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<v Speaker 1>I started getting cast as inmate number one, but they

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<v Speaker 1>still gave me three twenty a day. I didn't get

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<v Speaker 1>paid as extra. So even though I only have like

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<v Speaker 1>one line like Mattalos, that was one of my favorite lines.

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<v Speaker 2>Mattalos from Futuro Media. It's Latino usay. I'm Maria nor Rosa.

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<v Speaker 2>Today a portrait of Danny Trejo. If you don't recognize

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<v Speaker 2>his name immediately, you'll definitely recognize his face. So listen

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<v Speaker 2>to this voice and try and imagine the face that goes.

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<v Speaker 3>With I have one question for you, Milo, where is

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<v Speaker 3>your brother?

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<v Speaker 2>Did you get it? Danny Trejo's signature look is long haired,

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<v Speaker 2>a scarred face, and he's usually carrying some very powerful weapon.

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<v Speaker 2>My favorite movie that he's in is Spy Kids, where

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<v Speaker 2>he plays Uncle Machette.

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<v Speaker 3>Close your eyes and hold out your wrist.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm going to give you the one gadget you should

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<v Speaker 1>always carry.

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<v Speaker 2>A rubber band.

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<v Speaker 3>No, it's a Machette elastic wonder.

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<v Speaker 1>It's a rubber band.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, but it's also the world's greatest gadget today.

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<v Speaker 2>J has started over three hundred films since he began

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<v Speaker 2>acting in nineteen eighty five. Just to name a few,

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<v Speaker 2>he was in Desperado, Heat from Dust till Dawn, con Air,

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<v Speaker 2>once upon a time in Mexico, Grindhouse, Machette, and that's

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<v Speaker 2>just naming a few.

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<v Speaker 3>I was born a center. I'll probably die a center.

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<v Speaker 2>He often plays the role of a villain or a

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<v Speaker 2>tough guy. He says the persona came naturally after eleven

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<v Speaker 2>years in prison and a pretty tough upbringing, which included

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<v Speaker 2>being introduced to drugs as a kid. In real life,

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<v Speaker 2>Danny is anything but a bad guy. Since leaving prison

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<v Speaker 2>in the nineteen eighties, has worked as a counselor at

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<v Speaker 2>a drug rehab program, and now, in addition to acting,

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<v Speaker 2>he's the entrepreneur behind Trejos Tacos and Trejos Donuts in

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<v Speaker 2>Los Angeles. I sat down with him to discuss how

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<v Speaker 2>he went from being in and out of juvenile hall

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<v Speaker 2>and then prison to becoming one of the most recognizable

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<v Speaker 2>stars in Hollywood. Welcome Danny Trejo to Latino, USA.

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<v Speaker 3>Thank you.

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<v Speaker 2>I want to know about memories of Danny Trejo before

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<v Speaker 2>you were smoking pot at eight or heroin when you

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<v Speaker 2>were twelve.

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<v Speaker 1>When I was like seven, I lived with my grandmother,

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<v Speaker 1>five aunts and six girl cousins, so I had a

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<v Speaker 1>lot of female orientation. At the age of like seven

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<v Speaker 1>and a half eight, I moved in with my my wlito,

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<v Speaker 1>my dad, my dad's five brothers, So life really changed.

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<v Speaker 1>Life really changed right there. I found myself always kind

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<v Speaker 1>of getting in trouble. I think it was just kids stuff,

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<v Speaker 1>but I think the guys in my family demanded a

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<v Speaker 1>lot more, you know, like be a man. Because my

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<v Speaker 1>my family, Trejo was known as a as being very tough,

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<v Speaker 1>very mucho.

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<v Speaker 3>Maa was the sweetest.

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<v Speaker 1>Thing in the world. And like all my aunts, I

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<v Speaker 1>have to say that I was loved, you know, they

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<v Speaker 1>were they adored me.

