04x06 - A Tale of Two Cultures

[bunniefuu]

Look at the sunset right now,
you guys.

-Beautiful.
-Gorgeous.

Your bedtime's in an hour.

I know.

Are you guys ready to learn
about who we're helping tonight?

- Yeah!

Her name is Deanna Muñoz.

Hey, Deanna Muñoz.

I am second-generation
Mexican-American,

other people would know as Chicano,
Chicana, or Chicanx.

Use Chicanx
if you don't want to define a gender.

So, I am 150 percent Chicana.

I absolutely love Mexican culture,

but I don't speak Spanish.

My lifestyle is lowrider shows
and that's who I am.

What is lowrider culture?

Lowrider cars go up and down,
so they have hydraulics on 'em,

and they're usually painted in amazing--

-Like in the Snoop Dogg videos?
-Yes!

-It's cool!
-It's so beautiful, it's so cool.

-The music, driving around at night...
-I love it.

- Let's have fun.
-I dated a guy once

-just because he had a lowrider.
-I'm sure you did.

Deanna is 42, from Kansas City, Missouri.

Not only is she a wife
and a mother of four,

she works as a project manager
for Hallmark Corporate.

And she's also the founder
of the Latino Arts Festival.

-Ooh, I love a cultured lady.
- Nice.

The Latino Arts Festival
is a one-day festival

that includes

art and poetry and lowriders.

It is definitely my life's mission
to celebrate my heritage.

Celebrate it, live it, love it, shove it
down the throats of everybody.

Nurturing aspiring artists
is her life's calling,

and she dreams of starting
an arts foundation one day.

-I know.
-So, this is, like, purely non-profit.

I love someone who wants to give back

-to their community and culture.
-Yeah.

My dad came here when he was young.

Growing up, I lived in the suburbs
of Olathe, Kansas.

But I was taken out of my heritage because
my dad wanted us to have a good life.

He wanted to protect us.

So, I'm living in a world
where I'm not Mexican enough

and I'm not white enough,

so it's always been a constant battle
in my life.

But now I'm in it and I love it
and I embrace my culture.

That is truly who I am.

She was nominated by Marisa,
her childhood best friend

and by her son, Dalinuel.

-Dalinuel? I love that name.
-Yes, Dalinuel!

I love my mom a lot,
she is my best friend.

She does great stuff for the community,

but my mom needs help
with her professional presence,

because that's where the sponsorships
are gonna come from

and that's how she could actually
take this festival to the next level.

My friend is great, my friend
is beautiful on the inside and out.

But Deanna doesn't feel
that within herself.

The confidence isn't there.

It's always something
that someone has said to me

that I keep inside of me.

"You don't have a degree.

You were a mom at 16.

You're Mexican-American.

You don't look like somebody
that should be doing this.

You're not dressed like somebody
that should be doing this."

She usually wears sneakers and shorts
showing off her tattoos.

I love a woman with tattoos.

I have 13.

He's got my name tattooed on his ass.

When it comes to grooming, she's been
wearing the same hairstyle and makeup

since the '90s.

I make fun of her all the time just 'cause
the amount of hairspray she goes through.

I used to hairspray my hair so bad
that it'd actually get stuck

and I couldn't move my head.

When it comes to food, Antoni,
Deanna's insecure about her cooking.

-Oh, my gosh!

Deanna's cooking is non-existent.

So Monday through Friday, the family
eats dinner at her mother-in-law's,

Señora Esperanza's house.

She doesn't even have
the proper cooking gear,

and guests know to bring their own things
when they visit.

Whoa.

Has anybody delivered any artwork?

Um, I don't think so,
but let me check with Irene.

The Third Annual Latino Arts Festival
is at the end of this week.

Last year, over 2,000 guests attended,

but this time, Deanna is finally stepping
into her role as the founder.

I've never spoken at my events.

For the last three years, I've had
everybody else talk about my passion.

And the more
I allow that to happen,

the more that passion gets dimmer.

But now it's my turn,

and I need to be able to tell people

why it's important.

So, our mission this week

is to take Deanna from ridin' low
to ridin' high.

Yeah!

♪ Oh, things just keep getting better ♪

This food is so good.

There's more food here.

There's, like, chile rellenos,
there's tortillas, uh...

- Who said, "Me, too?" You?
-Yeah.

Girl, you look good.

-Do you like chocolate?
-I got brown sugar already, honey.

- It's a very pretty neighborhood.

Wow, look at all these cars!

- Is that an old Chevy?
- Oh.

- These can't be the lowrider cars.
- Yeah.

-I can see the hydraulics underneath it.
- Cute!

Yo, look at the trim on that!

Oh, now he likes it. It's blingy.

-Hi.
-Hello.

-Deanna?
- Oh, look at your boo!

Oh, look at your jacket!

We just literally, like,
crashed the par-tay.

-Let me touch it! Let me touch it!

Hey, Deanna!
How gorgeous are you?

-Jonathan!
-Beautiful.

Can I get all up in your hair?
Can I touch you?

Honey, 1987 called
and they want their hair techniques back.

It can't just be, like, teasing.

It's a lot.

-Hi, Deanna!
- Oh, my Gosh! Hi! Oh, my God!

You're my favorite.

-You are beautiful.
-Thank you.

So, who owns all those lowriders outside?
They are so cool.

- All these guys.
- They're all yours?

-Gorgeous.
-All of them.

There are so many people in here.
It reminds me of home.

