- Yo, I'm here in Miami.

[upbeat music] And I got to tell y'all, this place is one of the most unique cities in the U.S. because it's almost 70% Latino.

Dale!

And it also has one of the highest percentages of Latin-owned businesses of any U.S. city.

Being here is like being in a Latinx city in the middle of the U.S., and Cubans were the first Latinos to arrive and imprint their culture here.

And since then, Latinos from all over the world have made Miami their home.

In fact, if you were to buy a Latin compass, the needle would point to Miami.

And I have tons of history here, too, y'all.

My show "Ghetto Klown" was done here at the Jackie Gleason Theater.

I even shot my directorial debut, "Critical Thinking," right here.

I spend so much time in Miami, they think I'm the fifth Golden Girl.

And Miami's got unpredictable weather, different cultures, opposing political views, and maybe most importantly, dueling espresso recipes.

Speaking of which, I'm going to meet a few locals for some cafecito in a little bit, and we're going to get so caffeinated.

Yo, let's go!

♪ ♪ - Miami, everywhere you look, you see Latin faces.

Latinos make up the majority of the population, and that's because people fleeing political and economic hardship have come to see Miami as a refuge.

This means there are a ton of Latinx immigrant stories here, and believe me, they aren't all the same.

Because let me tell you, this city is as varied in culture and politics as it is in accents.

I'm meeting up with Marvin Tapia, AKA Mr. Miami, right here in Little Havana, just to get a deeper understanding of what makes this Cuban enclave so special.

Hola, Mr. Miami.

- John, cómo estás?

- How's it going?

Though Marvin is Colombiano, he's spent most of his life here in Miami, surrounded by Cubanos, Dominicanos, Salvadoreños-- hey, you name it.

- Miami is so unique.

But Little Havana is like Miami's Ellis Island.

- His love for the Latin community and the non-profit work he does preserving Little Havana has earned him the respect of the locals-- and, of course, his nickname, Mr. Miami.

- So many people have come here to launch their opportunity for their families, looking for a home, and a lot of people found it.

- And they found it here.

They found sanctuary.

- And it started with the Cubans.

- From his stronghold in the wild Sierra Maestra mountains, Cuba's Fidel Castro emerged triumphant after two years of guerilla warfare against the Batista regime.

- Since the Cuban Revolution of 1959, Cubans have been flocking to Miami any way they could-- boats, planes, and rafts.

- It began in 1959, swelled to a flood within three years, and continues as a trickle even now.

- But today, what started out as a Cuban stronghold has now expanded to include all Latin Americans.

- Here in Little Havana, you really see, like, a huge, perfect melting pot of people that just coexist beautifully.

- Yeah.

A lot of people sometimes say that Latinos, we're very, like, nationalist.

But we're not.

- We're not.

We're not.

- We love each other's cultures so much.

- Especially here in Little Havana.

We have Nicaraguenses, Salvadorians, we have Hondureños, Mexicans, all types.

And that's why Little Havana is so dear to my heart.

It's a very magical, magical place.

- Because a lot of people can come here and never have to really learn English.

- Spanish... - Yeah.

- Is the main language of Miami, and especially in Little Havana.

But you kind of second-think sometimes.

You're like, am I still in the U.S.?

It's so important that the people here have kept that identity.

Let me show you.

Let me show you what Little Havana is all about.

- All right.

- The main street, Calle Ocho.

We're smack dab in the heart of Miami.

- In all senses.

- In all senses.

This is the heart of Miami.

- This is the main strip right here.

- This is the main strip, also known as Tamiami Trail, Calle Ocho.

Every city in Miami has a different animal designated to represent it.

And here in Little Havana, we have los gallos.

- Oh, the chickens.

Los gallos, right.

- We have los gallos.

- Now, why the chicken and the rooster?

Is that because Latin people always love their chickens?

Because I saw chickens around the corner.

- I was about to say.

So yeah, we brought that telltale sign of our culture.

Gallinas everywhere.

- Yeah, yeah.

We had them in Queens, we had them in the Bronx.

- Either they're in your soup... - Yeah, yeah, yeah.

- Or they're in the street.

- Yeah, yeah.

- So they're everywhere.

The city felt that the gallos would be a perfect symbol to represent Little Havana.

- That's so cool.

Yo, check it.

Little Havana is filled with crazy amounts of Latinx everything, but the best part is the people.

They're so full of personality and spirit, and undeniably Latino.

- All right, so Francisco here, good friend of mine.

- Very good.

Eat a peanut, be happy.

No peanut, no happy people.

- Roasted peanuts.

- This is what he does.

- [speaking Spanish] - So one of the last places I wanted to show you that's important, indicative, of this Little Havana neighborhood, is Domino Park.

- Right.

- The famous Domino Park.

- I mean, I've heard about it all the way up to New York.

- It's a membership.

- Oh, wow.

- So you have to be 55 years and older.

You have to be a Miami resident.

- You have to be 55?

- That's right.

If you have any domino skills, or you think you do, this is where you come.

- To be tested.

- To be tested, that's right.

- And these are old pros, right?

- These are old pros.

These people came from Cuba.

[speaking Spanish] This is their pastime.

And we built-- the city built this place-- - Yeah.

