Hyphenación

Younger generations of Latinos are openly talking about their strained bilingual journeys, calling themselves either “pocho or pocha” or “no sabo kids,” both of which allude to a lack of Spanish fluency. For many U.S. Latinos, struggling with Spanish begs questions about identity and feeling truly connected to their culture. At the same time, Spanish-dominant Latinos in the U.S. face a different set of challenges with finding belonging as they navigate an English-forward society. Both sides are contending with language barriers, so how do we stand strong in ourselves and our native tongues? This week on Hyphenación, host Xorje Olivares speaks with Spanish-language comedian Angelo Colina and Spanglish podcaster Rachel ‘La Loca’ Strauss to discuss the pride and struggle of living between languages. Read a transcript of this episode here. Guests: Rachel ‘La Loca’ Strauss (Instagram, Website, Latinos Out Loud Podcast) Angelo Colina (Instagram, Tiktok, Tickets to see Angelo live) Want to give us feedback on the series or have an idea to share? Shoot us an email at hyp@kqed.org Credits: Hyphenación is a KQED Studios production. It’s produced by Ana De Almeida Amaral, Alex Tran, and Xorje Olivares. Chris Hambrick is our editor. Mixing and mastering by Christopher Beale. Jen Chien is executive producer, and KQED’s director of podcasts.  Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. San Francisco Northern California Local. The Hyphenación team is supported by our audience engagement producer Maha Sanad; podcast operations intern Alana Walker; podcast operations manager Katie Sprenger; video operations manager Vivian Morales; and our Chief Content Officer Holly Kernan. Special thanks to Chris Egusa, Martina Castro, Paulina Velasco and Megan Tan for their development support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The U.S.-Mexico border has been a central issue in recent decades of American politics. The southern borderlands are often depicted in media and by politicians as a dangerous ground zero for crime and violence. But is this an accurate image of the place thousands of Americans call home? This week on Hyphenación, Host Xorje Olivares gathers with two other fronterizas, artist natalia ventura and filmmaker Robie Flores, who were also born and bred along the border. Together they ask, “Is the border we see on TV, real life?” Read a transcript of this episode here. Guests: natalia ventura (Art work, Instagram, Friendship Park) Robie Flores (Ambiente Films, Watch The In-Between on PBS, Instagram) Want to give us feedback on the series or have an idea to share? Shoot us an email at hyp@kqed.org Credits: Hyphenación is a KQED Studios production. It’s produced by Ana De Almeida Amaral, Alex Tran, and Xorje Olivares. Chris Hambrick is our editor. Mixing and mastering by Christopher Beale. Jen Chien is executive producer, and KQED’s director of podcasts.  Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. San Francisco Northern California Local. The Hyphenación team is supported by our audience engagement producer Maha Sanad; podcast operations intern Alana Walker; podcast operations manager Katie Sprenger; video operations manager Vivian Morales; and our Chief Content Officer Holly Kernan. Special thanks to Chris Egusa, Martina Castro, Paulina Velasco and Megan Tan for their development support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Immigrants to the U.S. have all heard about the American Dream-- that in this land of opportunity, anyone can make it regardless of class. People come from all over the world to chase this dream, but it seems like the land of opportunity is not providing many of them anymore. This week on Hyphenación, Host Xorje Olivares speaks with journalist and author Paola Ramos (Defectors) and fellow journalist Brian De Los Santos to explore the questions  “What do Latinos actually want from this country? Can it give it to us?” Read the transcript of this episode here. Guests: Paola Ramos (Instagram, Buy Defectors⁠) Brian De Los Santos (Instagram) Want to give us feedback on the series or have an idea to share? Shoot us an email at hyp@kqed.org Credits: Hyphenación is a KQED Studios production. It’s produced by Ana De Almeida Amaral, Alex Tran, and Xorje Olivares. Chris Hambrick is our editor. Mixing and mastering by Christopher Beale. Jen Chien is executive producer, and KQED’s director of podcasts. Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. San Francisco Northern California Local. The Hyphenación team is supported by our audience engagement producer Maha Sanad; podcast operations intern Alana Walker; podcast operations manager Katie Sprenger; video operations manager Vivian Morales; and our Chief Content Officer Holly Kernan. Special thanks to Chris Egusa, Martina Castro, Paulina Velasco and Megan Tan for their development support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While the world anticipates the changes that a new pope will bring in the Catholic church, fewer Latinos in the U.S. actually identify with Catholicism today. This week on Hyphenación, Host Xorje Olivares discusses the question, “Is God still relevant to us?” with guests Hoja Lopez and Luis Galilei. Read the transcript of this episode here. Guests: Hoja Lopez (Instagram, website) Luis Galilei (Instagram) Want to give us feedback on the series or have an idea to share? Shoot us an email at hyp@kqed.org Credits: Hyphenación is a KQED Studios production. It’s produced by Ana De Almeida Amaral, Alex Tran, and Xorje Olivares. Chris Hambrick is our editor. Mixing and mastering by Christopher Beale. Jen Chien is executive producer, and KQED’s director of podcasts.  Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. San Francisco Northern California Local. The Hyphenación team is supported by our audience engagement producer Maha Sanad; podcast operations intern Alana Walker; podcast operations manager Katie Sprenger; video operations manager Vivian Morales; and our Chief Content Officer Holly Kernan. Special thanks to Chris Egusa, Martina Castro, Paulina Velasco and Megan Tan for their development support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Xorje Olivares has never been one for sharing, especially when it comes to a lover. This week on Hyphenación, Xorje speaks with Fernanda Fabian and Manuel Betancourt–  two seasoned practitioners of non-monogamy–  to talk about following desires, breaking free from monogamy, and discussing their relationships with their Latino parents. Read the transcript of this episode here. Guests: Fernanda Fabian (Polycurious Podcast, Website, Instagram, Tiktok, Patreon) Manuel Betancourt (Hello Stranger, Instagram, Website) Want to give us feedback on the series or have an idea to share? Shoot us an email at hyp@kqed.org Credits: Hyphenación is a KQED Studios production. It’s produced by Ana De Almeida Amaral, Alex Tran, and Xorje Olivares. Chris Hambrick is our editor. Mixing and mastering by Christopher Beale. Jen Chien is executive producer, and KQED’s director of podcasts.  Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. San Francisco Northern California Local. The Hyphenación team is supported by our audience engagement producer Maha Sanad; podcast operations intern Alana Walker; podcast operations manager Katie Sprenger; video operations manager Vivian Morales; and our Chief Content Officer Holly Kernan. Special thanks to Chris Egusa, Martina Castro, Paulina Velasco and Megan Tan for their development support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Documentation in the U.S. divides the Latino community between those whose existence in this country is permitted and those who are criminalized for their very presence. This line of legality has been drawn deeper and has changed quickly during the second Trump administration. In the face of this uncertainty, Host Xorje Olivares speaks with authors Karla Cornejo Villavicencio (The Undocumented Americans) and Javier Zamora (Solito) to ask “What does citizenship mean, today?” Guests: Karla Cornejo Villavicencio (Instagram, The Undocumented Americans) Javier Zamora (Instagram, Solito) Want to give us feedback on the series or have an idea to share? Shoot us an email at hyp@kqed.org Credits: Hyphenación is a KQED Studios production. It’s produced by Ana De Almeida Amaral, Alex Tran, and Xorje Olivares. Chris Hambrick is our editor. Mixing and mastering by Christopher Beale. Jen Chien is executive producer, and KQED’s director of podcasts.  Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. San Francisco Northern California Local. The Hyphenación team is supported by our audience engagement producer Maha Sanad; podcast operations intern Alana Walker; podcast operations manager Katie Sprenger; video operations manager Vivian Morales; and our Chief Content Officer Holly Kernan. Special thanks to Chris Egusa, Martina Castro, Paulina Velasco and Megan Tan for their development support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Latino culture, it’s often expected that we someday become caregivers for our parents or other family members. Anyone who has taken on this role can tell you that it's hard and demands some big sacrifices. This week on Hyphenación, host Xorje Olivares gets together with Poet Yosimar Reyes and Professor Anita Tijerina Revilla to talk about the struggle of sacrificing to be a caregiver while trying not to lose yourself in the needs of others. Read the transcript of this episode here.  Guests: Yosimar Reyes (Instagram/ poetry) Anita Tijerina Revilla (Instagram) Want to give us feedback on the series or have an idea to share? Shoot us an email at hyp@kqed.org Credits: Hyphenación is a KQED Studios production. It’s produced by Ana De Almeida Amaral, Alex Tran, and Xorje Olivares. Chris Hambrick is our editor. Mixing and mastering by Jim Bennett and Christopher Beale. Jen Chien is executive producer, and KQED’s director of podcasts.  Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. San Francisco Northern California Local. The Hyphenación team is supported by our audience engagement producer Maha Sanad; podcast operations manager Katie Sprenger; video operations manager Vivian Morales; and our Chief Content Officer Holly Kernan. Special thanks to Chris Egusa, Martina Castro, Paulina Velasco and Megan Tan for their development support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s been much debate amongst Latinos about the proper term to use when addressing the community-at-large. Who exactly is included in the word Latino? Who is left out of their own demographic based on appearances or perceptions? This week on Hyphenación, host Xorje Olivares gets together with Maria Burgos and Ian Paget, two Latinos who feel like their belonging in this group is often questioned because of the way they look.  Read the transcript of this episode here. Guests: Ian Paget (TikTok/ Instagram/ Tres Leches Podcast) Maria Burgos (Instagram) Want to give us feedback on the series or have an idea to share? Shoot us an email at hyp@kqed.org Credits: Hyphenación is a KQED Studios production. It’s produced by Ana De Almeida Amaral, Alex Tran, and Xorje Olivares. Chris Hambrick is our editor. Mixing and mastering by Christopher Beale. Jen Chien is executive producer, and KQED’s director of podcasts.  Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. San Francisco Northern California Local. Special thanks to Maha Sanad and Alana Walker for their audience engagement support; to podcast operations manager Katie Sprenger; video operations manager Vivian Morales; and our Chief Content Officer Holly Kernan. Thanks to Chris Egusa, Martina Castro, Paulina Velasco and Megan Tan for their development support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hyphenación debuts April 15! Join host Xorje Andrés Olivares and guests to explore what it means to live within a hyphenation. Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to have easy conversations about hard things: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. Hyphenación—where conversation and cultura meet! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Does it deaden your sex life to participate in a sex study? That’s just one of the questions host Kelly Corrigan tosses out to best-selling author Mary Roach in a quest to find out whether it’s really better to know more about everything. No topic is off limits as Roach and Corrigan roam through sex and death, oysters and martinis, and meeting the “Other” with an open heart. Along the way, they discover just a few of the ways human life can have meaning. Mary Roach is an award-winning science writer who has produced nothing but bestsellers since she hit the scene with “Stiff” in 2003.