-This is our family.
- So, you guys get together,

you all eat together...

-Yes.
-So that's, like, your version of like a--

-a bangin' night out.
-That's all we do.

-Wait.
- Baby.

- She needs to go potty.
- Oh, no!

You go first. I'll go after, it's fine.

They have it in the Latino community,
we have it in my Middle-Eastern community.

Your home is an open house.

Like, there's always an open door
and anybody's welcome.

-And now, what's your name again?
-Penelope.

Penelope, you're so pretty,
nice to meet you.

These are the chile rillenos.

So, um, that is something
I maybe know how to cook,

-but I'll tell you everything...
-Why maybe? Why--

'Cause I don't cook.

-Who makes your food?
-My mother-in-law.

She cooks for the family every night,

and then on weekends, uh,
we usually buy out.

- Is that your husband behind you?
-That's Aaron!

-I was looking for him.
-You skulking in the background?

Did she get you
into lowriding culture or is it

-something you both kind of come from?
-No.

- We met at a car--
-That's where we met.

-Oh, at a car show?
-Oh, nice.

He was on top of a car and...
But he didn't want me,

-so he and his friends...
- Huh? What?

-I was... I don't know.
-You were busy!

You were a little distracted. It's fine.

Where do you guys wanna start?

-This is our kitchen.
- You take us.

-You have a really pretty house.
-Thank you.

Very gorg'. Very much beige.

So, it's a chile poblano.

What's the queso inside?

-It's Mexican cheese.
-Mexican cheese.

- Want a burrito?
-I'm gonna wait a minute.

What's going on
in this beautiful chaos?

Uh, so... Arts Foundation,
Aaron's shop, medical...

So, In this massive house,
this is the office?

This is the office.

I wanna know a little bit more
about the organization.

My third year now,

and I had a lot of help
from Diversity and Inclusion in my work.

The festival started
because of your story.

-Yes.
-What was your story?

I had a son when I was young,
I was 16,

and so, I was planning
on doing graphic designing,

didn't get my degree.

When I had my daughter and she was six
and she started doing creative writing,

her stories were just, like, mind-blowing.

I was like, "I need someone to help her,
I need a tutor, something."

-Yeah.
-And I couldn't find it.

And I was like, "Well, if you can't
find it, I guess I can do it myself."

-Oh!
-Yeah!

I love that!

Wait, sorry, hold the mic.

-Just one second.
-She's feeding you. This is what happens.

Your middle name is "Resourceful," honey.
I love it.

- Thank you!
-There's no need

-ever in this house.
-So sweet.

So good.

So can we see the rest?

-Yes.
-It's cute!

-This is a beautiful home.

Jeez, honey.

Cool.

You never know when you might need a quick
workout before getting into your dress.

-That's how I feel.
-That's how I feel.

This is the largest container
of hot sauce I've ever seen in my life.

Six, seven, eight, nine, ten,


That is an ample amount of hairspray.

I've found a couple things already

-that I wanna talk about.
-Oh, no!

-Oh, yes!
-Tell me about this.

So... I actually did wear those to work.

Like, that's so sad.

-Tell me how that went down.
-Not really good.

People thought that I was gonna
hurt myself,

so they were always like,
"Why are you wearing those?"

Because this is definitely,
like, club wear.

-Yeah.
-Club wear.

-And you've got a few of them.
- I do.

-I had to get every color.
-You've got a few of them.

But the look doesn't always resonate with,

you know, going into a boardroom
and it's like,

"Oh, she's just a child."

So, it's always made my confidence
kind of low.

Okay, then my question is,
who is the Deanna in your mind?

It's like I still want my--
So, even if I do my hair and my liner,

that's-- that's me.

-Okay.
-But I don't have to wear my Cortezes.

I love the-- I love the Cortezes.

We'll find a way to rock those
where it's a little more...

polished.

Right now, we have Corporate America,
but Las Vegas Corporate America.

I love that you're not afraid
of a blazer.

And then, Club Wear Workout Girl,
super-super young.

There's gotta be somewhere in the middle
where Deanna still feels young

without her looking unprofessional.

However, it doesn't mean we can't have
a kiss of what she feels comfortable with.

I don't want you to feel like you have
to stifle yourself and who you truly are,

but it seems like you've got
outside-of-work Deanna down.

-Yes.
-Let's figure out polish.

Okay.

How often do you buy tortillas in stores?

-Never.
-Never.

Garbage, for you.
Like, "Why would I even ever do that?"

You ever have a gordita?

-Gordita?
- White people call them "pitas."

-Pitas?
-They're not pitas, they're gorditas.

I'm Polish-Canadian,
so I wanna call it a gordita.

Let's sit and chat about the festival.

Well, so my goal is to do the foundation.

So, what would your foundation do?

Free space open to anybody
that's an artist.

They can come and get mentored,
they can come and have free classes.

We can sell their artwork for them.

All these kids really want is a space
where people can tell them,

"You can do this."

So, do you wash
and blow-dry your hair

-from scratch every day?
-No.

-Do you ever wear your hair back?
-Uh, no.

I really just wanna show you
different ways to style your hair.

You shouldn't feel like your
look is wearing you.

I feel like you've gotten to a place

where you're almost, like,
beholden to your look.

Do I love my mustache? Yes.

But when I start lookin' like a walrus,

when this thing starts wearing me,

I'mma have to say, "Bye, girl.

You've been great. I...
You know, it was fun."