- So--to recognize it.

- It's incredible, isn't it, man?

- Enough talking.

You ready to play?

- Yeah, I'm ready to play.

I'm ready to play.

- [speaking Spanish] - [speaking Spanish] - Have a seat.

- So here's what we do.

We're going to throw some bones.

- Yeah, yeah, yeah.

- Now we grab 10.

Don't look!

- Don't look.

Don't look.

So dominoes-- yeah, it's a pastime in many Latinx cultures, especially for the older generation.

Yeah, I know, I get it.

That's me, yeah.

And also, it's just fun as hell.

- That's included.

♪ - We're getting serious here.

- Yeah.

- It's starting to get tense.

- So do you have a one?

- Do I have a one?

- That's what I'm talking about.

Don Willy.

- Sí.

- Ah.

- Hey!

- No, no.

I ain't done.

I ain't done yet.

- Let's go.

- Let's go, let's go.

- You only got one left.

- Oh!

- Hey, Don Willy!

- Don Willy!

- Oh, man.

- Don Willy!

- Don Willy!

Catch you on the B-side, Don Willy.

[speaking Spanish] You're the bomb.

Little Havana truly feels special, because everywhere I turn is so colorful and filled with energy, it really reminds me of my hood, hanging with my friends, playing dominoes, and being surrounded by community.

♪ Miami Cubans have mastered the art of staying true to their roots and traditions, especially when it comes to their cafecito.

You know, I'd heard great things about this small, family-owned Cuban coffee shop just down the street from Domino Park.

So guess what?

I'm meeting Ernesto, Juliette, and Yudith to find out what makes Cuban coffee so damn good.

Hello, hello.

Hola, hola.

- Hi.

Hola.

Welcome to La Colada Gourmet.

- Beautiful place you got here.

- Oh, thank you.

Since we were in Cuba, we always wanted to have our own business, but there, it was impossible to have your own private business.

- Right.

- So this was the Cuban-American dream, to own your own place.

- We came here only nine years ago.

- Yeah, yeah.

- And we--here we go.

- Yeah.

- We came here to Miami.

That's like, the perfect place to settle.

Because it's one of the biggest Latin neighborhoods in the whole country.

- That's amazing, yeah.

When I come to Miami, I feel like I'm in a Latin country.

The warmth, the familiarity.

- Mm-hmm.

- Yeah.

- Immigration, especially from Latin countries, has become so politicized, but for the people uprooting their lives, it's a bittersweet decision that involves leaving your country, your culture, and everyone you love behind, in search of a better future.

And that decision takes guts, something Miami Cubans have in abundance.

What makes Cuban people so cool and special?

- So cool.

- What is the-- the thing, that thing?

- Coffee, I feel like it's really important.

We drink coffee, oof-- in the morning, afternoon, after lunch, at nighttime.

Coffee, coffee, coffee.

- So you're hyper people.

- Exactly.

We're hyper people.

You get that personality in there, mixed with the coffee.

You're just-- - Yeah.

- It's a punch.

All of our beans are 100% arabica coffee.

What makes us different is that we roast our own beans here, fresh, in-house.

It's really important.

The freshness, the smooth finish.

We do a dark roast.

That nutty flavor, dark chocolate.

- See, that's what I like.

- You're not going to get that fruity.

- You're such a connoisseur because that's exactly what I love about a good cup of coffee.

- You're going to love our coffee then.

- I think so.

Before the Cuban Revolution, sharing ideas over cafecito was a point of national pride and unity.

As coffee became scarce in Cuba, immigrants brought that tradition to Miami, where coffee houses now remain at the center of the community.

- Most popular ones, do you want to hear them?

- Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Please.

- We have café con leche.

That's like very traditional to drink in the morning.

We have cortadito, café bombon.

And then we also do colada.

- And what is a colada?

- Colada.

OK.

This was mostly invented here in Miami in the '60s.

These little cafecitos is because you're supposed to share them with people.

- It's so thoughtful.

- It's about sharing little moments with people, and that's what I feel like our Latin and Cuban culture is mostly about.

This is colada.

Really nice dark roast espresso.

And you have two spoonfuls of sugar.

- Gracias.

Thank you.

- That's a Latin thing too.

The sweet coffee.

- Exactly.

- Right?

- It's very Cuban.

- Cin cin.

- Cin cin.

- Mmm.

Oh, that is delicious.

- What do you think?

- Oh, yeah.

There's no bitterness.

It's smooth, it's rich.

You're right.

It has a tiny little bit of chocolatey flavor to it.

Latin people love community, and we've come up with all these little rituals to get connected, to talk, to share those moments.

It's-- - To meet people.

- Yeah, yeah.

We really live for that moment, for that connection.

- Exactly.

When I was little, I remember, like, my friends or family members coming to my home.

And the first thing you offer someone is coffee.

Do you want a little cafecito?

Yeah.

Otherwise it's considered impolite, you know?

- Not coming to your house again.

[laughter] Oh, that's delicious.

Oh, wow.

- Uh-huh.

So café con leche.

- Mmm!

Oh, that's nice coffee.

- All right, so here's something you'll easily get addicted to.

Cuban pastries.

- You know that this is one of my favorite... - Uh-huh.

- Desserts in the whole entire planet.

