Hella Chingona Podcast: Recent Episodes
Rosanna Alvarez
Join Rosanna Alvarez in conversation with guest Elodia Esperanza Benitez as we talk about Elodia's journey as a fierce mujer and writer of flowers and fire, all while navigating a landscape that is often hostile to those she loves most - her gente (family and community). We also talk about what it is to tell our stories with grace, beyond vulnerability, as we write from a space of sincerity.
With faith and grace, flowers and fire, poetically --of course!
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In this Wiri, Wiri Wednesday (tm) episode, Rosanna Alvarez is joined by guest Dulce Aguilera as they talk about life, community, heart, and red lipstick resistance. The conversation brings up so much by way of heart, health, community, hood cariño, and Chingona legacy.Dulce is rooted in the East Side of San Jose. She is an Adult Probation Community Worker committed to changing the narratives and lives of Justice Involved Families, while giving them the tools to thrive. In this episode, she also drops some knowledge on Santa Clara County's Re-entry Center. Hear more from this sCHOLAr Chingona, breaking generational traumas, grounded in community and heart --all while rocking those red lips!
Marked "explicit" because of grown folk language: Y'all know no words are bad words; it's how we use 'em, and here, they are used with cariño and for emphasis.
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In this Wiri, Wiri Wednesday (tm) episode, Rosanna Alvarez of the Hella Chingona Podcast is joined by podcast guest Brenda Vaca, Author & Founder of Riot of Roses Publishing House. They talk about storytelling journeys and the upcoming release of Brenda's debut children's book Buttons Finds His Mojo. They also center the importance of supporting and investing in BIPOC and Latinx storytellers and how critical we are in hyping each other up in our nonlinear mojo journeys.
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In this solita, solita episode, Rosanna Alvarez reflects on the struggles that come with the business of busy-ness. She gets real about the sometimes necessary contradictions in our quest for balance, while calling out the unrealistic expectations we set when we take a one-phrase-fits-all approach. She reminds us to reflect and recalibrate as a regular practice in our lives, meeting ourselves with compassion and grace on this journey. We might even feel like being relentlessly busy isn't always a choice, and still, we can always choose to extend ourselves grace and compassion over guilt or shame.
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Have you ever felt welcomed and out of place at the same time? In this week's solita, solita episode, Rosanna Alvarez reflects on that very dynamic as she unpacks her recent experience in being recognized as an awardee for her work in historical preservation as carried out in her writing, publishing, teaching, and performing. Beyond anxiety, imposter syndrome, and opportunity, she tackles the historical trauma of our misaligned interactions with each other in spaces of cultural difference while challenging mainstream ideas on purpose with purpose. She also talks about the conscientious choices we make in how we show up and the variety of ways that we choose to activate along the lines of making a statement in our words, actions, and even in our attire. Lastly, she reflects on those "happy little accidents" that turn out to be grounding affirmations toward reminding us who we are.Also, lesson learned! Never record a podcast segment after a full day of grading and a hefty workout!
Per usual, "strong" language is used throughout.
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In this solita, solita episode, Rosanna Alvarez reflects on the dysfunctional expectation of compromise. She explores the collective salve of enabling our abundant creativity and comments on the power of this beautiful messy journey beyond narratives of aspiration and becoming. Lets reclaim our lives y'all, and lets ground it in the power of our creative flow!
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In this episode, we get reacquainted with each other, affirm the simplicity of our stories, and remind ourselves of the power of challenging the mainstream gaze. From Hella Chingona to Hella Chingada and back, we reclaim ourselves and our stories as valid, valuable, heart-centered, community-driven fuerza.
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In this episode Rosanna Alvarez reflects on the dynamics of unwelcomeness of opportunistically welcoming spaces. She offers some affirmations and reminds us of the importance of community, accountability, and survival. Her reflections on the anonymous adage of "If you're not at the table, you're on the menu," also offer some raw and necessary points of reflection on the tensions involved in navigating voice, power, and presence within the context of silencing, tone-policing, and respectability politics.
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In this solita solita episode, Rosanna Alvarez reflects on recent conversations surrounding the function of media and ponders the habitual reflex of "shoulds" that often feel like imposition rooted in dysfunctional good intentions. The episode ends on an invitation to contribute to the conversation toward how we can do better as we show up authentically embracing our imperfections while we imagine what could be as a space of possibility grounded in collective action and reciprocity.
