- [Announcer] Support for "Table for All" provided by Garden State Wine Growers Association.

Visit us online or download our app and passport program to learn more about New Jersey wineries and events at newjerseywines.com.

[bright music] Edible Jersey, celebrating the local food of the Garden State for 16 years.

Learn more at ediblejersey.com.

- [Buki] Today, on "Table for All", we take a trip through the rich and diverse culture of Latin America.

We start off in Nicaragua with radio host Carolina Bermudez, make a detour in Mexico to celebrate Cinco de Mayo and the Chicano culture, and land in Venezuela to hear from a family who escaped political persecution, and is helping others find community.

[bright Latin music] [bright Latin music continues] When we think of Latin America, we typically think of Puerto Rico, Mexico, or Cuba.

And although those three do the Latin American culture proud, we tend to forget about some incredible places that make the Latin American culture that much richer, one of them being Nicaragua.

Sandwiched between Honduras and Costa Rica, Nicaragua is known for its incredible biodiversity.

I'm talking sprawling beaches, active volcanoes, and some of the best coffee in the world.

The name Nicaragua even translates to here united with water.

To celebrate this astonishing culture, one of Nicaragua's best was gonna give me the lowdown on the traditions and the food.

I was headed to Long Island, New York to meet superstar mom, E!

News correspondent, and proud Nicaraguan, Carolina Bermudez.

And let's not forget, she is the host of iHeartRadio's smash hit "Carolina with Greg T in the Morning".

[bright Latin music] - Hello Buki!

- Carolina Bermudez, how are you?

- [Carolina] I am so great.

- She graciously welcomed me, not only into her home, but into her kitchen to talk and taste all things Nicaraguan.

And the biggest treat, I got to meet Mama Bermudez.

- Mama Bermudez.

- Mama's here.

Yes!

- Yes, my mom is gonna help us make some traditional Nicaraguan dishes today.

- Now, if I knew that you were gonna be here I would've got more flowers.

- Oh my goodness.

That's so nice of you.

- Today is all about Nicaraguan food.

And these are the traditional dishes that I grew up with in the morning.

- So what do we got?

Gallo pinto.

- So we're gonna make you some gallo pinto.

- Gallo pinto, that's right.

- And we're gonna make some vigoron.

So that is also a traditional dish.

And then also we're gonna make you some maduros.

- We cannot be in a Latino house without maduros.

- Yes!

I love it!

- Exactly.

That's right.

- [Buki] We got right to it.

First up, peeling the maduros.

- I love the fact that you know what a maduro is and like how to cut it and everything.

And so this is actually part of what we like to add to the side of vigoron, just so you get a little bit of sweetness.

- [Buki] I knew Carolina and I were going to be connected.

Growing up first generation American is a special experience that binds us all together.

If you know, you know.

- This is what we grew up knowing, indio viejo.

And so it was like shredded beef and you would put like masa from tortillas in it.

And I remember being younger and thinking to myself, "Oh my gosh, Mom's making indio viejo again."

And what I wouldn't give to have her here every day to make it for me now, you know?

So those are the dishes that I always remember growing up with.

I remember coming home from school and I would look into the pot and I would see a big beef tongue and I was like, "Oh my gosh, we're having lengua for dinner tonight."

So, yeah.

- Now, was that a good thing or a bad thing?

- For me it was a bad thing, but everybody else loved it.

- That was me and tripe and chicken feet.

- We had tripes too!

You know, I think that we're finding so many similarities between the Nigerian and the Nicaraguan cultures.

- I mean, we're just right there together.

We're right there together.

- Yes, we're totally.

- [Buki] Then we moved onto chopping for the vigoron, and Nicaraguan staple gallo pinto.

- You can stir it up.

Yeah, go ahead Mama.

- Make sure it's- - Yeah.

She is the master.

- I'm sure.

- And you know, when we were younger, my mom used to tell me, [Carolina speaking Spanish].

She would say, "Come and watch me make this because one day you're gonna have to cook for your children."

- We fried, we boiled, and we sauteed.

Like all immigrant moms, Mama Bermudez was there to supervise it all.

You know, I'm not trying to have this rice burn.

- No, no, we won't that happen.

- That's sacrilegious in a Latino household.

- No, you just go all the way around.

- All the way around.

Give it a little something.

- Make sure you get it all there.

Looks perfect.

- The aromas coming from this kitchen could knock your socks off.

One thing all Latin American countries share are their show-stopping dance moves.

Carolina had to show me some traditional Nicaraguan two steps.

- All right, Buki, I need you to shake those hips, honey.

Put your hands on your hips and then you just like this.

Just, oh, oh.

- Hey, hey, hey.

- He's got the beat.

Okay!