We just need to kind of find our balance.
But I wanna moisturize this girl up.

-Yes.
-We're gonna moisturize her.

Did you make this guacamole,
as well?

Yes.

'Cause I always put lime juice in it,
that prevents it from browning.

With sour cream is better.

Okay!

I've gotten a lot of attitude for putting
Greek yogurt in my guacamole.

-But...
- It's the best thing.

You heard it here.
It is not crazy to put dairy in guacamole.

It's creamy...

And keep it green all the time.

Boom! Mic drop!

Hey, everyone.

This magical woman just told me
that she puts sour cream

in her guacamole.

Have you been paid to say that?

I love you so much.
Namaste. See you in a minute.

I've never been in a home that felt
like a community like this before,

and I think that food, for me,
is always at the center

of any type of gathering
or getting together, as well.

Absolutely, and other people
make it for us.

So, what do you make if you're not
going over to your mom-in-law's?

I can make a mean Italian.

Whoa! You're Mexican-American.

You have a social responsibility to be
able to create at least a couple of dishes

-for your kids to learn.
-That's what I wanna do,

but I just-- I can't.

I don't know-- I can, but I can't, so...

And I think in a lot of cultures,
it's actually very normal

to go to your parents' house
or your in-laws'

and have them provide for a meal.

-Your dear sweet mom-in-law--
-I know.

Who I heard, like, doesn't speak English
and she just makes the best Mexican food.

And it's, like, important for your kids
to be able to have something to take on

-that they can pass to future generations.
-Yes.

A lot of people don't know this.
My parents are Jamaican and Cuban.

- Oh, wow.
-But we don't have

-a big connection to the Cuban side.
-Okay.

And I always feel bad that I always talk
more about the Jamaican side

instead of the Cuban side.

And so to, like, sit here with, like,
a fresh Latina...

-Yes.
-...who is, like, rockin' it

-and just, like, proud of her culture...
-Yes.

...is, like, really amazing to me.

The culture's Mexican-American,
so it's like a lot of people, like,

either hide it or they're, like,

"I don't--" They don't understand it.
They're like, "What does that mean?"

"You're not really Mexican,
not really American."

-I'm both and I embrace both of 'em.
-Of course.

You know? It's okay to do that.

You're right,
a lot of people don't understand it.

-Yeah.
-From driving through,

this is a very beautiful neighborhood.

-Is there any other Mexicans...
-Yes.

-...or African Americans?
-No.

-What do your neighbors think about you?

I know we get the looks
and the stares of--

of our cars and, you know,
even when we bought the house

my husband was assumed he was
the worker, you know, not the homeowner.

There's been some
passive-aggressiveness of,

you know, r*cist things
that have been said.

Yeah.

That's why the festival's important to me.
At least, I'm doing my part.

It's a--
A lot of people putting me down,

a lot of people saying, "Really?

You? You don't look like somebody
that would be doing it."

-And that hurts.
-It hurts.

I also relate to that feeling,

when there's so many outside influences
that are trying to knock you down.

I just want my kids
to know that I tried.

You know? I did something.

You're pushing and you're trying

and you want to show your kids
what's good.

I'm just so inspired by you.

-Thank you.
-I mean...

Seriously, these cars are so fresh.

-Can I get in there?
- Go ahead.

Oh, my gosh.

-Oh! Oh! Oh!
-Oh, my!

Do they come in fuchsia pink or no?

-You could make it.
-Oh, yeah.

So, we are excited
about this event for you this weekend,

and I think we all know
how we can help you.

-I'm, like, ready. I'm so ready.
-It's gonna be a great week.

How you say "heritage" in Spanish?
Does anyone know?

-Herencia.
- Herencia!

Let's do that. Yes, queen,
we're bilingual with our lingo.

-Two, three, herencia.
- Herencia!

-Yeah! I love it!
-All right!

♪ It feels like we're on fire ♪

♪ It feels like we're on fire ♪

There is a way of maintaining
your culture and your style

without having to sacrifice
professionalism.

Do I want her to be Boring Office Lady?

No, I don't.

But I want her to feel
comfortable sitting at that table.

Is she Mexican? Is she American?

She's a beautiful mix
of both of those things,

and the fact that she doesn't know
how to prepare traditional Mexican meals,

I want her to tap
into her Mexican heritage.

I want her to be able to teach
her kids that.

I just wanna, like,
show Deanna the multifaceted boundaries

of her grooming and her personality.

Like, let's just make like Dora
and go exploring.

Also, I, like, literally forgot
that Dora was even, like, a Latina.

It's Deanna's dream to take
what she's done with this art festival

and make it bigger.

She needs space,

so I've decided I'm gonna
find her an office.

Growing up
in a predominantly white neighborhood,

I felt like, "I don't belong here."

I told myself constantly,
"You do belong here."

But Deanna has a different loop
playing in her head.

She only hears the people telling her
that she's not worthy.

And I need to help her
to quiet those voices.

All right, Deanna,
after you, my love.

- Okay. Thank you.
- You're welcome.

Okay, so you don't usually

-come into boutiques.
- I do not.

Usually, I'm, like, in an outdoor mall
and it's usually, like,

Forever 21...

Like, if I were to go to--
to another name brand store,

like, I don't feel comfortable
in those stores.

-Yeah.
-Like, I feel comfortable in what I'm in

and, like, the lowrider shows and
the car clubs, I get to be who I am there,

I'm comfortable.

And I think I love these type of tops
because they show off my tattoos.