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<v Speaker 2>But obviously, as a kid, maybe teenager, doing drugs made

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<v Speaker 2>you feel what that because I'm kind of putting it,

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<v Speaker 2>I'm like, wait, but it sounds like you were having

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<v Speaker 2>like it was really interesting. A lot of family, sure,

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<v Speaker 2>a lot of demands, But what was the thing that

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<v Speaker 2>the drugs were giving you as a young person.

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<v Speaker 3>I don't even think that understood it.

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<v Speaker 1>I just know that anytime you do drugs with people,

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<v Speaker 1>you're in that group, You've all of a sudden become

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<v Speaker 1>a member of that group. You got to understand up

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<v Speaker 1>into the age of U seven other A sissy little kid?

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<v Speaker 2>What does that happen? Yeah, I'm just like, what.

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<v Speaker 3>Do I did? Beepe sitting down? I was like a

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<v Speaker 3>little girl because I was with all girls.

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<v Speaker 1>And when I moved in with my uncles, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>you find out real quick that little boys don't do

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<v Speaker 1>peepe sitting down, And you find out real quick that

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<v Speaker 1>little boys don't like kiddies. They were like dogs, you know.

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<v Speaker 1>I can remember sitting in my grandma's living room with

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<v Speaker 1>all my uncles at night, and then one of my

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<v Speaker 1>uncles coming in bloody and saying hey ca, and then

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<v Speaker 1>all my uncles running out, and knowing that the night

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<v Speaker 1>was going to end up in the emergency somewhere, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>And and it was like, even though I knew that

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<v Speaker 1>I had to do that, I was.

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<v Speaker 3>I was afraid.

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<v Speaker 2>You do end up in prison. You spend a lot

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<v Speaker 2>of time in prison. You and you were in some

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<v Speaker 2>pretty tough places like Folsome and Solidad and San Quentin.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, I was in all of them.

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<v Speaker 2>How old were you when you end up getting sentenced? Like,

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<v Speaker 2>like when does that start?

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<v Speaker 1>Well, see, I grew up in that system. I started

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<v Speaker 1>going to juvenile hall very early. It's college is simple

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<v Speaker 1>if you were straight a's in high school. Prison is

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<v Speaker 1>simple if you grew up in that. You know what

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, right, And when Juvenile Hall Camp Youth Authority

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<v Speaker 1>State prison, you've grown up there, so you know everybody,

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<v Speaker 1>so you know the ins and outs and how to

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<v Speaker 1>behave and basically there was a feeling of acceptance. And

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<v Speaker 1>then when you came out of Juvenile Hall and went

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<v Speaker 1>back to school, there was a feeling of pride and

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<v Speaker 1>people would look up to you that, hey, I thought

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<v Speaker 1>there was in adjoining. You know, for a long time,

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<v Speaker 1>I was a really angry, angry person. You know, I

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<v Speaker 1>kind of felt for a long time that, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>God had short changed me. Until it's like I gave

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<v Speaker 1>my life first of all to God and then I

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<v Speaker 1>just dedicated my life to helping people. And I think

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<v Speaker 1>because of that dedication, I think that my life has

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<v Speaker 1>gotten better.

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<v Speaker 2>When you say, the first thing that you did was

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<v Speaker 2>you gave yourself over to God. So where did that

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<v Speaker 2>happen and how did that happen?

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<v Speaker 1>That actually happened in in Salidad State Prison, Sinko Emaiyo,

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<v Speaker 1>nineteen sixty eight in Solia, me Rape Pachecko and Henrik

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<v Speaker 1>ki Halla.

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<v Speaker 3>We were drunk, we were loaded.

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<v Speaker 1>We what they call insided a riot and some people

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<v Speaker 1>got seriously hurt. So, you know, we basically went to

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<v Speaker 1>the whole with gas chamber offenses.

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<v Speaker 2>And wait, what do you mean by with gas chamber offenses.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, Ray Pacheco sacked a free person, henriki Hala.

