Cristela Alonzo

Cristela Alonzo is the host of Vox Media’s new show Chicano Squad. Follow her on Twitter here and Instagram here.

Kindly introduce yourself and tell us what you do!
I’m Cristela Alonzo and I am a stand-up comic, writer and activist born and raised in a border town in south Texas.

How did you get introduced to the audio space?
It’s a weird mix of answers. Obviously, my introduction says it all. I was introduced to the audio space via podcasting from stand-up comedy. So many of my friends have podcasts and I’ve been doing them for years. Interestingly enough though, I also started working in the voiceover space doing projects for TV and film, which is great and taught me to be comfortable with my voice over the years.

I'm so excited about Chicano Squad and loved the first episode. Why this story?
The story we tell in Chicano Squad is necessary to share because as a Latina that loves history, I’ve always felt that there was a lack of  historical representation of the Latino community’s contributions to this country. We can learn from history, whether it’s good or bad events that happen. I’m also part of a group that is working on getting the Smithsonian American Latino Museum opened. The legislation to establish it just passed in December, so when I saw this story, I knew it was stories like these that the museum should feature. 

Another important reason to also tell this story is that despite the fact that it happened in the 70s’, it is still so relevant to today. Before we even get to the story of Chicano Squad, we take time to tell why the squad got started. We talk about the brutal homicide of a Latino veteran at the hands of the Houston Police Department. Houston broke out into protests about police brutality and race. Sound familiar? Personally, I wanted to show how time can change the particulars of deep-rooted social issues, but sometimes problems remain the same. I think it’s interesting to show that the group itself, the Chicano Squad, started because the Houston Police Department Chief was trying to fix the problem of racism and accessibility they had between themselves and the Latino community.

It seems to me that podcasting is a pretty welcoming space to diverse voices but that's because I seek out shows hosted by women, POC, and LGBTQ people, and it's almost exclusively what I listen to. But in reality, how is this industry doing? How has it changed?
I think the world of podcasts is fantastic because we live in a time where the stories that need to be shared don’t need to be deemed “worthy” by gatekeepers. It’s also changed because with time, the evolution of technology makes it easier for people to access them. The allure of podcasts for me is about learning. I like to learn about people’s experiences that may not be my own. One thing I will always say that every industry can do better is making sure that diverse voices get the attention and marketing that they deserve so that others can find their stories. Too many times I feel like listeners have to go on a scavenger hunt to find a piece of gold. It shouldn’t be like that. Having said that, I do want to acknowledge Vox Media for the awesome job of making sure people hear about this story. It’s important.

What have you learned making the show?
I’ve learned a lot, ranging from the accuracy needed to make sure the truth is told through the work of our fact checkers all the way to the number of people required to make a great podcast; It takes a village. I have the privilege of being the voice of the podcast, but there are people tied to it behind the scenes that make sure it all comes together.

From the story itself, I’ve learned that when you tell a story, even if you come to a topic that might be uncomfortable, you still have to talk about it… because it’s the truth. People deserve to know the truth.

What do you hope the show does for people?
I want people to hear this story and be reminded that Latinos have always been part of this country. We have contributed so much to get this country to the point we are at now and this is just one example of how.

Is there anything I didn’t ask you that you’d like to talk about?
I have a podcast I host as well about myself, the projects I’m working on and what’s on my mind. I had to take a break from doing it because I was working as a surrogate for the Biden/Harris campaign, but I’m back. The podcast is called To Be Continued with Cristela Alonzo available wherever you listen to podcasts.

Thanks, Cristela!