The greatest human kindness amid the worst human atrocities—that’s what Kristof says he’s witnessed in more than three decades as a reporter around the globe. Kristof could have every reason to be cynical, but he believes in the value of every act of compassion, no matter how small. Probing the nature of hope with host Kelly Corrigan, Kristof offers a grounded, rationale view of the vast realm of human potential.

A skeptical outlook on everything fosters an honest recalibration of how things really are versus how people think they are, says the author and actor from The Office, and that creates comedy. Novak and host Kelly Corrigan dish on Hollywood and dig into how dark comedy can bring people face-to-face with an ugly truth. His response speaks to the close ties between what makes us laugh, what makes us cringe and what makes us weep. The surprise comes in Novak’s insight into the visceral nature of comedic truth. Novak is a comedian, actor and writer known for his work in “The Office,” where he was also an executive producer, and in films like “Inglorious Basterds” and “Saving Mr. Banks.” His book of short stories, “One More Thing,” was published by Knopf last year.

How do we forgive the people we don’t like? Writer Anne Lamott doesn’t pretend she knows the answer to one of the toughest questions humanity faces, but, then, it turns out she kind of does. Lamott and host Kelly Corrigan drop wisdom as they trade stories about compassion, empathy, growing older and doing love. Through it all spill the honesty, hilarity and transparent self-awareness that have made both women best-selling authors.

Innovation is not a solo act, says the founder of the Aspen Institute and biographer of Steve Jobs and Albert Einstein. Isaacson confesses that even many biographers participate in the mythology of the lone inventor, struck by a bolt of lightning. But that’s not how it really is, he tells host Kelly Corrigan, as they range over everything from how Ada Lovelace prefigured the personal computer to how to cultivate our imagination.

Optimistic, pragmatic and multi-talented, actor and screenwriter Jason Segel is convinced that every person has moments of magic, when possibilities from the future nudge our hearts. Segel and host Kelly Corrigan talk about choosing to stick to something when you aren’t very good at it. For anyone who imagines taking flight, Segel is air under your wings.

Funny and insightful, the iconic novelist muses on visions of learning, work and women’s lives a century from now, and tells tales of growing up in the wilderness of Canada where there was literally, she says, nothing there. Atwood and host Kelly Corrigan trade stories on what no one tells new mothers, and try to figure out what bioengineering means for humanity. Few people writing today have Margaret Atwood’s depth of perspective and devilish sense of humor. She’s written 53 books in about as many years, which means she has thought through just about everything. From first to last, Atwood’s directness and humanity leave you with a sense of peering into a future both dark and hopeful.

If you thought you were the only person with a demonic inner critic, musician Matt Nathanson is here to assure you that, not only do we all face down the naysayer, there may even be a role for pessimism. Host Kelly Corrigan and Nathanson trade stories about what keeps them chipping away at making art, and offer up a survival manual for arguing with a spouse. Hint: it involves a 5-year-old.

Creativity requires a space where nothing much is happening, says the iconic British comedian. Cleese offers his recipe for getting out of ruts, defines humor, and serves up some ingeniously bad behavior, leaving host Kelly Corrigan both dumbfounded and delighted. And the moment when Corrigan thought, “Exactly” is reassuring to all of us.