Episode No. 10

Falling Into Feminism with photographer + videographer, Erin Rivera

Erin Rivera started her career in digital marketing, and from there she created the yellow brick road of her creative journey. As co-founder of visual story-telling agency Hunter & Fox, she has been able to work with such brands as: Nasty Gal, Stoli Vodka, and Darling Magazine. Her daily life revolves around producing creative content, video editing, illustrating, and spoiling her English Bulldog Ozzy. As Hunter & Fox grows, Erin is looking forward to working with more brands and creatives to keep telling innovative stories with her partner/boyfriend Frankie Pimentel.

Brown Girls Rising is a partnership with Nylon Espanol to elevate the conversation of feminist action, leadership, community involvement, and culture.

"I’m going to speak up through my art and tell people that I am a feminist." - Erin Rivera

In this episode, we sat down with photographer + videographer, Erin Rivera, to talk about creating the Unidos image and her first art show Miss Representation. Erin also talks about the feeling of doubt and finding her worth during these times.

I’ll second guess and I don’t think people will understand it or I think, “Maybe it’s not good enough..” I have problems when it comes to setting a price on my work because, I do this out of passion and love and I don’t know how much its worth.”

Erin went on to speak up about how her parents inadvertently led her to be the strong feminist she is today and how she came to that realization.

I think I was doing feminist things without even realizing it. Little things that my parents let me do, and they let me just go with my ideas. They helped mold me. Now that I’m older, I’m starting to notice more inequalities between men and women.

Audrey and Yvette talk about the importance of the Unidos print to them and Yvette discusses what it was like to be part of Erin’s artwork in her Miss Representation piece.

"Little things that my parents let me do and how they let me just go with my ideas - they helped mold me. " - Erin Rivera

This episode, Brown Girls Rising Episode 04, can be found at BrownGirlsRising.com or on iTunes.

This episode was recorded in sunny Downtown Los Angeles at Maker City LA.

Episode No. 09

Beating the Boys and Breaking Down Barriers with Producer + Drummer, CinDee

Cindy Bojorquez, otherwise known as CinDee, is a queer Guatemalan-American hardcore punk drummer, digital media artist, and music producer from Los Angeles. She explores subjects of social inequality, feminism, and current events as her creative muse. Currently, her focus is to produce, distribute and archive underground music by people of color via her independent record label "Resisting with Music," while documenting her own struggles as a queer Latina in the media technology industry.

Brown Girls Rising is a partnership with Nylon Espanol to elevate the conversation of feminist action, leadership, community involvement, and culture.

"Women who take direct action to address the injustices that we face are the women that inspire me." - CinDee

In this episode, we sat down with music producer + drummer, CinDee to talk about her Latina experience. CinDee went on talk about how finding her worth and coming out to her family led her to where she is today.

“I didn’t expect my family to tell me they loved me regardless of my sexual preference. I got very lucky in a sense of having a family that accepted me.”

CinDee goes on to talk about how she had to fight her way into the music world, because it’s a very male dominated space. She also talks about how she has changed since breaking the mold.

“I have experienced that patriarchism and elitism of being a “male experience”. It just makes me think, “I can do this myself” I don’t need them.”

Yvette and Audrey talk about their own Latina experience and Audrey gets a quick lesson on rock music she missed out on.

“What do you need and who do you need to talk to in order to get what you want?” - Audrey Bellis

This episode, Brown Girls Rising Episode 04, can be found at BrownGirlsRising.com or on iTunes.

This episode was recorded in sunny Downtown Los Angeles at Maker City LA.

Episode No. 08

All Things Body Image with Founder + Director, Gloria Lucas 

Gloria is the founder and director of Nalgona Positivity Pride a xicana-indigenous body-positive project that focuses on eating disorders awareness and cultural affirmation. She is a frequent lecturer across the country covering topics such as the connection of historical trauma and disordered eating. Some of the locations Gloria has lectured at are the University of California, Los Angeles, University of Michigan School of Social Work, and the Binge Eating Disorder Association (BEDA) Conference. Gloria’s work has been featured at the Huffington Post, Univision, Bitch Magazine, and The Body is not an Apology. She lives in Los Angeles, CA where she lives with her 2 cats and boyfriend.

Brown Girls Rising is a partnership with Nylon Espanol to elevate the conversation of feminist action, leadership, community involvement, and culture.

"We should be able to celebrate ourselves and honor our bodies" - Gloria Lucas

In this episode we chat with Nalgona Positivity Pride Founder, Gloria Lucas, to talk about body positivity. Gloria talks about creating awareness and how all body shapes and sizes are beautiful.

