> 00:58:34,434
that our communities needed, and

1600
00:58:35,139 --> 00:58:36,199
we didn't have

1601
00:58:36,820 --> 00:58:39,619
this Borico, Mexicana, Chicana like voice out there,

1602
00:58:39,619 --> 00:58:41,859
so we needed it to, like, to show

1603
00:58:41,859 --> 00:58:42,359
up.

1604
00:58:42,980 --> 00:58:44,440
What are some of the big

1605
00:58:44,820 --> 00:58:47,859
sort of learning experience takeaways? Like, what what

1606
00:58:47,859 --> 00:58:49,539
did you take out of that year? Because

1607
00:58:49,539 --> 00:58:51,775
I remember you expressed some sort

1608
00:58:52,075 --> 00:58:54,635
of trepidation about going back into the classroom

1609
00:58:54,635 --> 00:58:56,494
this year after being out for a year.

1610
00:58:56,715 --> 00:58:59,835
So what was it that you gained from

1611
00:58:59,835 --> 00:59:00,655
that experience

1612
00:59:01,675 --> 00:59:04,075
that you'll that just kinda help propel you

1613
00:59:04,075 --> 00:59:04,575
forward?

1614
00:59:05,630 --> 00:59:07,730
Yeah. I think I came to the understanding,

1615
00:59:07,869 --> 00:59:09,789
and I mentioned it in the keynote. And

1616
00:59:09,789 --> 00:59:11,869
it became, like, one of my taglines that

1617
00:59:11,869 --> 00:59:13,550
it's not just about getting a seat at

1618
00:59:13,550 --> 00:59:15,309
the table, but the realization that I am

1619
00:59:15,309 --> 00:59:15,969
the table.

1620
00:59:16,829 --> 00:59:18,750
That I am the table. Like, I am

1621
00:59:18,750 --> 00:59:21,444
the damn table as a global majority. And

1622
00:59:21,444 --> 00:59:23,364
here's something else that I came to discover

1623
00:59:23,364 --> 00:59:24,984
pretty early on in my tour

1624
00:59:25,284 --> 00:59:27,204
is that to your point, and you mentioned

1625
00:59:27,204 --> 00:59:27,704
it,

1626
00:59:28,085 --> 00:59:31,144
I didn't see a lot of lived experiences

1627
00:59:32,724 --> 00:59:34,025
and a lot of

1628
00:59:35,349 --> 00:59:36,869
perspective and the point of view that I

1629
00:59:36,869 --> 00:59:40,250
was coming from in these national education spaces,

1630
00:59:40,389 --> 00:59:41,690
in these equity spaces.

1631
00:59:41,989 --> 00:59:44,949
I didn't see a lot of folks coming

1632
00:59:44,949 --> 00:59:45,449
from

1633
00:59:45,750 --> 00:59:47,929
my vantage point, title 1,

1634
00:59:48,255 --> 00:59:48,755
urban

1635
00:59:49,054 --> 00:59:49,554
education

1636
00:59:49,855 --> 00:59:52,094
in the neighborhood, out the gate, this mix

1637
00:59:52,094 --> 00:59:53,234
of social justice

1638
00:59:53,855 --> 00:59:55,714
and EDU equity issues,

1639
00:59:56,094 --> 00:59:58,114
and really just amplifying,

1640
00:59:58,734 --> 00:59:59,795
not just speaking

1641
01:00:00,414 --> 01:00:01,980
for the students and families that I serve,

1642
01:00:01,980 --> 01:00:04,160
but amplifying the voices that they already have.

1643
01:00:04,300 --> 01:00:04,800
And

1644
01:00:05,099 --> 01:00:06,860
I really felt like and then the way

1645
01:00:06,860 --> 01:00:09,660
that I packaged it. Right? So Mhmm. I'm

1646
01:00:09,660 --> 01:00:12,300
I'm a I'm a poet by nature. I

1647
01:00:12,380 --> 01:00:14,974
my theater was my minor in undergrad.

1648
01:00:15,355 --> 01:00:16,255
I know you're shocked.

