Historias Unknown

Historias Unknown

Obscure Latin American history, capitalism and corruption. Each week, your hosts, Carmen and Cristina, will tell each other a story about Latino/Latine history, capitalism or corruption and sometimes all three. Episodes every Thursday.

Recent Episodes

Sept. 11, 2025

The Beacon Hill School Occupation

On October 11, 1972, Chicano activists led by Roberto Maestas (1938-2010) occupy the abandoned Beacon Hill School. In this episode, Cristina tells Carmen about this historic protest. If you have topic suggestions, feel free t...
Sept. 4, 2025

The Farah Strike

In 1972, 4000 Chicanas and Mexicanas walked out of Farah Manufacturing company, in what would become one of the most significant labor strikes in the US, involving Mexican women.In this episode, Cristina tells Carmen about th...
Aug. 28, 2025

The Laredo Smallpox Riot

a Smallpox outbreak arose in Octobere 1898 in Laredo, but tensions grew when the Texas Rangers were callled to assist in forcibly taking sick people to "pesthouses". In this episode, Cristina tells Carmen about the Laredo Sma...
Aug. 21, 2025

A Flower Traveled in my Blood with Haley Cohen Gilliland

In the early hours of March 24, 1976, the streets of Buenos Aires rumble with tanks as soldiers seize the presidential palace and topple Argentina’s leader. The country is now under the control of a military junta, with army ...
July 31, 2025

The Shady History of Nestle in Latin America Part Two

In the 1970s, the Nestle infant formula controversy came to light. In this episode, Cristina tells Carmen about the infant formula "scandal" (as in babies died), due to shady marketing practices. A lot of these infant deaths ...
July 24, 2025

The Shady History of Nestle in Latin America (and the global south) Part One

In the 1970s, the Nestle infant formula controversy came to light. In this episode, Cristina tells Carmen about the infant formula "scandal" (as in babies died), due to shady marketing practices. A lot of these infant deaths ...

Recent Blog Posts

Jan. 4, 2023

Sylvia Rivera

Sylvia Rivera was born on July 2,1951 in New York City. She is often remembered for the stonewall uprising, but she was much more than that. She identified as a drag queen, she was a trans rights activist, an advocate for unhoused people and a membe…

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July 16, 2022

The Battle of Chavez Ravine

Before it was Dodger Stadium, this part of Los Angeles was a Mexican community known as Chavez Ravine.  These neighborhoods were La Loma, Bishop and Palo Verde. By their own standards, these three neighborhoods were thriving, but the rest of…

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July 15, 2022

The History of Coffee in Guatemala and El Salvador

Coffee has a long history in the Americas. Over 60 percent of the world’s coffee is supplied by Latin America and the majority from Brazil. How did it arrive in the Americas? In 1720, a French Naval officer brought seedlings to Martinique, …

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About the Hosts

Carmen Profile Photo

Carmen

Host

Carmen is the cohost of Espooky Tales and Historias Unknown. She is also a busy social worker that cannot work without her cup of cafecito. She loves to read when she has time, but never has it! She and Carmen also used to do Novelas con Cafecito, a telenovela rewatch podcast (mostly about Teresa) with Cristina.

Cristina Profile Photo

Cristina

Podcast Editor/Producer/Host

Cristina is a freelance podcast editor/producer. She cohosts Espooky Tales and Historias Unknown with Carmen! She loves history, podcasts, spooky things and coffee. You can also contact her if you need a podcast editor.