-Yes, queen.
-Love to be.

- As you should be.
-Yes.

As you should be. Yes.

So, coming into a store like this,
sometimes it can be intimidating.

A little bit. It's very fancy.

-Don't use the word "fancy."
-Okay.

That makes it sound like
it's out of your reach.

It's not. You are a professional woman.

This isn't fancy for you,
this is appropriate for you.

Forever 21, the clue is in the name.

She has a daughter who is probably
around about that age.

At that point, maybe let Forever 21 go,
and go for something more age-appropriate.

I'm already noticing your hoops,
and I love your hoops.

So maybe there's other ways we can add in
so you still feel very much like

-a multicultural person.
-Yeah.

Without that being the only thing

-that represents you.
-Okay.

Deanna's wardrobe right now
is like a tale of two cultures.

She looks bold, cool, young,
but if I didn't know better,

I would have no idea
that she runs a respectable organization.

-Deanna, you ready?
- Yes, I am.

Can I take a look?

Yeah.

Oh, chic, chic, but you've still got
a bit of comfort with your tee.

-Yes.
-So, come take a look in the mirror.

Wow. It's different, yes.

Maybe that's the way--
it's okay to look like that,

but I'm uncomfortable
'cause I'm just not used to it.

Okay.

I'm sure if your husband would
see you in this,

he wouldn't be thinking,
"Oh well, it's great, but..."

-Right.
-He'd be thinking, "She looks hot.

-That's my wife."

That's exactly what I want. That's--

And I need to get there,
and I know the more I just

am comfortable with doing this,
then I can.

-Next look?
-Yes!

-Okay.
-Okay.

All right, great.

So, you've got your big earrings on,

-so you've still got your flair.
-Yeah.

And then you were to throw on some
super-chic coat,

-'cause you're a businesswoman.
-Absolutely.

-Mm-hmm.
-You look like a business owner,

but the coolest business owner
I've ever seen.

-Tell me what you think.
-I love it.

-Would you wear this?
-I didn't think I would,

but it actually looks pretty nice.

Find a hero piece.

Find one thing that is just...

-Amazing?
-...incredible

and for fall-winter,
make it your outerwear.

Yes, there is an expectation

in a professional workplace
to dress accordingly.

However, that does not mean

you check your personality
and your style at the door.

It can be as small as just
a hoop earring.

There are still ways to incorporate that
in a very professional way.

Ooh! It's already more refined.

-Okay. Right?

Okay, great. All right, so...

Have to just haul this, two seconds.

Do you have a lot of hairspray
in your hair right now?

-I do. I always do.
-All right, because that--

That was a lot of crunch back there.

-Okay, tell me what you're thinking.

The more I look at it,
the more I'm loving it.

It just makes me look more tailored.

Like I could actually go to work,

go to my board meeting and feel confident,

but then still go to my daughter's
band lesson.

How do you feel in those heels?

I love 'em. I've always bought
cheap heels, like 20 bucks,

so they didn't always fit right.

Like, these absolutely fit gorgeous.

They look so chic.

-Hi, beautiful.
-Hola, Martha.

-How are you?
- How are you?

-I'm great,and you?
-Great.

Hi, flowers and fruit.

-Oh!
- For you.

Thank you so much.

You're welcome. My
name is Antoni. What's your name?

-Esperanza.
-Esperanza.

Oh, my goodness.

- We brought reinforcements.
-How are you?

-You brought both of them.
- Do you know what we're making?

No, I don't.

- These are chiles en nogada.
-Oh, is that the one

-with the white cream sauce and the...
-Yep. I love how you're asking me.

-You're the one who comes here every day.
-I do.

So, chiles en nogada,
it's the colors of the Mexican flag.

The colors
represent purity with the white,

green represents laurel,

and red is for the spilled blood
of all the fallen heroes.

A lot of people
don't cook this dish the way she does.

- Mm-hmm.
-But because of the significance of it,

-the story she gave to me.
-¿La historia?

-Sí
-Yeah.

And the importance
was that she told me that story.

Deanna's very curious
about her heritage.

The opportunity to learn about that

was taken away from her
at a really young age,

but she gets to do that now.

So, do they turn
at a certain point?

-You check it.
-You gotta check it.

-Scared of fire.
That's why we're cooking with fire.

First, we're gonna char
and then peel the chiles.

- Okay.
-Trabajar.

-I understood trabajar.
-I know, "work."

And she said "muchacha,"
so that was me.

Muchacha.
Hey, I could be muchacha too, you know?

Is this the first time
that Deanna is cooking with you?

Yes. It's first time.

In how many years?

Eighteen years!

Señora Esperanza,
how many years have you been cooking?

Maybe 60.

In Mexico, they raise you
to be a good wife.

You have to learn to cook,
to attend your husband.

-We all know...
-Does he obey you?

-No!
-What?

La carne molida.

-And this is beef, right?
- Beef and pork.

-Okay, great.
-Wow.

We want nice little fine pieces.

Now we're making the stuffing
for the chiles.

I always use packets of seasoning.

The only issue with that
is that it's so high in sodium.

-Okay.
- And you don't get to control

how much salt you put in.

Oh, she just grabbed it
right out of your hand.

She's like, "I don't got time for this,
we're putting the garlic in."

-She can mix it.
-Okay.

You mix it. Yeah, there you go.

-I didn't understand that. Did you?
-No. I just knew it was bad.

She speak and speak and speak.