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<v Speaker 3>They they kicked the coach. That's an attack on an officer.

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<v Speaker 1>It was alleged that I threw a rock and hit

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<v Speaker 1>Lieutenant Gibbons in the head. So we were in the

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<v Speaker 1>hole and I remember asking God to just let me

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<v Speaker 1>die with dignity, you know, just let me die with dignity,

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<v Speaker 1>and I'll say your name every day and I will

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<v Speaker 1>do whatever I can for my fellow man. That's the

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<v Speaker 1>promise I made. But I thought it was just gonna

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<v Speaker 1>be a couple of years and they were gonna kill

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<v Speaker 1>me and they'll see the.

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<v Speaker 3>Fool me and gave me the rest of my life.

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<v Speaker 1>So I've been saying his name every day and doing

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<v Speaker 1>whatever I can for my fellow man every day. So

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<v Speaker 1>when I came out, I'm standing in front of my

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<v Speaker 1>mom's house trying to figure out, Okay, how am I

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<v Speaker 1>gonna do a Johnny be good guy. And I couldn't

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<v Speaker 1>figure what do I do? How do you be a

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<v Speaker 1>good person? And I seen I seen one of the

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<v Speaker 1>ladies in my mom's neighborhood. I seen her trying to

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<v Speaker 1>drag her tina out and I said, that's what I'll do,

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<v Speaker 1>and I went over to help her.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, like a bathtub, like an empty bathtub kind

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<v Speaker 2>of thing.

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<v Speaker 1>There's a big tena, a big tub. Put all your garbage,

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<v Speaker 1>all your papers, everything in there. And I seen her

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<v Speaker 1>dragging out and I went over there to help her.

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<v Speaker 1>I'll never forget what she said. She said, I didn't

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<v Speaker 1>need no minta robas. I said, shut up. I got her.

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<v Speaker 1>I got her teena and I pulled it out, and

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<v Speaker 1>then I went to the back her yard to get

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<v Speaker 1>the other one. And she never took her eyes off

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<v Speaker 1>me because she knew I was gonna steal her lawn

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<v Speaker 1>mower or take some tools or something. But I got

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<v Speaker 1>her tena I put out, and that was that was

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<v Speaker 1>what I first did that I didn't have a job,

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<v Speaker 1>and I started taking out the old people's trash in

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<v Speaker 1>my mom's body.

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<v Speaker 2>You know, one of the things that people know about you,

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<v Speaker 2>like immediately besides your voice is your face, right? I

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<v Speaker 2>mean people hopefully if they're just like, oh, I don't

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<v Speaker 2>know who it is, and then they're going to look

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<v Speaker 2>up Danny three who they're me be like, oh, of

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<v Speaker 2>course I know who Danny tre who is. He's the

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<v Speaker 2>guy who's got that face that looks like it's been

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<v Speaker 2>bas I don't know to like Warren back old leather,

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<v Speaker 2>So where does that come from? Your face? Actually? And

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<v Speaker 2>because I was looking, I was like, well, are there

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<v Speaker 2>scars on his face? Did he get slashed?

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<v Speaker 1>Eddie Bunker once said that your face is going to

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<v Speaker 1>make it for you. He says, you always look like

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<v Speaker 1>you want to fight. You always look like you're angry.

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<v Speaker 1>So your job is to disarm people immediately, because you

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<v Speaker 1>got to understand it's in prison.

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<v Speaker 3>You have to be able to back people off with

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<v Speaker 3>a look.

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<v Speaker 1>You know, you have to be able to tell people

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<v Speaker 1>you don't wanna kill you just by looking at him.

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<v Speaker 1>So you become a life of intimidation, you know, or manipulation.

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<v Speaker 1>That's your whole mindset. Intimidate or manipulate, and unless you do,

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<v Speaker 1>you'll be pray. And I learned my walk. I learned

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<v Speaker 1>how to intimidate my talk. I learned how to intimidate.