"Mass production of what beauty is and how we “should” look, isn’t really how our bodies are meant to look. We should celebrate ourselves and honor our bodies."

Gloria goes on to talk about how everyone is in a different stage of body acceptance and how their can be a double standard between our bodies and food.

"We need to encourage one another as women. Everyone is on their own journey and you may not realize it. We’re all learning and in opportunities of hate, I get to learn the most."

Audrey and Yvette talk about the body shame they felt growing up, their relationship with food, and how they stay body positive now.

"Body positivity is creating a community where people can fall in love with themselves." - Gloria Lucas

This episode, Brown Girls Rising Episode 04, can be found at BrownGirlsRising.com or on iTunes.

This episode was recorded in sunny Downtown Los Angeles at Maker City LA.

Episode No. 07

Home, Health, and Healing with Todo Verde Founder, Jocelyn Ramirez

Todo Verde founder, Jocelyn Ramirez, is a vegan cook, yoga instructor, and advocate for healthy food access in her community. In this process, she noticed the disproportion of healthy food options in the LA area after years of driving across town in search of healthier food for her and her family.

She founded Todo Verde in 2015 with a mission to create delicious and healthy plant-based food options inspired by familiar flavors using Mexican and South American ingredients. Todo Verde's menu includes local, fresh, and organically grown ingredients from local small businesses, farmers, and a mission based food purchasing cooperative.

Brown Girls Rising is a partnership with Nylon Espanol to elevate the conversation of feminist action, leadership, community involvement, and culture.

"It’s really powerful to be able to feed myself and my family that going to make us healthy." - Jocelyn Ramirez

In this episode we chat with Todo Verde Founder, Jocelyn Ramirez about how learning about food and creating her own changed her life. Jocelyn talks about how you can secure self regulation and how food can bring healing.

“It’s really powerful to be able to feed myself and my family and make us healthy. We see folks who gather around food. Looking at that, it feels great to share that within your community.”

Jocelyn goes on to discuss how food and vegan food, specifically, doesn’t have to be a class thing. She then gives her easy How-Tos on how to migrate toward a vegan lifestyle:

“I would say minimize meat and dairy. Just try a plant based diet for a few days a week. Then you’ll start to decolonize your diet.”

Audrey and Yvette talk about how they’re upbringing around food, their inner foodie, and seek answers to their many vegan questions.

"If you're not planning to succeed, then you're planning to fail!" - Audrey Bellis

Other fun things Jocelyn mentioned: Omnivore's Dilemma, Cocina House, and Eastside Cafe

This episode, Brown Girls Rising Episode 04, can be found at BrownGirlsRising.com or on iTunes.

This episode was recorded in sunny Downtown Los Angeles at Maker City LA.

Episode No. 06

Making America Brown Again with restaurateur, Bricia Lopez 

Having been born and raised in Mitla, Oaxaca, rich in culinary tradition and indigenous food culture, Bricia comes from a long lineage of Oaxacan Mezcal craftsman. She grew up in her grandmothers kitchen where alongside her mother and sisters, lived the traditions of mole and true artisanal cooking. Her father founded Guelaguetza in 1994, a Oaxacan restaurant that has become a temple to Oaxacan food and tradition in Los Angeles and the US. She began working alongside her family in the restaurant business at a very young age. Bricia is a graduate of Mount Saint Mary’s College, majoring in Business Administration. She is currently a partner at Guelaguetza and today, spearheads all operations alongside her three siblings.

Brown Girls Rising is a partnership with Nylon Espanol to elevate the conversation of feminist action, leadership, community involvement, and culture.

"You need to allow people to be on their own and be their own person." - Bricia Lopez

In this episode we chat with restaurateur, Bricia Lopez, about keeping traditions strong through molee. Bricia also talks about the exchange between masculine and feminine energy and how she’s introducing that to her son.

"Being  a strong woman doesn’t mean that we need to be filled with this masculine energy. You need to allow people to be on their own and be their own person."

Bricia goes on talk about her visit to the white house, meeting President Obama, and her plans on Making America Brown Again.

"You can’t buy authenticity. You can’t buy culture. You just can’t recreate it. We need to learn how to be proactive instead of being reactive. Like, what can we do to change the situation of things today?"

Audrey and Yvette talk about their differences in growing up as a Brown Girl in different parts of California, family drama, and how they keep family traditions strong.

"Relationships are the place where you either find yourself or you lose yourself" - Audrey Bellis

This episode, Brown Girls Rising Episode 04, can be found at BrownGirlsRising.com or on iTunes.

This episode was recorded in sunny Downtown Los Angeles at Maker City LA.