1649
01:00:16,554 --> 01:00:17,054
And

1650
01:00:18,155 --> 01:00:19,714
Not not shocked because you told me. But

1651
01:00:19,835 --> 01:00:20,394
yeah. Like

1652
01:00:21,114 --> 01:00:23,434
That's that's true. But And I wasn't shocked

1653
01:00:23,434 --> 01:00:24,655
when I found out either.

1654
01:00:25,275 --> 01:00:28,070
Yeah. So, like, this whole being in front

1655
01:00:28,070 --> 01:00:28,969
of an audience

1656
01:00:29,429 --> 01:00:30,650
and inspiring

1657
01:00:31,030 --> 01:00:31,530
and,

1658
01:00:31,829 --> 01:00:34,070
you know, all of that is is just

1659
01:00:34,070 --> 01:00:36,309
really at the intersection of I feel like

1660
01:00:36,309 --> 01:00:38,390
are all of my gifts. And so folks

1661
01:00:38,390 --> 01:00:40,724
didn't see me coming. They're just like, woah.

1662
01:00:40,724 --> 01:00:43,765
Like, what's happening? Yep. Because I'm bringing the

1663
01:00:43,765 --> 01:00:46,025
poetry, because I'm bringing the testimonials,

1664
01:00:46,405 --> 01:00:48,405
because I'm bringing my heart, because I'm bringing

1665
01:00:48,405 --> 01:00:49,305
very provocative,

1666
01:00:49,925 --> 01:00:52,485
in your face, come to the funeral with

1667
01:00:52,485 --> 01:00:55,219
me, and stand with me at the casket

1668
01:00:55,519 --> 01:00:57,679
as I peer in and look at my

1669
01:00:57,679 --> 01:01:00,079
17 year old student with Jordan's and a

1670
01:01:00,079 --> 01:01:01,920
jersey and a pair of jeans on gone

1671
01:01:01,920 --> 01:01:04,179
too soon. You will hear the details.

1672
01:01:04,480 --> 01:01:06,719
I'm not gonna do broad strokes because guess

1673
01:01:06,719 --> 01:01:08,614
what? This isn't theory to me. This is

1674
01:01:08,614 --> 01:01:09,594
personal experience.

1675
01:01:09,894 --> 01:01:12,234
And I think too many people in decision

1676
01:01:12,295 --> 01:01:13,195
making tables

1677
01:01:13,574 --> 01:01:16,695
only understand these issues in theory and by

1678
01:01:16,695 --> 01:01:19,175
data. I am the data point. My students

1679
01:01:19,175 --> 01:01:21,449
and families, we are the data point. And

1680
01:01:21,449 --> 01:01:23,869
so with that being said, we deserve

1681
01:01:24,170 --> 01:01:26,570
to be heard because That's right. These are

1682
01:01:26,570 --> 01:01:27,230
the issues

1683
01:01:27,609 --> 01:01:28,109
that

1684
01:01:28,809 --> 01:01:30,489
we need to address if we wanna move

1685
01:01:30,489 --> 01:01:32,329
the state of education forward and if we

1686
01:01:32,329 --> 01:01:35,644
wanna close these opportunity gaps. I'll pause because

1687
01:01:35,644 --> 01:01:37,425
you're already in my heart, and

1688
01:01:37,804 --> 01:01:39,664
you you know how I get all

1689
01:01:40,125 --> 01:01:41,885
riled up. No. But but I but I

1690
01:01:41,885 --> 01:01:43,565
think it is it is it is such

1691
01:01:43,565 --> 01:01:46,284
an important reminder that, you know, there are

1692
01:01:46,284 --> 01:01:48,284
human beings on the other side of these

1693
01:01:48,284 --> 01:01:50,469
decisions that are being made. And I will

1694
01:01:50,469 --> 01:01:53,030
echo that that is a challenge to the

1695
01:01:53,030 --> 01:01:53,530
humanization

1696
01:01:53,910 --> 01:01:56,710
of this work in our communities. We talk

1697
01:01:56,710 --> 01:01:59,769
the talk of equity and anti racism,

1698
01:02:00,230 --> 01:02:02,390
but the reality of it is a lot

1699
01:02:02,390 --> 01:02:04,150
more profound than what a lot of people

1700
01:02:04,150 --> 01:02:06,444
realize. Like, how do we embed that in

1701
01:02:06,444 --> 01:02:08,844
our policy decisions? How do we embed that

1702
01:02:08,844 --> 01:02:11,565
in our strategic road map? Correct. I don't

1703
01:02:11,565 --> 01:02:12,844
know, man. Maybe I need to be a

1704
01:02:12,844 --> 01:02:15,025
superintendent or something, but nah. Amen.

