Our America with Julián Castro

Foster care youth experience disproportionate rates of homelessness, incarceration, food insecurity, and trauma. The pandemic has only made things more uncertain. With the odds so stacked against them, how can we ensure that foster youth will be able to build a sustainable future for themselves once they transition out of the system and are no longer eligible for the benefits they previously relied on? Franco Vega and Amber Baker of the RightWay Foundation join us on this week’s episode to address these questions and share the extreme hurdles they overcame as foster youth themselves. Keep up with Julián on twitter @JulianCastro and Instagram @JulianCastroTX. Resources from this episode: Keep up with The RightWay Foundation here. Learn more about the foster care system with this handy collection of links courtesy of The Marshall Project. Support the show by checking out our sponsors You can digitally purchase life insurance from Haven Life Insurance Agency at havenlife.com/ouramerica. Haven Term is a Term Life Insurance Policy (ICC17DTC) issued by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual), Springfield, MA 01111 and offered exclusively through Haven Life Insurance Agency, LLC. Policy and rider form numbers and features may vary by state and not be available in all states. Our Agency license number in California is 0K71922 and in Arkansas, 100139527. The Marguerite Casey Foundation, creating greater freedom for changemakers to create a truly representative economy. Learn more at caseygrants.org, and connect with the Foundation on Twitter and Facebook. To follow along with a transcript and/or take notes for friends and family, go to https://www.lemonadamedia.com/show/our-america shortly after the air date. Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martin Macias and his wife, Tomasita, crossed the border from Mexico into the United States back in the ‘80s with the dream of starting a family. They had their son Jose, and together they became community leaders in the fight for immigrant rights and workers’ benefits. But their journey is marked with unimaginable loss – of a job, their home, and the family’s matriarch. This week, we’re talking about the life and death consequences of what happens when workers are denied basic benefits like paid time off. The father-son activist duo talk about Tomasita’s lasting impact, and what it’s going to take to make economic progress for undocumented immigrant families in our country. Keep up with Julián on twitter @JulianCastro and Instagram @JulianCastroTX. Resources from this episode: Follow Make The Road Nevada’s advocacy updates on their webpage and on Twitter. Keep up with the Fight For $15 here. Check out Informed Immigrants’ comprehensive list of immigrant rights resources and the National Employment Law Project’s fact sheet on immigrant workers’ rights and COVID-19. Support the show by checking out our sponsors You can digitally purchase life insurance from Haven Life Insurance Agency at havenlife.com/ouramerica. Haven Term is a Term Life Insurance Policy (ICC17DTC) issued by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual), Springfield, MA 01111 and offered exclusively through Haven Life Insurance Agency, LLC. Policy and rider form numbers and features may vary by state and not be available in all states. Our Agency license number in California is 0K71922 and in Arkansas, 100139527. The Marguerite Casey Foundation, creating greater freedom for changemakers to create a truly representative economy. Learn more at caseygrants.org, and connect with the Foundation on Twitter and Facebook. To follow along with a transcript and/or take notes for friends and family, go to https://www.lemonadamedia.com/show/our-america shortly after the air date. Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Happy Thanksgiving! This week, we’re airing a rerun of the very first episode of Our America featuring Rosie and Joaquin Castro. In 2012, on the stage of the Democratic National Convention, Julián Castro described the American Dream as a relay. In the first episode of Our America, we dig into the Castro family’s backstory. We follow the baton passing from one generation to the next, starting with Julián’s grandmother immigrating to the US nearly 100 years ago. Julián and his twin brother, Congressman Joaquin Castro, talk about their journey from the segregated West Side of San Antonio to the national stage. We also meet their mom, Rosie, an activist in her own right, who highlights raising her sons with a strong sense of Mexican-American identity and how that helped shape their life’s trajectory. Keep up with Julián on twitter @JulianCastro and Instagram @JulianCastroTX. Support the show by checking out our sponsors You can digitally purchase life insurance from Haven Life Insurance Agency at havenlife.com/ouramerica. Haven Term is a Term Life Insurance Policy (ICC17DTC) issued by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual), Springfield, MA 01111 and offered exclusively through Haven Life Insurance Agency, LLC. Policy and rider form numbers and features may vary by state and not be available in all states. Our Agency license number in California is 0K71922 and in Arkansas, 100139527. The Marguerite Casey Foundation, creating greater freedom for changemakers to create a truly representative economy. Learn more at caseygrants.org, and connect with the Foundation on Twitter and Facebook. To follow along with a transcript and/or take notes for friends and family, go to https://www.lemonadamedia.com/show/our-america shortly after the air date. Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Below the iconic Las Vegas Strip, another reality exists in stark contrast to the gambling and entertainment excesses. This week, Louis Lacey of HELP of Southern Nevada paints the picture of homelessness in the city’s drainage tunnels, and how his personal experience with homelessness has influenced his community outreach work. We also talk with Emily Paulsen of the Nevada Homeless Alliance about solutions to homelessness and the state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. Keep up with Julián on twitter @JulianCastro and Instagram @JulianCastroTX. Resources from this episode: Follow HELP of Southern Nevada and the Nevada Homeless Alliance’s community initiatives on Twitter. Support the show by checking out our sponsors You can digitally purchase life insurance from Haven Life Insurance Agency at havenlife.com/ouramerica. Haven Term is a Term Life Insurance Policy (ICC17DTC) issued by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual), Springfield, MA 01111 and offered exclusively through Haven Life Insurance Agency, LLC. Policy and rider form numbers and features may vary by state and not be available in all states. Our Agency license number in California is 0K71922 and in Arkansas, 100139527. The Marguerite Casey Foundation, creating greater freedom for changemakers to create a truly representative economy. Learn more at caseygrants.org, and connect with the Foundation on Twitter and Facebook. To follow along with a transcript and/or take notes for friends and family, go to https://www.lemonadamedia.com/show/our-america shortly after the air date. Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With the presidential election at the forefront of everyone’s minds, we’re unpacking the 2020 election results and Latino voter turnout with Joaquin Castro, who recently won his own reelection to Congress. We talk about what the Democratic win actually means for President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, and what still needs to happen to restore and sustain democracy in our country and around the world. Keep up with Julián on twitter @JulianCastro and Instagram @JulianCastroTX. Joaquin is on twitter and Instagram @JoaquinCastrotx. Support the show by checking out our sponsors You can digitally purchase life insurance from Haven Life Insurance Agency at havenlife.com/ouramerica. Haven Term is a Term Life Insurance Policy (ICC17DTC) issued by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual), Springfield, MA 01111 and offered exclusively through Haven Life Insurance Agency, LLC. Policy and rider form numbers and features may vary by state and not be available in all states. Our Agency license number in California is 0K71922 and in Arkansas, 100139527. The Marguerite Casey Foundation, creating greater freedom for changemakers to create a truly representative economy. Learn more at caseygrants.org, and connect with the Foundation on Twitter and Facebook. To follow along with a transcript and/or take notes for friends and family, go to https://www.lemonadamedia.com/show/our-america shortly after the air date. Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After nearly a decade in the military, Jason Kander had grown accustomed to the demands of deployment in Afghanistan -- but it was his return to civilian life that presented the biggest challenges for him and his family. Today, Kander talks about life during and after service, the career shift into politics that led him to seek treatment for his PTSD, and the dangers of thinking of trauma as “unearned.” Resources from this episode: If you or a veteran you know are struggling, dial 1-800-273-8255 and press 1 to reach the Veterans Crisis Line. You can also text 838255 or chat online at www.veteranscrisisline.net. Keep up with the Veterans Community Project to learn about progress within the homeless veteran population. Learn more about voter suppression and what you can do about it at Let America Vote. Listen to Jason’s weekly podcast, Majority 54, to learn about combating political misinformation and winning progressive campaigns in red states. Keep up with Julián on twitter @JulianCastro and Instagram @JulianCastroTX Support the show by checking out our sponsors You can digitally purchase life insurance from Haven Life Insurance Agency at havenlife.com/ouramerica. Haven Term is a Term Life Insurance Policy (ICC17DTC) issued by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual), Springfield, MA 01111 and offered exclusively through Haven Life Insurance Agency, LLC. Policy and rider form numbers and features may vary by state and not be available in all states. Our Agency license number in California is 0K71922 and in Arkansas, 100139527. The Marguerite Casey Foundation, creating greater freedom for changemakers to create a truly representative economy. Learn more at caseygrants.org, and connect with the Foundation on Twitter and Facebook. To follow along with a transcript and/or take notes for friends and family, go to https://www.lemonadamedia.com/show/our-america shortly after the air date. Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Stacey Abrams and Angela Lang are no strangers to voter suppression. In their respective states of Georgia and Wisconsin, they have seen communities of color disproportionately silenced time and again by restrictive voting measures. This week we sit down with each of them to talk about knocking on doors, getting out the vote, and what it means to have representation in positions of power, particularly in this moment in history. With less than a week left, we consider how our collective voting power will determine the fate of the country for the next four years and beyond. Follow Fair Fight on Twitter Follow Black Leaders Organizing for Communities (BLOC) on Twitter Keep up with Julián on twitter @JulianCastro and Instagram @JulianCastroTX Support the show by checking out our sponsors You can digitally purchase life insurance from Haven Life Insurance Agency at havenlife.com/ouramerica. Haven Term is a Term Life Insurance Policy (ICC17DTC) issued by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual), Springfield, MA 01111 and offered exclusively through Haven Life Insurance Agency, LLC. Policy and rider form numbers and features may vary by state and not be available in all states. Our Agency license number in California is 0K71922 and in Arkansas, 100139527. The Marguerite Casey Foundation, creating greater freedom for changemakers to create a truly representative economy. Learn more at caseygrants.org, and connect with the Foundation on Twitter and Facebook. If you’re looking to switch up your workout routine, why not try boxing from the comfort of your own home? FightCamp’s 12-week starter program has 400 different workouts to teach you the fundamentals of boxing. Try it for 30 days with their money-back guarantee at www.joinfightcamp.com/castro. To follow along with a transcript and/or take notes for friends and family, go to https://www.lemonadamedia.com/show/our-america shortly after the air date. Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2018, MSNBC journalist Jacob Soboroff was among the select few to visit Casa Padre, one of the detention centers at the epicenter of the border crisis. What he saw there was cruel, unjust, and part of a long, complicated story. Soboroff joins us this week to talk about reporting at overcrowded facilities, and the families he met who were forcibly separated. Their perspectives shed light on the inhumanity of Trump’s zero-tolerance policy, chronicled in Jacob’s book, “Separated: Inside an American Tragedy.” Purchase “Separated: Inside an American Tragedy” online from your local bookstore Follow Jacob Soboroff on Twitter Keep up with Julián on twitter @JulianCastro and Instagram @JulianCastroTX Support the show by checking out our sponsors You can digitally purchase life insurance from Haven Life Insurance Agency at havenlife.com/ouramerica. Haven Term is a Term Life Insurance Policy (ICC17DTC) issued by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual), Springfield, MA 01111 and offered exclusively through Haven Life Insurance Agency, LLC. Policy and rider form numbers and features may vary by state and not be available in all states. Our Agency license number in California is 0K71922 and in Arkansas, 100139527. The Marguerite Casey Foundation, creating greater freedom for changemakers to create a truly representative economy. Learn more at caseygrants.org, and connect with the Foundation on Twitter and Facebook. To follow along with a transcript and/or take notes for friends and family, go to https://www.lemonadamedia.com/show/our-america shortly after the air date. Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After George Floyd’s death, Americans grappled with 8 minutes and 46 seconds of police brutality caught on tape. Protests erupted across the country as Americans took to the streets to declare “Black Lives Matter.” As a country, we had to reckon, again, with the idea that not all law enforcement believes this slogan to be true. Policy analyst and Campaign Zero co-founder Sam Sinyangwe talks to us about the microaggressions of his childhood that inspired his data collection on policing in America. We talk to Sam about why our system of policing is broken, and what organizations like his are doing to reimagine public safety. Learn more about Campaign Zero, Mapping Police Violence, and #NixThe6 Follow Sam Sinyangwe on Twitter Keep up with Julián on twitter @JulianCastro and Instagram @JulianCastroTX Support the show by checking out our sponsors You can digitally purchase life insurance from Haven Life Insurance Agency at havenlife.com/ouramerica. Haven Term is a Term Life Insurance Policy (ICC17DTC) issued by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual), Springfield, MA 01111 and offered exclusively through Haven Life Insurance Agency, LLC. Policy and rider form numbers and features may vary by state and not be available in all states. Our Agency license number in California is 0K71922 and in Arkansas, 100139527. The Marguerite Casey Foundation, creating greater freedom for changemakers to create a truly representative economy. Learn more at caseygrants.org, and connect with the Foundation on Twitter and Facebook. To follow along with a transcript and/or take notes for friends and family, go to https://www.lemonadamedia.com/show/our-america shortly after the air date. Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode brings us to a mobile home park in Waukee, Iowa, where we meet 93-year-old Arletta Swain and her neighbor Matt Chapman. These manufactured housing communities were one of the last remaining affordable housing options in the US - at least they were, until private equity firms came into the picture. Today, we talk to the two neighbors about what grassroots activism looks like when you’re up against a 70% rent hike and, in Arletta’s words, “money-crazy” folks. Learn more about the affordable housing group, MHAction, and follow them on Facebook Follow Matt Chapman’s activism on Twitter See Arletta with her impressive trees! Keep up with Julián on twitter @JulianCastro and Instagram @JulianCastroTX Support the show by checking out our sponsors You can digitally purchase life insurance from Haven Life Insurance Agency at havenlife.com/ouramerica. Haven Term is a Term Life Insurance Policy (ICC17DTC) issued by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual), Springfield, MA 01111 and offered exclusively through Haven Life Insurance Agency, LLC. Policy and rider form numbers and features may vary by state and not be available in all states. Our Agency license number in California is 0K71922 and in Arkansas, 100139527. The Marguerite Casey Foundation, creating greater freedom for changemakers to create a truly representative economy. Learn more at caseygrants.org, and connect with the Foundation on Twitter and Facebook. To follow along with a transcript and/or take notes for friends and family, go to https://www.lemonadamedia.com/show/our-america shortly after the air date. Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Julián and Elizabeth Warren developed a close friendship this past year - from sharing a debate stage to campaigning alongside each other across the country. This week, we’re joined by the Massachusetts senator, who shares her perspective on humble beginnings and making sacrifices for what you believe in. The Oklahoma native talks hope and persistence in the midst of a year that has dealt severe blows to both. Keep up with Julián on twitter @JulianCastro and Instagram @JulianCastroTX Support the show by checking out our sponsors You can digitally purchase life insurance from Haven Life Insurance Agency at havenlife.com/ouramerica. Haven Term is a Term Life Insurance Policy (ICC17DTC) issued by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual), Springfield, MA 01111 and offered exclusively through Haven Life Insurance Agency, LLC. Policy and rider form numbers and features may vary by state and not be available in all states. Our Agency license number in California is 0K71922 and in Arkansas, 100139527. The Marguerite Casey Foundation, creating greater freedom for changemakers to create a truly representative economy. Learn more at caseygrants.org, and connect with the Foundation on Twitter and Facebook. To follow along with a transcript and/or take notes for friends and family, go to https://www.lemonadamedia.com/show/our-america shortly after the air date. Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Back in April, a viral image captured the toll of the coronavirus pandemic on Americans trying to put food on the table. In this episode, we get the story behind that photo from Eric Cooper, president and CEO of the San Antonio Food Bank. He tells us what it’s like running a food bank in the midst of a national crisis, and what’s changed for essential workers on the frontlines of food distribution. Next, we talk to renowned chef and food advocate, José Andrés. In 2010, José and his wife, Patricia, started World Central Kitchen to aid in relief efforts after Haiti’s 2010 earthquake. We talk to José about the immigrant farm workers who have sustained us during the pandemic, and the importance of emergency food distribution, from the Navajo Nation to Kentucky polling places. Keep up with Julián on twitter @JulianCastro and Instagram @JulianCastroTX Support the show by checking out our sponsor You can digitally purchase life insurance from Haven Life Insurance Agency at havenlife.com/ouramerica. Haven Term is a Term Life Insurance Policy (ICC17DTC) issued by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual), Springfield, MA 01111 and offered exclusively through Haven Life Insurance Agency, LLC. Policy and rider form numbers and features may vary by state and not be available in all states. Our Agency license number in California is 0K71922 and in Arkansas, 100139527. The Marguerite Casey Foundation, creating greater freedom for changemakers to create a truly representative economy. Learn more at caseygrants.org, and connect with the Foundation on Twitter and Facebook. Good Kids is back for Season 2 on September 29. This season, we talk to parents, experts, and kids themselves about everything from climate change and mental health to race and mentoring. Listen to the trailer here. Resources from this episode Learn more about the San Antonio Food Bank Learn more about World Central Kitchen To follow along with a transcript and/or take notes for friends and family, go to https://www.lemonadamedia.com/show/our-america shortly after the air date. Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s hard to look at the current administration’s decision to downplay the severity of the Coronavirus without thinking about the Flint water crisis. Both stories reflect the devastating impact of misinformation and government inaction. This week, we return to Flint and talk to a dynamic duo: Pastor Ezra Tillman and First Lady Catrina Tillman. We hear about the incredible work they’re doing to support their community and the progress still left to be done. Join Julián for a wide-ranging conversation that covers everything from environmental racism, Diana Ross, and the kindness of strangers. Keep up with Julián on twitter @JulianCastro and Instagram @JulianCastroTX Resources from this episode Learn move about the First Trinity Missionary Baptist Church through their website and Facebook page. Support The Water Box at 501cTHREE.org Support the show by checking out our sponsor You can digitally purchase life insurance from Haven Life Insurance Agency at havenlife.com/ouramerica. Haven Term is a Term Life Insurance Policy (ICC17DTC) issued by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual), Springfield, MA 01111 and offered exclusively through Haven Life Insurance Agency, LLC. Policy and rider form numbers and features may vary by state and not be available in all states. Our Agency license number in California is 0K71922 and in Arkansas, 100139527. The Marguerite Casey Foundation, creating greater freedom for changemakers to create a truly representative economy. Learn more at caseygrants.org, and connect with the Foundation on Twitter and Facebook. To follow along with a transcript and/or take notes for friends and family, go to https://www.lemonadamedia.com/show/our-america shortly after the air date. Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia. For additional resources, information, and a transcript of the episode, visit lemonadamedia.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2012, on the stage of the Democratic National Convention, Julián Castro described the American Dream as a relay. In the first episode of Our America, we dig into the Castro family’s backstory. We follow the baton passing from one generation to the next, starting with Julián’s grandmother immigrating to the US nearly 100 years ago. Julián and his twin brother, Congressman Joaquin Castro, talk about their journey from the segregated West Side of San Antonio to the national stage. We also meet their mom, Rosie, an activist in her own right, who highlights raising her sons with a strong sense of Mexican-American identity and how that helped shape their life’s trajectory. Keep up with Julián on twitter @JulianCastro and Instagram @JulianCastroTX Support the show by checking out our sponsor You can digitally purchase life insurance from Haven Life Insurance Agency at havenlife.com/ouramerica. Haven Term is a Term Life Insurance Policy (ICC17DTC) issued by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual), Springfield, MA 01111 and offered exclusively through Haven Life Insurance Agency, LLC. Policy and rider form numbers and features may vary by state and not be available in all states. Our Agency license number in California is 0K71922 and in Arkansas, 100139527. To follow along with a transcript and/or take notes for friends and family, go to https://www.lemonadamedia.com/show/our-america shortly after the air date. Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia. For additional resources, information, and a transcript of the episode, visit lemonadamedia.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Launching Thursday, September 10th, this series takes an honest and hopeful look at how drastically the American experience shifts from one person to the next. Join us as we explore why the odds seem stacked against so many, and what we can do to change it. What does your America look like? To share your story, email [email protected]. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Coming September 2020, Our America with Julián Castro features voices that are often unheard in spaces that are often unseen. From mobile home parks in small-town America to underground drainage tunnels beneath the towering casinos of Las Vegas, Julián is on a mission to understand how we got here and, more importantly, how we can do better. What does your America look like? To share your story, email [email protected]. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.