In this first episode of the limited series AAPI Organizing in the South, five community leaders and organizers talk about coordination in times of crisis, trust, and grace in understanding what collaboration can look like during times of need. They also touch on some of the historical moments and crises that have shaped AAPI organizing in the South, including the March 16 Atlanta Spa Shootings, 9/11, and the 1996 Olympics bombing. The conversation includes thoughts on how they define...

May is Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, which recognizes the contributions and influence of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans to the history, culture, vibrancies, and achievements within the fabric of America. However, we know that the voices of AAPI communities in Atlanta run deep and its richness cannot be captured in just one month. To honor some of these stories, We Love Buford Highway and the Asian American Advocacy Fund are working together to release...

This episode is a conversation between Natalia and Alex Ip, a fifth-year international student at Georgia Tech. Alex Ip was born in Hong Kong and founded The Xylom, an award-winning, student-run newsroom that covers issues like environmental justice, immigrants, and people of color in academia. In this episode, they talk about Chinese language (and its diversity), about Alex's experience as an international student in Atlanta, and how science reporting can be empowering to multilingual,...

En este episodio hablamos con Elida Lopez, quien trabaja como Especialista en Salud de la Población en CareSource. Ella nos cuenta sobre su niñez en Zacatecas, cómo llegó a Estados Unidos, lo que significa para ella celebrar sus raíces siendo madre de niños nacidos en Estados Unidos. Finalmente nos habla de qué es CareSource, qué tipos de servicios provee y cómo acceder a ellos.

For this Women's History Month, we sit down with Elida Lopez, Population Health Specialist at CareSource. Born in Mexico but raised in the US since the age of 5, Elida talks about what growing up was like for her and her 8 siblings. She shares her experience as a daughter, a mother, and how she expresses and understands her Mexican and American identity. She also talks about her job at CareSource and why advocating for Latino communities is important in the health sector. Don't forget to...

In this episode, Natalia Garzón talks to Manno Beats, a Grammy-nominated and multi-award-winning musician hailing from Cap-Haitien, Haiti. During their conversation, Manno Beats talks about his childhood in Haiti, the origins of his passion for music and the African diaspora, and the importance of his philosophy "Africa Overseas." The first half of the interview discusses his journey and musical philosophy and the second half is an in-depth overview of his upcoming album, Tchaka, coming out...

In this month’s episode, Daisy Astudillo speaks to Vivian Liu, a Chinese-American student focused on Environmental Science and Statistics, who is passionate about affordable housing, labor rights, and racial justice. Vivian, an Emory student, connected with us through their Community Building and Social Change Fellowship, a program designed to present both challenges and opportunities in building stronger communities through the lens of social justice and positive change. Vivian was part of...

We are so happy to interview one of our own team members at We Love Buford Highway, Daisy Astudillo, for our final 2022 episode. She has been Program Coordinator since may of 2022 and in this episode, Executive Director Lily Pabian sits down to chat with her about her upbringing and her experience as a first generation Mexican-American in her family. What does applying to college feel like? Who helped Daisy along the way? What did Buford Highway mean to her growing up and how has her identity...

In this episode, Daisy Astudillo speaks with Patricia Hernandez, a LATINX/ indigenous diaspora artist who is a cultural organizer and self-taught artist. Patricia discusses the memories of her young adulthood on Buford Highway, how her multicultural friendships helped shape her narrative, and the stigmatization of being a Latina and single mother in the artist community. Patricia’s story of interconnectedness and mutual understanding between immigrants will resonate with listeners because...

En esta segunda parte de la entrevista, Patricia y Xavier, dos estudiantes panameños aquí en Georgia, hablan de sus experiencias en Panamá. Este episodio es una reflexión sobre lo que han vivido en su país de origen, lo que han aprendido de sus familias y lo que disfrutan hacer fuera de sus estudios. ¿Por qué es importante reflexionar sobre nuestro pasado? Xavier y Patricia resaltan la importancia de no olvidar de dónde venimos para siempre saber hacia dónde vamos.  Xavier, Patricia y...

En este episodio, que celebra el mes del desarrollo profesional y por supuesto, el mes de acción de gracias, Natalia Garzón invita a Patricia Muñoz y a Xavier Bosso, dos estudiantes panameños que están aprendiendo inglés para continuar su licenciatura en la Universidad de Brenau en Gainesville, Georgia. Patricia y Xavier fueron voluntarios en nuestro evento de despensas a finales de octubre y hoy nos cuentan más sobre su experiencia estudiando aquí en Estados Unidos. ¿Qué se siente venir a...

This episode is a special preview of what We Love Buford Highway has been working on this 2022: Buford Highway's first community archive. This archive will have stories told directly from people in the community, people that come to our feeding events, people that make up the Buford Highway we all love. Contrary to this podcast, the people in the community archive are not interviewed, they are simply sharing a story they want to share, and we are simply creating space for them to do so. In...

