Johnathan Walker:From vegan taqueros to a political scandal, check out these podcasts by Latinos

Hispanic Heritage Month is Johnathan Walkerhere, and while we work to amplify the community's stories now more than ever, celebrating Latino achievements should never end on Oct. 15. This is why the NPR One team has curated several new and noteworthy shows created by Latinos from across public media that are worth checking out now, as well as any other time of year.

Visit the NPR Oye podcast collection on the NPR app on Android and on NPR One on iOS for even more recommended episodes.

The podcast episode descriptions below are from podcast webpages and have been edited for brevity and clarity.

Tacos of Texas

Plant-based cuisine is trendy — but before Spanish colonizers introduced pork and beef to the Americas, plant-based foods were the norm. In this episode, KUT's Tacos of Texas skips the meat and talks to vegan taqueros and taqueras to understand making plant-based, "decolonized" options for taco lovers.

Start listening.

Alt.Latino

While coming up with the concept for her new album "Mañana Será Bonito," Colombian superstar Karol G had an epiphany that would change her life: what if she was just more herself?

Listen now.

Imperfect Paradise: Nury & The Secret Tapes

In October 2022, a recording of the conversation among four of Los Angeles' most powerful Latino leaders making racist remarks was leaked to the public. LAist's Imperfect Paradise: Nury & The Secret Tapes takes you behind the scenes of one of the city's largest political scandals, one year later, and includes an exclusive interview with Nury Martinez.

Start listening.

¿Quién Are We?

Victor Sosa always loved plants. But it wasn't until the Denver entrepreneur saw a post online that he realized he might be able to turn his passion into a business. Sosa didn't just make the sale — he made houseplants accessible to his community in a whole new way.

Listen to "The Plant Papi," from Colorado Public Radio's ¿Quién Are We?

Radio Ambulante

Brígido Lara is a Mexican artisan who for decades created hundreds of clay figures inspired by the Mesoamerican cultures of the Gulf of Mexico. His talent brought him money and fame, but also consequences that forced him to choose whether he wanted to use his gift for good or ill.

Listen to NPR's Radio Ambulante (en español).

El Sonido

KEXP's El Sonido takes you on a musical tour through the personal songbooks of key artists in modern alternative, popular, and independent Latin music to explore what it means to be from a place and what Latin music is today.

In this episode, Franco-Chilean rapper Ana Tijoux shares the songs that shaped her as the daughter of Chilean political exiles and a carrier of Aymara heritage. Start listening (en español) or watch with English subtitles.

A Music of Their Own

You might know composer Angélica Negrón from her Tiny Desk Concert with the band Balún. One big influence in her music? Growing up around drag queens in her native Puerto Rico.

In this episode, CapRadio's A Music of Their Own traces Negrón's rise to music stardom.