Connecticut has a higher percentage of Puerto Rican residents than any other state. That’s according to 2020 U.S. Census data. But Puerto Rican residents still make up less than 10% of the state’s population.

So how do Puerto Rican people in Connecticut find community?

This hour, we’re talking about community and belonging.

We'll talk to CT Public's Puerto Rican Communities Reporter. And we'll hear from a sociologist who says Asian Americans can build political power by intentionally not assimilating into the predominant U.S. culture.

GUESTS:


Rachel Iacovone: Puerto Rican Communities Reporter for Connecticut Public Radio.


Bianca Mabute-Louie: Sociologist and author of Unassimilable: An Asian Diasporic Manifesto for the 21st Century.

Connecticut has a higher percentage of Puerto Rican residents than any other state. <a href="https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/detailed-race-ethnicities-2020-census.html">That&rsquo;s according to 2020 U.S. Census data</a>. But Puerto Rican residents still make up less than 10% of the state&rsquo;s population.
So how do Puerto Rican people in Connecticut find community?
This hour, we&rsquo;re talking about community and belonging.
We'll talk to CT Public's Puerto Rican Communities Reporter. And we'll hear from a sociologist who says Asian Americans can build political power by intentionally not assimilating into the predominant U.S. culture.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/people/rachel-iacovone">Rachel Iacovone</a>: Puerto Rican Communities Reporter for Connecticut Public Radio.
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://biancaml.com/">Bianca Mabute-Louie</a>: Sociologist and author of Unassimilable: An Asian Diasporic Manifesto for the 21st Century.
</li>
</ul>

Disrupted is about the changes we all encounter and the forces driving those changes. Some disruptions spark joy and possibility. Others move us to take action and re-evaluate our world. But the show isn't just about those disruptions; it’s about embracing them, exploring new perspectives, and feeling more connected to ourselves and our communities. Host and political scientist Khalilah Brown-Dean creates a place where changemakers come together to help us see the world differently and challenge us to grow together.

Visit ctpublic.org/disrupted for more! 

Disrupted is about the changes we all encounter and the forces driving those changes. Some disruptions spark joy and possibility. Others move us to take action and re-evaluate our world. But the show isn't just about those disruptions; it’s about embracing them, exploring new perspectives, and feeling more connected to ourselves and our communities. Host and political scientist Khalilah Brown-Dean creates a place where changemakers come together to help us see the world differently and challenge us to grow together.
Visit <a href="https://www.ctpublic.org/show/disrupted">ctpublic.org/disrupted</a> for more!

Disrupted

The complexities of belonging and not belonging in U.S. culture

“History repeats itself,” the saying goes. Or, as another saying goes, “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” There’s also “History doesn’t repeat itself but it often rhymes.”

Together these sayings suggest the value of history in our culture and our belief that it can help us understand the present.

This hour, we’re talking about history and our current political moment. This episode is the second featuring a live event with Pulitzer Prize-winning historians Jon Meacham and Jill Lepore. If you missed the first episode, don't worry— this discussion will stand on its own.

The event was the final discussion of The Connecticut Forum’s 34th season.

GUESTS:


Jill Lepore: the David Woods Kemper ’41 Professor of American History at Harvard University and Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. She is also a staff writer at The New Yorker and bestselling author. Her books include These Truths: A History of the United States and We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution.


Jon Meacham: Distinguished Visiting Professor at Vanderbilt University. His bestselling books include And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle and the Pulitzer prize-winning American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House.

&ldquo;History repeats itself,&rdquo; the saying goes. Or, as another saying goes, &ldquo;those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.&rdquo; There&rsquo;s also &ldquo;History doesn&rsquo;t repeat itself but it often rhymes.&rdquo;
Together these sayings suggest the value of history in our culture and our belief that it can help us understand the present.
This hour, we&rsquo;re talking about history and our current political moment. This episode is the second featuring a live event with Pulitzer Prize-winning historians Jon Meacham and Jill Lepore. If you missed the first episode, don't worry&mdash; this discussion will stand on its own.
The event was the final discussion of <a href="https://www.ctforum.org/">The Connecticut Forum</a>&rsquo;s 34th season.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li>
Jill Lepore: the David Woods Kemper &rsquo;41 Professor of American History at Harvard University and Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. She is also a staff writer at <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/jill-lepore">The New Yorker</a> and bestselling author. Her books include <a href="https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324130765">These Truths: A History of the United States</a> and <a href="https://wwnorton.com/books/9781631496080">We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution</a>.
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://jonmeacham.com/">Jon Meacham</a>: Distinguished Visiting Professor at Vanderbilt University. His bestselling books include <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/241155/and-there-was-light-by-jon-meacham/">And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle</a> and the Pulitzer prize-winning <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/112695/american-lion-by-jon-meacham/">American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House</a>.
</li>
</ul>

Pulitzer Prize-winning historians Jill Lepore and Jon Meacham on Lessons from History (Part II)

At the start of May, Khalilah sat down for a conversation with historians Jill Lepore and Jon Meacham.