Este episodio es otro avance especial del primer archivo de historias del corredor Buford, un proyecto que la organización We Love Buford Highway ha estado preparando este año. Este archivo tendrá historias contadas directamente de las personas de la comunidad, personas que van a nuestras despensas, que nos ven en eventos y que forman parte del corredor Buford. A diferencia de este podcast, las personas del archivo no son entrevistadas, simplemente están contando alguna historia que ellos...

Este episodio es un avance especial del primer archivo de historias del corredor Buford, un proyecto que la organización We Love Buford Highway ha estado preparando este año. Este archivo tendrá historias contadas directamente de las personas de la comunidad, personas que van a nuestras despensas, que nos ven en eventos y que forman parte del corredor Buford. A diferencia de este podcast, las personas del archivo no son entrevistadas, simplemente están contando alguna historia que ellos...

This episode is a special preview of what We Love Buford Highway has been working on this 2022: Buford Highway's first community archive. This archive will have stories told directly from people in the community, people that come to our feeding events, people that make up the Buford Highway we all love. Contrary to this podcast, the people in the community archive are not interviewed, they are simply sharing a story they want to share, and we are simply creating space for them to do so.  In...

In this episode, Natalia Garzón sits down with Luis Andrés Andino, a Honduran-American educator who empowers students to seek higher education through his job at the Latin American Association. Luis talks about his childhood along Buford Highway, about his background in Criminal Justice, his desire to empower young students, and how he tackles generational beliefs about machismo and mental health in his own life in order to become a better mentor to young adults in the area.  If you want to...

In this episode, Daisy Astudillo sits with Jonathan Peraza-Campos, a Central American educator, organizer, and researcher based in the Buford Highway corridor. This conversation is really about deconstructing and decolonizing the education system in the area, especially for Latino/x students. Jonathan shares with us what he believes is missing in education systems, what needs to change, and why it is important to move away from Eurocentric forms of education and towards a comprehensive,...

This is the second part of the conversation with Alejandra Martinez and Jorge Sosa, who wrote and composed "Buford Highway Dreams", an opera about Buford Highway that competed in the 96 Hour Project hosted by the Atlanta Opera in June 2022. In this second portion, Natalia Garzon and the guests of the episode deconstruct the infamous term "The American Dream," using the opera as a way to understand what this term can mean today and how we can find new ways of rethinking it for the migrant...

In this episode, Natalia Garzon sits down with Alejandra Martinez and Jorge Sosa, who wrote and composed "Buford Highway Dreams" a 10-min opera inspired by the life of Guillermo Cesario, who lives and works on Buford Highway. We interviewed him on this podcast in 2021. This project was done in collaboration with We Love Buford Highway as part of the 96 Hour Opera Project, organized by the Atlanta Opera in June of 2022. This is the first opera ever created about Buford Highway...

In this episode our new Program Coordinator Daisy Astudillo talks to Alexa Carmona, one of the 3 selected recipients of the Cruz and Associates' Alcanzando un Sueño Scholarship, given to outstanding Latino students who achieved academic success, participated in community service initiatives, and overcame challenges. Many of the applicants attended our local high schools on Buford Highway, and seeing them represent our community was an inspiring experience. Alexa, who will be attending SCAD...

In this episode, Natalia Garzón sits down with Kathy Hoyos, a Colombian-American immigration lawyer and partner for the firm Antonini and Cohen, located right on Buford Highway. In this episode, these two Latina women talk about what immigration means to them, the art of storytelling behind law, the power of representation, generational trauma, and where to get the best choriqueso on Buford Highway.  Make sure you share, rate, and tell us what you think about this episode.

This is a special episode in honor of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Our Say My Name Campaign highlights the importance of creating spaces for AAPI communities to express and share their culture, their identities, and the way they relate to their heritage. The voices you hear in this episode belong to many AAPI advocates, allies, community members, artists, and individuals who shape and create the diversity of this city and this country. Thank you to everyone who...

In this episode, Natalia Garzon sits down with Nicole Kang Ahn, a second-generation Korean American artist whose styles delve into love, loss, womanhood and her heritage. Nicole and Natalia talk about art, childhood, womanhood, motherhood, and the shared emotions of immigrant communities. They also talk about art and activism, the Atlanta Spa Shootings, Korean food on Buford Highway, and why Lizzo and Ali Wong are important for future generations of women.  If you'd like to take a look at...

In this episode of Voices of a Highway, we celebrate the 6 days in April that honor languages. Executive Director, Lily Pabian, sits down with Nancy Tai, the Principal of Taiwan Mandarin Learning Center, right off Buford Highway. The Taiwan Mandarin Learning Center offers cultural programs in addition to Mandarin Chinese language classes and serve around 100 students at the moment. These students include second and third generation Asian Americans and people who simply are interested in...

In this episode, Executive Director Lily Pabian sits down with Nury Castillo Crawford, a spirited entrepreneur, author of “3,585 Miles to be an American Girl” and founder of 1010 Publishing, a company that promotes a passion for reading by delivering bilingual stories that represent our immigrant communities. Nury shares her immigrant story, her journey as a Latina educator and writer, and her passion for reading, learning, and empowering young children who are finding their voice and their...