{"id":5061987,"date":"2024-06-23T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-06-23T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/walatinonews.com\/?p=5061987"},"modified":"2024-06-23T08:00:00","modified_gmt":"2024-06-23T08:00:00","slug":"victoria-matey-cultivating-connections-in-the-undocumented-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/waln\/2024\/06\/23\/victoria-matey-cultivating-connections-in-the-undocumented-community\/","title":{"rendered":"Victoria Matey: Cultivating Connections in the Undocumented Community"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWelcome back to \u2018A Shot of Truth\u2019 podcast. A podcast dedicated to building a network focused on knowledge sharing, celebrating, and storytelling for and with undocumented people. I\u2019m your host, Victoria Matey, and it\u2019s time for a shot of truth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These are the words that greet anyone who tunes into this podcast, which has produced more than 100 episodes since it started in 2018. Behind the warm, genuine voice is a multifaceted individual deeply dedicated to teaching about and facilitating learning within the undocumented community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Victoria Matey, the host of <a href=\"https:\/\/shotoftruthpodcast.com\/\">\u201cA Shot of Truth,\u201d<\/a> is a queer, undocumented creator and community educator based in Bellingham, Wash. She is also a friend, a mentor, a mother, and an activist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"835\" height=\"855\" src=\"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/waln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2024\/06\/victoria-matey-podcast-setup.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5061988\" srcset=\"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/waln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2024\/06\/victoria-matey-podcast-setup.png 835w, https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/waln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2024\/06\/victoria-matey-podcast-setup-293x300.png 293w, https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/waln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2024\/06\/victoria-matey-podcast-setup-768x786.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 835px) 100vw, 835px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/waln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2024\/06\/Victoria-Matey-Interview-Clip.mp3\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since she was young, Matey has been aware of and open about her undocumented status. Starting in middle school, she began to use class presentations and projects to teach about the undocumented experience and to understand it herself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When she entered Western Washington University (WWU), she became active in the newly established Blue Group, a university organization supporting undocumented students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Matey said the idea to start a podcast came from Caleb Nelson, a friend who is also the current production lead and editor of \u201cA Shot of Truth.\u201d It began as a passion project for Matey, Nelson, and former co-host Olga Araceli.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since then, it has blossomed into a space of creation and storytelling by and for undocumented individuals across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOur weekly outings together \u2014 having drinks at the bar and talking about random things, turned into building an entire podcast that has over 25,000 downloads and has connected me to people all over the nation that I\u2019ve gotten to really understand in a different way,\u201d Matey said. \u201cIt has shifted so much of who I am.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cA Shot of Truth\u201d challenges the narratives of the undocumented immigrant experience in today\u2019s news media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For instance, in 2022, Matey did an episode with Ju Hong, the host of the podcast <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/immigrasians\/\">\u201cImmigrAsians,\u201d<\/a> shedding light on the struggles of undocumented Asian immigrants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the episode \u201cQueer in Texas,\u201d Luis Rosales, the founder of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/lovefearfoundation\/\">Love&amp;Fear Foundation<\/a>, discusses his experience growing up undocumented and queer in a conservative state and how its racist, machismo culture affected him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The show&#8217;s kaleidoscope of individuals and experiences and its more complete view of undocumented individuals are byproducts of Matey\u2019s goal for the podcast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAt the end of the day, I don\u2019t do it for the people that I need to convince or the people that have their doubts or negative inputs,\u201d Matey said. \u201cI do it to create a safe space for undocu folks and DACA recipients to talk about what they&#8217;re going through and what is on their mind and how they want to share that with the world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That includes Matey herself.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the most recent episode of \u201cA Shot of Truth,\u201d she tells the story of her experience returning to Mexico for the first time in 27 years and soon after the death of her father. It is a profoundly candid and vulnerable episode that weaves Matey\u2019s personal story with the greater socio-political context surrounding it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt always surprises me how open she is about a lot of stuff, like very heavy topics,\u201d said Tania Dominquez-Rangel. \u201cShe\u2019s not afraid to really talk about it, and through that, I\u2019ve learned the importance of being vulnerable when you\u2019re making connections. It\u2019s very important that you can be vulnerable so people can be vulnerable with you, too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dominquez-Rangel is a Latina filmmaker currently based in Los Angeles and a previous guest on \u201cA Shot of Truth.