There is a moment in our latest episode of The Latino Newsletter podcast with guest Lalo Alcaraz, when our host Michelle Zacarias pivots and asks a question about social media that still resonates with me one day after the episode dropped. It happened when Lalo — one of the most creative and smartest people I have had the pleasure of knowing — was talking about how social media can attract a lot of stupidity to the conversation.

This is the question Michelle asks: “Do you also feel like [social giving is] giving smart people the opportunity to connect with each other or creative people?”

To which Lalo responds: “Oh yes, that's been great, of course, but that is a benefit.”

That little moment perfectly encapsulates how I feel about Lalo Alcaraz. Without social media, I would have never met him, grown to love his creativity, or joined the countless conversations about his award-winning cartoons.

A confession — Lalo and I have never met in real life, but we have been in each other’s social spaces for more than 15 years. We have done a lot to uplift the work each of us does, as well as the work of others. For example, in the early days of Latino Rebels, I asked Lalo to recommend any young cartoonists who might be interested in producing work for us. Without hesitation, he connected me with the uber-talented Julio Salgado, and it all just felt right. Even when Lalo and I might not have agreed on a topic or an issue (shocking! friends not agreeing about everything!), there has always been a feeling of mutual admiration and understanding that putting community first above our individual work was and will always be the focus.

As I have watched Lalo’s career develop and soar for so many years, his drive and hustle inspire me daily to keep moving forward.

His conversation with Michelle is gold. Here is the episode. It’s outstanding.

This episode of The Latino Newsletter podcast was produced by Joaquin Cotler, Juan Diego Ramirez, and Michelle Zacarias. I edited the conversation. The music is by Cast of Characters via Soundstripe.

Season 2 of The Latino Newsletter podcast was made possible through individual donations⁠ and ⁠the Latino Media Consortium⁠.

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Being Latino in America: From Ipsos, “Two in three Latinos feel it is a bad time to be Latino or Hispanic in America, according to a new Axios/Ipsos poll conducted in partnership with Noticias Telemundo. This represents a sharp increase in unease and uncertainty about their place in society over the last year. The poll, conducted among over 1,100 Latino/Hispanic Americans, also finds that fewer Latinos feel like they can live the ‘American Dream’ compared to the past few years. These shifts in opinion come as roughly one in three Latinos indicate they have changed how they go about their daily life due to recent immigration enforcement efforts, and many express concerns about their own physical safety or that of a loved one.”

Mamdani in Puerto Rico: From the Associated Press, “New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani made a triumphant trip to Puerto Rico on Thursday for an annual summit that brings New York politicians and lobbyists to sunny San Juan for strategy meetings, workshops, and boozy confabs.”

Julio Ricardo Varela is the founder of The Latino Newsletter. He is also its current part-time publisher and executive director. He wrote, edited, and published this edition of The Latino Newsletter.

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