She no make nothing.

Oh!

I understand
where Deanna's anxiety is coming from.

Esperanza is an intimidating woman.

So, this is the part I've never seen,
is actually her to make the sauce.

-What type of cheese is this, Esperanza?
-Fresh cheese.

-Fresh cheese.
- Queso fresco. Whole milk.

Now, we are going to add agave.

This is, by far, the most
complicated recipe I've ever encountered.

There are apples,

peaches, pears,

bananas, capers, olives,

onion, ground beef...

but you know what?

It works.

-Beautiful.
- They're ready to be a star.

Absolutely.

It was so intense.

Did you know all of these different

-components and parts?
- No, I did not.

They put their heart into this.
And so that is something I feel like I'm--

I disrespect when I can't do it,

because along with not knowing Spanish

and the not knowing how to make
traditional Mexican food,

it's just a continuous of "I can't do it,"

and "I'm not who I am."

You're hard on yourself enough as it is.

-I think I am.
-But if you come here regularly,

slowly but surely, you're gonna have it.

Let this dish be a symbol for, like...

- "I can do this. I can."
-Yeah.

You're doing it today by showing up

to your mother-in-law's
and you're learning about your heritage.

Your ability, or lack thereof,
to make a dish like this

does not make you any less Mexican.

-Oh, hello.

Oh, sorry. Were we supposed to be working?

You guys are fired!

-We're fired!
-I know we are.

Oh. She just walked away.
She didn't even say anything.

You know what?

I understand why you're intimidated
while cooking in this kitchen.

They are tough.

Oh, wow.

This is so beautiful.

¿Te gusta?

-¿La presentación de Deanna?
-Me gusta. Sí.

- She's learning.

El hug del grupo.

- It's a pretty day.
-Take it in, 'cause it's pretty amazing.

It really is.

Welcome to City Hall.

So, the arts,
it's very important to the city.

We work with non-profits
and cultural organizations

to kind of help get them a footing
and get started.

We've helped some other businesses
like Habitat for Humanity.

I called up the mayor's office and
I found out that Kansas City has programs

to help foundations get started.

And so, what we've done
is prepared a lease agreement

for the space across the street,

and we're going to donate the space
for a dollar.

-That's amazing.
-But to make sure we keep it a surprise,

-I need you to sign a lease now.
-This is gonna really help her out.

Like, it'll probably give her
a little backbone to where she's like,

"I'm a professional
and I can actually go further with this,"

-and she's gonna take off.
-That's awesome.

So, here you go.

I wanna give her an office space

to take this festival and foundation

to heights she never could have imagined.

I see a lot of potential here.

Good job! This space is yours!

- Yes, girl.

-After you.
-Thank you.

-Hi!
-Gorgeous Deanna.

-Hi, Deanna.
-Deanna, this is gorgeous Monique.

Nice to meet you.

-So, come on in, take a seat in my office.
-Okay. All right.

Okay.

Can I take it down?

Actually, I usually have to
cut that out, 'cause they won't come out.

Like, it's stuck in there.

I think I can, babe.

There's so much ammonia

and there's so much peroxide
happening on this hair.

It's just asking the hair of so much.

That's why you have all those
little short hairs,

because you've been, like,
cutting out the hairs.

So dry.

Let's talk about your hair.

For me, the biggest issue
is the base color.

I want the J-Lo hair and this is what's--

I've been through to get that hair.

Any time that I have these major events,

I always feel like my hair is, like,

too big, too crazy.

And I just wanna be that natural face,

"This is Deanna,

you know, take me seriously."

I wanna give you tools
to be able to have the confidence

and the knowledge
of, like, how to rock different looks.

-Are you ready to change this?
-Yes!

I want to.

-Let's get you all caped up.
-Okay. Sounds good.

My God, we are gonna love
on this hair today.

-We're gonna get started on this color.

Okay.

Is there, like, a thriving art community
in Kansas City?

There is such a thriving art community,

but it's like we're-- it's--
some of it is very elite.

-Yeah.
-So, a lot of us don't get seen or heard.

It's so important for you to be visible.

It's insane, like, how much...
just, vitriol there is.

Well, you can't even go to
the grocery store without at least

somebody, you know,
looking at you a certain way,

-making sure you're not stealing, or...
-Get out of here.

And, you know, I've been hit
on the back of the--

back with a broom with...
by a man in Walmart.

That was like,
"You need to get out of this country."

They don't even know
that I was born here. You know?

They just assume
that I'm not from here.

But I have kids to worry about, too,

'cause then I put them
in the line of fire.

I totally get that. Like, I had that,
with my family, growing up.

Like, if I was out
with my brothers or family

and I was looking, like, super feminine,

-it's like you make everyone a target.
-Yeah. Absolutely.

And it's so unfair. It's so unfair that
you would ever need to feel like this.

It's really hard to relax

when there is a target on your back
for the fact that you're different.

-Can I get you a gorgeous coffee or water?
-No, I'm good.

-They got protein smoothies now, girl.
-Oh, no, I-- No, I'm good. Thank you.

Do you like coffee?

Oh, I love coffee,
but I never do anything fancy or...

Bitch, I swear to God,

you better treat yourself.

Get her an iced vanilla latte.

Get her a venti iced vanilla latte.

I'm all about, like,
"Oh, no, I don't wanna--"

You need to start being
in the Season of Yes.

I know.

I've always been taught,

"Be humble, be respectful, and never ask
for more than what you need."

