[ad_1]
María de los Ángeles Mendoza sat in the studio of Santa Rosa’s Radio 89.1 Saturday afternoon, minutes before going live.
She carefully adjusts the knobs on the soundboard as she taps her feet to the beat of her catchy intro track “La Carcacha” by Selena. Mendoza smiled warmly as she told her guest sitting in front of her, “you’re going to do great.”
Then it was show time.
“And you’re listening to her Voces de Mujeres program,” Mendoza said into the microphone as the sound levels on the screen behind her rose and fell.
Mendoza, 42, is one of the three hosts of “Voces de Mujeres” on a rotating basis. The show, which is one of the oldest female-hosted radio shows since it began in the late 1970s, airs Saturdays from 1 to 2 p.m. on KBBF, Santa Rosa’s bilingual radio station. Interviews are in Spanish, English and Spanish.
As host, Mendoza highlights the compelling yet complex stories of Latinas from all walks of life: a single mother in the community, a first-generation student going to college, a thriving business owner, and a community leader fighting for the rights of women farmworkers. just to name a few.
Through Mendoza’s eyes, no story is ordinary and every woman has something to tell.
“Our stories are important and valid,” Mendoza said with fury in her eyes. “Life doesn’t just pass us by – it’s what we do that matters, whether you’re a housewife, a businesswoman or a fresh graduate. Even if the person doesn’t feel like what they did is important because it’s not mentioned in an article or on TV, their story matters.
Growing up in the San Rafael Canal neighborhood, she remembers helping her parents grow fruit in their community garden—placing seeds in the soil while listening to their stories of growing vegetables in fields near their home in Mexico.
Mendoza’s mother, Ana Maria, was the oldest of nine children who immigrated to the United States alone at 23 in 1978. She arrived in Marin County, then she had the challenging tasks of navigating herself in a new country and a new language.
“Her immigration story was something I always wanted to hear, even though I’ve heard it a million times,” Mendoza said.
At age 13, Mendoza saw her mother use her voice for a good cause, participating in rallies and marches for immigration reform in Marin County.
Her mother finally became a citizen in 1996. Then Mendoza helped her mother’s six siblings in Mexico come to the United States.
“It made me realize how important it is to use your voice,” Mendoza said. “My mother was a voice for her brothers and sisters. I knew I wanted to learn how to use mine.
These experiences led her to major in sociology and Chicano/Latino studies at Sonoma State University, join a school leadership program, and attend a storytelling workshop. These programs and connections helped Mendoza become more confident in sharing her voice with others.
“I spoke in my classes and started sharing my story and my parent’s immigration experience,” she said. “That’s when things started to change. I was no longer afraid to speak. I wasn’t afraid to share my story.”
In 2016, Mendoza met Maria K. Mendoza, one of the hosts of Voces de Mujeres, while volunteering for a local non-profit organization. After meeting the other host, Amalia Contardi, the two invited Mendoza to share her story with the audience on air. The following year, they met again after Contardi noticed that Mendoza was hosting the station every week. After learning of Mendoza’s hopes to bring women from other counties to the show, Contardi invited her to become a showrunner in 2018.
“It was obvious she loved radio,” Contardi said. “She had feminist ideas and dreams and was so open. Her interviews are wonderful, she adds her personal touch and roles with the punches when she makes mistakes. She brings so much joy to this show.”
Then, in 2019, Mendoza agreed to be the third host of “Voces de Mujeres.”
“I didn’t know I would enjoy hosting this show the way I do – it’s part of who I am now,” she said.
During the hour-long show, she breaks the episode into three-song segments—all chosen by her guest and each having an inspiring connection to their lives. Mendoza will then take the picks, plus a few more songs, and carefully place them into sections based on the tone of the conversation.
One thing that sets Mendoza apart from her fellow hosts is that she highlights women in surrounding counties as well.
“I wanted to pave that way for women from different areas who could sit in Sonoma County via air or phone and share and engage with other women’s stories,” she said.
When Mendoza hosts, it’s not just about giving Latinas a platform, it’s about imparting wisdom to other women who come on the show.
In the same way that her mother’s story inspires her, Mendoza is influenced by the stories the women share with her on the show. One guest, Samantha, 18, who lived in Mendoza’s childhood neighborhood, talks about transitioning from the juvenile justice system to foster care and then finally living on her own.
She interviewed her younger sister Myra, who shared her experiences as a nursing student.
“She’s always had a passion for the community and for empowering women, especially women of color,” said her sister, 35, who lives in Oakland. “When she interviewed me, I was taken back by the positive energy she radiated to the callers. I am proud to have a sister who always inspires and motivates those around her.”
A listener called after hearing that story and said it inspired her to go back to nursing school, Mendoza said.
In 2023, she hopes to have two authors guest on the show. One of them is her favorite author, Reyna Grande, a Mexican writer who writes books about her life before and after arriving in the United States as an undocumented immigrant child. The other is Isabel Allende, a local Chilean author.
Since Mendoza created an Instagram for the show, she plans to expand and reach women online who live across the country.
“I want people to know that sharing their story is more important than they think,” Mendoza said. “You never know how your story affects others.”
Staff writer Mya Constantino can be reached at mya.constantino@pressdemocrat.com. @searchingformya on Twitter.
[ad_2]
Source link