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<v Speaker 1>God gave me this voice. He wasn't gonna make a

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<v Speaker 1>soprano singer out of me.

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<v Speaker 2>But coming up on Latino usay. My conversation with Danny

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<v Speaker 2>Trejo continues.

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<v Speaker 1>I've heard look, mommy, the guy from Spy Kids in

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<v Speaker 1>about fifty different languages.

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<v Speaker 2>Stay with us. Hey, we're back, and let's continue now

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<v Speaker 2>with my conversation with actor and entrepreneur Danny Trejo. So

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<v Speaker 2>you're making your way. It's like, you know, the seventies,

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<v Speaker 2>you're working as a drug counselor. You had gone through

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<v Speaker 2>AA and NA. You're working with young people, and you

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<v Speaker 2>start working as an extra in films. Uh huh, and

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<v Speaker 2>then you get hired actually to start training other actors

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<v Speaker 2>in boxing.

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<v Speaker 3>Just one I got. What happened was that I was

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<v Speaker 3>on this movie call a Runaway Train. You're gonna get

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<v Speaker 3>a job, That's what you're gonna do.

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<v Speaker 2>You gonna get a little job, some job a convic

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<v Speaker 2>can get, like.

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<v Speaker 3>Straight off phrase at the cafeteriy or clean up torlets.

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<v Speaker 1>With John Voyd and Eric Roberts. And I ran into

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<v Speaker 1>a friend of mine that I was in prison with

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<v Speaker 1>a guy named Eddie Bunker. Eddie says, are you still boxing?

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<v Speaker 1>That's I'm training. And he said, we need somebody to

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<v Speaker 1>train one of the actors how to box. And I said,

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<v Speaker 1>what's it pay? Because they're given fifty dollars a day

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<v Speaker 1>for beating an extra and he said three twenty a day.

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<v Speaker 1>And I said, how bad do you want this guy

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<v Speaker 1>beat up? I thought he wanted me to beat somebody up.

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<v Speaker 1>That's like hit money, you know what I mean. And

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<v Speaker 1>he goes, no, no, no, you gotta be careful. These

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<v Speaker 1>actors real high strung.

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<v Speaker 3>Danny.

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<v Speaker 1>He might suck you, I says, Eddie. For three hundred

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<v Speaker 1>and twenty bucks, give him a stick?

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<v Speaker 3>Are you crazy? I didn't beat up for free on me.

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<v Speaker 2>So I'm intrigued by the fact that you were starting

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<v Speaker 2>to work in Hollywood. You were getting cast. Yeah. Oftentimes

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<v Speaker 2>it was as inmate number one or gang member number

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<v Speaker 2>one or.

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<v Speaker 1>First I was just an extra, and then I started

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<v Speaker 1>becoming like inmate number one, bad guy number one, tattooed

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<v Speaker 1>guide number one. For the first five years of my career, really,

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<v Speaker 1>but as an extra, I just got I was just

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<v Speaker 1>there walking around. And then then when I became a

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<v Speaker 1>sag I started getting cast as inmate number one, but

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<v Speaker 1>they still gave me three twenty a day. I didn't

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<v Speaker 1>get paid as extra. I'd only have like one line,

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<v Speaker 1>like Mattalos. That was one of my favorite lines.

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<v Speaker 3>Mattalos And I said, I got paid. What movie? One

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<v Speaker 3>of the imprison movies? All right, will kill all them buddled?

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<v Speaker 1>And the director would immediately tell me take off my

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<v Speaker 1>shirt because of the tattoo I have on my chest.

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<v Speaker 1>We're not cha and the tattoo it doesn't say that

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<v Speaker 1>I love America. It doesn't say I was in the Marines.

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<v Speaker 1>It says Thiszvato was in prison. You know, it's just

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<v Speaker 1>the prison tattoos. They would always make me take off

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<v Speaker 1>my shirt.

