We've been here.

We're in the Latinx community.

I grew up being silenced.

I don't want to be silent anymore.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

One of the beautiful things about the Latinx list

is that you have 10 writers all come

from different experiences.

What drives you?

What's that push?

To me, my culture represents a north

star that I can kind of follow.

Like, I'm trying to be the artist both my parents

weren't allowed to be.

They know how complicated it is being Latinx in this country.

We've been here, we're indigenous, this is our home.

I feel like, now, people are willing to pay attention.

Hey what's up, everybody?

My name is Dominic Colón.

I am so excited to be interviewed today by my best

friend, my nonsexual life partner, Mr. Three-time Tony

award-nominee Robin De Jesús.

Ey, whaddup mi gente?

So, you wan to jump right in?

Let's jump right in.

How do you identify, culturally?

I identify as a Bronx born-and-bred,

NewYorRican, boricua, gay male.

How did your family end up here?

I wish it was more exciting.

Yeah.

They came over really early.

What were some of the opportunities

you got it because of them coming to the mainland?

My parents sacrificed everything for their children.

You know, I came of age in the late '80s, early '90s,

here, in the Bronx at the height of the crack epidemic.

They did everything to keep us, like, on the right path.

They were like, [BLEEP] you going to Catholic school.

[LAUGHS] Like, you are not--

I did one year of public school at the--

and we couldn't-- it wasn't like we could afford it.

Like, they would rob Peter to pay Paul.

Not rob, but you know what I'm saying.

Borrow from Peter to pay Paul.

Yeah, and it was one of those things where education was key.

And at the time I was like, y'all are horrible people.

Like, I couldn't get it.

I was like, why are you making go to catholic school?

But I'm so grateful that I did because Catholic school

really taught me discipline.

How would you say your family affected you as a writer today?

My family crazy!

They all crazy!

[LAUGHS]

[INTERPOSING VOICES] No, they--

Maria's not having that.

You can't say that.

Maria Colon, my mom.

I love you, Mom.

She's beautiful. She's--

She is beautiful.

Yeah.

And my dad, rest in peace, he's amazing.

I have siblings-- like, you know, they're beautiful people,

they're complicated people, they are people

who did their best with their experience,

like how they were raised.

And they were raised by complicated people.

Mm.

Does writing almost help you, in a way like,

heal the DNA trauma that's inherited?

I think-- I think, yes.

And it's cheaper than therapy.

You don't have to pay a co-payment.

[LAUGHS] No co-pay, no deductible, OK?

You get paid for it, I think.

Yeah, and I think that's one of the reasons

why I was a closet writer, you know what I'm saying?

Because, you know, it was so deeply personal for me.

I am very aware that I am not [INAUDIBLE] a look.

What struck me right now was you used the word "lonely."

Lonely?

Did I?

You said-- you said you don't feel lonely.

I don't feel lonely.

You don't.

But it's so interesting because, like, being a Latinx and gay,

I feel like, sometimes, there's an otherism that happens.

Yeah, but I-- well, yeah.

There is.

There totally is.

And I think if you asked Dominic now, do I feel lonely,

but I think that definitely took time.

Ten-year-old Dominic felt lonely, felt like another,

felt like he was the only one.

Throughout the journey of life, you know,

you come to know that those are lies.

Those are things that the society

tells us to break us down.

Those are things that we tell us, you know,

to break ourselves down because that's what we were taught.

But I feel like there is so much power in being an other.

One of the things that I write about is stepping

into your power, you know, is becoming the person

that you were meant to be.

How did everyone react when you came out as a writer?

I don't know if I ever did come out as a writer.

It was just kind of weird--

I think, even through the Latinx's they're like,

what's this?

Like, what?

You just-- so you're not home all day

waiting for all these people?

[LAUGHS]

Like, what are you talking about?

What about as an actor?

Well, I think as an actor--

you know, my mom has always pushed me.

My mom has always been my number one supporter.

My father was the silent supporter.

Like he didn't-- like, he was there.

He kind of showed up, he didn't really say too much.

But, like, it's interesting.

For a huge chunk of my life, like, I'd go to the barbershop

to get my haircut and they're like,

oh, your father was here the other day.

He was bragging about this and you wanna know--

and I'm like, well, you couldn't tell me that?

Where were, you know, for all this, you know?

But I love them, and I'm blessed,

and I'm grateful for them because they

made me the writer I am today.

So much of what you're saying is about--

is about the intersectionality of being

working class and Latinx.

Mm-hmm.

But what does it mean, specifically

to you, to be of Latinx decent?

First of all, when we talk about Latinx, it's not-- we're

not a monolith.

Me, being born and raised in the Bronx

and maybe not necessarily, you know,

having the connection to the island,

I can't take that away because of all of that--

it still lives within me.

There is no separation.

Do you speak Spanish?

I mean-- I'm not when [SPEAKING SPANISH] But, like--

[LAUGHS]

--I speak NewYorRican Spanglish, [BLEEP] up.

You know, but that's just because, like, I

don't have that confident yet.

Well, but also, it's really difficult

to have that confidence when there's

that shaming that shakes you. When you're shamed.

Yeah.

Yeah, you're absolutely shamed.

Or when your shame is like, you [BLEEP] speak horrible Spanish.

Your chopped up Span-- yeah, yeah, yeah.

Well, you're not making me want to speak more Spanish

when you shame my Spanish.

I always feel like losing, like, your language is, sort of, the,

um--

the first, sort of, like, US transgression against us.

'Cause with that loss of language,

there can be a massive disconnect.

But even so, we've managed to work around it.

Well, I think there's, like-- what I have to say

is there's a lot of beauty that has come out of it.

Yes.

Spanglish is, is my languag--

Spanglish is beautiful.

Yeah, and it is beautiful.