Julissa Arce and #WeAllGrow, in partnership with Latino Rebels, She Se Puede, and BESE are proud to present La Historia Uncovered: an interview series exploring the lesser-known history of Latinos in the United States. The weekly interview series was created and will be hosted by activist and nationally bestselling author Julissa Arce (My Underground American Dream) and will run during Latinx Heritage Month, which takes place from September 15 to October 15, 2020.
Creating Conversations, an independent bookstore in Los Angeles, is the series’ book partner and will have the guests’ books available for sale.
“I couldn’t be more excited to have the opportunity to speak with five writers whose work has inspired me and strengthened my knowledge of the deep roots and history of our Latinx community in the United States.
We created La Historia Uncoveredto give our community access to brilliant minds, share knowledge and spark further conversations. We are honored to have Professor Ortiz, Associate Professor Morales, Professor Gomez, Associate Professor Blackwell and Ms. Barajas join us, and I am thrilled to partner with #WeAllGrow Latina, Latino Rebels, She Se Puede and BESE on a project that is so close to my heart.” – Julissa Arce, Creator and Host of La Historia Uncovered.
“Over the last 10 years, #WeAllGrow has taken on the mission of creating digital and in-person spaces where Latinas from diverse identities and backgrounds feel safe to show up as our authentic and beautiful selves. It’s from that place of safety, belonging and true support that we can construct open dialogues that center the complexity of our multiple heritages and unify via the richness of the cultural elements that bring us together as a political, cultural and economic force. We’re honored to host Julissa Arce and her guests in this safe space as they gift us with knowledge of the history of the roots of Latinidad in the U.S. that has been buried for far too long by gatekeepers making sure we remain unaware of the systems that have kept us from recognizing our own power as a unified community. When one grows, we all grow.” – Ana Flores, #WeAllGrow Latina Founder + CEO
“One of the founding tenets of Latino Rebels since 2011 is to elevate and amplify real, unfiltered and fearless voices from our community, without seeking permission to do so. This latest partnership is yet another example of the work our group has done on a consistent basis. We are excited to help share these important and necessary conversations. We will never be ignored or overlooked, and we will continue to create our own spaces and opportunities to radically change the landscape and misperceptions of our community. Game on.” -Julio Ricardo Varela, Lation Rebels Founder
“The mission of She Se Puede is to help Latinas realize and act on their own power. To achieve that mission, She Se Puede curates empowering content for Latinas of all walks of life that celebrates stories of Latina achievement big and small. We want Latinas to feel empowered in everything that they do, from their careers, to what food they eat, and even what they read. That is why it’s an honor for us to partner with Julissa Arce for La Historia Uncovered and shine a light on Latinx history and our contributions to America. When we better understand our own story, we will then be inspired to write the next chapter on our own terms.”-Mónica Ramírez, co-founder of She Se Puede
“BESE‘s focus has always been to highlight the untold stories that reflect today’s America. We’ve successfully done this with our “Hidden Figuras” series, which amplifies the stories of lesser-known American heroes, like Jovita Idar, Fred Korematsu, Richard Oakes, Mabel Lee, Arturo Schomburg, Maria Montez and many others. It’s because of this that we are proud to partner with Julissa Arce. These educational conversations will allow our audiences to dig deeper and learn more about ourselves. Our people have made immense contributions to this country, and it is about time we uncovered these treasures and celebrated our true American giants-in addition to all others. The knowledge of what our ancestors endured will equip viewers with the strength needed to fight against the systems of white supremacy, inequality, discrimination, and oppression in our country. It’s time to let it be known that Latinx history is American history.” – Zoe Saldana, CEO and Founder of BESE
Creating Conversations, an independent bookstore in Los Angeles, is the series’ book partner and will have the guests’ books available for sale.
“I couldn’t be more excited to have the opportunity to speak with five writers whose work has inspired me and strengthened my knowledge of the deep roots and history of our Latinx community in the United States. We created La Historia Uncoveredto give our community access to brilliant minds, share knowledge and spark further conversations. We are honored to have Professor Ortiz, Associate Professor Morales, Professor Gomez, Associate Professor Blackwell and Ms. Barajas join us, and I am thrilled to partner with #WeAllGrow Latina, Latino Rebels, She Se Puede and BESE on a project that is so close to my heart.” – Julissa Arce, Creator and Host of La Historia Uncovered.