- Really?

- Smells good.

Mmm.

That's amazing.

I love it.

- Yeah?

- Welcome to the house of Cuban coffee, my friend.

- Oh, thank you.

Thank you for having me.

- Thank you.

- I'm indulging.

- So good.

- It's bomb.

It's bomb.

- Oh, thank you.

- So how did you guys start this incredible place?

- Well, when we came here, they didn't know that much English.

Now they're-- they're pretty fluent.

They defend themselves.

They're ready to go out into the world.

But in the beginning, I served as a translator.

I feel like that was my first job.

Documents, school, anything that they needed, phone calls.

It's like a bunch of processes when you immigrate.

- Right, so all of a sudden, you're like a lawyer, the accountant.

- Exactly.

I'm learning law-- - And how old are you about this time, like-- - 12, 13.

And then we started the business when I was 14.

So when we started, I was, like, a big part of the whole budgeting thing, the concept of the store, getting the licenses to start the business.

- Right.

- So it was a lot for me.

It took a lot.

It wasn't like other kids who got to go out on the weekends.

I was here doing the store, doing the bar.

- Yeah, to me, you're so fascinating.

Because I, too, am-- I mean, I'm a lot older.

But I am a child of immigrants, and I'm an immigrant myself.

And I felt-- - We went through the same experience.

- Yeah, such huge responsibilities.

You become the parent.

You become an adult faster than all the kids around you.

And it does give you a sense of importance.

What does success mean, what does the future mean?

- Yeah, it makes me appreciate more what I've done, and the success that we have now, because I saw the beginning.

- Yeah, yeah, you were there.

- It's a huge change from where we are now.

- This business, this is our life.

For this reason, this work.

Because she is a very strong woman.

And my daughter is really strong woman too.

And the girls, with me, is a good team.

- Yeah.

Good, good, good.

- We're a team.

We are very lucky, because we have her.

We had a big, huge opportunity to bring her to the new life.

- I mean, you've had great success, so you're doing something right.

It's working.

- We're very woman-oriented.

Even at my house, like, we're all women.

He's the only man.

He's a little bit-- he has a little of a disadvantage.

- It's really, really complicated.

- It seems like you're handling it well.

Seems like you're navigating it in a cool way.

- If my family is happy, my friend, I am happy, too.

- This family, and millions of immigrant families like them, are a shining example of what it means to come here and create a whole new life while also honoring the countries they came from.

I'm starting to realize that this is what Miami is all about.

[upbeat music] - Miami is a fantastic brew of Latin cultures, and with that comes a range of political views.

But here's the thing-- we're in no way single-minded when it comes to the ballot box.

Politics in this state have most recently, though, leaned conservative.

As in, voted for Trump, we don't like socialists type conservative.

But Miami-Dade County, as it turns out, is unpredictable when it comes to choosing candidates.

So I'm here at Doce Provisions to meet up with an old friend... - Hey.

- [speaking Spanish] So good to see you.

- To discuss where she sees Miami going politically, and whether or not that will ever change.

- How are you doing?

So good to see you.

- Good.

- Carmen Pelaez is an award-winning writer, actor, and filmmaker, and a badass activist who's campaigned for various Democratic candidates over the years, and her recent play, "The Cuban Vote," explored the Miami political scene and the pitfalls that come with it.

When it comes to Miami politics, no one has their finger on the pulse quite like Carmen.

- Miami is the shore where the people of every failed government of Latin America land.

- Right, right.

So well said.

- And we keep getting them.

Nicaraguenses and the Colombians and the Brazilians.

Like, you know what government is currently failing in Latin America from the accent you hear on the street in Miami.

- And usually what's helping the failure of our countries in Latin America, sometimes... - Exactly.

- Is the U.S. And I love this country.

But also, this country makes a lot of mistakes.

- No, no, no, they bet on the wrong horse every single time.

And it's-- it's mortifying, right?

- Name a Latin American country, and the chances are pretty good that the U.S. government intervened there at some point in order to secure their political and economic goals.

For decades, the U.S. helped fight dirty wars throughout Latin America, destabilizing economies and causing mass migrations.

Chileans came here escaping a dictator we supported in 1973.

Guatemala in 1954.

El Salvador in '79.

The list goes on and on.

Those events often determine an immigrant's politics, for better or for worse.

- I don't want to take us of our accountability.

How many times are we going to get fooled?

- Right, right.

- Because every country in Latin America, for the most part, bounces between extreme right and extreme left.

- Yeah, yeah.

- Of the many remains of colonization that we fight in Latin America-- - I agree.

Colonization has not gone away.

It still is so ever-present.

- We like the strongman.

We like-- - Yeah.

- We gravitate towards power because power is safety.

If we cooperate with power, then we're going to be OK. - We feel safe.

I mean, it's a false comfort.

But yeah, yeah.

- It shatters everything.

- Yeah, yeah.

- And it's, you know-- something that I tell my extreme right-wing Cuban acquaintances, like, I'm against dictatorship on the right, and on the left.

- Right.

- You know, to me, authoritarianism-- the minute I start to see that seed, I'm going to speak out against it.

- It doesn't matter if you're a Democrat or a Republican.

If you're going to be a dictator, nobody-- we're not for that.