1705
01:02:16,525 --> 01:02:18,924
Nah. Could could not pay me enough. Actually,

1706
01:02:18,924 --> 01:02:20,764
let me know because, like, maybe there is

1707
01:02:20,764 --> 01:02:21,179
enough.

1708
01:02:22,139 --> 01:02:22,639
So

1709
01:02:23,260 --> 01:02:24,639
as you all notice,

1710
01:02:25,500 --> 01:02:26,880
miss g is a whole vibe.

1711
01:02:27,659 --> 01:02:29,659
I feel like I'm gonna take an audience

1712
01:02:29,659 --> 01:02:30,800
poll right now. Audience,

1713
01:02:31,179 --> 01:02:32,699
do we need to bring miss g back

1714
01:02:32,699 --> 01:02:35,335
at some time? Oh, okay. Okay. Everybody's yelling

1715
01:02:35,335 --> 01:02:37,494
at me right now Hey. From the other

1716
01:02:37,494 --> 01:02:38,535
side of the podcast,

1717
01:02:38,934 --> 01:02:40,315
because I think there's a lot

1718
01:02:40,695 --> 01:02:42,615
to you and a lot to this work

1719
01:02:42,615 --> 01:02:43,515
that you do.

1720
01:02:44,375 --> 01:02:45,735
So we're gonna get you out of here

1721
01:02:45,735 --> 01:02:46,235
soon.

1722
01:02:46,855 --> 01:02:47,355
However,

1723
01:02:48,279 --> 01:02:48,779
however,

1724
01:02:51,079 --> 01:02:53,319
do you consider yourself more Mexican than Puerto

1725
01:02:53,319 --> 01:02:53,819
Rican?

1726
01:02:55,960 --> 01:02:57,319
Why are you gonna put me out there,

1727
01:02:57,319 --> 01:02:58,539
g? I mean

1728
01:02:59,079 --> 01:02:59,739
I mean,

1729
01:03:00,994 --> 01:03:02,375
I do have an assessment

1730
01:03:02,675 --> 01:03:03,894
that might suggest,

1731
01:03:05,155 --> 01:03:09,235
like, where you where you fall. Like Okay.

1732
01:03:09,235 --> 01:03:11,735
Okay. Tell me your tell me your observation.

1733
01:03:11,875 --> 01:03:13,795
So what we're gonna do well, it's I

1734
01:03:13,795 --> 01:03:16,019
don't have observations. I'm gathering data right now.

1735
01:03:16,019 --> 01:03:17,619
You talked about data. You are the data

1736
01:03:17,619 --> 01:03:19,940
point. I'm gathering data right now. Okay. Okay.

1737
01:03:19,940 --> 01:03:21,000
I'm going to

1738
01:03:22,019 --> 01:03:23,699
play a little game with you of this

1739
01:03:23,699 --> 01:03:26,840
or that. Oh, gosh. Right? I'm gonna put

1740
01:03:27,140 --> 01:03:28,119
I'm gonna put

1741
01:03:28,585 --> 01:03:30,744
Puerto Rican things and Mexican things out there.

1742
01:03:30,744 --> 01:03:32,664
And you just don't, like, think about it.

1743
01:03:32,664 --> 01:03:34,985
Like and I'm keeping score. Right? So I

1744
01:03:34,985 --> 01:03:37,065
have Oh, man. So I have, like, this

1745
01:03:37,065 --> 01:03:39,704
little score sheet. One side is Mexican, and

1746
01:03:39,704 --> 01:03:40,925
one side is Puerto Rico.