“Over the last 10 years, #WeAllGrow has taken on the mission of creating digital and in-person spaces where Latinas from diverse identities and backgrounds feel safe to show up as our authentic and beautiful selves. It’s from that place of safety, belonging and true support that we can construct open dialogues that center the complexity of our multiple heritages and unify via the richness of the cultural elements that bring us together as a political, cultural and economic force. We’re honored to host Julissa Arce and her guests in this safe space as they gift us with knowledge of the history of the roots of Latinidad in the U.S. that has been buried for far too long by gatekeepers making sure we remain unaware of the systems that have kept us from recognizing our own power as a unified community. When one grows, we all grow.” – Ana Flores, #WeAllGrow Latina Founder + CEO
“One of the founding tenets of Latino Rebels since 2011 is to elevate and amplify real, unfiltered and fearless voices from our community, without seeking permission to do so. This latest partnership is yet another example of the work our group has done on a consistent basis. We are excited to help share these important and necessary conversations. We will never be ignored or overlooked, and we will continue to create our own spaces and opportunities to radically change the landscape and misperceptions of our community. Game on.” -Julio Ricardo Varela, Lation Rebels Founder
“The mission of She Se Puede is to help Latinas realize and act on their own power. To achieve that mission, She Se Puede curates empowering content for Latinas of all walks of life that celebrates stories of Latina achievement big and small. We want Latinas to feel empowered in everything that they do, from their careers, to what food they eat, and even what they read. That is why it’s an honor for us to partner with Julissa Arce for La Historia Uncovered and shine a light on Latinx history and our contributions to America. When we better understand our own story, we will then be inspired to write the next chapter on our own terms.”-Mónica Ramírez, co-founder of She Se Puede
“BESE‘s focus has always been to highlight the untold stories that reflect today’s America. We’ve successfully done this with our “Hidden Figuras” series, which amplifies the stories of lesser-known American heroes, like Jovita Idar, Fred Korematsu, Richard Oakes, Mabel Lee, Arturo Schomburg, Maria Montez and many others. It’s because of this that we are proud to partner with Julissa Arce. These educational conversations will allow our audiences to dig deeper and learn more about ourselves. Our people have made immense contributions to this country, and it is about time we uncovered these treasures and celebrated our true American giants-in addition to all others. The knowledge of what our ancestors endured will equip viewers with the strength needed to fight against the systems of white supremacy, inequality, discrimination, and oppression in our country. It’s time to let it be known that Latinx history is American history.” – Zoe Saldana, CEO and Founder of BESE
FULL SCHEDULE AND EPISODE DESCRIPTIONS:
Paul Ortiz – September 15, 2020 – 8pm ET/5pm PT
“History.…[is] a tool to pursue the truth on behalf of justice“- Paul Ortiz
A conversation with Dr. Paul Ortiz, professor of History at the University of Florida, and author of An African American and Latinx History of the United States. Join us as we take a step back in history to understand how the freedom struggles in Latin America have helped shape our experience and history in the U.S.
Ed Morales – September 22, 2020 – 8pm ET/5pm PT
“Puerto Ricans have been excluded from first-class citizenship through a legal process that demonstrates the inseparable tie between colonialism and racism.” – Ed Morales
A conversation with Ed Morales, author of Latinx, The Latin Beat and Fantasy Island: Colonialism, Exploitation and the Betrayal of Puerto Rico. Join us as we unpack the colonial history of the United States in Puerto Rico, and how Hurricane María “was the final straw that exposed the illusion of US Citizenship that islanders had been granted in 1917.”
Laura E. Gómez – September 30, 2020 – 8pm ET/5pm PT
“A common rhetorical move has been to characterize dynamics involving …Mexican Americans as “ethnic” (or as “immigrant”). Yet the Mexican case tells us a great deal about the American racial order. Moreover, it challenges us to stop uncritically reproducing the standard account of race in the United States, which without disruption furthers white supremacy.” -Laura E. Gómez. Manifest Destinies.