- Right.

But these people are coming from countries where their government was corrupt, completely unaccountable to anybody.

Took away freedom of speech, oftentimes through propaganda and paranoia.

They get here.

They don't know what democracy is.

They've never lived it.

- Right, right, right.

- The government, also Republican governments, said, "You're powerless.

"You want to get your country back?

"Stick with us.

We'll give you a seat at the table."

And they did.

Since then, Republicans have had our number.

[upbeat music] Wow.

♪ - Mmm.

Oh, that's nice.

That mahi-mahi is so tender.

Mmm.

- Oh, wow.

- So tell me about the vote here in Florida, in Miami.

Because you're an expert.

- It's much more diverse than people think it is.

- Meaning?

- Within the Cuban community, within the Nicaraguan-- within every community that we have here in Miami, it's not just divided by older and younger.

Conservatives and liberals bounce back and forth between generations, and between waves of getting here.

Like, a lot of my grandparents' friends, which are lifelong Republicans, voted for Obama, much to my surprise.

- Wow, that's so wild.

After the year 2000, support for Democratic presidential candidates in Miami steadily increased.

But in 2020, that support took a nosedive.

So what's really going on here?

Is this a permanent shift to the right, or will Democrats regain that success they once had?

Why do you think?

Obama was electric?

He was galvanizing?

- He spoke-- he came down here-- - Mmm.

- And he spoke.

And he wasn't afraid to-- - He came down here.

- Yes, and he wasn't afraid to talk to people.

- That's the secret sauce.

That's the mojo.

The mojo-- - The mojo is listening.

- It's the AOC, Beto method of knock on Latino peoples' doors, come to their hometown, talk about their issues, and you win us over.

- What do you need?

- Right, right.

- What do you need?

How can we make your life in this country, and your transition from a socialist government to a democratic government, how can we make that easier?

And I think that's where we fail.

- Mm-hmm.

- Because we don't talk to people, because we're afraid that we're gonna be called communists and socialists the minute we knock on the door.

- Right, right.

- If we talk to them, we got them.

- That's insane.

But how are they understanding to do these things, and the Democrats are not figuring it out?

- Because we're so convinced that we're on the right side of history, constantly.

You walk into a Democratic office here, and it's like, "You're welcome," you know?

You walk into a Republican office here, it's... You know, did you get something to eat?

Like, it's very warm, and that connection, that's the benefit.

I think we got to talk.

It's like when abuela says that horrible thing, I think you've got to say... - Let's talk, granny.

Granny-- - You can either be in a conversation to connect or to be right.

Right?

And I think that if you're in a conversation to connect-- - Yeah, yeah.

You're going to have movement.

- Let's connect.

- Yeah, yeah, yeah.

You're going to connect.

You're gonna move the needle a little bit.

- Let's talk to them about that.

Let's not be afraid of tough conversations.

- It's not to be so partisan, not to be so team red and team blue.

But let's get to the-- to the middle.

Latinos in Miami have leaned red, blue, purple, and every shade in-between.

We're not a monolith, so if you want our vote, here or anywhere else, come on by and listen.

But do it for real.

Don't just go through the motions.

And we'll show up 'cause, bro, there are a lot of us.

[upbeat music] - Miami's changing every day, especially in the Wynwood arts district, which is known as Miami's creative and cultural hub, where art is literally everywhere, and guess who had a huge part in making it the hot spot it is today?

Oh, that's right.

Latinos.

I know, you saw that coming, didn't you?

Luckily for us, Dominican artist Evoca1 is out doing his thing today.

Evoca1.

- Hey, man.

- What does your name mean?

- It comes from evocation.

To bring an image from the conscious mind and put it out into the world.

I paint a lot of stuff that's from my childhood, reflecting back on my life, so I just thought the name fit.

- What is it that you evoke from inside your head, that you bring out?

- I paint about the community.

Before, when I started painting, I was doing a lot of political work.

And then I used to just watch a bunch of documentaries about stuff happening around the world, people starving.

- Inspired by community figures like Salvador Allende, Roberto Clemente, and Jackie Robinson, Evoca1's early work protested injustice.

- So I started doing these drawings of these starving kids, and I started putting them all over my neighborhood.

Somebody saw them and was like, you need to do that in Wynwood.

- Yeah.

Growing up, Evoca1 didn't have access to a formal arts education.

That was for the rich.

So like a lot of kids from the Dominican Republic, he took up America's pastime.

- So I dedicated my life to playing baseball.

I started playing college, and got a couple, like, interests from Major League teams.

While I was trying to sign a contract, my arm blew out.

- No way.

- Um, I didn't get to sign a contract.

My dreams were done.

- Wow.

- So, like, there was a little bit of depression.

I didn't know what I was going to do.

All I could do was art, so I started drawing.

I just drew for, like, six months.

- The drawing became sort of like a healing for you.

- Yeah, like a healing, but it's something that I knew I wanted to do from the beginning.

- Right.

- And since I'm not gonna be a baseball player, might as well do what I want to do.

I was like, "I'm gonna go to art school."

I went into an art college.

They told me how much it was going to be.

And I was like, "No, thank you.

Sorry."

- Right, right.

- Then I started teaching myself.