So traditionally I would be wearing a big long skirt and I would hold it out and that's kind of like how you flirt.

- Oh, okay, okay.

- Yes, we'd be flirting.

And then I would find my way over to you.

- Okay.

- And you would spin me around.

- All right.

[Carolina laughs] - And that's how you do it.

And I love seeing my mom and dad dance together.

- [Buki] Is that the secret to 50 plus years of marriage?

Dance?

- That's it.

- 57 years.

- That's it, Grandma.

Mama Bermudez said it's dance.

- Well, I was gonna say it's all in the hips.

- A little hip action really works up an appetite.

And before I could spin Carolina around one more time, it was time to eat.

What would you tell someone who's never been to Nicaragua?

What's the one thing you've gotta see, you gotta do, you gotta taste?

- I would just say to somebody, be prepared to have a sense of awe when you see it.

- As Carolina served up this feast, she took a moment to reflect on how fortunate we are to have this home-cooked meal.

- I always say, and think back to it, like, we can all eat.

- [Buki] All of us.

- But some of us truly can't.

So it takes the ones who are motivated to be able to help feed those other people.

- [Buki] Nicaragua has faced some tough challenges over the years.

It's the second poorest country in the western hemisphere with an estimated 30% of the country living below the poverty line.

[mid-tempo music] For Carolina, giving back to her country and its people is her way of righting the wrongs.

She's helped to rebuild an orphanage for disabled children as well as build homes for those in need.

- That experience changed my life forever.

When we arrived, my friend looked at me and said, "Just get ready."

And I didn't know what I was gonna be seeing.

And there were children that had sticks and they were waiting for the garbage trucks to come in and they wanted to be the first to find food for their families.

And so when you see something like that and you see the way that people are living and there are families, grandmothers, grandfathers, parents, children that are living in this environment and you just want them to do better.

You wanna do better for them.

I think we are ready to go, my friend.

This is your, by the way, your ensalada de pollo is beautiful.

Look at this.

- A little top, a little this, a little that.

Look at us.

- Now that is a platter.

- A feast, a feast.

- [Carolina] Of vigoron.

I cannot wait to see your face when you try this.

[mid-tempo music] - Mm.

And that day old rice was the key.

- That day old rice was it.

- Not mushy over here.

But then the beans are creamy and it's like, it's just like melts in your mouth and- - Oh, I am so glad you love it.

- All right, Miss Bermudez is representing Nicaragua.

I gotta tell you, Nicaragua is hitting something special over here.

- Yay!

I love that you're enjoying it.

- Wow.

What is the one thing we all could learn from the Nicaraguan culture?

- I think that if you look at a Nicaraguan person, you can see right in their soul.

They love their family, they love God, they love their country.

And I think that is the one thing that I would love for people to take away.

When you meet someone there, you will be a friend for life, you will have a family for life, and that's a really beautiful thing about it.

- [Buki] Like her parents did for her, Carolina is making sure her boys, Noah and Asher, grow up with the spirit and traditions of Nicaragua by carrying on the stories of her family, the people who made her who she is.

- This is truly where my story all begins and this is my dad.

- A little munchkin.

- My dad was, they would have dirt floors and whenever he would get in trouble, he would have to sit like in a little chair and he would have to sit like a little soldier.

And he never wanted to put his feet on the dirt floors.

So you will never see my father without sandals on.

It's something that like, yes, just carried over from when he was a little boy.

But this is where they really believed that he showed promise.

He started reading at an early age.

He was just really bright and very intelligent and very curious.

And so that's where my grandmother said he's gonna be the one, like he's gonna be the one that we're gonna send to the United States.

And so you can imagine how proud they were.

- I bet.

- With this picture, this is where he graduated from high school.

I mean, you can imagine the sense of pride that my grandparents had seeing him graduate and he did it.

He did it all on his own.

So yes, that is baby Carolina right there.

- [Buki] Baby Carolina already looking off into the stars.

She's like, "I gotta get outta here."

- "I am too big for this right now."

- [Buki] I need to be out there in the world.

- Well, no, this is my sister Jennifer.

She's the oldest.

And this is my brother, Armand.

My brother Armand actually took after my father.

He's a pulmonologist as well.

This is my brother Renee.

My brother Renee is a doctor as well.

- [Buki] Woo!

Now that's one impressive family.

- This is San Juan Del Sur and at the top of this mountain there is a Cristo, like the Cristo in Brazil.

- In Brazil.

- Yes.

And so they replicated that and it's just a place that I look at it and I think to myself, "Oh my gosh, like I'm truly home."

So I wanted to share that with you.

- And didn't, you found something out up there?

- I found out I was pregnant.

So, that is the gift that I got.

Absolutely.

