Latinos in America with Ingrid Barrera - Anchor & Reporter, Ep #133

I met Ingrid in preparation for our Latin Talks series and I was so impressed with her resume and background within television and reporting. She is making a big impact with her skills and position and I knew her story would be powerful to hear.

Ingrid Barrera is an Anchor and Reporter for Noticiero Telemundo Houston which airs on KTMD, the local station serving the Spanish-speaking community in the Houston, Texas area. Barrera joined Telemundo Houston in November 2017.

Before joining Telemundo Houston KTMD, Barrera worked from Mexico City for Telemundo Network's Noticiario Nacional from 2016 to 2017 as a news correspondent. She covered the death of the leader of the Cuban Revolution Fidel Castro as well as the Divo de Juárez, the singer-songwriter Juan Gabriel. She witnessed the 2016 presidential elections in the United States, from El Paso, Texas, in addition to reporting the ravages left by the September 2017 earthquakes in Mexico. She was nominated 3 times for an Emmy, for best national newscast and for coverage of the presidential elections in the United States.

Previously, she was a news anchor for the third Mexican national network, Grupo Imagen Multimedia, where she covered the visit of Pope Francis to Mexico from the Apostolic Nunciature in Mexico City and the extradition of drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán to the United States. 

Barrera obtained her bachelor's degree in Communication Sciences from the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education. She is also a member of the Non Violence Project, an international association created to preserve the message and work of John Lennon that spreads non-violence. Through the workshops that are taught in 36 countries, more than 10 million children have access to education and sports.

You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...

  • What drove Ingrid to become an anchorwoman (1:31)

  • Why the struggle for quality of life for those crossing the border is a human issue (9:18)

  • How important it is to educate yourself as you arrive in this country (19:52)

  • Why everyone in the community needs to help with immigrant adjustment (25:31)

  • How to manage machismo in the workplace (34:31)

  • Why exposure can help to educate us (42:09)

The difference between making media in Mexico and Texas

Ingrid began her career as a correspondent in Mexico. She was spread all over the country and saw firsthand many of the real issues the communities were facing. She could never go out without security. Now, working in Texas, she can report whatever is happening in her community of Houston and go straight to the people to get stories. It’s a big change to be able to work without security or fear of violence against her. These experiences also showed her what it’s really like to live in communities on the border between the U.S. and Mexico and the reality of immigrants’ experiences and opportunities. She sees the human issues among the political and safety issues and knows the power of correct information to change people’s minds.

Working locally and making an impact

Ingrid’s experiences on both sides of the border have motivated her to get involved with Telemundo Houston’s local organization in Houston that helps immigrants get set up property with taxes, legal status, employment, education, and more so that they can get on the right path to success as soon as possible. She’s seen the possibilities of what can happen when leaders and companies in the community take the initiative to help people with the resources that will set them up for self-sufficiency and legal status.

Coming to the States as an adult versus a child

When I asked Ingrid her perspective on immigrants living in this country and contributing, she shared that her experience is different from those who grew up here. She moved to the States when she was in her late 20s, established in a career, and with a background as a Mexican citizen. She saw early on that her friends who had grown up here with immigrant parents were more focused on issues like DACA, getting an education and good job, and trying to figure out how to survive in the system they had immigrated into. She sees the issues they face as solvable through policy since it historically has been so hard for immigrants to get legal status.

Resources & People Mentioned

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