I would make drawings on paper.

- Gotcha.

- And then I would take wheat paste, which is like a glue, and I would just post them all over Wynwood.

- Of kids that were homeless.

- Homeless and starving kids.

- Kind of giving back to your community, in your way.

- Giving back to the community, trying to raise awareness.

- Evoca1 founded a nonprofit called Sketches for Mankind, which sold t-shirts and artwork to raise money for the homeless in downtown Miami.

- So then I started taking pictures of the homeless people I was feeding.

And then I was painting them, selling that, and then giving back to them.

And then right before Art Basel, someone saw the poster I was painting.

- Yeah.

- They're like, "Did you do that?"

Like, here in Wynwood.

And I was like, "yeah."

He's like, "You want to paint a wall?"

So I was like, "Yeah."

"Can you paint?"

And I was like, "I never painted before.

I draw."

So they gave me a brush.

And I just, like, painted this little homeless guy.

- Evoca1's small painting caught the attention of a local shop owner, who then offered him a larger wall to paint on.

- I painted a homeless man.

One of the guys that I was painting, I used to listen to their stories.

And he was telling me, like, life just keeps coming at him.

He didn't know what to do, and he's trying to get out.

He just kept getting pulled back into the streets.

So I painted this old man running with a sheep in his hand.

Huge, like, wolves jumping at him.

And there was nothing being painted like that.

- And then the wolves symbolized-- - Like, just everything.

Life coming at him.

Yeah, problems, struggles, challenges.

Then after that, Art Basel came around, and people in town, all the other artists would say, "Once people see this wall, they're going to go crazy.

Your life is going to change."

And within a month, I was in L.A. doing a show.

- Wow.

Since then, Evoca1 has painted dozens of breathtaking murals around the world.

While he used to focus on social issues, today his work celebrates Latino culture and joy.

- It's just a way to-- a celebration life and community.

Let's celebrate that we're here.

- Yeah, yeah.

- This is why this painting right here is called "Aquí Siempre."

- "Aquí Siempre."

Always here.

- Yeah.

So here always.

- How do you make this process happen?

- Well, this piece is almost ready, if you want to help me touch it up.

I'll show you this process.

- You're going to show me?

- You got some skills, come on.

- I might.

I might.

I don't want to wreck it.

- Anything that you mess up, we just paint over.

- Yeah, exactly.

- It's forgiving.

Art is forgiving.

- Yeah.

If art isn't about forgiveness, what is it about?

Remember that.

♪ Staying in my lines.

- Oh, no, you're good.

I'm just messing with you.

I mean, I think about Bob Ross, when he's like... - Oh, Bob Ross!

We all love Bob Ross.

- "Happy accidents, baby."

- Happy accidents.

- You're not really messing up.

You just--happy little-- - I love--in acting, man, happy accidents are the best.

Like, when you think-- when you mess up, sometimes it's better than the original.

- Yeah.

And it's more natural, as well.

- Absolutely, and it's nice and meditative, too, isn't it?

- Yeah.

- You get in the zone.

- Yeah.

Your brain is moved.

You distract it.

And we're going to do curls on the girl.

- Oh.

- Yes.

Then you start making it wider.

There you go.

You come around.

There you go.

You want to make it-- hey, that's hair.

That's hair, baby.

- You might not have to erase that.

- No.

Now you got to come up with a cool name, so when you paint on the street-- - I'm going to call myself Flex.

- Flex, boom.

- What a pleasure.

Continued success.

Hope to see you in a museum soon.

♪ - The minute you land in Miami, oh, you can feel it-- that Latin beat.

But that wasn't always the case.

Miami's first recording studio opened in 1958, eventually hosting rock acts like Fleetwood Mac and the Eagles.

Later, from a small studio in Miami, KC and the Sunshine Band recorded upbeat, high-energy tracks, creating what became known as the Miami sound.

Songs like "Get Down Tonight" helped bring disco music to the mainstream.

[KC and the Sunshine Band's "Get Down Tonight"] But y'all, by 1985, the Miami Sound Machine, led by Emilio and Gloria Estefan, took over the streets... [Miami Sound Machine's "Conga"] Blending Latin beats with popular music in a way that no one had heard before.

And the city--I mean, the world took notice.

By 1997, every major music label had opened offices in Miami, all looking for amazing Latin talent like Shakira, Ricky Martin, Jennifer Lopez, and Marc Anthony.

By 2022, Latin music brought in a billion dollars of revenue.

Today I'm meeting a young musician named Elena Rose.

For years she's been making waves behind the scenes as a songwriter, but look out.

She's about to blow up.

Pleasure to meet you.

- Welcome to Miami.

- Heard so much about you.

- I've seen a lot about you.

- I've seen a lot about you too.

You're killing it.

Killing the music industry.

- Thank you, man.

I just signed with Warner label.

- That's incredible.

- Latin.

So I'm very excited.

- Elena was born in Miami to Venezuelan parents, and spent most of her childhood in Venezuela and Puerto Rico.

But it was PR that inspired her love affair with music.

- I grew up in Bayamón in Puerto Rico.

Every day, we would have music playing.

Salsa, merengue.

And I was just so intrigued about how it made me feel.

- Right.

- Puerto Rico gave me the freedom to feel myself.

