Ralph – a Marine vet, first generation Dominican American – was the manager of the package center at Columbia University, which is where I went to school for undergrad as a scholarship kid. An unexpected bonding over Spanish led to conversations with him that helped me when I wanted to drop out. He describes his upbringing in Washington Heights as a game of ‘Cops and Robbers’ and then we rehash our early encounters, unpacking the assumptions we made about each other. 

“I think the world would be a better place if we treated each other the way we wanna be treated. If you're going through a hard time, you would want somebody to be empathetic and we should do that back, especially at that place, right? I got that.” –Ralph



Creator & Host: Maria Fernanda Diez 

Executive Producers: Gisselle Bances, Anna Stumpf, Nikki Ettore 

Producer: Pablo Cabrera, Arlene Santana 

Associate Producer: Claudia Marticorena

Original Theme Music: Tony Bruno

Ralph – a Marine vet, first generation Dominican American – was the manager of the package center at Columbia University, which is where I went to school for undergrad as a scholarship kid. An unexpected bonding over Spanish led to conversations with him that helped me when I wanted to drop out. He describes his upbringing in Washington Heights as a game of ‘Cops and Robbers’ and then we rehash our early encounters, unpacking the assumptions we made about each other. 
“I think the world would be a better place if we treated each other the way we wanna be treated. If you're going through a hard time, you would want somebody to be empathetic and we should do that back, especially at that place, right? I got that.” –Ralph
 
Creator &amp; Host: Maria Fernanda Diez 
Executive Producers: Gisselle Bances, Anna Stumpf, Nikki Ettore 
Producer: Pablo Cabrera, Arlene Santana 
Associate Producer: Claudia Marticorena
Original Theme Music: Tony Bruno

WHEN YOU’RE INVISIBLE is my love letter to the working class and people who are othered in society. We in western, especially American, capitalist culture often focus on stories of people who have achieved positions of influence, wealth and power; this podcast won’t be doing that. I want to shed light on the experiences of folks who feel invisible in some way in our world; blue collar workers, people who deal with a physical difference, immigrants, and many more. Each voice you hear is another layer of our national or international community. Each conversation offers insight into a perhaps previously unexplored way of living, allowing us to expand our view into what is possible, what is truly valuable to us, and how that can be the opposite of what we thought. As host of this show, I can relate to my guests’ experiences because I come from a bifurcated background; there are times when I’ve felt invisible; there are other times I’ve felt privileged. I’m passionate about exposing and breaking down barriers between people to make the world a better place. Many of my guests are being interviewed for the first time in their lives and it is an honor to host them. At times, listeners will hear unbelievable, yet true stories. What do everyday people have to say about their lives, their country, the world they grew up in, their hopes and dreams? When a person comes from any sort of privilege (and there are many kinds) there are a number of biases and assumptions we hold. On this show, I’ll unpack some of my own. When You’re Invisible hopes to inspire generous and honest conversations with others who are different from us, conversations that might help us see life in an entirely different way.

WHEN YOU’RE INVISIBLE is my love letter to the working class and people who are othered in society. We in western, especially American, capitalist culture often focus on stories of people who have achieved positions of influence, wealth and power; this podcast won’t be doing that. I want to shed light on the experiences of folks who feel invisible in some way in our world; blue collar workers, people who deal with a physical difference, immigrants, and many more. Each voice you hear is another layer of our national or international community. Each conversation offers insight into a perhaps previously unexplored way of living, allowing us to expand our view into what is possible, what is truly valuable to us, and how that can be the opposite of what we thought. As host of this show, I can relate to my guests’ experiences because I come from a bifurcated background; there are times when I’ve felt invisible; there are other times I’ve felt privileged. I’m passionate about exposing and breaking down barriers between people to make the world a better place. Many of my guests are being interviewed for the first time in their lives and it is an honor to host them. At times, listeners will hear unbelievable, yet true stories. What do everyday people have to say about their lives, their country, the world they grew up in, their hopes and dreams? When a person comes from any sort of privilege (and there are many kinds) there are a number of biases and assumptions we hold. On this show, I’ll unpack some of my own. When You’re Invisible hopes to inspire generous and honest conversations with others who are different from us, conversations that might help us see life in an entirely different way.

When You're Invisible

Ralph: Tales from an Ivy League Mailroom

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/27290442-addf-4f54-ac24-af51014b07d5/transcript

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