Border Voices Find Power in “Cruzando Líneas” Podcast

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It’s Thursday, and I’m writing to 1,035 subscribers—excluding that one trolling profile from last night that kept signing up with the [email protected] email repeatedly. (You can read more about that on our Bluesky.) While we tweaked a few things to avoid more trolling, I don’t want to make a big deal out of it. In the moment, though, it was concerning. But we move and stay focused.

This week, Conecta Arizona, a fellow member of the Latino Media Consortium, announced the launch of Season 2 of its Spanish-language podcast, Cruzando Líneas. The podcast, which debuted today, explores deeply personal stories from the U.S.-Mexico border and aims to shift the narrative around migration and resilience.

According to a Spanish-language press release, the 10-episode season will focus on themes ranging from politics and bilingualism to migration, family, and childhood. Each episode features voices from both sides of the border, with many stories produced and narrated by local journalists and immigrants who live between Arizona and Mexico.

“We talk about the lights because everyone else talks about the shadows,” said award-winning Maritza L. Félix, Conecta Arizona’s founder and director, about her goal to highlight stories of hope and strength from the borderlands. (Full disclosure: Maritza personally donated to The Latino Newsletter last year. We also had her on our show in 2024. This is what independent journalists do. Support each other.)

Desirée Yépez, general producer for season 2, described the podcast’s mission as building bridges through authentic storytelling.

“These are stories that invite us to listen to the border and its imaginary divisions through a diversity of voices,” Yépez said.

A Thursday report from The Pivot Fund, a Conecta Arizona funder, notes the organization has become a critical lifeline for Spanish-speaking communities, providing essential news and storytelling that is often overlooked by mainstream outlets. Founded during the pandemic to combat misinformation on WhatsApp, Conecta Arizona has grown into a trusted source of information and inspiration for Arizona’s Spanish-speaking residents.

“We’ve put down roots in a community hungry for journalism that creates original content with our narratives, our accents, and our identity, keeping the community at the center,” Félix said.

Season 2 of Cruzando Líneas is now available on major podcast platforms and will also air on La Hora del Cafecito on La Onda 1190 AM, in collaboration with partner media outlets.

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What We’re Reading

Judges Blocks Trump on Birthright Citizenship: As reported by several outlets (because it feels like 24/7 Trump News All the Time) earlier on Thursday, a federal judge has temporarily blocked the birthright citizenship executive order.

Hispanic Federation’s “LA Ayuda” Wildfire Relief Fund: On Thursday Hispanic Federation announced LA Ayuda, “a wildfire relief fund to provide immediate assistance to immigrant workers who have lose their jobs due to the wildfires that have devastated the Greater Los Angeles region over the past two weeks,” according to a press release.

You can donate here.

Disclosure: Hispanic Federation is a 2024 foundational funder of The Latino Newsletter.

We will be back on Friday with one immigration policy fact sheet that provides a deep analysis of Trump’s executive orders.

Peace.

Julio

About the Author

Julio Ricardo Varela is the founder and publisher of The Latino Newsletter.

Do you believe in creating new journalism lanes for Latinos and Latinas? Do you believe that U.S. mainstream outlets will never understand our community? Consider donating to The Latino Newsletter. Any little bit helps to keep this newsletter free and accessible to all. ¡Gracias mil!