- Right.

- And be myself.

You know, like, there's music in the streets.

- Yeah, yeah, Puerto Ricans definitely carry that-- Puerto Rico changed my life forever.

I spent half of my life in PR, and then my teenage years in Venezuela.

Then I left very young.

I was 19 years old when I made the decision to come back to the United States.

Because in Venezuela, socially, it got really hard to live there.

- Right.

- It taught me so much.

But definitely I had to leave at a certain point because, you know-- - You're talking about the Chávez, Maduro-- - Sí, sí, sí.

- Takeover, yeah.

- It was a very hard moment.

And I didn't really picture myself ever living in the United States, you know?

I love Venezuela.

But I had to leave at a certain point.

When you're Latino and you've never been to United States, it's like, Miami.

- Yeah, Miami.

That's the dream.

- [singing] I would sing free at night.

I was singing at a bar like this, and a big producer saw me singing.

And he was like, "I really like your voice."

I was like, "All right.

I got to pay my rent.

What are we gonna talk about?"

- Yeah, yeah, yeah.

- I think Miami is so special because there's always opportunities.

I was given the smallest to the biggest opportunities that brought me here to be with you today.

People have a misconception of Miami, how it's-- we're always partying, or drinking mojitos, but it's definitely a city that pushes you, man.

All the aspects that you need to actually create a song, an album, do art, you have them here in Miami.

- That's the magic, right there.

After years of writing her own music and performing in bars around the city, Elena began to make a living as a writer for some of the biggest Latin acts in the business.

'Cause you're a lyricist.

You write music and the lyrics.

- Yes.

- Both.

- And production.

- And production.

And produce.

- Yeah.

- Wow, that's incredible.

- I just love music, man.

- So far, Elena has written or co-written over 90 songs for tons of Latinx stars, including Jennifer Lopez and Maluma... [Jennifer Lopez and Maluma's "Pa'Ti"] - Selena Gomez... [Selena Gomez's "De Una Vez"] - Even Daddy Yankee and Marc Anthony.

["De Vuelta Pa' La Vuelta"] - I have always talked about my big references.

Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony.

- Yes.

- Marc hates it when I say it, but I'm like, "Yo, Marc.

"You are a big reason of why a lot of people from my generation do what we do."

- Yeah, yeah.

- The example of a real leader leads by example.

- Yes, exactly.

- So many.

We walk behind.

- That's a beautiful philosophy of humbleness, of exercising your humbleness.

Yeah.

- So they really helped me mold what I wanted to be.

- Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Like, for me, it was Latin-- Latin freestyle.

You know, 'cause I saw Latin faces killing it in music.

It maybe was a New York scene.

But I felt like I could do this.

If they can do it, I can do it, you know what I mean?

- I got chills.

Because that's exactly how I felt always.

- And we feel that when somebody represents that.

It feels like, "oh."

- We did it.

- I feel seen.

I feel heard.

I'm validated.

- And that's beautiful.

- My life is worth something.

- Depending on what you want to do, or what you want to be, or what your vision is, the responsibility gets heavier.

Because you have, you know, young girls, teenagers looking at you, being like, "What are you gonna do?

What are the possibilities for me thanks to you?"

So I got to represent that.

- Yeah, absolutely.

- And I've got to be loyal to that.

- Yeah, hell, yeah.

Because we all feel that.

- And I've learned lately to understand that I do feel I have a mission, but hopefully the new generations don't even have to think about this.

- Right, right, we hope.

You hope.

- Can sit down and actually have a different conversation.

- Right.

For a Latina coming up in the music industry, how has that been for you?

- I feel so proud and excited because we are now on the radar.

And not only the ones in front.

The writers, the producers that I've been so blessed to see both worlds.

So it's beautiful to be a woman in the industry.

I've been very blessed to see how the Latin community has been supporting each other.

At least the people I surround myself with.

- It's like what you're saying.

It's like, we're here to help each other.

We need to boost each other.

Because ain't nobody else gonna boost us, you know?

- That's it.

- I'm betting on Brown people, you know what I mean?

- [singing in Spanish] From a young woman pursuing her dreams to a rising star, I'm proud to see how Elena and others like her are redefining the music industry with our unique sound.

- [singing in Spanish] [Latin pop music] ♪ - OK, so when you think of Latino food, you might think tacos, salsa, guacamole, and you're not wrong.

But man, there's so much more to our cuisine, and especially in Miami.

Our food here is considered top-notch, high-end, and first-class.

That's right.

One of the city's must go-to restaurants is CVI.CHE 105, owned and operated by Chef Juan Chipoco, who's taken traditional Peruvian food to the next level.

- How are you, John?

How are you doing?

Welcome to CVI.CHE 105.

Please.

- Thank you.

- When we built this restaurant, we think about art.

- From the minute you walk in, you're surrounded by all things Peruvian.

That means Incas, baby.

- [speaking Spanish] - Oh, look at that.

- The masks.

- Yeah.

- And we have every cultura.

Mochica, Chimu.

Represents a lot of background for Peru.

- Yeah.

- We're trying to bring our culture, and some kind of twists of color, modern, contemporary.

- Oh, gotcha.

- It's a great vibe.

Protection, good energy.

