Voices of a Highway

In this episode we hear Delia Mendez-Valdez, We Love Buford Highway’s Program and Communications Coordinator. She shares her dreams and hopes for Buford Highway’s future, especially through the lens of her upbringing along the corridor. We hope you enjoy this final episode of the series Identities and Belonging. Thank you for listening to our stories this 2023. See you in 2024! Delia grew up along Buford Highway and she became a passionate advocate for community engagement. Starting as a youth program leader, she evolved into a community outreach coordinator, organizing health fairs and providing crucial health education and services to the local Hispanic and Latino population.

In this episode we bring back Jonathan Peraza, who has been a guest in this podcast before! Jonathan discusses his dreams for Buford Highway and how this vision is centered around building spaces that we don’t have yet. It is not only about questioning and advocating for institutions to be equitable and just, it’s also about going beyond and outside of these structures to build something new, powerful, and unapologetically OURS. Jonathan reminds us that it is good to be critical about the world but we also need to remind ourselves what is beautiful about us, what we should be proud of, what power and beauty already exists in our communities and start there. Jonathan Peraza Campos (he/him/él) is a Central American educator and organizer with the Buford Highway People's Hub. He has taught Latinx studies and political education classes for years to youth and adults on Buford Highway and beyond in schools, in movement spaces, and with nonprofit organizations. He supports teachers who want to incorporate Latinx and Central American studies across U.S. classrooms as the program specialist for Teaching Central America at Teaching for Change and an educational consultant.

In this episode Victoria García shares her stories about belonging on Buford Highway through the artistic medium she practices, photography. As a designer, visual artist, and community lover living along Buford Highway, Victoria shares her experiences discovering and deconstructing what art can mean, do, and foster for a community like this one. You can find Victoria on Instagram @vlgarcia_ @highwayinmigrante and find her work by going to vlgarcia.com

In this episode you will hear the voices of Natalia Garzón Martínez, Victoria García, Jonathan Peraza-Campos, and Delia Mendez. They come together to discuss the contradictions that exist with the term "Latinidad" and the importance of nuancing terms to include historically silenced and marginalized voices. When does fitting in become assimilation? How can we break the box instead of trying to fit into it? Listen to this episode to hear organizers and creatives discuss what it means to step into your own autonomy, create collective consciousness, and build power that centers both preservation and change. Victoria Garcia Victoria García is a Chicana visual artist and designer from Doraville, Georgia. She got her BFA in Graphic Design at the Art Institute of Atlanta and has been working in the creative industry for the last decade. Her upbringing in Atlanta’s "International Village", or Buford Highway, has led her to focus on the intersection of art and activism as it pertains to immigration policy, diasporas, and gentrification. Jonathan Peraza Jonathan Peraza Campos (he/him/él) is a Central American educator and organizer with the Buford Highway People's Hub. He has taught Latinx studies and political education classes for years to youth and adults on Buford Highway and beyond in schools, in movement spaces, and with nonprofit organizations. He supports teachers who want to incorporate Latinx and Central American studies across U.S. classrooms as the program specialist for Teaching Central America at Teaching for Change and an educational consultant. Delia Mendez-Valdez Delia Mendez-Valdez currently serves as We Love Buford Highway’s Program and Communications Coordinator. As she grew up along Buford Highway, she became a passionate advocate for community engagement. Starting as a youth program leader, she evolved into a community outreach coordinator, organizing health fairs and providing crucial health education and services to the local Hispanic and Latino population.

En este episodio Lorena Castro comparte sus experiencias con la superación personal y la salud mental. Además, comparte su visión para las personas y comunidades que viven en el corredor Buford. Lorena es originaria de México y ha vivido en Atlanta desde el 2002. Desde el 2018 trabaja con las comunidades del corredor Buford y lo que más aprecia de este trabajo es aprender sobre otras culturas y poder crear espacios para que la gente se conecte. En Enero del 2023 se volvió cofundadora de la organizacion Amigos de la Comunidad en Georgia junto a Cristina de la Cruz y Aceli Zenil.

En este episodio hablamos con Aceli Zenil, quien comparte su historia de inmigrante con nosotros. Nos habla de la importancia de proteger y creer en los sueños y de cómo su vida en Estados Unidos ha cambiado con el pasar del tiempo. Aceli Zenil vive en Georgia desde hace 26 años y siempre le ha gustado apoyar e involucrarse en su comunidad y en las escuelas de sus hijos. A través de los años ha aprendido mucho y ha ayudado en diferentes organizaciones. En Enero del 2023 se volvió cofundadora de la organizacion Amigos de la Comunidad en Georgia junto a Lorena Castro y Cristina de la Cruz. Amigos de la Comunidad GA se dedica a ayudar a su comunidad brindando recursos, información y también tienen una bodega donde la comunidad que necesite puede buscar ropa y zapatos completamente gratis.