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<v Speaker 2>I have to say, Danny, one of my favorite movies

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<v Speaker 2>that you're in. I fell in love with the film

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<v Speaker 2>and with you and with everybody involved with the movie.

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<v Speaker 2>Spy Kids.

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<v Speaker 3>What are you working on world's smallest camera? I don't

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<v Speaker 3>see it, but it's.

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<v Speaker 1>Just you a that made me a household name all

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<v Speaker 1>over the world. I've heard look mommy the guy from

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<v Speaker 1>Spy Kids in about fifty different languages.

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<v Speaker 2>I love that film because it made us fall in

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<v Speaker 2>love with Danny Trejo and not be afraid of Danny Trejo.

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<v Speaker 3>And Robert Rodriguez.

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<v Speaker 1>Let me tell you, Robert Loriuez has done more for

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<v Speaker 1>the Latina community in filmmaking than anybody else.

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<v Speaker 3>He's amazing.

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<v Speaker 1>It was unbelievable, Like I said, it was like all

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<v Speaker 1>of a sudden, I went from being an actor in

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<v Speaker 1>R rated movies to being child friendly. You know what

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<v Speaker 1>I mean is all these kids are coming following me around.

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<v Speaker 1>I go to the airport and did follow me around.

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<v Speaker 2>So you've got this really full life, right, and it's

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<v Speaker 2>like life is good. And then you decide to open

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<v Speaker 2>a restaurant.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, I was doing a movie called Badass, and one

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<v Speaker 1>of the producers was a guy named Ash and he

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<v Speaker 1>noticed that I liked to eat. Well, I like good food.

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<v Speaker 1>I don't like junk food. I don't like you know,

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<v Speaker 1>I don't eat McDonald's. And he said, Danny, why don't

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<v Speaker 1>you open a restaurant? So jokingly, I said, Trey Holstacos.

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<v Speaker 1>Because my mom was un believable cook. She, oh god,

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<v Speaker 1>she was unbelievable. And you know Latino families, at the

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<v Speaker 1>first of the month, you make big meals, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>and she lot of us and we all kinds, but

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<v Speaker 1>coming towards the end of the month, you're making stuff.

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<v Speaker 1>We would call out the cupboard or we mix it

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<v Speaker 1>and I would say, Mom, what says you never mind?

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<v Speaker 1>Just don't want that, and you know, she would just

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<v Speaker 1>make up stuff because we were running low, and uh,

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<v Speaker 1>I would always joke.

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<v Speaker 3>Mom, why don't you open a restaurant?

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<v Speaker 1>So in her honor, Ash came with a business plan

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<v Speaker 1>and he gave it to me, and me, being the

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<v Speaker 1>brilliant businessman that I am, I handed it to my agent,

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<v Speaker 1>lorian A Hassan, and I say, read this, look it up.

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<v Speaker 1>Because I read three lines, I'm gone. My add won't

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<v Speaker 1>allow me to read more than three lines and lens

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<v Speaker 1>it's a script. And so she said, you know, Dan,

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<v Speaker 1>it's not a bad deal. And we discussed it, and

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<v Speaker 1>we opened the first restaurant on Librea here in La

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<v Speaker 1>and it just took off.

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<v Speaker 2>So it's called Trail Stackos Trehos Tacos. You didn't stop there,

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<v Speaker 2>because now you've got Trejo's Donuts.

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<v Speaker 3>Trail Donuts, Tricos Cantino.

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<v Speaker 1>We just opened up a restaurant in lax on Terminal one,

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<v Speaker 1>Tacos so We've got seven restaurants right now. We're opening

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<v Speaker 1>up another one at the original Farmer's Market on Third

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<v Speaker 1>in Fairfax, and uh, you know, we'll keep going.

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<v Speaker 2>So what's bringing you joy these days? I know that

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<v Speaker 2>you said that you talk about joy and you find

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<v Speaker 2>it every day. What's making you really happy?