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
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In this Flashback Friday episode, we tap into the unreleased archive where we are joined by Claudia Fabian who shares so many gems about her journey toward embracing all of the bits that have shaped her fully --blissfully, authentically, unapologetically, fabulously.
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In this episode, the podcast re-emerges with the first episode of season 2(-ish!). Following a necessary recalibration, Rosanna Alvarez offers some reflections on purpose, intent, and community, while addressing inadvertent censorship with the flipside of reclamation and affirmation. This journey is a dance --sometimes circular but always in Chingona flow.
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In this solita, solita episode, Rosanna Alvarez reflects on the standards we engage with and take for granted as ideas about acceptability. She invites us to think about how we show up with our whole selves as buffers, extensions, and sometimes challengers of those poblematic standards for the benefit of our collective humanity.
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In this episode, host and creator Rosanna Alvarez circles back to imposter syndrome to address the dynamics of complicity among friends and colleagues.
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In this solita, solita episode, Rosanna Alvarez reflects on her struggles with self-silencing. She touches on several areas of vulnerability that include family and unresolved traumas as she recommits to her platform and voice. The segment is a heartfelt offering toward remaining firm in her commitment to our collective abilities to thrive.
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In this solita, solita episode, Rosanna Alvarez reflects on her frustrations with how rampant "imposter syndrome" has become as a fuel for self doubt. She calls out the dynamics involved in devaluing the work of women of color and declares imposter syndrome a misnomer that deflects from the true accountability of the hostile exclusion of our knowledge, experience, and expertise. She ends this episode by reminding us that what pulls us through is our community and the collective naming of the actual issues that lead us to absorb an expectation of accountability that is not ours to hold.
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/hellachingona/support
An inter-generational platica offering Chicana perspectives on women’s suffrage acknowledging la lucha as it relates to our personal histories in Santa Clara Valley, the political landscape through the times, and the urgency of our present moment. Get your remedios ready and sip your tea as you listen to Blanca Alvarado, Laura Castro, Elisa Marina Alvarado, Dulce Aguilera, and Christina Morales Guzman in a beautiful conversation about activism, community, and their legacy of corazón. Moderated by yours truly, Rosanna Alvarez. Hosted by La Raza Historical Society of Santa Clara Valley in collaboration with the Chicana and Chicano Studies Department of San Jose State University, Marisa Gaska, Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley, and San Jose Woman's Club with funding from the Santa Clara County Office of Women's Policy, Division of Equity and Social Justice.
Speaker biographies available at hellachingona.com.
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/hellachingona/support
In this Solita, Solita Episode, founder and host Rosanna Alvarez addresses the struggle inherent in social media challenges. As she acknowledges her own fumblings, she offers some perspective from a compassionate space of shared responsibility. She discusses how shame is a dysfunctional reflex that derails us from longterm accountability and that also serves to silence women's voices. Her candid reflection reminds us to be compassionate with ourselves as a step toward addressing the issues beyond a complex complicit space of self-silencing.
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/hellachingona/support
In this Wiri Wiri Wednesday episode, we sit down with Gabriela Chavez-Lopez to talk about her journey of stepping fully into her leadership. She traces her roots back through twelve generations and talks about the alluring spirit of generosity that fuels her work. In the midst of her story, there's a relatable thread of heart and fortitude that reminds us that our charm, drive, and determination are often part of a larger reciprocal fabric of comadrazgo and leadership in action. Like an abundant harvest, the more we tend to this work, the better able we are to sustain our communities and each other.
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/hellachingona/support
In this solita, solita episode Rosanna Alvarez shares a glimpse into her journey toward reminding herself that an invitation is never an obligation. She first came up with this phrase in her written reflections while thinking about how compelled she felt to over-explain her respectful declines with something more than a simple "no." She acknowledges the complexities of how we absorb the idea that we owe people our time and that we are always obligated to show up, along with how overwhelming that can be. She also talks about how many of us carry a guilt reflex toward that end and reminds us that we are completely in our right with the least amount of mitote when we have to or want to say no --even when it is in response to exciting invitations to collaborate, conspire, or connect.
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/hellachingona/support
In this solita solita episode, Rosanna Alvarez talks about how she navigates imposter syndrome while acknowledging the limitations of one-size-fits all approaches. She reminds us of how our personal stories can help us anchor ourselves in our why in order to encourage us to take action, speak, or show up even on the days where imposter syndrome hits hard.