\u201d On the podcast, Dominquez-Rangel talked about her filmmaking and podcasting and how being a DACA recipient impacted her school life and her artistic work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She followed the podcast before she met Matey, and she said that collaborating with Matey taught her a lot about the technical and human sides of podcast hosting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Matey posts episodes of \u201cA Shot of Truth\u201d when inspiration strikes and time allows, which Dominquez-Rangel said soothed her preoccupation with the branding and consistency of her podcast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWorking with Vicky, it was: prioritize the authenticity,\u201d said Dominquez-Rangel. \u201cPrioritize the conversation. Even if that means you can\u2019t have a guest every week, or even every month, what\u2019s important is getting those stories out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition to hosting \u201cA Shot of Truth,\u201d Matey works as a fellowship lead and community engagement coordinator for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.culturalleadershipfellowship.org\/\">Cultural Leadership Fellowship<\/a>, a program run by Washington state-based nonprofit Scholar Fund that gives undocumented individuals the opportunity to engage in learning through international travel. Matey started as a fellow herself when she traveled with the program\u2019s pilot group to Guatemala in early 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Alejandra P\u00e9rez is a trip lead and the director of education strategy at the fellowship. P\u00e9rez founded the program with friend and colleague Yuriana Garcia Tellez to give undocumented individuals no longer in school an opportunity to travel abroad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou know how to get work done, and you do it in such a compassionate and people-centered way that it comes out just very beautifully,\u201d P\u00e9rez said about Matey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Through \u201cA Shot of Truth\u201d and Matey\u2019s other community-engaged work, she has touched the lives of many people and exposed many more to the intersectional struggles of undocumented individuals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While she does not know when the next episode of \u201cA Shot of Truth\u201d will air, it will undoubtedly be as authentic and impactful as everything Matey has undertaken so far.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThat was \u2018A Shot of Truth.\u2019 Until next time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cover Photo: A portrait of Victoria Matey, the digital creator and community educator behind the \u201cA Shot of Truth\u201d podcast, posted on the podcast\u2019s Instagram, @shotoftruthpodcast, on Feb. 3, 2023. Matey began in the podcast in 2018 with friends Caleb Nelson and Olga Araceli. (Courtesy of Victoria Matey)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Isabel Smith is a second-year student at the University of Washington completing a double major in journalism and public interest communication and political science. They are dedicated to using historical and political context to more comprehensively report on the joy and challenges of marginalized communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Publisher\u2019s Notes: Washington Latino News and a class in the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/com.uw.edu\/undergraduate\/journalism-public-interest-communication-major\/jpic-overview\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Journalism and Public Interest Communication program<\/a>\u00a0at the\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washington.edu\/\">University of Washington<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>are\u00a0partners\u00a0in best serving the Hispanic and Latino communities.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A Shot of Truth: a space of creation and storytelling by and for undocumented individuals across the country.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":5061991,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","ghostkit_customizer_options":"","ghostkit_custom_css":"","ghostkit_custom_js_head":"","ghostkit_custom_js_foot":"","ghostkit_typography":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":"","_ppma_block_editor_authors":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[23,102,25,49,5638],"ppma_author":[6041],"class_list":["post-5061987","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","tag-hispanics","tag-immigrants","tag-latinos","tag-media","tag-undocuemnted-immigrants"],"acf":[],"mb":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/waln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2024\/06\/victoria-matey-photo-e1719191042188.png",658,567,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/waln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2024\/06\/victoria-matey-photo-e1719191042188-150x150.png",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/waln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2024\/06\/victoria-matey-photo-e1719191042188-300x259.png",300,259,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/waln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2024\/06\/victoria-matey-photo-e1719191042188.png",658,567,false],"large":["https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/waln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2024\/06\/victoria-matey-photo-e1719191042188.png",658,567,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/waln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2024\/06\/victoria-matey-photo-e1719191042188.png",658,567,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/waln\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/11\/2024\/06\/victoria-matey-photo-e1719191042188.png",658,567,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"","author_link":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/waln\/2024\/06\/23\/victoria-matey-cultivating-connections-in-the-undocumented-community\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"A Shot of Truth: a space of creation and storytelling by and for undocumented individuals across the country.","authors":[{"term_id":6041,"user_id":0,"is_guest":1,"slug":"isabel-smith","display_name":"Isabel Smith","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0daae347662ddfd7d235cdb85bb7e610aaf3f0afe1ef3b2f8a72b595c2963631?s=96&d=mm&r=g","avatar_alt":"","avatar_decorative":"","author_category":"","first_name":"","last_name":"","user_url":"","job_title":"","description":""}],"mfb_acf":[],"mfb_rest_fields":["title","uagb_featured_image_src","uagb_author_info","uagb_comment_info","uagb_excerpt","authors"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/waln\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5061987","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/waln\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/waln\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/waln\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5061987"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/waln\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5061987\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/waln\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5061991"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/waln\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5061987"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/waln\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5061987"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/waln\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5061987"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/waln\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=5061987"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}