1747
01:03:42,659 --> 01:03:44,039
And I understand.

1748
01:03:44,579 --> 01:03:47,539
And you just gotta, like, respond. And Oh

1749
01:03:47,539 --> 01:03:49,699
my gosh. And I won't share the data

1750
01:03:49,699 --> 01:03:52,019
without your permission because I know you got

1751
01:03:52,019 --> 01:03:53,880
you got cred that you gotta maintain.

1752
01:03:54,260 --> 01:03:56,144
Are you gonna mess up my street credibility?

1753
01:03:56,144 --> 01:03:57,964
Are you I would never do that.

1754
01:03:58,585 --> 01:04:00,824
I mean, it depends. Like, you know no.

1755
01:04:00,824 --> 01:04:02,344
I would never do that. I would never

1756
01:04:02,344 --> 01:04:04,424
throw an herbanita under the bus. Alright. Here

1757
01:04:04,424 --> 01:04:05,005
we go.

1758
01:04:05,545 --> 01:04:06,605
Question number 1.

1759
01:04:08,184 --> 01:04:09,405
Salsa or rancheras?

1760
01:04:11,109 --> 01:04:12,730
Salsa or rancheras?

1761
01:04:13,429 --> 01:04:13,929
Uh-huh.

1762
01:04:14,710 --> 01:04:16,869
What am I supposed to take? You're taking

1763
01:04:16,869 --> 01:04:18,650
too you're supposed to choose 1.

1764
01:04:19,510 --> 01:04:21,989
Oh, oh, like okay. Like, of what I

1765
01:04:22,070 --> 01:04:22,570
okay.

1766
01:04:22,949 --> 01:04:25,289
Yeah. Salsa or rancheras? Tarsa.

1767
01:04:25,875 --> 01:04:26,375
Okay.

1768
01:04:26,675 --> 01:04:28,775
2nd question, Ana Gabriel or?

1769
01:04:30,755 --> 01:04:31,255
Alright.

1770
01:04:31,715 --> 01:04:32,534
3rd question,

1771
01:04:33,074 --> 01:04:34,454
Sanchez or Hector Lavo?

1772
01:04:35,074 --> 01:04:35,574
Hector.

1773
01:04:36,195 --> 01:04:39,175
Whoo. This this is, very one-sided, this one.

1774
01:04:39,795 --> 01:04:40,534
Or tacos?

1775
01:04:43,710 --> 01:04:46,190
Mhmm. 1 and 1? Yep. You gotta pick

1776
01:04:46,190 --> 01:04:48,269
1. You gotta pick 1. I love me

1777
01:04:48,269 --> 01:04:49,010
some taquitos.

1778
01:04:49,630 --> 01:04:50,849
Alright. Some empanadas.

1779
01:04:51,789 --> 01:04:52,289
Yeah.

1780
01:04:52,989 --> 01:04:53,489
Okay.

1781
01:04:54,910 --> 01:04:56,130
I'll just go with taquitos.

1782
01:04:56,635 --> 01:04:57,135
Alright.

1783
01:04:59,275 --> 01:04:59,775
Guillermoertos

1784
01:05:00,315 --> 01:05:01,055
or carnival?

1785
01:05:02,155 --> 01:05:02,655
Ivan.

1786
01:05:09,035 --> 01:05:10,315
That's what I'm talking about. I knew I

1787
01:05:10,315 --> 01:05:12,414
was what you're saying. Baseball or football?

1788
01:05:14,420 --> 01:05:14,920
Baseball.

1789
01:05:15,299 --> 01:05:15,799
Mhmm.

1790
01:05:16,179 --> 01:05:17,619
I feel like this is gonna be very

1791
01:05:17,619 --> 01:05:19,159
one-sided. Yeah. Regueton

1792
01:05:19,859 --> 01:05:20,359
or?

1793
01:05:20,980 --> 01:05:22,280
I feel it. Regueton.

1794
01:05:25,454 --> 01:05:28,355
I mean, spoiler. Marc Anthony or Alejandro Fernandez?

1795
01:05:32,894 --> 01:05:33,715
Marc Anthony.

