The Latino experience of living between two cultures with humor and authenticity

From the first episode it felt the same: as if some lifelong friends invited me to talk with them.

I knew Joanna Hausmann and Jenny Lorenzo as comedians, writers, and actresses, but I had never heard them be so honest and transparent about their own lives.

The name of the podcast,

Hyphenated

, which translates something like 'in the script', already gave clues to what it was all about:

the experience of living between two cultures.

It is a show in English, created by Pitaya Entertainment, which in the end ends up being in

Spanglish,

which is how they speak in their daily lives.

It is narrated from the point of view of two American Latinas (Hausmann, of Venezuelan origin; Lorenzo, of Cuban origin) and other bicultural guests who, like them, break molds and beliefs in their environments, and dare to innovate, to do unexpected mergers.

[This linguist claims that speaking 'Spanglish' brings benefits for the brain]

“Jenny and I make content for our community.

But in this project it was more to invite them to the table to talk with us, ”explained Joanna Hausmann in an interview with Noticias Telemundo.

“It was a more intimate project and more of incorporating people who need to feel that they belong somewhere,

that they belong at our table and that they are part of the conversation, versus just being an audience.

Honestly, sometimes I forget that it's going to be broadcast live. "

Joanna Hausmann and Jenny Lorenzo during their conversation with Noticias Telemundo.

Eulimar Nunez

During the same conversation, Jenny Lorenzo explained that growing up in Miami, Florida, had positive and negative things: “You couldn't talk: don't talk about your health, don't talk about your sexuality.

And then I would ask, 'what is this?

Who the hell cares? '

The more truths we reveal about ourselves, the more other people will identify

and, obviously, they will feel better about themselves. " 

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Being so specific has made them more universal

Both are aware of the diversity of Latinos and that their stories do not represent the entire community, but they share them knowing that they cannot be anyone else;

and that the more honest their stories are, the more universal they become, without the need to speak in a neutral accent.

"This project was more about grabbing a chair and inviting them to the table to talk to us," explains Joanna Hausmann. Courtesy Pitaya Entertainment

Hyphenated

already has more than 20 half-hour episodes that premiere every week.

One of the first was focused on language: on how their accents in Spanish are linked to their identity and how there are feelings that they can only express in that language. 

"There is nothing like swearing in Spanish and explaining how to carry out a task in English," said Hausmann in the episode they made focused on that topic.

While Lorenzo pointed out: “Content creators are proving that

specificity and authenticity do work

.

When it comes to television and film, it's common for them to keep thinking, 'Oh, it's not global enough.'

You have to do it in a way for everyone to understand.

And I don't think that generic works, it's boring

”.

Jenny Lorenzo at the Los Angeles International Latino Film Festival for the premiere of 'In the Heights' in early June.

Axelle / Bauer-Griffin / FilmMagic

But the conversation is not just focused on that, it is extremely varied and zero superficial.

They have talked, for example, about how religion is so linked to identity and how it is capable of shaping culture (Hausmann's family is Jewish, Lorenzo's is Catholic), or

the impact of grandparents on our lives and how they are a connection to the origin

.

Many times they appeal to nostalgia and remember what parties were like with their parents in Caracas or Miami, the details of what they ate and celebrated, and how family and friends were a priority.

Without leaving out health, physical and mental.

The importance of talking about mental and physical health

And that is an issue that distinguishes them, since it is not usual to hear Latino figures speak publicly about these issues frankly.

“For a long time I thought that talking about my mental health, my ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), my anxiety, was revealing too much of myself.

But the moment I started doing it,

I felt better.

As if to say that I have blue eyes, ”said Hausmann in an episode dedicated to mental health, which the audience asked of them.

Hausmann was diagnosed with ADHD when she was about 9 years old.

Lorenzo was diagnosed with the same disorder a few months ago.

"And when I was a child I had obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)," she added in that chapter. 

Pitaya Entertainment is dedicated to producing podcasts for Latinos in the United States, such as 'Hyphenated'.

All of their shows promote diversity, creativity and a sense of community Courtesy Pitaya Entertainment

They are aware that it is much easier for their generation to consult a psychologist and discuss their therapies than it is for their parents' generation.

“Now we have more access, in our generation that issue has evolved.

Britney Spears did not talk about it, but Billie Eilish did

(...) We all have to do therapy to understand why we react in one way or another, "Haussman commented on his podcast. 

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“Now more than ever because of social media, where people only show the positive aspects of their life,

I feel like that is also causing a wave of mental illness

and making people feel inadequate because my face doesn't look like that or whatever. be. I show the pores on my face and talk about how I have a disease that makes me go to the bathroom a lot… and we all poop, ”explained Lorenzo, who suffers from Chron's disease, a digestive tract condition. 

“We all have something that we are trying to work with or understand or fight about about our identity, ourselves, our health and the good thing is that there is always the humor to deal with ...

I became a comedian in large part because I didn't know how to deal with stress and my feeling of inadequate or not fitting in and humor was always a tool to feel like I belonged

or had the tools. Jenny and I talk about the most traumatic moments and then we end it with a joke, not because it is a coping mechanism but because it is literally how we live our lives.

How can we not laugh at the darkest pods?

"Added Hausmann, who a few months ago was diagnosed with skin cancer after a routine checkup and shared the entire process of her operation in an episode of the podcast and through her networks.

Venezuelan-American comedian Joanna Hausmann was a correspondent on 'Bill Nye saves the world' on Netflix after working on Flama, while Cuban-American Jenny Lorenzo is known for her character of Abuela.

She is also one of the founders of PeroLike, BuzzFeed's Latino content platform. Pitaya Entertainment

"Identity has to be something that is changing"

Many things changed for Jenny Lorenzo when she moved to Los Angeles. Growing up in Miami, they'd say things like, “'Do you dress like a jerk, like a

tomboy

, but put on a little makeup, girl. They will think you are this or that. ' Also as I am a

geek.

I loved to dress up and they always looked like the weirdo. The girls looked at me as

weirdo

, and the men too. But when I moved to Los Angeles, I felt more accepted because it is a very artistic city, there are a lot of

nerds

, nobody turns to look at you, you can dress as you want. It is much more accepted to march at your own pace. And also in terms of acceptance ”, he says. “More than with a city, it has to do with Latino culture: there is still homophobia, closed minds. The utopia for me is that people can be as

genderfluid

as they want ”. 

Instead of being what you fight against, identity has to be something that changes and that you understand over time.

The problem with identity is how you are perceived by others, that is the struggle we all deal with.

The moment when we accept each other with all our scripts, dogs to shit, as my mother says.

That's it

.

This is what I am.

I don't have to justify who I am and neither do you.

Nothing to anyone.

You are who you are and that is, ”continues Hausmann.

The & # 039; Spanglish & # 039;

represents the identity of Latinos in the United States.

Dec. 9, 201903: 09

“We are trying to break the schemes and speak without mincing words: 'look, that's how we feel.' And what we have found is that many people feel the same: not represented or like they do not fit in anywhere and it is okay to criticize elements of society or people around you or social expectations. And talking with a friend is the best way to do it, and inviting people to that conversation ”. 

“Jenny and I do things, we create things, maybe we are perceived as having everything

figured out

,

figured out

, but we are understanding it as we move forward and we also have difficulties.

And being honest about that fight is very important for us, and for me, I can speak for myself, and I also tell you as a Venezuelan:

defend the rights of everyone and create content based purely on the acceptance of everyone

, talk –Although from our experiences– with the hope that everyone feels accepted and part of the conversation, without any judgment on our part ever ”.

And they are succeeding.

You can listen to Hyphenated on all podcast platforms.