Yes.

- And it was at that very moment that Carolina's two greatest gifts made a surprise appearance.

Speaking of kids.

[Carolina laughs] And speaking of kids.

- Hi, guys.

Say hi to my friend Buki.

- Hi.

- Hi.

- This is Asher.

- Asher.

- And this is Noah.

- And Noah.

- And they hear Mommy talk about Nicaragua all the time and I just cannot wait to take them.

And can you tell Buki what your favorite dishes that Lita makes?

- Gallo pinto.

- [Buki And Carolina] Gallo pinto.

- [Carolina] Yes, and that's what we made today.

So he got a treat.

He got Lita's cooking.

- Carolina may hold a lot of titles, radio host, TV correspondent, businesswoman.

But after meeting her boys, I know her favorite title is Mom.

For Carolina, her family is her heart and her heart is Nicaragua.

[upbeat mariachi music] There is no culture quite like the Mexican culture.

Like the pinata, it is bursting at the seams with a rich history that spans generations.

But there was one part of the culture I wanted to explore and I couldn't think of a more perfect day to do it than Cinco de Mayo.

It was in the 1940s that car culture began to expand across America.

And for many Mexican American veterans, they used the money they earned fighting in World War II to purchase vehicles.

As the hot rod trend swept the country, the low and slow craze took off in Mexican neighborhoods, especially southern California.

Thus began the lowrider movement.

The incredible customization of these vehicles has always been used as a way for Mexican Americans to express their creativity and pride for their culture.

I took a ride down to North Brunswick, New Jersey to meet Anthony Amador, his Lowrider club, The Selectives, close friends, family, and favorite cars to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.

[upbeat mariachi music] Cinco de Mayo, held on May 5th, is not Mexico's Independence Day, but a celebration of Mexico's victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862.

What's ironic is that most people in Mexico don't celebrate Cinco de Mayo, but it's celebrated from coast to coast in America and even recognized federally to honor and celebrate our neighbors in the South that brought us incredible art, spectacular talents, and delicious food.

For Anthony, his hometown of Pueblo, Mexico will always hold a special place in his heart.

So Anthony, when I say the word Chicano, what do you think about?

- Well, Chicano is more than a word.

It's actually a Mexican-American lifestyle and culture.

- Started in the 1960s, the Chicano movement was ignited by Cesar Chavez's fight for farm workers.

Frustrated by the discrimination and lack of civil rights, many Mexicans abandoned assimilation to American culture and chose to fully embrace their heritage.

[soft music] They took the word Chicano, which was once regarded as a racial slur, reclaimed it, and wore it with pride.

What the Chicano movement fought for lives on in the freedoms enjoyed by future generations of Mexican Americans, including the fight for the recognition of Cinco de Mayo.

You have been immersed in this culture since you got here when you were eight years old, correct?

- Yes.

- Started with your father.

- Yes.

- Tell me about that first car that you fell in love with.

- Well, when I first came to the country, my father owned a 1979 Cadillac Fleetwood.

As a kid I always wanted to grow up fast and get to start driving a low rider.

- So tell me about the club you're in right now.

- We are in a car club called Selectives, like 10 of us that are hanging together and building cars and little by little we're gonna get to build our dreams.

And I love the arts, the culture, the lifestyle, the colors, the flowers.

- [Buki] And of course the food.

- The food.

The number one.

Number one, you know.

[Buki chuckles] - That love of color translates to Anthony's other gift, the gift of art.

He showed me some of his work that is heavily influenced by the Mexican culture and the story behind his nickname.

You said that your nickname was Puppet.

Where did the name Puppet come from?

- I used to do graffiti art back in the days.

I got in trouble so many times for spray painting the walls.

So I used to be short and small and I always used to wear like an an overall, you know.

And a few times I got arrested by the police so they didn't know what to call me and they just started calling me Puppet because they always used to pull me from my strings, you know.

- And this would not be a Chicano house without art imitating life.

Anthony is the proud owner of City of Angels Tattoo Parlor and he showed me the ropes of creating the proper tattoo art.

[upbeat music] Anthony tried to convince me to get my first tattoo, but I was saved by the bell when his sister Odelia arrived with a feast fit for Mexican King.

You name it and Odelia delivered.

Mole poblano, a secret family recipe, empanadas, enchiladas, and, my favorite, Mexican rice.

As we ate, I talked shop with Anthony and his friends to learn more about the community they've created.

[Anthony whistles] Now is this how it usually is?

We come, we kick back, we have incredible food, we relax?

- We talk about cars.

We talk about what we gonna do next to.

- Talk about enjoying life, you know?

- Is that a big part of the Mexican culture?

- Yes.

We Mexicans like big fiestas, you know.