So everything mixed makes CVI.CHE 105.

- Everything about this place is a celebration of Chef Juan's Peruvian roots, and I'm all about it.

So how did you get to this place?

I mean, because you're a mogul.

So it's more than this place.

It's a lot of places.

- I think this restaurant expanded three times.

Because we started in a tiny place, hole-in-the-wall downtown.

Six tables.

It used to be a Cuban restaurant here, and-- - So wait, wait.

Your first restaurant here was a Cuban restaurant?

- Yes, I used to work in the Cuban restaurant.

- Oh, you used to work in Cuban restaurants.

I gotcha.

- So I got the experience.

I know the food.

I know the recipes.

So I am starting with this hole-in-the-wall.

For two years, I was bleeding because I'm not able to pay rent, taxes, nothing.

So it forced me to get better and see things different.

The owner said, "Look, "you owe me three months in rent.

Give me the key back and go.

Leave."

Said "No, I can't."

So this is my only opportunity in life.

I put my money here, all my money, and a line of credit of my house.

- Bro, you really believed in yourself.

I love that.

- And I said, "Look, give me some time.

Please trust me."

So I just come back to Lima.

I got my degree.

- From where?

- From Discovery.

It's a culinary institute in Lima.

- After years and years of cooking Cuban food, Chef Juan went back to his homeland of Peru to find inspiration and learn how to cook the food of his people.

- I was doing my things for two months.

I come back-- - Just two months.

Two months is all you needed to prep... - Two months.

- To figure out your cuisine.

- Create my menu.

- Yeah - My ideas.

- Right, and what are your ideas, if you don't mind sharing with me?

- Ah, ideas-- Peru has got amazing culture.

Food, spices.

It's very easy to keep comfort, keeping the essentials with a modern twist.

It makes the whole difference.

- When he returned to Miami, he relaunched his restaurant, and boom.

CVI.CHE 105 was born.

- Teach him, OK?

Thank you.

- I've had lots of Peruvian food in my life, but let me tell you, this is something really special.

- Parihuela is a seafood soup.

This is a piece of yellowtail, catch of the day, with a seafood broth, spices, reduced with rice.

Great flavors.

- Mmm.

Wow.

- Vegetables, seafood.

- Amazing.

- Spicy.

- Oh my God, it's killer.

Buen provecho to myself.

- Buen provecho.

- So tell me about your family, and how you started in Lima, Peru.

- My father died when I have six, almost seven years old.

I remember like yesterday.

I was so sad about it.

- Of course.

- I was the elder son.

Two more brothers, one sister.

I used to work 8, 9, 10, 12 years old.

I went to school, of course.

But I was doing something on the side.

Selling helados, ice cream, in the street.

Selling clothes, used clothes, in the markets.

I do everything just to get my own money.

- So entrepreneurial.

Yeah, yeah.

- To support my-- my mom, help her.

- Mm-hmm.

- Working every summer, all weekends.

- Right.

As a young man, left there when you were, uh-- - 20.

- 20 years old.

You believed the American dream, and you came here, and you made it happen.

Because most people have one failure, and they completely give up.

But you didn't.

You had such tenacity.

- And don't get me wrong.

Everything was not easy.

I struggled for years.

- How many years?

- I can say seven years.

- Like many Latinos, Chef Juan did it all by working his way from the bottom up.

- CVI.CHE, showtime.

Ready for action.

- Today, he owns nine restaurants across Miami.

- You have to dream all day long.

Because I'm a dreamer.

Learning, and the process.

Doing everything to survive.

I would start washing dishes.

I was working at restaurants.

Line, prep, cook, chef, manager.

- You did it all.

You did it all.

- And really understand each department.

When you come as an immigrant and you confront this country, you have to be patient.

I think that's the key.

You have to be persistent.

- Beautiful.

Look at that.

- And this is our ceviche combination.

We do three different textures.

That's the fresh catch of the day, black grouper.

- Oh, black grouper.

- Octopus and scallops.

Crudos, crispy calamari.

With golden flakes, of course.

- Gold, because Peru.

The gold.

- Yes, of course.

We have the leche tigre with rocoto.

- It's a beautiful color.

Rocoto.

- Yes.

Very aromatic.

It's a great balance of textures and spices.

- Mmm.

Mmm, wow.

- Thank you.

And this is a sweet potato.

Sweetness, with the spicy and the citrus.

- Mmm.

And the gold.

- Yeah.

- The gold of our people.

Mmm.

This is incredible.

- And then you have to try this one.

This is our scallop chalaca with rocoto aioli on top.

And a different texture, so-- - Rocoto aioli.

- [speaking Spanish] onions, tomato, cilantro, lime.

- Mmm.

- Then-- - Sorry, I can't talk while I-- while I'm experiencing something.

Mmm.

- But that's super balanced, and healthy.

- But it's the flavors that really pop.

The simplicity of it.

But at the same time, it does go pow in your mouth.

- Exactly.

- Oh, I want to try the scallops now.

- It's the fresh scallops, never frozen.

- So, so good.

Are you guys jealous?

You want some?

[chuckles] Not for you.

Mmm.

Wow.

You know what else I love about this guy?

He gives back to the community.

- We work very hard in our training process and impacting this young people.

