I had just sent a voice note to my friend when a curious feeling came over me. "Let me listen back to it," I thought to myself. As I did, an even stranger feeling came over me, a lack of recognition of my own voice. You see, I've been code-switching so long that sometimes I'm unsure where the real me begins. Obviously, this was my friend, so I was being genuine in my language. However, as someone who has been a professional for many years, as well as an academic, the voice that I heard on playback was just one of many. And for a lot of modern-day Latines, this is another aspect of the identit ..read more

I make a living acting in the machine known as Hollywood - an industry that commodifies me but isn't for me. An industry where if I am using my hands too much on camera, the director shouts in all seriousness, "Not so much of the ethnic hands!" "White hands, Chris, white hands," I whisper to myself while smiling. By the way - that is a true story. The essence of what I do is put myself in spaces where I must be chosen, where I must be selected as worthy enough to portray this thing. Beyond the ability to act, a large portion has to do with whether I am physically and aesthetically appealing ..read more

Ask anybody from New York, and they'll tell you that summers in the city are special. They are so special that they've been immortalized in great works of literature, cinema, and songs for decades now. Perhaps most famously on the Latine side of things, El Gran Combo's "Un Verano En Nueva York" stands as an ode to New York City summer and everything it brings with it: street festivals, block parties, boat tours, beach days. And for many Latines in the city, summertime marks the return of a time-honored tradition: Latin dance nights. As a kid, my father had my sister and me on the weekends, an ..read more

In our Q&A /feature series Tell Me Más, we ask some of our favorite Latine celebs to share some inside info about their lives and some of the ways they are prioritizing their mental health. This month, we spoke with Colombian rising star Elsa y Elmar about dealing with burnout, safeguarding her mental health, and how all this impacted the process of creating her latest album, "PALACIO." Elsa Margarita Carvajal is no stranger to success. Better known by her stage name, Elsa y Elmar, the Latin Grammy-nominated singer has been making waves in the music scene for more than a decade. But with ..read more

About a year ago, J Balvin, whose full name is José Álvaro Osorio Balvín, told PS why he took a year to prioritize his wellness and focus on his family. The Colombian reggaetónero - who has become one of the biggest stars in musica urbano and the second most streamed Latin artist on Spotify - needed some time to recharge after the release of his 2021 album "JOSE." And it looks like taking time to slow down and be present with his partner of six years, model Valentina Ferrer, and their 3-year-old son, Río, has paid off. His latest album, "Rayo," reveals a newly energized Balvin. In this album ..read more

I have a deep yearning for uniting people. I believe that one of my purposes in this life is to bring people together in a way that transcends status, class, and occupation, creating a space where everyone feels truly united and understood. That's why in 2022, I decided to launch my first El Teteo party in Los Angeles, driven by a longing for something that reminded me of my home in NYC. I was feeling homesick and needed to feel connected to my roots and my community. El Teteo serves as an extension of what I was taught: to find moments of joy through pain, troubles, and hard work. For me, co ..read more

There's no time like back-to-school season to give your book stack the refresh it needs. But if you're anything like me, your "want to read" shelf continues to grow with beach reads, sexy romance novels, and much-anticipated releases. To help us decide what to read next, we tapped the experts: folks who read and write for a living. Ahead of the new school year, we asked some of our favorite Black authors to share their must-reads by fellow Black writers. We asked bestselling authors like Nicola Yoon, Tia Williams, Mateo Askaripour, and more for their suggestions. Whether it's a book they've b ..read more

In our Q&A /feature series Tell Me Más, we ask some of our favorite Latine celebs to share some inside info about their lives and some of the ways they are prioritizing their mental health. This month, we spoke with reggaetón artist Moffa on how being adopted by his Puerto Rican parents impacted his music, identity and the way he navigates the world. It's impossible to talk about rising acts of reggaetón in 2024 without mentioning Moffa. The 22-year-old Puerto Rican artist has seen his star power grow at lightspeed over the last two years. In 2022, he was one of the lucky three young acts ..read more

When fellow emerging comedian Glorelys Mora and I first met in the comedy scene - it was an instant connection. I was in awe of her ability to capture and materialize people's need for expression through comedy. Her determination and contagious, guttural laugh drew me in, and we quickly bonded over our shared experiences and challenges as Dominican comedians. As comics, we spent hours discussing how difficult it was to gain support and recognition in an industry that often overlooks voices like ours. Our conversations sparked a vision: to create a dedicated platform that would elevate Dominic ..read more

Last week, Sofia Vergara made history at the Emmys as the first Latina to be nominated for best lead actress in a limited series for her role in Netflix's "Griselda." This nomination comes after years of Vergara battling a double-edged sword: her undeniable talent and her Colombian accent, which were both part of the path she'd carved with her iconic portrayal of Gloria Pritchett on "Modern Family." Despite the success that "Modern Family" had - winning 22 Primetime Emmy Awards and garnering 85 nominations since its 2009 debut - Vergara has been vocal about the limitations the industry placed ..read more