What happens when tradition meets ambition and is served with a splash of tequila? 🎙️🌮🥃
In this episode of Interviews with Immigrants, host Andrea Szew sits down with world-renowned chef, TV personality, and proud Mexican-American Aarón Sánchez. From his roots in El Paso and deep Mexican culinary heritage, to becoming a household name on MasterChef, Chopped, and Tasting Sabor, Aarón opens up about the immigrant journey that shaped his identity, on and off the plate.
We talk food, family, cultural pride, and yes… even sip a little tequila along the way. 🎙️🌮🥃
Here are some other topics we discuss in this episode too:
🌮 How Aarón’s Mexican roots shaped his culinary identity — and why preserving culture through food matters now more than ever
🧑🍳 Behind the scenes of MasterChef, Chopped, and more — what it’s really like being a Latin chef on mainstream TV
🥃 A surprise tequila tasting — and how tequila connects deeply to heritage and storytelling
❤️ His immigrant family’s journey — from El Paso to culinary stardom, with grit, love, and tradition
🔥 Advice for the next generation of immigrants — including what keeps Aarón grounded through fame, pressure, and purpose
Whether you love his cooking or are just hungry for a great story about resilience, culture, and representation, this one’s for you.
🎧 Available to listen everywhere.
Time Stamps
02:40 – Tequila & Mexican identity: why Jalisco is the cultural heartland
04:44 – Growing up bicultural in El Paso, Texas
07:45 – Redefining what it means to be an immigrant in America
12:28 – Kitchens as immigrant stories: “We weren’t just cooking. We were improving the value of our very culture.”
13:09 – Behind the kitchen walls: sacrifices of immigrant workers in New York
16:18 – Food as memory: “Eating a cook’s food is like reading a memoir.”
20:42 – Regional Mexican cuisines: the future of authenticity in the U.S.
22:43 – Discovering his calling during Día de los Muertos
23:56 – Mentorship and competition with his mother, Zarela Martínez
24:59 – Opening his first restaurant, Paladar, with a team of immigrants
26:54 – Pressure of being seen as an ambassador for Mexican food
29:27 – Tattoos, chefs, and the culture of kitchens
30:38 – Advice for first-generation immigrants: keep language, food, and culture alive
📚 Want more of Aarón’s story? Grab his bestselling memoir Where I Come From: Life Lessons from a Latino Chef 👉 https://www.amazon.com/Where-Come-Life-Lessons-Latino/dp/141973802X
Follow Andrea!
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👉Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/szewlawgroup/
👉Website: https://www.szewlaw.com/
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IF YOU MISSED EPISODE 1 - WATCH NOW - with the hilarious and brilliant Jade Catta-Preta 🇧🇷🎤 — Brazilian-born comedian and actress — whose journey from Brazil to the U.S. is filled with laughter, resilience, and plenty of surprises. https://youtu.be/m5rP4HL-FgA
Need Immigration Help:
info@szewlaw.com
☎️CALL ANDREA'S OFFICE - (310) 477-0047
Message Szew Law Group Inc. on WhatsApp. https://wa.me/message/YRQOCMEPEULUL1
DISCLAIMER: This video and content is designed for general information only and is NOT legal advice. The information in this video should not be construed to be formal legal advice nor the formation of a lawyer/client relationship. The information presented in this video does not create an attorney/client relationship nor is it a solicitation to offer legal advice.
Welcome to the very first episode of Interviews with Immigrants 🎉 — the podcast that celebrates the real stories, humor, and humanity of U.S. Immigration.
In this premiere, Andrea Szew sits down with the brilliant and hilarious Jade Catta-Preta — Brazilian-born 🇧🇷 comedian, actress, and host (you may know her from E!’s The Soup and her hit show Rivals). 🌎✨ Together, they dive into Jade’s wild immigrant journey from struggling with ESL to crushing it on America’s biggest comedy stages.
Jade opens up about:
📌 Growing up in Brazil and moving to the U.S. as a pre-teen 🇧🇷➡️🇺🇸
📌 Her culture shocks — from snowstorms in Virginia to Pop-Tarts overload ❄️🍬
📌 Using comedy to survive bullying and find her voice 🎤
📌 Performing comedy in both English and Portuguese — and how Brazil’s comedy scene is booming today 🎭
📌 The opportunities, struggles, and gratitude she carries as an immigrant chasing big dreams 🌟
👉 If you’ve ever wondered what it’s really like to start over in a new country, Jade’s story will make you laugh, think, and maybe even see immigration in a whole new light.
🌟 This is just the beginning! Make sure to subscribe for more incredible immigrant journeys every month.
Follow Jade Catta-Preta on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jadecattapreta/?hl=en
Time Stamps:
00:18 Weirdest questions she got as a new immigrant — “Do you wear shoes?” “Do you swing on vines?” 🙃
00:35 First Virginia snowstorm — shower caps as snow boots ❄️😂
05:20 Hot cocoa vs. “coco” mix-up — thought the neighbor was offering poop ☕💩
06:09 First Pop-Tart leads to projectile vomiting from sugar overload 🤢
11:53 First day at school — kids surround her like “The Walking Dead” & one girl literally smells her!
14:40 Being held back in school & thrown into ESL with a Russian teacher who barely spoke English
21:52 Using comedy as armor — making fun of herself before others could 🎤
24:52 Returning to Brazil to perform comedy after 20 years away — bombing, then finding her rhythm 🇧🇷
32:54 Brazilian goodbyes vs. American “tap tap” hugs — why she insists, “Just deal with the love.” 🤗
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Follow Andrea!
👉Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/szewlaw/
👉Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/szewlawgroup/
👉Website: https://www.szewlaw.com/
👉X: https://twitter.com/szewlaw?lang=en
👉Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/szewlaw/
Need Immigration Help:
info@szewlaw.com
☎️CALL ANDREA'S OFFICE - (310) 477-0047
Message Szew Law Group Inc. on WhatsApp. https://wa.me/message/YRQOCMEPEULUL1
DISCLAIMER: This video and content is designed for general information only and is NOT legal advice. The information in this video should not be construed to be formal legal advice nor the formation of a lawyer/client relationship. The information presented in this video does not create an attorney/client relationship nor is it a solicitation to offer legal advice. You should seek legal advice from Andrea Szew directly by contacting her through email or other means noted above, or from another attorney before taking any legal action.
Discover the heart, humor, and humanity behind immigration stories with Interviews With Immigrants. Hosted by immigration attorney Andrea Szew, this podcast takes a lighthearted yet insightful approach to celebrating the diverse journeys and contributions of immigrants. Through real stories, engaging conversations, and unique perspectives, Andrea shines a refreshing light on the positive impact of immigration. Join us as we explore immigration through comedy, culture, cuisine, and more—offering an inspiring and deeply human perspective on the immigrant experience.
Coming soon!