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<v Speaker 3>Now? Though?

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<v Speaker 1>You know you make money and that's good, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>but I have never seen a U haul truck following

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<v Speaker 1>a hurst, so you know you can't take it with you.

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<v Speaker 1>Might well just enjoy, just enjoy all these people that

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<v Speaker 1>are billionaires and not worried about just make more money,

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<v Speaker 1>don't worry about global warming and who cares that's poisoning?

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<v Speaker 1>It's like, wow, who cares? Being He's like, you know what,

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<v Speaker 1>Just bring joy, That's what it's about. You know, Like

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<v Speaker 1>I woke up this morning. I was clean and sober,

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<v Speaker 1>my kids were healthy, my friends are all so by

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<v Speaker 1>the grace of God. It's like, you know what, I'm

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<v Speaker 1>already living a miracle. So I got to enjoy it,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, I gotta enjoy it.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, Danny, thank you for bringing so much joy and

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<v Speaker 2>fear to all of our to all of our lives.

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<v Speaker 2>It's been great speaking with you, thank you so much

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<v Speaker 2>for joining me.

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<v Speaker 3>Thank you, thank you so much.

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<v Speaker 2>Danny Torejo is an actor and the entrepreneur behind Today

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<v Speaker 2>host Tacos, Today host Gandina, and Today host Donuts in

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<v Speaker 2>Los Angeles, California. You can catch him in his most

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<v Speaker 2>recent film, Murder in the Woods. This episode originally aired

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<v Speaker 2>in April of twenty nineteen. It was produced by Sea

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<v Speaker 2>Quevedo and edited by Marlon Bishop. The Latino USA team

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<v Speaker 2>includes Miel Macias, Luis Trees, Fujeta Martinelli, Gini Montalgo, alissaes

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<v Speaker 2>Carse and Alejandra Seleasad, with help from Andrea Lopez, Gruzsado

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<v Speaker 2>and Raulperees. Our engineers are Stefane Lebau, Julia Caruso, Lea Shaw,

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<v Speaker 2>and Alisha ba Ito. Our Director of Programming and Operations

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<v Speaker 2>is Natalia fide Holtz. Our digital editor is Luis Luna.

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<v Speaker 2>Our New York Women's Foundation Nick Knight Fellow is Julia Rocha.

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<v Speaker 2>Our interns are Imena del Serro and Emil Sequiros. Our

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<v Speaker 2>theme music was composed by Zenia Rubinos. If you like

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<v Speaker 2>the music you heard on this episode, stop by Latino

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<v Speaker 2>Usa dot orgon check out our weekly Spotify playlist. I'm

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<v Speaker 2>your host and executive producer, Marie jo Josa. Join us

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<v Speaker 2>again on our next episode, and in the meantime, look

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<v Speaker 2>for us on all of your social media. I'll see

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<v Speaker 2>you there, Astella Proxima Choo.

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<v Speaker 4>Funding for Latino USA is coverage of a culture of health.

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<v Speaker 4>Is made possible in part by a grant from the

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<v Speaker 4>Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Latino USA is made possible in

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<v Speaker 4>part by the John D. And Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

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<v Speaker 4>and the Oregon Community Foundation through our Latino Partnership Program,

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<v Speaker 4>collaborating with Latino leaders and organizations around the state. More

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<v Speaker 4>at www dot orgoncf dot org.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm Maria Jojosa. Next time on Latino USA. The Latino

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<v Speaker 2>vote could turn this November election. So why have the

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<v Speaker 2>presidential campaigns failed to mobilize Latino voters yet again?

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<v Speaker 1>I think that more Latinos will vote in this election

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<v Speaker 1>that have ever voted. The problem is that we're all

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<v Speaker 1>super happy with getting the bare minimum out of this community.

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<v Speaker 2>That's next time on Latino USA.