- Hey guys.

- How are you?

- You have to appreciate what life give you.

- Yeah, yeah.

You got gratitude.

I mean, it's the immigrant thing.

We appreciate so much every little thing we get, that it re-inspires us instantly.

- It's the way you inspire more people.

It's trying to teach the way you can get there.

So that's my mission.

I feel like I can do more.

- Right.

- I can open doors.

- I see you as a success that could only happen here in Miami.

You have to have this melting pot of Latin people, a city that's 70% Latino, to make Brown power, Brown success.

Chef Juan is the perfect example of the immigrant hustle.

By honoring his roots and working hard, he's created a space as Miamian as it is Peruvian.

- Miami is known for a lot of things.

Comedy is not one of them, but if Venezuelan-born George Harris has anything to do with it, it's gonna change pretty fast.

[cheers and applause] - His show sells out weekly, and every word is in Spanish.

- Let me tell you, I'm a big fan of you.

- Oh, thank you.

Likewise.

Likewise.

Big fan, as well.

- Thank you for coming.

Thank you for coming.

- Thank you for having me, man.

Great space you got here.

- Yeah.

- It's so cool looking.

- Amazing, right?

- Yeah.

- I love this place.

- Performing for an audience was nothing new for George.

Prior to his comedy career, he'd studied journalism in Venezuela and was an actor, but it wasn't until he spent time in Madrid that he realized his gift for comedy, at a local bar's open mic.

When he returned to Venezuela, he continued doing stand-up.

But in just a few short years, he would once again leave his country, this time for the welcoming shores of Miami.

How old were you when you left Venezuela?

- 33.

- And you came here because there was unrest in your country.

- Yeah.

It was very hard.

I knew from, you know, since the beginning that-- that we have that government, it's not going to be easy.

- It was untenable.

Yeah, yeah.

- Yeah.

I've been here 10 years.

- Yeah.

- But when you start doing your first step, it's not like people say, "Go!

Go for your dream!"

It's--sometimes you find people that say, "It will be hard for you.

This is not an easy country."

- Right.

- Maybe you have to find another job.

- Oh, absolutely.

- There's always, you know, up and down, up and down.

It was very hard, and I did a show with nine people in the audience.

- Amazing.

- Yeah, I was-- - I love that courage.

I started out like that too.

I was doing improv comedy up in New York City, in all these little improv places.

And there'd be more comedians than people in the house.

Like, three people in the house.

And-- - People supporting you.

- Yeah, yeah.

And you're doing it for them, because the crowd's not even--they don't even find you amusing, or funny, or anything.

And you just keep going, and you don't even care.

That's the wild thing.

If they laughed, or didn't laugh, or they liked me, I didn't care.

I was just performing for my friends.

But the case is, you're selling out all the time, which is amazing.

Because obviously there's a lot of people here that are craving to hear their stories told.

- [speaking Spanish] - And they can only get it from somebody who's like them.

- Yeah, I'm so-- now I'm so happy for-- you know, to hear that from a person like you.

- In recent years, more and more Venezuelans have been settling here, creating the perfect situation for George to benefit from an ever-expanding Spanish-speaking audience.

So it's incredible, what you do.

I mean, the service you're providing.

Because you only perform in Spanish.

- Yes.

- How amazing is it that you can have this massive success in Spanish in the United States?

I mean, where else could that happen, and who else could it happen to, but to you?

- This is a unique country.

I mean, I always say that.

Because you find so many countries working together, and you know, going around together.

We have the same story.

- Yeah, exactly.

- And we feel the same.

- I'm telling you, that's my theory.

I feel like we Latin people, we relate to each other so much more than we don't relate to each other.

Plus I believe when you're very specific, it becomes universal.

- Yeah.

- What is it about your comedy that hits with so many people, man?

- Every time that people come to the show, they feel the same.

They like to hear the stories about how somebody else immigrate here.

How to buy a car.

How to find a job.

How you miss your family in your country.

- Oh, right, right.

Leaving everything behind.

The PTSD that happens to immigrants.

- Yeah.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Maybe you leave behind your wife or your kids, you know?

For some years.

And then you have to work hard to bring them here.

And because there is a lot of people who just came here.

- Right, right.

Like just now, just now.

- Yeah, maybe three months ago.

- Right, right.

- Five months ago.

And then they feel like, "Oh, my God.

Somebody is talking about me."

- Yeah, yeah, yeah.

- There's a lot of people who laugh, but also you can see them crying.

- Which is the best comedy.

- Yeah.

- When you feel like, oh my God, I'm touching on some deep issues, or... - Yeah.

- Something potent at the same time that it's funny.

- Yeah.

- It's about stories.

Even if I don't relate directly to your story, I'm curious about your story.

And because I speak the same language, it's like reading a book of different stories that are fun, and that are outside of your comfort zone.

You know what I mean?

- It's true.

- Now, I've been coming to Miami for years, but it's never been clearer to me how much this city gives Latinos a safe landing zone-- a place far from home where Latinos can grow and thrive.

It embraces them and their different cultures, creating something all its own.

I've never quite understood its power, its appeal, it's vitality, but I get it now.

[relaxed electronic music] Nah, nah.

I love it now.

♪ ♪♪