John Carlos Frey
Six-time Emmy award-winning journalist and documentary filmmaker John Carlos Frey shares his unconventional journey from Hollywood actor to investigative reporter covering immigration and border issues — a transition sparked by learning about the horrors that transpired on California's All-American Canal.
He discusses the whitewashing of immigrant stories, the limitations of 90-second news segments, and why ICE and Border Patrol escalate violence instead of diffusing it.
This episode of The Latino Newsletter podcast was produced by Joaquín Cotler, Juan Diego Ramírez, and Michelle Zacarias. Julio Ricardo Varela 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.
We are already raising funds for Season 3 of our podcast. Give to us anytime!
What We’re Listening to (and Reading)
Alberto’s Flags: This week, the team at Radio Ambulante is amplifying one of the latest episodes of La Brega’s newest season — the story of Alberto Mercados, a young Puerto Rican boxer, who represented his country during the 1980 Moscow Olympics, the one the United States boycotted. For more Season 3 episodes of La Brega, click here.
Latino Community Foundation Launches Protection Fund: Earlier this month, the Latino Community Foundation (LCF) announced a new national Community Protection Fund, seeded with $500,000, to support grassroots Latino- and immigrant-serving organizations working to hold ICE accountable and protect families harmed by aggressive immigration enforcement. The fund will support rapid response systems, legal advocacy, monitoring of enforcement activity, policy and oversight work, and direct support for affected families, with initial grantees across California, Minnesota, and Nevada.
LCF was The Latino Newsletter’s inaugural funder in 2024. More about our donor transparency here.
And finally, from all of us at The Latino Newsletter, congratulations to legendary journalist Maria Hinojosa, who was awarded this year’s George Polk Career Award.
Happy weekend from all of us at The Latino Newsletter.
Consider donating to The Latino Newsletter. Any contribution, no matter how small, helps keep this newsletter free and accessible to all. ¡Gracias mil!