Episode No. 05

"Otherness", Oppression, and Overcoming with Digital Video Producer, Yessica Cruz 

Seattle born digital video creator now living in the very hot city of Los Angeles. She worked up the ranks of BuzzFeed Motion Pictures, producing over 22 digital videos & appearing in more than 137 videos, was a founding producer and personality behind Buzzfeed’s Latinx Facebook page, Pero Like. Yessica hosted and produced an 11 episode series on Flama called Mas Mexican focusing on understanding different aspects of Mexican identity by meeting people in the street. Yessica currently produces shows with People Be Like, focusing on entertaining yet informative content aimed at a diverse millennial audience. 

Brown Girls Rising is a partnership with Nylon Espanol to elevate the conversation of feminist action, leadership, community involvement, and culture.

“I’m going to use my voice to advocate for people” - Yessica Cruz

In this episode, we sit down with Digital Video Producer, Yessica Cruz, to chat about how she strives to celebrate difference in latin culture. In this interview, Yessica talks about moving from Seattle, latinx, and societal inequality.

“Coming from an intersectional, multi-culture background in Seattle, I identify with the others. I know, that it is a terrible thing to grow up with, feeling like you can’t trust your government. That’s also very dangerous, to have citizens afraid of the government. That’s no way to have a democracy.”

Yessica goes on to talk about how the feeling of oppression has weighed on her since she was three years old and that  lead her to speak out to her audience that is a younger generation.

“I’m going to use my voice to advocate for people. I want to evoke change and I think younger kids and people are my age are the ones to evoke change.”

Yvette and Audrey talk about their fears as America transitions with the new president and their feeling of “otherness” which have resurfaced.

"By unlearning a lot of things that society taught me, I became woke" - Yessica Cruz

This and previous episodes of Brown Girls Rising, can be found at BrownGirlsRising.com or on iTunes & SoundCloud.

This episode was recorded in sunny Downtown Los Angeles at Maker City LA.

Episode No. 04

Knowing Your Roots and Keeping Sane with, Writer + Producer Betsy Aimee Cardenas 

Betsy Aimee Cardenas is a writer and producer of impactful digital content on a mission to transform hearts and minds. She is the co-host of Women Who Misbehave, a podcast about the intersections of the political, personal, pop-culture, and spiritual. She writes about issues that affect millennials, her work has been featured in Marie Claire, Forbes Woman, Vox, and others. 

Brown Girls Rising is a partnership with Nylon Espanol to elevate the conversation of feminist action, leadership, community involvement, and culture.

"We’re going to see we’re the ones we’ve been waiting for" - Betsy Aimee Cardenas

In this episode, we chat with Writer and Producer, Betsy Aimee Cardenas knowing your roots. In this interview, Betsy talks about being a first generation child and what it’s like to raise her son as a feminist.  

“I believe in equality among the sexes. It’s about having choice filled lives. We teach our daughter that they can be strong, but we teach our sons they have to be strong. We can’t want equality and then have fantasies of men rescuing us.”

Betsy goes on to talk about how she’s never shied away from the F word and who her biggest inspirations are.

“Gloria Stienem is one of my role models. One of the things I realized growing up is that a lot of my feminism focused on white-middle class. There are so many other heroes, Sonia Sotormeyor. I love her, she’s an amazing role model. She’s what an outspoken Latina looks like. Cherri Moraga is an amazing chicana writer.... ”

Audrey and Yvette compare stories of their first experience with “otherness” and growing up feeling like “too much or not enough” in both worlds.

"Your mental sanity is worth making changes in your life” - Betsy Aimee Cardenas

This and previous episodes of Brown Girls Rising, can be found at BrownGirlsRising.com or on iTunes & SoundCloud. 

This episode was recorded in sunny Downtown Los Angeles at Maker City LA.

Episode No. 03

Speaking on Spanglish and Stepping Into Your Power with Radio + TV Personality RaqC

Raquel Cordova, better known as RaqC, coined “The Queen of Spanglish Media” and uses her blogging platform on Latina Magazine’s celebrity blog to share tips on what it means to be a “modern day Latina”. RaqC credits her free spirit as the inspiration to seize every opportunity that presents itself. She views radio as an outlet to express her love, happiness, and ambitions with the masses.

Brown Girls Rising is a partnership with Nylon Español to elevate the conversation of feminist action, leadership, community involvement, and culture.

“Don’t ever be afraid of anyone telling you, ‘You’re thinking too big!’” - RaqC

In this episode, we sit down with Radio and TV personality, RaqC,  to talk about how she stumbled into her own and made a career of it. This interview is filled with stories of how stepping out of her comfort zone, SnapChat, and just being herself led RaqC to where she is today.