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/hellachingona/support
In this solita, solita episode Rosanna Alvarez reflects on her multifacetedness. She talks about how embracing that part of her humanity is essential in the process of staying whole and sane during uncertain times. Her reflection is anchored in how she faces criticism as being a "jack of all trades and a master of none," while calling out how misleading misquoted lopsided views can be when they lack context. She acknowledges how these misrepresentations can be potentially stifling and shares some perspectives on holding fast to her own authenticity in ways that have served her well.
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/hellachingona/support
In this episode, we feature local Gilroy poet Elodia Esperanza Benitez who is a dedicated member of her community and an outspoken advocate for immigration and women's rights. She writes poetry, short stories, and has covered various cultural events for local South County media. We talk about her family history, her Gilroy legacy, and the scars of processing the trauma of systemic racism. Elodia closes her interview segment with floricanto, sharing her poetry as her legacy, reminding us that resilience in action is found in the tenderness of our everyday.
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/hellachingona/support
In this solita, solita segment, we acknowledge the ongoing fatigue that calls on so many parts of us to show up. And still, in navigating that fatigue, we realize that it's so much more mutifaceted than what we've come to identify as racial battle fatigue. The episode also touches on the need for rest and humility in our activism in order to maintain our collective momentum. Beyond simplified rhetorics of activism, our actions are what ultimately speaks.
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/hellachingona/support
In this episode, we talk with guest Tamara Mozahuani Alvarado about her journey of walking her talk in the fullness of her authenticity with flaws and all. She talks about family, cultura, and pushing on the boundaries of professionalism in order to advocate for more equitable representation in all spaces. She also talks about her experiences as a college student as formative in how she models leadership for others when showing up with community; the ripple effects of our collective journeys and being open with our vulnerability; and of how being relentless is a responsibility of showing up with a willingness toward diplomacy while speaking out against injustice.
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/hellachingona/support
Some things need to be said because they need to be heard. Trust, that it's all said from a place of love for our collective community. After a compassionate hiatus spent sewing hella masks, this episode tackles some of the triggering issues we are collectively experiencing. Boundaries, traumas, how our stories weave into each other's lives with ongoing ripple effects, permissions to hold space for ourselves while navigating imposed identities are all themes peppered into this week's platica. The episode also tackles collective validations to helps us stay sane while navigating the judgments and gaslighting from folks who are coping with the global pandemic by directing their angst at those of us choosing the road of caution.
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/hellachingona/support
In this episode, we interview guest Anna Elizabeth Reynoso, Latina social entrepreneur and Sassy Genius creator of The Elements of Sass. She talks about her journey of owning her expertise and of how offering up tips on beauty, finance, and crafting helps her prioritize self care while activating the refranes and dichos of wisdom passed on to her by her family.
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/hellachingona/support
In this episode, we acknowledge where we've been in the midst of a global pandemic. We also acknowledge the essentials of grief and laughter as we cope and recalibrate while sheltering in place.
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/hellachingona/support
In this episode, Rosanna Alvarez talks about self-care, healthcare, health scares, and past there's. We navigate the tricky spaces gaslighting our own wellness and touch on layers of permissions for prioritizing our health. Themes that come up in this Wiri Wiri Wednesday Self Talk include self-silencing, permissions, health access, and community wellness.
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/hellachingona/support
In this episode, we interview our first guest, Ana Lilia Soto who talks about family, integrity and heart as she reflects on her journey of planting seeds alongside community. We weaved in some dichos, some code-switching, some laughs, and some tears as she talked about the power of walking your talk.
Ana Lilia Soto is a community and mental health professional dedicated to community voice, agency and youth development. She is the co-founder of the Andariega Collective, an organization focused on developing culturally relevant models that elevate youth, identity, and resiliency. Over the last two decades, she has built youth organizing models from the ground up and developed cultural rites of passage programming for youth of all backgrounds. Her work centers on a philosophy grounded in culture, identity, and acknowledgment. She is committed to serving as a mirror in her bicultural/bilingual experience. Her heart guides her work as she represents her communities with a tremendous sense of integrity in everything she does.
*While our existence in many ways is coded as "explicit," this podcast segment does include some colorful language.
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/hellachingona/support
In this episode I talk a little bit more in depth about my motivations for creating and hosting the Hella Chingona Podcast. I also cover why the naming of the podcast is intentional and why that matters. Listeners will also get a quick description of what to expect from future episodes.
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/hellachingona/support
In this episode, we introduce the podcast along with its motivations, aspirations, and inspirations: to create a space where chingonas thrive.
This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/hellachingona/support