My guest today is Denzel Mendoza, a Dreamer who went from being homeless on the streets of New York to becoming a GRAMMY award winning trombonist. He was one of 50 undoumented artists who took part in the jazz album called “AMERICAN DREAMERS– VOICES OF HOPE, MUSIC AND FREEDOM” which was lead by composer John Daversa and took home 3 Grammys back in 2019.  Denzel was born in Singapore and came to the US at age 5. And then when he was nine years old, his father left the country and abandoned...

My guest today is Chef Byron Gomez, who’s re-defining what it means to be American… one delicious dish at a time! He’s a DACA Dreamer who went from breaking change at Burger King…. to working at Michelin Star restaurants alongside some world-renowned chefs like Daniel Boulud, Ronny Emboruy, and others… to recently getting selected to be on the Bravo TV show TOP CHEF! Chef Byron came to the US from Costa Rica when he was 8 years old and grew up in Long Island, New York before moving to...

Today I’m chatting with a former news gal: Corina Hierro (@CorinaHierro) who is now a tech entrepreneur.  Corina left the news business and became a founding member of the job-finding app called “Chamba” which helps Latinos find jobs by connecting them directly to employers ready to hire! FIRST: Corina talks about coming to the USA from Mexico and how she got into the News industry and why she decided to leave and start something new in the middle of the pandemic! THEN: We talk about...

My guest today is the author of the first Children’s picture book written by a DACA Dreamer. Her name is Areli Morales, (@AreliNYC) and she’s a DACA recipient and school teacher. In her book, “Areli is a Dreamer” she shares her experience uprooting from Mexico and moving to New York as a little girl.  FIRST: In this episode, we get into how a failed opportunity landed Areli a huge second chance to publish this book!  THEN: Areli will share 5 amazing tips if you’re interested in writing and...

My guest today went from Undocumented to the Supreme Court! Luis Cortes Romero– is an immigration lawyer, advocate, and Dreamer who was part of the team that successfully defended the DACA Program before the U.S. Supreme Court and won.   Luis was brought to the U.S. from Mexico when he was just 2 years old and grew up in California's Bay Area. He’s currently a partner at NOVO LEGAL GROUP in the Seattle area.  FIRST: We discuss the route that took him to argue before the nation’s highest...

My guest today is a track and field star who made history at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Luis Grijalva (@LuisGrijalva_) is one of the fastest people on the planet but almost didn’t get a chance to compete because of his immigration status. He’s a DACA recipient who was brought to the U.S. from Guatemala when he was a year old. Luis grew up in Northern California and went to Northern Arizona University and he’s now competing as a professional runner. Because he’s a DACA recipient, competing for...

Happy Hispanic Heritage Month and LGBTQ History month! Today’s episode features a guest who highlights the importance of both celebrations this October 2021.  Nathalie Huerta made history as the Latina founder of The Queer Gym, the first LGBTQ Gym in the US. She’s made it her mission to help clients gain the support they need and feel comfortable while working out without the judgement they may face at regular gyms.  FIRST: In this episode, Nathalie shares what it’s like to grow up in a...

My guest today is a literal example of reaching for the stars!  Jose Hernandez went from working in the fields with his parents up and down California to becoming the first Mexican-American NASA Astronaut. In 2009, he was part of the STS-128 mission on board the Space Shuttle, Discovery. FIRST: Jose shares his 6-ingredient recipe for success that helped him land his nearly impossible dream of going to space! It took him 12 tries! He tells us why he didn't give up and what finally got him...

The first episode of 2021! Get ready to be inspired by Dr. Gloria Montiel’s unprecedented career that has broken many barriers and paved the way for countless others in her community. She went from undocumented to the ivy league when she beat the odds and got into HARVARD! Back then she was one of the first undocumented students to ever do that.  FIRST: We discuss her educational journey. Gloria shares the sacrifices, tears and hard work that it took to get into the Ivy League. Including the...

December 2020 kicks off the holiday shopping frenzy, and even during the pandemic people are still buying and spending hundreds of dollars on gifts online. And while most of us are spending all that cash, my guest is making THOUSANDS of dollars a day thanks to his side hustle: E-Commerce.  He’s name is Cristian Trujillo and he’s a reservist in the US Air Force who is one of thousands of individual sellers who use e-commerce platforms like Amazon to sell stuff!  In this episode, Cristian...

Latina Track Star Brenda Martinez on how she defeated all odds and bounced back from defeat to make her American Dream of going to the Olympics a reality.  Brenda represented Team USA in the 2016 Rio Olympics and is now training for round two-- The games in Tokyo. In this episode, Brenda talks about how she ALMOST didn’t make the team-- because of an incident during the Olympic Trials.  FIRST: Brenda talks about the sacrifices her Mexican immigrant parents had to make to help her achieve...

Award-winning actor Bambadjan Bamba opens up about how being both black and undocumented has impacted his Hollywood dreams. He’s a working actor based in Los Angeles with credits on many TV shows and movies like the blockbuster film, “Black Panther.” He tells you why this movie has been so powerful in creating cultural change. Bambadjan was born in Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) in West Africa and was brought to the U.S. when he was just 10 years old. He grew up in New York, where at one point...

Imagine shooting a film on your iphone and with a $100 budget… that’s exactly how award-winning director, writer and actor Jorge Xolalpa began his journey to Hollywood. In this episode, we discuss why he gave up a career in law, what inspired him to go into filmmaking. You’ll hear why this rising star in Hollywood is earning his nickname as the “Latino Spielberg.” Jorge is a DACA recipient who came to the U.S. when he was 9 years old and now owns a film & TV production company called ...

With all the economic uncertainty during this pandemic and recession, it’s hard to imagine a reality where you can become financially independent, quit your job and retire in your 20s or 30s. But that’s exactly what Diego Corzo (@RealDiegoCorzo) wants you to achieve. He’s a DACA recipient and a real estate entrepreneur who’s on the fast-track to becoming a millionaire.  In this episode, Diego shares usable advice on investing, saving and getting into a winning mindset. Diego went from riding...

Despite nearly every state reopening its economy and easing lockdown restrictions, the Coronavirus pandemic is still a serious and dangerous reality for healthcare workers across the country. In this episode I speak to Aldo Martinez, a 26-year old Paramedic in Fort Myers, FL.   Aldo says he has to deal with a COVID-19 patient at least once a day during his sometimes 48-hour shifts. He’s also one of thousands of DACA recipients saving lives on the frontlines during this health crisis. That...

In this intro episode, I share my story about living undocumented & how my life changed thanks to the DACA Program. Also, I share my vision for this podcast & how I hope it will help you ditch your fears, get creative & dream bigger! No matter your immigration status, I’m here to help you navigate all the uncertainty & find a way to chase your dreams. Tag me on socials (@AmericaArias), & use the hashtag #LetsDACAboutit Please support this podcast by rating & reviewing...