1796
01:05:34,494 --> 01:05:36,894
What was the song you karaoke? You were

1797
01:05:36,894 --> 01:05:39,420
the one singing Marc Anthony, not me. This

1798
01:05:39,420 --> 01:05:41,260
assessment is not about me. This is about

1799
01:05:41,260 --> 01:05:43,260
you. Let them This is a You are

1800
01:05:43,260 --> 01:05:45,500
out there singing Marc Anthony. Marc Anthony may

1801
01:05:45,579 --> 01:05:47,260
as my as my late father said, Marc

1802
01:05:47,260 --> 01:05:47,760
Anthony

1803
01:05:48,619 --> 01:05:49,119
sings

1804
01:05:49,420 --> 01:05:51,440
like Puerto Rican music for Mexicans.

1805
01:05:52,059 --> 01:05:52,559
Alright.

1806
01:05:53,420 --> 01:05:55,635
I feel it. I feel it. Juan Ines

1807
01:05:55,635 --> 01:05:57,255
de la Cruz or Miguel Algarin?

1808
01:05:58,515 --> 01:05:59,335
Say it again.

1809
01:06:00,594 --> 01:06:02,934
Sor Juan Ines de la Cruz or Miguel

1810
01:06:03,074 --> 01:06:05,494
Algarin. These are poets here.

1811
01:06:06,755 --> 01:06:08,835
I wanna say that I've read more from

1812
01:06:08,835 --> 01:06:09,335
Miguel.

1813
01:06:09,954 --> 01:06:10,454
Okay.

1814
01:06:10,789 --> 01:06:14,170
You should watch the Netflix episode, show, Juanaines.

1815
01:06:14,389 --> 01:06:16,469
It's about the life of Jorge de la

1816
01:06:16,469 --> 01:06:20,250
Cruz. Oh. Amazing. Mexican boat queen. Yeah.

1817
01:06:21,750 --> 01:06:23,369
Mexico City or San Juan.

1818
01:06:24,144 --> 01:06:26,304
Really? You're really gonna do this to me?

1819
01:06:26,304 --> 01:06:28,144
I sure am. You're really gonna do this

1820
01:06:28,144 --> 01:06:29,585
to me. I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna

1821
01:06:29,585 --> 01:06:30,164
do it.

1822
01:06:31,505 --> 01:06:33,264
I long to go to Mexico City, but

1823
01:06:33,264 --> 01:06:34,784
I've been to San Juan, Bienho San Juan,

1824
01:06:34,784 --> 01:06:36,819
Mexico City. Nice. Okay. Alright. We'll we'll give

1825
01:06:36,819 --> 01:06:38,339
you a little bit of a pass on

1826
01:06:38,339 --> 01:06:41,859
that one. Thank you. Last one, Rosario Ferre

1827
01:06:41,859 --> 01:06:42,920
or Sandra Cisneros?

1828
01:06:44,339 --> 01:06:45,319
Oh, Sandra

1829
01:06:45,780 --> 01:06:46,280
Cisneros.

1830
01:06:46,900 --> 01:06:49,480
Come on. How's San Mango? Come on. Seriously?

1831
01:06:50,019 --> 01:06:51,460
How you feel about

1832
01:06:52,235 --> 01:06:53,855
do you wanna know what the results are?

1833
01:06:54,155 --> 01:06:55,755
I already know what they are, but go

1834
01:06:55,755 --> 01:06:58,074
ahead and tell me. I already know. Alright.

1835
01:06:58,074 --> 01:06:59,535
I already know it. Go ahead.

1836
01:07:00,954 --> 01:07:02,554
Okay. Are you you're okay with the people

1837
01:07:02,554 --> 01:07:04,155
knowing this and with it being out in

1838
01:07:04,155 --> 01:07:05,695
these streets and all that?

1839
01:07:06,019 --> 01:07:08,900
It's Sure. It's it's pretty obvious. So, actually,

1840
01:07:08,900 --> 01:07:10,839
you know, I'm a assess myself real quick.

1841
01:07:11,059 --> 01:07:11,559
Alright.