A conversation with Laura E. Gómez, Law Professor at UCLA, and author of Manifest Destinies: The Making of the Mexican Race,and Inventing Latinos: A New Story of American Racism. Join us and dive into the construction of the Latino identity from understanding the imperial forces that lead to migration, to the “idealized Mestizaje and Anti-Black and Anti-Indian Racism” within our community.
Julia Barajas and Maylei Blackwell – October 6, 2020 – 8pm ET/5pm PT
A conversation with Los Angeles Times Journalist Julia Barajas, author of the article, Chicana Revolt and Maylei Blackwell, coeditor of Chicana Movidas. Join us for a reflection on how the mujeres of the Chicano civil rights movement shaped, challenged, and pushed the movement forward.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Dr. Paul Ortiz is a professor of history and the director of the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program at the University of Florida. He is the author of Emancipation Betrayed, An African American and Latinx History of the United States and co-editor of the oral history Remembering Jim Crow.
Ed Morales is the author of Latinx, The Latin Beat, and Living in Spanglish. His work has appeared in Rolling Stone, the New York Times, and the Los Angeles Times, among other national publications. He is an adjunct professor at Columbia University.
Laura E. Gómez is a professor of law, sociology, and Chicana/Chicano studies at UCLA. She is the author of Manifest Destinies, Mapping “Race,” Misconceiving Mothers; and Inventing Latinos.
Maylei Blackwell is an interdisciplinary scholar activist, oral historian, and associate professor at UCLA. She is the author of Chicana Power! Contested Histories of Feminism in the Chicano Movement, and coeditor of
Chicana Movidas.
Julia Barajas is a Los Angeles Times reporter and a native Angeleno. Before joining The Times, she covered the impact of changing drug policies in California and Latin America for Cannabis Wire. Her work has also appeared in La Opinión, La Prensa Gráfica and the Columbia Journalism Review.
ABOUT JULISSA ARCE
Julissa Natzely Arce Raya is the bestselling author of My (Underground) American Dream and Someone Like Me. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, TIME Magazine, Vogue, Buzzfeed News, and HuffPost, among other outlets. Her forthcoming book, Rejecting Assimilation, will be out in 2021.
For more information, visit www.julissaarce.com and follow @julissaarce on Twitter and Instagram.
About #WeAllGrow Latina
#WeAllGrow Latina was founded in 2010 based on a simple yet revolutionary idea: to build a community of authentic voices and connections for Latinas to increase visibility and grow our social and economic power. #WeAllGrow is strong in our mission of elevating the voices and stories of Latinas via the power of community through culturally-relevant content, virtual and in-person spaces and events to bring together a sisterhood of the most influential Latina creatives, entrepreneurs and professionals.
For more information, visit www.weallgrow.com and follow @WeAllGrowLatina on Twitter and Instagram.
About Latino Rebels
Founded in 2011, Latino Rebels is an award-winning independent digital journalism site that covers the U.S. Latino world and Latin America. Considered one of the community’s definitive outlets, Latino Rebels has laid the groundwork for a new wave of fearless voices who reflect our complexity and resolve as a people. It has been part of Futuro Media Group since 2017. For more information visit www.latinorebels.com and follow @latinorebels on Twitter and Instagram.
About She Se Puede
She Se Puede is a new digital lifestyle community and media platform launched by Eva Longoria, America Ferrera, and others that inspires, affirms, and informs Latinas to leverage our power in a way that transforms our lives, families, and community. The mission of She Se Puede is to help Latinas realize and act on their own power. To achieve that mission, #SheSePuede curates content for Latinas of all kinds by sharing relatable articles, videos, and photos celebrating stories of Latina achievement big and small.
For more information, visit www.shesepuede.org and follow @she_sepuede on Twitter and Instagram.
About BESE
BESE‘s mission is to broaden and reshape the existing narrative by shining light on the untold stories that reflect today’s America. Launched by Zoe Saldana, BESEcreates multi-format multi-cultural storytelling for Millennial and Gen Z audiences distributed across social and digital platforms.
For more information, visit www.bese.com and follow @beseofficial on Twitter and @bese on Instagram.
About Creating Conversations
The Redondo Beach bookstore creates community-focused author and book events for local businesses, conferences, authors, and publishers, bringing books to individual readers, and community partner organizations in the greater Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego areas.
For more information visit www.creatingconversations.indelite.org and follow @CreatingConvRB on Twitter.