Sacred Lessons with Mike de la Rocha

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with comedian, actor, and creator Frankie Quiñones for a deeply personal conversation about laughter, trauma, and the courage to tell the truth. From finding refuge in comedy to speaking openly about childhood sexual abuse, addiction, and therapy, Frankie reflects on what it took to stop running from his pain and finally ask for help. Together, Mike and Frankie explore t...

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with Carmen Perez-Jordan, Chicana feminist and longtime movement leader, for a deeply personal conversation about friendship, grief, and liberation. From their shared roots in Oxnard to decades of organizing together, Carmen reflects on transforming the loss of her sister into purpose and the responsibility of carrying forward the lessons of our elders. Together, Mike an...

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with Ken Salazar, former U.S. Senator, Secretary of the Interior, and U.S. Ambassador to México, for a timely conversation about immigration, identity, and who gets to belong in America. Drawing from his family’s centuries-long history in the American Southwest and his memoir Borderlands: My Fight for an Inclusive America, Ken reflects on how history cont...

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with Mónica Ramírez, founder of Justice for Migrant Women, for an important conversation about gender justice, patriarchy, and redefining power. Recorded live at the five-year anniversary of the Raizado Festival in Aspen, Mónica reflects on decades of fighting alongside migrant women, immigrant families, and survivors of gender-based violence, and what that work has...

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with legendary artist Chaz Bojórquez, widely recognized as the Godfather of West Coast Graffiti, for a powerful conversation about art, identity, and remembering who we are. Recorded inside the Museo del Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City during the historic Aztlán, túnel del tiempo exhibition, Chaz reflects on bringing Chicano art home, the healing power of cre...

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with comedian, author, and actress Aida Rodriguez for a deeply personal conversation about identity, fatherhood, and finding our way home to ourselves. From growing up without her father to searching for him decades later, Aida reflects on the complicated journey toward forgiveness and what it took to realize that her worth was never dependent on someone else choosi...

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with Def Sound, Black Afro-Caribbean conceptual word artist, producer, poet, and educator for a thought-provoking conversation about identity, freedom, and the courage to become fully ourselves. Together, they explore the stories we inherit about race, gender, masculinity, and belonging, and what becomes possible when we stop performing versions of ourselves created...

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with Leslie Priscilla, educator, founder of Latinx Parenting, and author of Chancla, for a deeply personal conversation about parenting, generational healing, and becoming the safe adult we once needed. Together, they explore how our own childhood experiences shape the way we parent, why healing begins with reparenting ourselves, and how repair, not perfection, is t...

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with Douglas Miles, acclaimed Apache artist, photographer, activist, and founder of Apache Skateboards, for a powerful conversation about art, storytelling, and reclaiming the narratives that shape our lives. Recorded live from the We The People exhibition in South Los Angeles, Douglas reflects on the importance of Indigenous communities telling their own ...

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with Rocio Navarro for a deeply personal conversation about water, healing, and the ancient wisdom of letting go. Recorded beside the ocean, Rocio shares how water has been used across cultures as a source of ceremony, renewal, and connection, and how it can help us reconnect with our bodies and release what we’ve been carrying. Drawing from Mike’s own experi...

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with acclaimed chef Eduardo “Lalo” García, the visionary behind Máximo in México City, for an important conversation about food, resilience, and the possibility of beginning again. From being deported from the United States to becoming one of Latin America’s most celebrated chefs, Lalo shares how hardship, determination, and a deep connection to food tr...

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with Carlos Avendaño Mendoza, founder of Pécora 1909 and the coffee grower behind every cup of Tepito Coffee, for a deeply personal conversation about the land, legacy, and living with purpose. From humble beginnings in Veracruz to becoming one of México's most respected coffee growers, Carlos shares how his father, his family, and the land taught him that patience, humi...

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with Chris Spencer, comedian, writer, producer, and actor, for a heartfelt conversation about comedy, vulnerability, and the truths we often hide behind laughter. Together, they explore why so many men learn to make people laugh before they learn to express their feelings. From marriage and fatherhood to the healing power of brotherhood, Chris reflects on how truste...

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with Bryan Ramirez, founder of Reservoir Tattoo Studio, for a deeply personal conversation recorded while Bryan tattoos a Mesoamerican serpent, a symbol of transformation, healing, and rebirth, onto Mike's arm. Together, they explore why the tattoo chair has become one of the few places where many men feel safe enough to tell the truth about thei...

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with Carlos Guzman, founder of the influential clothing brand Brown N Proud, for a heartfelt conversation about pride, culture, and identity. From immigrating from México to building a movement that has helped tens of thousands embrace their roots, Carlos reflects on the healing power of representation, faith, and entrepreneurship. Together, Mike and Carlos explore ...

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with Marisa Renee Lee, author of Grief Is Love and Waiting for Dawn, for a deeply personal conversation about loss, uncertainty, and what it means to keep loving after someone is gone. Drawing from the loss of her mother, the heartbreak of losing a child, and her own journey through illness and uncertainty, Marisa shares why grief is not something we get o...

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with Anna Malaika Tubbs, New York Times bestselling author of The Three Mothers and Erased for a powerful conversation about patriarchy, masculinity, and the stories that shape our understanding of power and identity. Together, they explore how systems of gender, race, and hierarchy are woven into our culture, how those systems impact men and women alike, and what i...

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with Baratunde Thurston at the BOOST Conference for a thought-provoking conversation about masculinity, America, and the future of humanity in the age of artificial intelligence. Together, they explore how the stories we inherit about power, work, and manhood continue to shape our culture, institutions, and emerging technologies, and what it means to rewrite th...

In this episode of Sacred Lessons, host Mike de la Rocha sits with Refujio “Cuco” Rodriguez from the Hope and Heal Fund for a powerful conversation about gun violence, masculinity, and the stories boys are taught about power and protection. Moving beyond policy and headlines, Cuco explores how trauma, silence, and harmful ideas about manhood shape violence in our homes and communities, and why healing must be at the cen...