1842
01:07:11,940 --> 01:07:12,440
So

1843
01:07:12,980 --> 01:07:13,719
for me,

1844
01:07:14,739 --> 01:07:15,239
salsa,

1845
01:07:16,179 --> 01:07:16,679
India,

1846
01:07:20,355 --> 01:07:20,855
Chalino

1847
01:07:22,594 --> 01:07:23,974
wait. Hold on. Tacos,

1848
01:07:26,994 --> 01:07:27,494
football,

1849
01:07:27,954 --> 01:07:28,934
Dia de Muertos,

1850
01:07:30,760 --> 01:07:31,260
Cumbia,

1851
01:07:32,440 --> 01:07:33,660
gotta say Marc Anthony,

1852
01:07:34,920 --> 01:07:35,740
Juan Ines,

1853
01:07:38,119 --> 01:07:38,619
Mexico.

1854
01:07:39,400 --> 01:07:41,099
Oh, of course. Go over here.

1855
01:07:41,640 --> 01:07:42,619
Sandra Cisneros.

1856
01:07:43,079 --> 01:07:44,700
Oh, there's one more. My bad.

1857
01:07:45,965 --> 01:07:47,724
This isn't this so this is a family

1858
01:07:47,724 --> 01:07:49,485
friendly show, but I I gotta ask you

1859
01:07:49,485 --> 01:07:50,144
this one.

1860
01:07:51,085 --> 01:07:52,304
Tequila or Ron?

1861
01:07:55,085 --> 01:07:56,144
I'll go with tequila.

1862
01:07:56,605 --> 01:07:57,905
Alright. I know. Right?

1863
01:08:00,489 --> 01:08:01,549
Alright. So,

1864
01:08:02,730 --> 01:08:04,029
your final score,

1865
01:08:04,569 --> 01:08:05,309
you had

1866
01:08:06,409 --> 01:08:06,909
a

1867
01:08:07,929 --> 01:08:09,929
10 on the Puerto Rican side, 3 on

1868
01:08:09,929 --> 01:08:11,389
the Mexican side. Yeah.

1869
01:08:12,464 --> 01:08:16,005
Not surprising. Because we were No. It's true.

1870
01:08:16,385 --> 01:08:18,545
I I I have a reason for that,

1871
01:08:18,545 --> 01:08:19,925
and that's because

1872
01:08:21,024 --> 01:08:22,885
my mother is from Puerto Rico.

1873
01:08:23,344 --> 01:08:26,630
Yep. And my parents divorced when I was

1874
01:08:26,630 --> 01:08:27,929
about 14 years old,

1875
01:08:28,550 --> 01:08:31,750
and my father lost contact with his family

1876
01:08:31,750 --> 01:08:32,489
from Mexico,

1877
01:08:34,069 --> 01:08:37,029
way before I was born. In addition to

1878
01:08:37,029 --> 01:08:37,529
that,

1879
01:08:37,875 --> 01:08:39,814
he lost his father, my grandfather,

1880
01:08:41,394 --> 01:08:43,715
very young at 12 years old, never met

1881
01:08:43,715 --> 01:08:44,375
my grandfather.

1882
01:08:45,234 --> 01:08:48,774
And my grandmother, his mother, long story short,

1883
01:08:49,394 --> 01:08:50,614
developed Alzheimer's

1884
01:08:51,479 --> 01:08:53,739
and just never recovered from

1885
01:08:54,199 --> 01:08:54,699
her

1886
01:08:55,159 --> 01:08:56,920
death, and I didn't have a lot of

1887
01:08:56,920 --> 01:08:59,479
connection with her, the food, or anything like

1888
01:08:59,479 --> 01:09:01,180
that. So there was, like, a big disconnect

1889
01:09:01,319 --> 01:09:03,420
between me and my Mexican roots

1890
01:09:03,904 --> 01:09:05,904
very early on, stemming way back to my

1891
01:09:05,904 --> 01:09:08,564
childhood. Now my mom, on the other hand,

1892
01:09:09,185 --> 01:09:09,685
she

1893
01:09:10,784 --> 01:09:12,244
was part of the great migration

1894
01:09:12,625 --> 01:09:13,444
in the forties.

