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...
Latest episodes
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53 min
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…
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46 min
Yajaira: Being Underestimated as a Young Latina Mom
Finding out she was pregnant came as an utter shock to a 16 year old who hadn’t yet realized that her actions had consequences. Letting down her immigrant parents was her biggest f…
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47 min
Abby: An Indigenous Chicano’s Homecoming
When Abby ended up at Alcatraz Island one cold winter night in his 20s, he had found himself at the epicenter of the Indian Pride Movement. It blew his mind and made him feel that…
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37 min
Danny, Terry & Charles: Fighting for Unions in Coal Country
Too often miners are painted almost as caricatures - as conservative, ignorant, poor, depressed, and selfish. The reality is that miners often go unheard. Coming from families of m…
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39 min
Daniel: Being a Double Minority in a Red State
Daniel says being trans is just a small part of his identity. His obsession with Radiohead is a way bigger part of his life—it’s often in the queue during his drive to and from hig…
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41 min
Mr. J: Becoming a Black Male Teacher in Baltimore
Students often ask Mr. J why he’s a teacher. They say he just seems too cool. He used to be one of these students - he went to the high school he teaches at today. Back then, being…
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45 min
Kiana: Redefining Life with Chronic Illness
It was during her teenage years that Kiana’s life changed dramatically due to pain. She wanted to be an actor and a singer but her condition put that dream on hold. Instead of atte…
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43 min
Francisco: My Brother’s Path to Community Organizing
In high school, Francisco didn’t fit in with his white, upper middle class, conservative classmates and he didn’t want to. Maybe it was teenage angst, but his identity revolved aro…
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2 min
Introducing: When You’re Invisible Season 2
Community, resilience, legacy and being underestimated are the themes at the heart of this season. Meet everyday yet extraordinary Americans - from a community organizer in Philly,…
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1 min
Happy May Day!
UPDATE: We will be back in November! We’re honoring International Workers’ Day with an exciting announcement - season two of When You’re Invisible is coming this July! We’ll be tal…
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53 min
Claudia and Francisco: My Parents’ Immigrant Story
My parents often had to take risks in pursuit of change, whether emigrating from Mexico or taking a leap of faith on a job that moved our family across the country. They open up ab…
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41 min
Jen: Bridging the Divide
The white rural working class is so often depicted in the mainstream media as just Trump supporters; but there’s a lot of layers to this community that go unseen. Jen comes from th…
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38 min
Lani: Authenticity as an In-Betweener
Today my friend Lani lives very authentically, but she has struggled with perception and invisibility throughout her life. She unpacks the complexities of living a rough childhood…
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26 min
Kate: Owning Our Imperfections
I wanted to interview Kate because I didn’t know much about stuttering before meeting her. One percent of the population stutters and unconscious bias can impact this group’s self…
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30 min
Franklin, Lucely, Gilberto, & Ines: Unsung American Heroes
Franklin Lucely, Gilberto, and Ines cleaned up Ground Zero and New York City in the aftermath of 9/11 alongside hundreds of fellow undocumented Latin American workers. These Americ…
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32 min
Anicia: A Seat at the Table
Anicia is an entrepreneur and works as a personal chef and nanny for the ultra-wealthy in New York City. Having met on a photoshoot, Anicia and I bonded over our shared experiences…
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25 min
Louie: Two Sides of an Institution
Louie worked alongside Ralph at the Columbia University package center, which was an oasis for me in a high stress environment. Being two Latin kids around the same age, Louie and…
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38 min
Ralph: Tales from an Ivy League Mailroom
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 scholar…
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2 min
Introducing: When You're Invisible
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