“When people don’t take you serious, your mentality starts to change. You start asking, “Is this ever going to change?” At the end of the day, I realize that I bring value to whatever I do. You have to train your mind that and I practice what I preach. I had to tell myself I am worthy”

RaqC also opens about how she didn’t realize she was a feminist right away and how she had to make it her own.

“Throughout my career 90% of my bosses have been men, and the women were secretaries or assistant VPs and I’m like why? I just want women to step in their greatness and own their independence.”

Audrey and Yvette gab about their individual views of feminism including how they found themselves and their true callings right around turning 30.

“You’re always going to be too much or not enough for somebody” - Audrey Bellis

This and previous episodes of Brown Girls Rising, can be found at BrownGirlsRising.com or on iTunes & Soundcloud.

This episode was recorded in sunny Downtown Los Angeles at Maker City LA.

Episode No. 02

Talking About Art and Activism with Illustrator + Art Curator, Maritza Lugo

Martiza is currently a freelance illustrator and art curator. She recently launched her first art show, Women of Color Only. Often referred to as the Pop Culture Queen she can be found transforming Disney Princesses to be "Just Like Us" through illustration. Featured: Buzzfeed, Latina, Refinery29, teenVogue, Glamour, PopSugar, Forbes, and many more. 

Brown Girls Rising is a partnership with Nylon Espanol to elevate the conversation of feminist action, leadership, community involvement, and culture.

"The passion for your career should be louder than the doubt" - Martiza Lugo

In this episode, we sit down with Illustrator and Art Curator, Maritza Lugo, to discuss her call to feminist action. In this interview, Maritza candidly opens up about hosting her first art show, which featured Women of Color Only and was the first of it’s kind in Los Angeles.

“In all of the art shows I had been as an illustrator, I’ve never fully seen women of color. It’s always primarily white male and sometimes, female. So I thought how is this the first one in Los Angeles?”

Maritza also talks about how she was a right-of-the-womb feminist, but how her feminism has changed and evolved throughout the years.

“You could say my feminism has changed, now I only want to speak about feminism when it  includes women of color. I've always been a "brown girl" not just my makeup genetically but in my personality"

Yvette and Audrey talk about dodging the online haters, their mothers’ view of feminism versus their own, and why they think feminism sits on a spectrum.

"Women have been fighting for rights since the ‘20s but, if you don’t include marginalized voices then we’re all losing." - Martiza Lugo

This and previous episodes of Brown Girls Rising, can be found at BrownGirlsRising.com or on iTunes & Soundcloud.

This episode was recorded in sunny Downtown Los Angeles at Maker City LA.

Episode No. 01

What It Means To Be A "Brown Girl" with NYLON en Español Editor In Chief, Marty Preciado

Marty is currently serving as Editor In Cheif for NYLON Español Media. Research and writing focuses on transcultural exchange of politics and gender, with an emphasis on music, arts and culture. Additionally, has lead editorial teams and launched team projects in Madrid, Washington D.C, Mexico City and currently in Los Angeles. Published: VICE, NYLON Español, Remezcla, Rookie, Noisey. Featured: NPR, NBC, Univisión. 

Brown Girls Rising is a partnership with Nylon Espanol to elevate the conversation of feminist action, leadership, community involvement, and culture. In our inaugural episode, we sit down with Editor In Chief of Nylon En Espanol, Marty Preciado to explore her feminist experiences.

"We’re in a society where we’re constantly looking up to role models without thinking you can also be one." - Marty Preciado

In this interview she recalls racial injustices during the ICE Raids in the 90s. We also chat about how blue hair and The Spice girls ignited the feminist within her:

"I grew up listening to punk music and first arose to girl power, thanks to the Spice Girls, without knowing that the Spice Girls was a movement created by a white group here in the United States. So while I was listening to punk music and had blue hair, I felt rebellious until I understood that where I was hanging out was void of women. No women, period."

Marty also talks about how intersectional feminism and her personal role models lead her to work at Nylon Espanol today:

"I went to school for law and political science, that was my goal., until I realized that I was could  make a change through culture and not just through the law. I wanted to make a change through the everyday incidents, through life, through music, through literature, through entertainment and try to find the representation of people of our community into the spaces that are needed."

Audrey and Yvette candidly chat about coming into their own forms of feminism,  the stigma attached with that particular F-word, how they’re always adjusting and relearning the definition of it.  

“If one person isn't free, none of us are free." - Yvette Montoya

This episode, can be found at BrownGirlsRising.com or on iTunes & Soundcloud.

This episode was recorded in sunny Downtown Los Angeles at Maker City LA.