I always remember that my dad

would always make us sit
so still at friends' house

we couldn't even really play.

And I think about that now, I'm like,
"I would never do that to my kids,

-ever."
-And you're not asking too much

-by saying like, "I'd like a whatever."
-Yeah.

There's nothing wrong with saying
what you need.

♪ Just let it go ♪

♪ You know I got love for life ♪

♪ Porqué no ♪

♪ And YOLO ♪

♪ My little piece of paradise ♪

Grooming is an evolution,
honey.

It's gorgeous, honey. It's Darwin, honey.

You could just swim through
these evolutional changes of yourself.

-For people that are used to teasing...
-Yes.

They're used to, like, a bit of height,
you definitely wanna have

this hair on your crown kinda going back.

-Okay.
-So, try to get the mousse

-in your root there.
-Okay.

I love that mousse
in your hair.

I will have to throw away
my teasing comb.

-I won't need it anymore.
-Right?

Ready, Deanna?

-For this version of you?
-I'm ready. I'm ready.

Oh, my God.

It looks amazing. It's like...

You can touch it.

-You can get all up in it.
-I can?

-Does it feel, like, big enough?
-Yes!

-It's gorgeous.
-And there's no teasing.

No, nothing.
I mean, I can literally, like,

-just do... this.
-You can get nasty with it.

I absolutely love it. It's...

It's like the me that I've been trying...

to get.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I wanted to bring in a street artist
that could create a mural

that could show the passion
and the different types of art

and the different types of love
that this community has to offer.

I want it to feel like a festival.

This is gonna be so cool.

-Oh, man, I'm happy to be here.
-Nice. She's gonna flip.

I'll let you get back to work
so you're not here all night.

-Thank you. Definitely. All right.
-Thanks, Marka. Bye.

You have been on my mind...
non-stop.

- Really?
- I... Like, non-stop.

Because one of the things that kept
sticking with me is how you kept saying

you felt uncomfortable around,

you know, this suburban
white neighborhood you live in.

-Where do you think that started?
-Definitely from my childhood.

Going back to, like, my dad putting us
in a suburban area.

I didn't fit in there,
but I tried to make myself fit in.

And then getting thrown
into this huge culture where I...

didn't fit in there either.

You know, uh, you can't get on the news

without realizing that...

people in power literally spend their days

vilifying Mexicans.

And it seems like
every time I even talk about it,

people are always like,
"It's not that bad.

It's not really this,
it's not really that,"

and it's always putting something
over it to cover up

what it really is, and it's really racism.

-You know?
-Yeah. Completely.

That's the part that hurts the most
and, like, is so scary for me and my kids

and even my husband.

Anybody can do anything, it feels like,

say anything to you and it doesn't matter,
you just have to live like that.

I know you said that
that's sort of part of the reason

of you feeling scared to reach out
to your neighbors.

Yeah. I definitely will not.

And it's just these voices in my head
that have played before,

"That you're not good enough,

you shouldn't be here,

you're too passionate,

you're too driven."

Deanna doesn't feel at home
where she lives,

so this is about Deanna owning her voice,

about knowing that she belongs
in this space

just like she belongs
in the Latino community.

We're going to have you
go around to your neighbors.

Really?

So, what I got is...

-flyers for your Latino Arts Festival.
-Thank you.

And this way,
you're introducing your neighbors

-to what you do.
-Yeah.

I never thought about just
going to the door and sending a flyer.

-Yeah.
-It seems so simple, but it's so hard.

I'm... particularly nervous about one.

You know, my husband and his friend

busted their butt to make that wall
in front,

because there was water damage
coming out,

and she had the audacity
to message my husband

that the Mexicans
were building their own wall.

At that point is like when I was gonna

call her and write back,
and my husband's like,

"I don't want any problems at all."

So... we'll skip her.

-I'm not ready yet.
-Yes.

We'll go to other houses.

-I'm scared. I'm scared.
-Yeah?

It's okay. It's okay.
I'm here to support you.

-Hi.
- Hello.

-How are you?
-Good!

Hi, Kim, how are you?

-Hi. Fine. How are you?
-Good.

- Hi.
- Hi!

How are you? Hi!

-How are you, I'm Karamo.
-Good.

-Hi, I'm Kathy.
-Nice to meet you.

I just wanted to come over
and invite you.

We have a Latino Arts Festival

-coming up that I created.
-Oh, okay.

It's been a successful

-event for the last three years.
-Awesome.

We're helping others and other artists.

And, you know, we support the arts,
as you know, and the children.

Oh, I'm impressed.

It's so incredible you're giving back
to the community.

It really is fantastic,

especially art festivals
that celebrate diversity.

Having an art show has been something
that's always been, like, one of my, like,

"Oh, maybe I'll do that someday,"
kinda thing.

That's really neat to know.

- This looks neat.
- Yeah.

Um, so, we just wanna make sure that,

you know, you guys are always welcome
in our home, always,

and I know you all have always
made us feel welcome.

There's other neighbors
who have made it difficult

without even really knowing us.

That's why, I think, all of us have
kinda stayed in our own realm,

not really talked to
a lot of the neighbors.

You know, we just try to be
the best neighbors we can.

Oh, I didn't know that
you were feeling that way.

I know, and never do I
wanna be the neighbor

to come in and be, like--
cause havoc on anything.

Us coming by and speaking to everybody
and just kind of let you know that,

"Hey, we're here,
we're welcoming you always,

no matter what, no matter what."