Join us for this English episode with Lina Vargas, creator and founder of @comadreandoatl, a social club for Latinx "Comadres" of all stripes in ATL. This conversation centers the importance of community building in private and public spaces, and centers words like "friendship," "company," and "gender." If you are interested in how to celebrate culture and beyond that, the people who create this culture, give this episode a listen and a share! Lina Vargas lives in Atlanta and enjoys connecting with the latin community through friendship, food, books, and art. Through the group Comadreando in ATL, Lina and her fellow comadres encourage latine amiguis to explore Atlanta in cozy and friendly group outings. You can find this group @comadreando.atl on Instagram.

En este episodio escucharemos las voces de Lina Vargas, Aceli Zenil, Lorena Castro y Natalia Garzón Martínez. Las cuatro mujeres comparten sus experiencias en Atlanta y hablan sobre cómo el contexto cultural de vivir en el sur de los Estados Unidos ha cambiado sus definiciones de “ser Latinas.” Abordan varios temas dentro de la noción de la cultura, incluyendo la importancia de no separar el objeto cultural del sujeto que lo crea. También hablan de la importancia de nutrir comunidades y redes de apoyo en Estados Unidos y comparten su trayectoria creando grupos para ayudar y unir a las personas.  Sigan leyendo para aprender más sobre las voces de este episodio y no olviden compartir este episodio con sus familiares y amigos.  Lina Vargas Lina Vargas es originaria de Colombia y trabaja en la Universidad de Emory. Durante su tiempo libre y motivada por sus intereses en la cultura y la latinidad, Lina fundó ComadreandoATL, una comunidad y grupo social para todas las personas latinas en Atlanta.  Aceli Zenil Aceli Zenil vive en Georgia desde hace 26 años y siempre le ha gustado apoyar e involucrarse en su comunidad y en las escuelas de sus hijos. A través de los años ha aprendido mucho y ha ayudado en diferentes organizaciones. En Enero del 2023 se volvió cofundadora de la organizacion Amigos de la Comunidad en Georgia junto a Lorena Castro y Cristina de la Cruz. Amigos de la Comunidad GA se dedica a ayudar a su comunidad brindando recursos, información y también tienen una bodega donde la comunidad que necesite puede buscar ropa y zapatos completamente gratis. Lorena Castro Lorena es originaria de México y ha vivido en Atlanta desde el 2002. Desde el 2018 trabaja con las comunidades del corredor Buford y lo que más aprecia de este trabajo es aprender sobre otras culturas y poder crear espacios para que la gente se conecte. En Enero del 2023 se volvió cofundadora de la organizacion Amigos de la Comunidad en Georgia junto a Cristina de la Cruz y Aceli Zenil. 

We are bringing back one of our former guests on this podcast, Luis Andres Andino! He joined us a few months ago to talk about mental health and machismo, and now he is here to tell us the story of his upbringing on Buford Highway and how his childhood has shaped the work he does today. In this individual story, Luis shares with us what being different vs. feeling left out can look like. He takes us back to his time in school, as he navigated cultural differences in the US, and how people who were comfortable and proud of being Latino helped him heal his feelings of discomfort. Luis works in the youth empowerment and education space with the Latin American Association, and a lot of his work now is informed by his experiences growing up. We have heard it before and you will hear it here again...representation matters!

En este episodio (¡completamente en español!) hablamos con Ludemar Ball-Mora, quien nos comparte cómo se sintió al llegar a Estados Unidos desde Puerto Rico. Durante nuestra charla, Ludemar también habla de los idiomas, incluyendo el idioma Taíno, una lengua indígena de la familia arawak que se habló en las Antillas por la época de la conquista española. Aquí resalta la importancia de honrar y celebrar nuestras raíces indígenas y cómo su experiencia en Atlanta la ha ayudado a aprender sobre otras culturas indígenas en Latinoamerica. También hablamos del acento boricua, de la comida de la isla y de las ranitas coquí. Ludemar Ball-Mora nació y creció en la hermosa isla de Puerto Rico. Un mes antes de cumplir 30 años, se mudó a Massachusetts donde empezó a trabajar en una organización sin ánimo de lucro para familias hispanas. Llegó a Gerogia en 2018 y comenzó a trabajar como Administradora de Casos en Ser Familia en 2021. Ludemar disfruta ayudando y abrazando a la comunidad, especialmente a los latinos.