The conversation was titled “Lessons from History,” and it came at a time when a lot was going on in U.S. politics. In just the past week there had been gunshots fired outside the ballroom where the White House Correspondents' Dinner was being held, a Supreme Court ruling that impacted the Voting Rights Act and developments that continued to shape the Iran war. It also came at a notable time for Jill Lepore: just three days after the conversation, she was announced as this year's winner of the Pulitzer Prize in History. Jon Meacham also won a Pulitzer Prize back in 2009.

The event was the final discussion of The Connecticut Forum’s 34th season.

We enjoyed hearing from these award-winning historians so much that we decided to extend the conversation to two episodes. If you like what you hear today, you can hear more next week.

GUESTS:


Jill Lepore: the David Woods Kemper ’41 Professor of American History at Harvard University and Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. She is also a staff writer at The New Yorker and bestselling author. Her books include These Truths: A History of the United States and We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution.


Jon Meacham: Distinguished Visiting Professor at Vanderbilt University. His bestselling books include And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle and the Pulitzer prize-winning American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House.

Disrupted is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, TuneIn, Listen Notes, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.

At the start of May, Khalilah sat down for a conversation with historians Jill Lepore and Jon Meacham.
The conversation was titled &ldquo;Lessons from History,&rdquo; and it came at a time when a lot was going on in U.S. politics. In just the past week there had been gunshots fired outside the ballroom where the White House Correspondents' Dinner was being held, a Supreme Court ruling that impacted the Voting Rights Act and developments that continued to shape the Iran war. It also came at a notable time for Jill Lepore: just three days after the conversation, she was announced as this year's winner of the Pulitzer Prize in History. Jon Meacham also won a Pulitzer Prize back in 2009.
The event was the final discussion of <a href="https://www.ctforum.org/">The Connecticut Forum</a>&rsquo;s 34th season.
We enjoyed hearing from these award-winning historians so much that we decided to extend the conversation to two episodes. If you like what you hear today, you can hear more next week.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li>
Jill Lepore: the David Woods Kemper &rsquo;41 Professor of American History at Harvard University and Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. She is also a staff writer at <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/contributors/jill-lepore">The New Yorker</a> and bestselling author. Her books include <a href="https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324130765">These Truths: A History of the United States</a> and <a href="https://wwnorton.com/books/9781631496080">We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution</a>.
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://jonmeacham.com/">Jon Meacham</a>: Distinguished Visiting Professor at Vanderbilt University. His bestselling books include <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/241155/and-there-was-light-by-jon-meacham/">And There Was Light: Abraham Lincoln and the American Struggle</a> and the Pulitzer prize-winning <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/112695/american-lion-by-jon-meacham/">American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House</a>.
</li>
</ul>
Disrupted&nbsp;is available as a podcast on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/disrupted/id1534163465">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/f8967bbf-ebf9-4abe-a31f-9363adaa2383/disrupted">Amazon Music</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/0zWn3s3Wpj3CRbYg6WnHDc">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://tunein.com/podcasts/News--Politics-Podcasts/Disrupted-p1371247/">TuneIn</a>, <a href="https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/disrupted-connecticut-public-radio-Mcm2UfSKxuq/">Listen Notes</a>, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode.

Pulitzer Prize-winning historians Jill Lepore and Jon Meacham on Lessons from History (Part I)

Many people remember #MeToo from when it went viral in 2017. And before the hashtag, there was the Me Too movement, started by activist Tarana Burke 20 years ago as a way to support survivors of sexual violence, especially Black women and girls.

This hour, we’re reflecting on what has changed since the height of the Me Too movement. We'll discuss everything from policy to social media.

GUESTS:


Nicole Bedera: Sociologist who studies sexual violence and author of On the Wrong Side: How Universities Protect Perpetrators and Betray Survivors of Sexual Violence.


Kat Tenbarge: Award-winning independent journalist who covers internet culture, politics and sexual violence and co-founder of Spitfire News.

This episode originally aired on January 9, 2026.

Many people remember #MeToo from when it went viral in 2017. And before the hashtag, there was the Me Too movement, started by activist Tarana Burke 20 years ago as a way to support survivors of sexual violence, especially Black women and girls.
This hour, we&rsquo;re reflecting on what has changed since the height of the Me Too movement. We'll discuss everything from policy to social media.
GUESTS:
<ul>
<li>
<a href="https://www.nicolebedera.com/">Nicole Bedera</a>: Sociologist who studies sexual violence and author of <a href="https://www.nicolebedera.com/about-1">On the Wrong Side: How Universities Protect Perpetrators and Betray Survivors of Sexual Violence</a>.
</li>
<li>
<a href="https://spitfirenews.com/c/about">Kat Tenbarge</a>: Award-winning independent journalist who covers internet culture, politics and sexual violence and co-founder of <a href="https://spitfirenews.com/">Spitfire News</a>.
</li>
</ul>
This episode originally aired on January 9, 2026.

The complexities of belonging and not belonging in U.S. culture

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