Last night we had a very exciting show on Living in Spanglish, broadcast on WBAI FM in New York. I began the show lamenting the challenges faced by Mexico, whose journalists are increasingly assassinated; the Dominican Republic, which is pursuing a highly discriminatory if not racist policy of deporting long-time resident Haitians, and of course, Puerto Rico and its debt crisis. These are the three most populous groups of Latinos in New York, and it would be gratifying if somehow these causes became connected rather than exist in fragments.

I opened the show talking about the latest developments in the Puerto Rico debt crisis, and playing excerpts of an interview with Representative Luis Gutiérrez in early August. I also played a pre-recorded interview with Afro-Colombian band Choc Quib Town, who talked about their new album  El Mismo, as well as their experiences with racism in Colombia, the way they view their fusion of regional music and hiphop, and their love for salsa.

Finally, it was such a big thrill to have my homeboy Flaco Navaja come into the studio, where we talked about his role in the movie Babygirl, which will be released on Itunes, Amazon, and other digital platforms next Tuesday August 25th. We also talked about his other acting work, including a role in Dennis Leary’s show Sex Drugs and Rock n Roll, the old days at the Nuyorican Poets Café, and his participation in John Leguizamo’s new theater piece.

Below are links to the full show, as well as separate soundfiles containing the interviews with Choc Quib Town and Flaco.