In this episode we sit down with Angelica, who was one of our guests in last week's group discussion. She describes some of the places in her life that make her feel a sense of belonging. The conversation touches on finding family and building family when you are new to a city or space, and Angelica shares beautiful stories about her young adulthood and what Doraville looked like some years ago. She also gives us her best recommendation for Buford Highway and shares a story about a restaurant on the corridor. Angelica grew up in El Paso, Texas, a border town to Mexico and New Mexico where the mountains serve as a background. Working with the Hispanic community for the last 18 years has been an eye opening as well as challenging and rewarding. She comes from a very close-knit family and has two beautiful daughters who mean the world to her.

In this episode you will hear from Luis Andino, Angelica, Ludemar Ball-Mora and Natalia Garzón Martínez. They all spend some time discussing their definitions of Latinidad and how Atlanta has changed their sense of belonging over the years. Other topics discussed include language (loss and acquisition) for new generations of Latinos, educational gaps for communities, and much needed investments for communities in need. Read below to learn more about the people participating in this conversation and don’t forget to share and rate this podcast! Luis Andino  Since joining the Latin American Association (LAA), the region’s leading agency representing Latino issues in Georgia, Mr. Luis Andino has led youth-focused initiatives meant to foster hope and provide impactful outcomes, while building meaningful connections to empower and inspire the youth and families of Buford Hwy. Today, Mr. Andino humbly serves as the Managing Director of Youth Services for the LAA. His team hosts the Annual Latino Youth Leadership Conference, an event that sees hundreds of Latino students from schools across the state, that aims to bridge the gap between access to higher education opportunities and funding for students in attendance. Angelica Angelica grew up in El Paso, Texas, a border town to Mexico and New Mexico where the mountains serve as a background. Working with the Hispanic community for the last 18 years has been an eye opening as well as challenging and rewarding. I come from a very close-knit family and have two beautiful daughters who mean the world to me. Ludemar Ball-Mora Ludemar Ball-Mora was born and raised on the beautiful island of Puerto Rico. A month before turning 30 years old, she moved to Massachusetts where she started working at a non-profit for Hispanic families. She arrived in Georgia in 2018 and started to work as Case Manager at Ser Familia in 2021. Ludemar enjoys helping and embracing the community, especially the Latinos.

Latino identities exist beyond margaritas, taco Tuesdays, and mariachi bands. With over 21 countries and territories identifying as Latin American or Latino, and over 30 million individuals from these places living outside their country of origin and creating diasporas in many different parts of the world, Latino/Hispanic identities are important and here to stay.  In an effort to highlight these complexities, we created the “Identities and Belonging” series, a collection of group discussions and individual stories from advocates, leaders, community members, and creatives who identify as Latino/Hispanic and live in Georgia.  We hope this series allows you, our listeners, to expand your vision of what identity and belonging can mean for Latinos here in the United States. We hope you can listen to, learn from, and celebrate the incredible people that shared their experiences with us. Join us for weekly episodes every Friday starting September 22nd. Don’t forget to follow us and to be notified when a new episode comes out.  ***this series would not be complete without a special message on terminology. We acknowledge that people choose to use different terms to refer to their identity. Some prefer Hispanic, others prefer Latino, Latinx, or Latin/e. We hold space for all of these terms and respect the people who use them. We will primarily use Latino but may use them interchangeably throughout our content.

In this episode, Van shares her family's immigrant story. She also talks about optimism, and how she connects with people of different backgrounds. The conversation also revolves around the model minority myth, invisibility and hypervisibility and its effects on AAPI organizing, especially post the 3.16 Atlanta Spa shooting. Finally, she touches on how we can build genuine empathy with those around us. Van is a UX researcher by trade, but considers herself to be an active and engaged member of the community at large. She strongly believes in and advocates for being kind to others. Van is committed to making a difference in her community, whether it’s through volunteering, organizing events, or just being there for someone in need, and tries to make the time to show up and support those around her. Through her work as a UX researcher and her involvement in the community, Van has learned the importance of empathy, collaboration, and the willingness to listen to different perspectives. By working together, building connections, and bridging these differences, she truly believes we can create a better world for everyone.

In this episode, Alina Lee talks about growing up in a primarily white neighborhood and the importance that Buford Highway had in her formation of an Asian identity. She also shares more about her journey in finding "home" and how the Asian Law Student Association at Vanderbilt helped her start her journey in community involvement here in Atlanta. *TW: conversations about racial discrimination and sexual abuse are mentioned in this episode. Alina Lee is the Founding Partner of her law firm, Your Ad Attorney, Inc. which provides top-notch transactional legal services to some of America's most beloved companies as well as small businesses in the marketing, tech, retail, and consulting industries. Her law firm provides full flexibility to all employees, who each choose the number of hours a weeks they want to work, days of the week they work, and when they work—all from their home on a fully-remote basis. Alina is active in supporting her communities and has served as: Founding Board Chair of We Love Buford Highway for over 5 years, Founding Member of the Spring Board of Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta (4+ years), Fundraising Cp-Chair for the AAPI Crime Victims & Education Fund, Leadership Team Member of The A Pledge, Board Member of the Georgia Asian Pacific American Bar Association, Board Member of the Korean American Bar Association of Georgia, and Advisory Council Member of WABE (Atlanta's NPR Station).