1895
01:09:13,904 --> 01:09:15,844
And so many of

1896
01:09:16,225 --> 01:09:16,725
the

1897
01:09:17,430 --> 01:09:19,989
Ricans either went to New York or they

1898
01:09:19,989 --> 01:09:21,529
came to Chicago. Chicago.

1899
01:09:21,829 --> 01:09:23,510
And so my mom was part of the

1900
01:09:23,510 --> 01:09:24,329
great migration

1901
01:09:24,789 --> 01:09:26,729
coming to the city of Chicago,

1902
01:09:27,430 --> 01:09:29,750
and a lot of her family members came

1903
01:09:29,750 --> 01:09:31,930
as well. So I was born and raised

1904
01:09:32,069 --> 01:09:34,185
immersed in the Puerto Rican culture,

1905
01:09:34,725 --> 01:09:38,404
the domino slamming, the salsa dancing, arroz con

1906
01:09:38,404 --> 01:09:39,465
gandules, tostones,

1907
01:09:39,925 --> 01:09:40,425
empanadas.

1908
01:09:41,444 --> 01:09:42,564
You if you do you know what I'm

1909
01:09:42,564 --> 01:09:44,585
saying? Even the way that I speak Spanish.

1910
01:09:44,840 --> 01:09:47,639
Yep. Very, very influenced by the Puerto Rican

1911
01:09:47,639 --> 01:09:48,139
diaspora.

1912
01:09:48,519 --> 01:09:50,599
And here's so now I feel bad for

1913
01:09:50,599 --> 01:09:51,579
giving you the quiz.

1914
01:09:52,199 --> 01:09:53,079
So what what

1915
01:09:53,559 --> 01:09:54,539
I wanna reclaim.

1916
01:09:54,840 --> 01:09:57,019
I'm telling my listen. I'm telling

1917
01:09:57,479 --> 01:09:59,260
my Mexican colleagues,

1918
01:09:59,965 --> 01:10:00,784
Toro Chicanas,

1919
01:10:01,244 --> 01:10:03,824
they go to Mexico to their families' ranches

1920
01:10:03,965 --> 01:10:05,645
every summer. I'm like, y'all take him as

1921
01:10:05,645 --> 01:10:08,125
g. I'm gonna be on your in your

1922
01:10:08,284 --> 01:10:10,685
You got it. House, and I'm gonna go

1923
01:10:10,685 --> 01:10:13,079
because my father, he's from Monterrey.

1924
01:10:13,460 --> 01:10:14,840
And I wanna go to Monterrey,

1925
01:10:15,219 --> 01:10:17,380
and I wanna go to the ranchos, and

1926
01:10:17,380 --> 01:10:18,679
I wanna eat street food.

1927
01:10:18,979 --> 01:10:20,659
You gotta go to the Ciudad de Mexico.

1928
01:10:20,659 --> 01:10:22,020
It's the best city in the world. That's

1929
01:10:22,020 --> 01:10:23,719
where I want that. To. K.

1930
01:10:26,024 --> 01:10:28,284
In Mexico City and Doctores. And,

1931
01:10:28,824 --> 01:10:31,465
yeah. And I think, like, the this this

1932
01:10:31,465 --> 01:10:33,784
wasn't meant to get, like, deep, but I

1933
01:10:33,784 --> 01:10:36,744
think I think there is, particularly within all

1934
01:10:36,744 --> 01:10:38,364
of our our identities,

1935
01:10:39,270 --> 01:10:41,429
like, how it is that we sort through

1936
01:10:41,429 --> 01:10:43,109
everything that we are and the things that

1937
01:10:43,109 --> 01:10:44,469
we had access to and the things that

1938
01:10:44,469 --> 01:10:45,989
we did and the things that were uplifted

1939
01:10:45,989 --> 01:10:47,590
in us and the things that That's right.

