Latina Grief Is Valid: Eso También Es Grief — Losing People, Plans, and Parts of Yourself

Grief isn’t always about losing someone to death. Sometimes, it’s about losing parts of yourself, dreams that didn’t come true, or relationships that quietly slipped away. In Episode 5 of Listen, Mija, we open up about the many ways we grieve—and how our cultura doesn’t always give us the space to do it out loud.

As Latinas, we’re taught to be strong, to keep pushing forward, to hold it down for everyone else. But what happens when we’re the ones breaking inside?

This episode is both tender and necessary. We talk about grief in all its forms—from personal heartbreaks to the heaviness of collective pain. We also share a resource drive at the end of this post to help support those affected by immigration raids and systemic injustice.

💔 What We Talked About

• Stella opens up about the sudden loss of her father last winter. He was her protector, her advocate—especially during the hardest parts of her life. She speaks candidly about the guilt and regrets that followed and how grief isn’t always wrapped up in closure.

• Jen shares how losing her grandmother, who raised her like a mother, shaped her understanding of love and loss. She also bravely discusses her experience living with an autoimmune disorder and the grief that comes with watching your body change and fighting to find answers.

• Jennie V (that’s me) talks about the deep grief that came from losing friendships and the feeling of being untethered after leaving spaces that I was once defined by, like the dance community and church. I also share how receiving an AuDHD diagnosis (autism + ADHD) in adulthood brought its own grief—realizing how long I had struggled without answers, but also how validating it was to finally know.

• We also dive into collective grief—especially in the wake of recent violent immigration raids, the genocide in Gaza, and growing fear and helplessness in our communities. We name the anger, the sorrow, the frustration of witnessing so much pain and injustice while trying to live our everyday lives.

🕯️ Grief in Latinx Households

In many Latinx households, grief is quiet. We’re expected to be strong, to “move on,” to not take up too much space in our sadness. And if we do grieve, it has to be palatable—tears at a funeral, but not rage at injustice. Silence in church, but not storytelling at the dinner table.

But here’s what we’re saying: Mija, eso también es grief.

Anger is grief. Regret is grief. Reflection is grief. Even numbness is grief.

In this episode, we explore how grief shows up in different forms and how healing starts when we stop pretending we’re fine.

🤝 Resource Drive: Support for Our Comunidad

We’re building a resource guide for those in our comunidad navigating grief related to immigration, family separation, and collective trauma. This includes:

• Non-profits supporting immigrant families

• Organizations offering legal aid and immigration support

• Mental health resources for Latinx and BIPOC communities

• Emergency funds and direct action groups

👉 [Access our Grief & Immigration Resource Drive Here] 

🎧 Listen Now

Episode 5 is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your chisme y healing.

Whether you’re grieving a person, a version of yourself, or the weight of the world—this one’s for you, Mija.

🫶 Don’t forget to share with someone who needs it.

Listen to the episode: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Podcasts | I Heart Radio

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