Aw!

Deanna has had real incidents of racism
that she has experienced.

And I think Deanna started to believe
that everyone around her feels that way.

-Thank you, thank you so much.
-Thank you.

- Thank you so much.
-Good to see you, neighbor.

Thank you, you too, as well.

I appreciate that.
We'll have to talk more.

She now knows that she's not alone,
and that she's part of this community.

I always talk about people
being close-minded,

and here I was being the same way.

-Good!
- So...

That was a lot easier
than I thought.

- Yes!
- Yeah.

♪ Yeah, I want it ♪

♪ I just can't get enough ♪

♪ You know I got it ♪

♪ It's flowing in my blood ♪

♪ La pasión el fuego ♪

♪ It burns inside of me ♪

♪ You know I want it ♪

♪ I just can't get enough ♪

As you can see,

-we're in the heart of the city.
-Yes.

You don't feel like you belong here.

-Yeah.
-I thought,

"Well, let me go talk
to the city and see how they feel."

-Okay.
-And they believe in your Arts Festival,

and they want the Latino community
to be a part of Kansas City,

and because of that, they decided...

-to give you an office.
- Oh, my God!

What?

In the heart of the city,

because that is where you
and your foundation belong.

I just can't--
I don't even know what to say. Like...

I mean, just to see the name,
with that logo, like...

Welcome home!

- Hi!
-This is amazing.

It's beautiful.

We found an amazing
Mexican-American artist.

You have a lowrider on there!

This whole thing
is inspired by you.

-Oh, my God, that's all me right there.
-Yep.

I really wanted this place to be able to
function in many, many different ways,

from art exhibits

-to board meetings...
-Yeah!

-...to a little stage for poetry readings.
-Oh, my God.

Those chairs move,
you've got a performance stage.

I feel good in here.

It feels like my home,

but it's just upgraded.

Every powerful executive
needs her own office.

Oh, my God.
This is like I have a real office.

-You have a real office.
-I have a TV.

I'm just loving the glorious wallpaper
and the plants!

You're serving business,

you're serving registering people to vote,

-you're serving scholarships.
-Yes! Yes!

You look so boss
sitting at that chair.

Like, this is your space.

Absolutely. And I've never said that
about myself ever.

I don't know what just happened.

Tell yourself more!

So, you've had
a certain routine that you've done

every morning with your makeup
for a long time.

-Absolutely.
-I'd kinda like to change it

-and I wanna show you how to do that.
-Perfect.

This is how you can put on,
like, a mascara that's not so mascara-y.

Just kind of remove the excess like that.

When you apply the mascara,
taking that excess off,

it just gives you a much more

lengthened and less clumpy lash.

Wow.

And then, this is just
some gorgeous little eye color.

Ah! If you wanna put your eyeliner on

really thick and backcomb the
out of your hair

and be, like, as chola as chola could be,

-go for it.

So, the beautiful people at David Yurman

have gotten us some stuff
that is fantastic.

And I love a regular hoop, but this?
This is like--

-Okay.
-Oh, my goodness.

They're beautiful.
I've never had real earrings.

-This is so... Thank you.
-They're good, right?

-And now, let's talk clothes.
-Okay.

-I got you a lot of blazers.
-I need blazers.

So-- You needed blazers.

So, bouclé is-- You know the, um--

-the fabric of Chanel suits?
-Yeah.

I wanted to get you versions of that.

When I see a bouclé suit,

that's a mark of sophistication
on a woman as far as I'm concerned,

but if you were to wear this with a jean
and a sexy heel?

-Oh, yeah.
-You look refined, sophisticated.

You could go to the boardroom
looking like that,

-and I would take you seriously.
-Absolutely, yes.

I did still get you Cortezes,
but we got them...

Oh, my God.

-...jeweled for you in Swarovski crystals.
-I love them. They're amazing.

-Nobody else has these.
-I love a one-of-a-kind shoe.

-Yep. Nobody has these.
-I love 'em.

So I'm gonna give you that,

and the black heel instead of the nude
'cause I think it's gonna pop more.

- Sound good?
-Sounds perfect.

Then that's for you as well.

All right, boys. You ready for this?

- Yeah.
-Okay.

God, I'm nervous. I'm so excited.
I can't handle it.

- I like it!
-I love a onesie with a heel!

Right?

It's so your personal style, but you can
have business meetings in that outfit.

Yes, and I even have great hair
to go with it.

Do you still feel like this is you

and you feel like you're in your gorgeous
Latina power?

This is the me that I was trying
to get to all the time,

but it was just a matter of letting
myself be.

-And you let me breathe.

-I love that!
-Don't encourage him.

Our next look is our boardroom look.

I think
this is me and Tan's love baby.

Looks more like Tan and Antoni.

-It has Tan's nose.
- Ready?

For the CEO and founder
of the Latin Arts Festival?

- All right!

-Yeah, yeah!
-Gorgeous!

Woo! Woo!

- Don't fall now.
-I know.

You look so strong.

-And I feel confident.
- Good!

Yeah.

You work in a creative field.

If you dress super-stuffy and corporate,
it wouldn't be on brand.

You need something like this
that shows off a little bit of your style.

And we've still got your hoops, which--

-You're still very much Deanna.
-Yes, absolutely.

- Guys, will you make room?
-Yeah.

- Thank you.
- Please sit.

Tonight is a very big night for you,
because it's the...

Third Annual Latino Arts Festival.

