“ THE WAY TO GET TO THE MOST HONEST VERSION OF SOMEONE IS TO LISTEN.

approaches to the border, only to find out through conversations on the ground that families are still being separated at the border by this Administration. The only way you reach those conclusions is by listening to people.

So much of the work that you’ve done is to get people to stop using unnuanced narratives that paint an entire community or issue with a broad brush. We can’t ever expect to understand complex issues if we rely on them, can we?

Yeah, exactly. It’s the easy thing to do to fall into the stereotypes, the big narratives, when you’re reporting and writing. It’s harder to listen and to be open to questioning yourself – that literally only comes if you listen, and if you have the right people to ask the right questions. But again, that requires shutting your mouth sometimes (laughs).

Who do you typically call when you need advice?

My dad (journalist Jorge Ramos). He’s shown me two things: how to listen and go in with an open mind, to let conversations guide you as you’re conducting interviews. And that in certain situations, your role becomes the complete opposite, which is to question, question, question, question authority. Those are two very different modalities. He’s lived this work for so many years and been in rooms with everyone, from the most vulnerable migrants, to the most powerful, evil dictators. I think that’s sort of taught him how to navigate these fundamental questions, which I’ve then had the immense privilege of internalizing and walking around the world with. Humanizing the most vulnerable requires listening, and holding people accountable requires questioning authority. Those are two very different ways of using your voice, but he’s been able to master them both at this point in his career.

Who is your unlikeliest mentor?

My sister (Gabriela Roca). I’m older by six years and on paper, we’re very, very different in both our approach to life and our lifestyles. But I never had to come out as a gay person because she was empathic, open, and loving from the beginning and never questioned anything about me – it wasn’t even a topic of conversation. I don’t know how to explain it... nothing was ever a problem to her, it was kind of a „so what?“ Today we take that for granted, but it made a huge difference 15 or 20 years ago... to grow up with that was amazing, and I learned that from her, not from my parents or any elders.

It’s part of your remit as a journalist to interview some of the most influential people in the world, but if you could call anyone for advice, who would you call and what would you ask?

Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Here’s this Latina woman from the Bronx, sitting in the highest possible realm of power in this country, if not the world. And I know that one would have to have imposter syndrome at every step on the way there, right? There’s no way that she didn’t. So, my question to her would be: how did you get over it? When I got into Harvard, or into college, I thought someone made a mistake. Every time I go on TV, or I write something or I’m on camera, I always question myself. It might be my job, but that feeling never goes away.

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