When You're Invisible
When You're Invisible
This is my love letter to the working class people and immigrants who shaped me. Too often we focus on stories about people who have achieved positions of influence, wealth, and power. On this podcast, we won’t be doing that. Many of our guests have never been interviewed before. I want to shed light on the experiences of folks who feel invisible. What do everyday people have to say about their li…Social links:
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Rosaena: An Intergenerational Conversation With My Abuela
Rosaena is always dressed to the nines with her hair curled and her signature pink lipstick on. Aging hasn’t changed her desire to look beautiful. I want her to feel her best, but she’s almost 90. Doesn’t she deserve a break from putting on eyeliner to go to the grocery store?! This is one of the q…
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Yajaira: Being Underestimated as a Young Latina Mom
Finding out she was pregnant came as an utter shock to a 16 year old who hadn’t yet realized that her actions had consequences. Letting down her immigrant parents was her biggest fear. She learned at a young age to believe in herself, no matter what. Today as a 26 year old mother to a nine year o…
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Abby: An Indigenous Chicano’s Homecoming
When Abby ended up at Alcatraz Island one cold winter night in his 20s, he had found himself at the epicenter of the Indian Pride Movement. It blew his mind and made him feel that he had come home to a part of himself that had been missing. Abby is an Indigenous Chicano leader who is part of the …
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Danny, Terry & Charles: Fighting for Unions in Coal Country
Too often miners are painted almost as caricatures - as conservative, ignorant, poor, depressed, and selfish. The reality is that miners often go unheard. Coming from families of multi-generational coal miners is a core part of who Danny, Terry, and Charles are. But what they’re most proud of is be…
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Daniel: Being a Double Minority in a Red State
Daniel says being trans is just a small part of his identity. His obsession with Radiohead is a way bigger part of his life—it’s often in the queue during his drive to and from high school. Most high schoolers are probably fixated on their favorite bands. But most 16 year olds haven’t testified in …
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Mr. J: Becoming a Black Male Teacher in Baltimore
Students often ask Mr. J why he’s a teacher. They say he just seems too cool. He used to be one of these students - he went to the high school he teaches at today. Back then, being a teacher seemed like the lamest job in the world to him. But now, he’s a testament to the fact that you can indeed be…
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Kiana: Redefining Life with Chronic Illness
It was during her teenage years that Kiana’s life changed dramatically due to pain. She wanted to be an actor and a singer but her condition put that dream on hold. Instead of attending a prestigious performing arts program, she spent her early 20s confined to her bed. I met Kiana doing theater i…
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Francisco: My Brother’s Path to Community Organizing
In high school, Francisco didn’t fit in with his white, upper middle class, conservative classmates and he didn’t want to. Maybe it was teenage angst, but his identity revolved around being different and rebellious. As he got older, he channeled his punk rock spirit into a fight for social change. …
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Introducing: When You’re Invisible Season 2
Community, resilience, legacy and being underestimated are the themes at the heart of this season. Meet everyday yet extraordinary Americans - from a community organizer in Philly, to a trans teen in Arizona, unionized coal miners in West Virginia, and an artist with chronic illness in Minnesota. T…
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Happy May Day!
UPDATE: We will be back in November! We’re honoring International Workers’ Day with an exciting announcement - season two of When You’re Invisible is coming this July! We’ll be talking about labor, organizing, and community.
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