When You're Invisible

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 questions I decided to finally ask her point blank when she came with me to the recording studio.  My abuela has lived with my family part of the year since she was in her 50s so we’ve always been close. But, this interview was an opportunity to talk about topics we don’t touch on every day - like where her beliefs about womanhood come from or her views on aging and death. We’ll also hear her life story and the many twists of fate it entails. My mom Claudia returns to the show too to help translate and to reflect with me about her mother’s life. You’re in for a silly, heartfelt, sweet, and surprising intergenerational episode!  See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.

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 lives, their country, their hopes and dreams, and what they believe would make the world a better place? 
I’m your host, Maria Fernenda Diez and I’m a first gen Mexican-American. Growing up, my family moved to different regions of the US - from the East Coast to the Midwest to the South - and we were on food stamps when I was young before we became middle class. I ended up getting an almost full ride to the Ivy League but never left my roots behind. I call myself an in-betweener because I’m part of many communities, but don’t fully fit into one single community. Although this can be lonely at times, it’s a vulnerability that can help me connect with others, have honest conversations, and build genuine connections.