1940
01:10:47,670 --> 01:10:48,969
Weren't. But I think,

1941
01:10:49,349 --> 01:10:51,189
we were talking about heritage a little bit

1942
01:10:51,189 --> 01:10:53,265
earlier, and I think I think you always

1943
01:10:53,265 --> 01:10:55,985
have an opportunity to reclaim that heritage. And

1944
01:10:55,985 --> 01:10:59,025
so right. I actually just consider you both

1945
01:10:59,185 --> 01:11:01,824
like, all 3, Mexicana, Chicana, Puerto Ricania. Like,

1946
01:11:01,824 --> 01:11:04,704
it's all good. I love it. Because, you

1947
01:11:04,704 --> 01:11:05,525
know, these

1948
01:11:05,905 --> 01:11:06,405
these

1949
01:11:08,109 --> 01:11:09,810
provincial dis divisions

1950
01:11:10,270 --> 01:11:11,489
don't serve us

1951
01:11:11,949 --> 01:11:12,770
as a community.

1952
01:11:14,109 --> 01:11:15,329
So, really,

1953
01:11:15,710 --> 01:11:17,710
this was an awesome conversation. You have no

1954
01:11:17,710 --> 01:11:20,109
idea how bad I needed this today. Yeah.

1955
01:11:20,109 --> 01:11:22,364
And so it's really amazing. How do people

1956
01:11:22,364 --> 01:11:23,984
find you on the socials?

1957
01:11:24,845 --> 01:11:27,484
Yes. So Or follow your work and, like,

1958
01:11:27,484 --> 01:11:29,185
whatever. Like, do all that stuff.

1959
01:11:29,725 --> 01:11:31,824
Yeah. Sure. So I do have a website.

1960
01:11:31,965 --> 01:11:33,104
You can go to

1961
01:11:33,405 --> 01:11:33,905
sophiaspeaks.com.

1962
01:11:36,729 --> 01:11:37,229
Notaph,

1963
01:11:37,610 --> 01:11:39,610
s o f I a. The real spelling

1964
01:11:39,610 --> 01:11:41,289
right there. The real spelling. Oh my gosh.

1965
01:11:41,289 --> 01:11:42,110
We're so bad.

1966
01:11:43,689 --> 01:11:46,010
Sorry. No no offense to our peoples. We're

1967
01:11:46,010 --> 01:11:46,829
just kidding.

1968
01:11:47,449 --> 01:11:47,689
Yeah.

1969
01:11:48,329 --> 01:11:49,789
And then my

1970
01:11:50,250 --> 01:11:50,750
handles

1971
01:11:51,354 --> 01:11:53,914
for IG and for Twitter x, they're the

1972
01:11:53,914 --> 01:11:55,935
same at Sophia Speaks.

1973
01:11:56,395 --> 01:11:58,875
And I'm also on LinkedIn too, my first

1974
01:11:58,875 --> 01:12:00,975
and last name. First name, Sophia Gonzales.

1975
01:12:01,435 --> 01:12:03,215
And then I have my master's

1976
01:12:03,515 --> 01:12:05,159
initials, m e d m a, if you

1977
01:12:05,159 --> 01:12:07,180
wanna find me on LinkedIn.

1978
01:12:07,560 --> 01:12:09,479
But find me out there. I'm trying to

1979
01:12:09,479 --> 01:12:11,020
keep my voice out there.

1980
01:12:11,400 --> 01:12:14,600
I'm trying to amplify these issues. I'm just

1981
01:12:14,600 --> 01:12:16,439
really trying to be the change that this

1982
01:12:16,439 --> 01:12:17,180
world needs.

1983
01:12:17,675 --> 01:12:19,034
It's great content y'all.

1984
01:12:19,435 --> 01:12:22,235
Really amazing things that'll get that'll affirm you,

1985
01:12:22,235 --> 01:12:24,574
that'll get you thinking, that'll be provocative

1986
01:12:25,435 --> 01:12:27,375
and disrupt you in all the right ways.

1987
01:12:27,835 --> 01:12:30,395
Sylvia Gonzalez, thank you for coming on to

1988
01:12:30,395 --> 01:12:31,560
the Chicano loves

1989
01:12:39,000 --> 01:12:39,500
today.