-How are you feeling about it?
-I'm feeling good.

-I feel like I got my power back.
-Yes!

You're a formidable, formidable woman
and a force to be reckoned with.

You had it all along,

you just needed it highlighting,
so that's all any of us have done.

We've highlighted the best parts of you.

You totally have.

The neighborhood thing, I mean...

you changed my life forever
in regards to that,

and I feel comfortable now
opening doors anywhere.

It's always been there,
but you helped me dig that out.

There's a fear in finding ourselves.
Right?

It's the stuff that poems and songs
and books are made of.

But I want you to know, like,

you're a warrior.

And the people who really,
like, hit me the hardest this week

are the amazing women in your life,

so know that in your life,
you have people who look up to you,

and they're people
that you could look up to.

You have that community,

and you're only making it bigger
and stronger with this festival.

Thank you. You guys are amazing.

Okay, we'd better go
and let you get ready for this.

In, yeah! Big, big, big, group huggies!

-Oh, we are leaving your business!
-Bye!

You'll be back.

-Oh, we will.
-We'll be back, we'll be back,

Hey, guys.

-Oh, my gosh, Martha!
-Hi!

- Oh, did you bring flan?
- Uh, Martha, what are we making?

- Guacamole.
- Oh.

Do you actually use sour cream

or are you doing it
because he uses sour cream?

I always use sour cream.
That way, it don't get dark.

You get the tang
from the sour cream.

This is so good. Thank you so much.

Karamo, can you please
pour us some Jamaica?

It's a hibiscus iced tea.

So, what do you think of the look
that me and Jonathan did with Deanna?

You changed her style,
you changed her life.

You gave her her confidence
that she was lost, you know?

-This world is upside-down.
- Yeah.

-But you guys make it right.
- Thank you.

-Salud a Martha.
-Ah, thanks, Martha.

-Thank you, Martha.
-Thank you.

This old lady love you guys.

-I know! Thank you, Martha!
-Aw! Oh! We love!

-Thank you for having me.
-Of course.

Thank you for making all this.

-We'll walk you out. I'll walk you out.
-We'll walk you. We love you.

- All right, boys. Ready for this?
-Yeah.

Welcome to the Latino Arts Festival.

-Hi.
-Hi.

Transformed, my...
Yes, transformed.

It's so important for Esperanza
to be seeing Deanna in her element,

and I think it's only gonna help her
respect her more.

- Oh, you look gorgeous.
-Thank you.

You look... amazing!

- The pouf's gone.
-Yes.

I'm just proud of you, I'm just--

-I'm excited for you.
-Thank you.

This festival started because of you.

Never let anybody
tell you you can't,

'cause I heard that all my life,

and...

I don't ever, ever want you to feel
like you can't.

You're an artist, so this is yours,

just as much it is mine.

Aw... I love that.

What a phenomenal message
that she taught her daughter.

You can't get more support
than that.

That's incredible
that she did that for them.

Let's go! Let's go! Okay.

Welcome, bienvenidos, Kansas City!
The 2018 Latino Arts Festival!

-You guys excited?

None of this would be possible
without our great leader.

She is the founder
of the Latino Arts Festival,

and I want you guys to give her
a big, warm Kansas City welcome,

my dear friend, Deanna Muñoz!

Yeah!

All of us have a voice,

all of us have dreams.

It's just about being able to tell
that story.

The one thing I get out of this festival
is that you are known, you are seen.

Never ever give up on your dreams,

never ever let your voice be unheard.

I have a space now,

and it's an open space,

and I wanna see every single one of you
artists in there.

I wanna see all the lowriders
outside the mayor's office,

because my space is directly
in front of City Hall.

-Mic drop!
- Yes!

- Mic drop.
-What?

So proud of her!

-Hey, girl!
-Hi, how are you?

Good! I am so impressed with this.

I know, it came out really nice.

I just feel
like a different person.

I can actually go up and do a speech

and talk from the heart and not feel
like I'm being dumb or not worthy,

because I know I am.

Sometimes, for whatever reason,
we find ourselves in a place

where we are told we are not meant
to be seen as we are,

we are not meant to celebrate who we are,

and sometimes when you hear that
for too long, you start to believe it.

You're meant to be celebrated,
you're meant to be seen.

Deanna is somebody
who liked to stay in the background,

and to just see her now be the face
of this organization,

she's not going to the back anymore.

Uno más, one, two, three...

I'm excited.

Now I feel like I am
one million percent Chicana.

To Deanna, a tale of two cultures.

-Yes!
-Cheers!

Oh, hey. You there.

Here's the thing.
You lack heel confidence, honey?

You gotta wear it all over the house.
Take a seat in it.

Maybe walk around in it.

Build your confidence and serve that walk

instead of serving someone
who just is not comfortable in heels.

♪ Heaven when you touch me ♪

♪ Electricity ♪

♪ Feel it in my body
Flowin' through my veins ♪

♪ Don't even know your name ♪

♪ But it's like home ♪

♪ Imagine when you hold me ♪

♪ Electricity runnin' through my bones ♪

♪ Wanna take you home ♪

♪ So we can be alone ♪

♪ Fantasy ♪

♪ Everything you are to me ♪

♪ Fighting for clarity ♪

♪ All my senses tellin' me ♪

♪ Kissing's a necessity ♪

♪ Baby, I'm ready 'cause it's like ♪

♪ Elec-- Elec-- Elec-- ♪

♪ Electricity all over me ♪