In this episode, Alnory Gutlay talks about access to health for AAPI communities and the effects of the model minority myth in the public health sector. She raises important questions about accessibility and cultural awareness in the world of health equity, drawing from her own experiences as an organizer and advocate.Alnory Gutlay is a first generation Filipino. She is a community organizer and nonprofit leader with over 10 years of experience serving and advocating for the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities in Metro-Atlanta. Her commitment to address social determinants of community health led to a wide array of working experience and expertise in substance abuse prevention, HIV prevention, and victim services. Her approach to community health is culturally specific, evidence-based, and equitable outcome centered.

In this episode of the limited series AAPI Organizing in the South, five community leaders and organizers talk about organizing during COVID and what support to organizers as community members can look like. The conversation touches on intersectionality and generational divides, identity formation through organizing, and misconceptions about AAPI communities. Finally, they discuss belonging and how it is influenced by mass media and representation of AAPI identities in public spaces.The voices featured in this episode belong to:-Jainey Kim (Community Engagement Specialist for Asian American Advocacy Fund)-Lily Pabian (Executive Director of We Love Buford Highway)-Alina Lee (Founding Partner of her law firm, Your Ad Attorney, Inc)-Alnory Gutlay (Community organizer and nonprofit leader)-Van Galasso (UX researcher, community advocate, artist)

In this episode, Ashley Mack talks about the AAPI organizing communities she is a part of and what it means to be heard at the local and national level. She reflects on what community and home can feel like and shares her experience on being an Asian woman in different spaces throughout her life, including corporate America.Ashley Mack has achieved several career breakthroughs in a short time. Ashley joined Southern Company as a Corporate Accountant in 2012. At the age of 29, she became a manager of people, leading a team of 8 accountants responsible for $1B+ in annual billing revenue among six regulated and deregulated natural gas utilities. In June 2021, she earned the opportunity to lead field operations, making her the first AAPI field operations leader in Atlanta Gas Light’s rich, 165-year history.Ashley is no stranger to the DEI space and promoting the AAPI community. In 2018, Ashley co-founded and served as Chairwoman of Soar, the first Asian ERG at Southern Company Gas. With a mission to recruit, retain and advance AAPI employees across the company and to support the AAPI communities Gas partners with and serves, Ashley was able to gain enterprise recognition for the ERG’s efforts.In 2021, Ashley was appointed Executive Director by the national board of directors. She is theorganization’s second Executive Director and the youngest to serve in this role. She is responsible for leading and executing the strategic plan for the organization as well as creating the culture of the organization with 30 individual chapters, a staff of 12 direct reports, 40+ indirect reports, thousands of active members and 25,000 stakeholders.

In this episode, Bharat Bhatia shares the story of his family's immigrant background, the importance of cultural curiosity and how embracing different identities can build internal power. Bharat also discusses intersectionality and the impact it has had in his life. Bharat is a data analyst with the State of Georgia; he is passionate about fitness and is a 9-time marathon runner. He is a foodie who loves learning about different cultures and is active in the AAPI Organizing scene in Atlanta.

In this episode, Michelle Kang talks to Jainey about her involvement in building relationships and organizing after the 3.16.2021 Atlanta Spa shootings. She also shares more about her work in encouraging Asian American History to be present in education in K-12 schools. During their conversation, Jainey and Michelle delve deeper into what it means to organize, and the effect that words like equity and inclusion can have in the South. Michelle Kang is Secretary-General of Atlanta Korean American Committee Against Asian Hate, established on 3/17/2021 to respond to the 3/16 Atlanta Shootings and prevailing Asian Hate. It was composed of first-generation Korean Americans. She is also President/CEO of AAPI OUTREACH & ENGAGEMENT, to connect government entities, nonprofit organizations, and companies with the AAPI and immigrant communities. Additionally she is the CEO of Act2Change, a nonprofit organization working with nonprofit organizations in coalition (including AAAJ, ProGeorgia, and Georgia Immigrant Rights Alliance) to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion. Michelle is President of Korean American Public Action Committee/Atlanta, a national organization to strengthen Korean Americans’ voting and political power and Executive Director of K-Culture Experience Past, Present, and Future, a nonprofit organization to promote K-culture by putting on periodic performances and events.