So we always got to, you know, celebrate.

- So who has the best car though?

- We don't look at it who has the best car, because if you're part of the crew, we feel like we all have the best car.

- [Buki] And speaking of cars, Anthony was about to give me my first lesson when it came to becoming a Chicano low rider.

Flipping switches.

- All you gotta do, just hit this first one.

Like tap it, like.

You see?

Go ahead.

Tap it, like, yeah.

- All right.

- One more.

Now this one, go down.

Tap it, yeah.

Down, down.

- All right.

[upbeat music] - I don't remember this ride at Disney World.

- And then you can, down.

- And we couldn't end the day without a classic Chicano ride through the neighborhood, low and slow.

[smooth music] Before long I was ready to take my pick of cars and head out on a joy ride of my own.

[engine rumbling] [upbeat music] Next stop Mexico, baby, Mexico!

We ate, we danced, and celebrated Cinco de Mayo Chicano style.

I hope Anthony wasn't expecting his car back because I was ready to hit the road.

Te amo, Mexico.

Te amo.

[upbeat music continues] [gentle acoustic music] This is Angel Falls, the world's tallest waterfall.

And this natural wonder can only be found in Venezuela.

Venezuela isn't just rich in beauty, but natural resources as well.

The country has one of the largest oil reserves in the world.

From the outside looking in, this is the stuff of dreams.

But many Venezuelans have been living in a nightmare.

Venezuela is currently in a historic, political, and economic crisis, one that began in 1998 when Hugo Chavez was elected President.

Under the terms of his socialist revolution, Chavez promised to end political corruption and poverty.

What Venezuelans got was what some critics say resembled an authoritarian state which would continue following Chavez's death in 2013, with the election of Venezuelan's current president Nicholas Maduro.

After several uprisings and protests, mass civil unrest and violence towards its people from the government, many Venezuelans started to look for a way out of their homeland.

Today it's reported that over 7 million Venezuelans have left the country since 2014, one of the largest exodus in Latin American history and one of the largest displacement crises in the world.

And many of them have landed in the tri-state area.

One family who is still awaiting political asylum, but have made it their mission to help others like themselves is Niurka and Hector Melendez, who began VIA, Venezuelans and Immigrants Aid, in 2016 as a way to help Venezuelan forced migrants and asylum seekers.

With the help of their vast group of volunteers, they offer legal guidance, emotional support, and a sense of the communities they left behind.

Hector and Niurka invited me to their home to discuss all things VIA, Venezuela, and enjoy a traditional Venezuelan meal with their son Samuel, and VIA volunteer and recent asylum recipient, Vanessa.

Hector, good to see you.

- Good to see you.

- It smells good.

It smells like Venezuela in here.

I'm excited.

Hector explained how he and Vanessa spent last night preparing today's feast.

They cooked the meat perfectly for the pabellon, a dish made with shredded beef, rice, and black beans.

And for a special treat, the hallacas.

Corn dough stuffed with beef, pork, chicken, and folded into plantain leaves.

A true labor of love.

As we sat to eat, Niurka and her family transported me back to her hometown of Caracas.

This looks delicious.

Thank you for making all this.

Hey, don't hog all the plantains now.

Come on, Samuel.

[bright music] Is this Sunday, like Sunday supper food or is this, what is this type of food?

- Oh, could be Sunday food.

Pabellon is not a every day dish that we prepare, but it's always to, in this case, to show you our national dish or if there is any special event in which you feel you, let's prepare pabellon to share pabellon together as a family.

- Wow.

[bright music continues] Mm.

- [Niurka] The praise, please.

- Mm-mm!

And what do you remember about Venezuela?

- I remember mostly the school and the beaches and also the mountains.

- Now you all have been together since you've been 17.

It's been 33 years.

You live and work together and you haven't killed each other yet.

Hector, what is the secret to a happy marriage?

- We have had a lot of goals, ups and downs, but we have managed to be together, to sit down, to talk, and to continue because we love each other.

If not, this big guy wouldn't be here.

- And Vanessa, I hear congratulations are in order that you were granted asylum.

- Oh, thank you very much.

- Congratulations.

- Thank you.

- That's no easy feat.

- No.

- I don't understand, 'cause you applied in 2019, but you applied in 2015.

- 16, yes.

- 16.

You have been granted, but you have not.

- Mm-hmm.

- How did that happen?

- Because of immigration policies.

We don't know exactly when we are gonna be called for the interview, but yes, that's the way it is since 2018 and keep remaining that way.

- To understand more about the crisis facing not only Venezuela, but places like Cuba, Ukraine and Syria, Niurka invited me to spend time with her at the Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew on the upper west side of Manhattan.

Pastor Lea, who runs the operation, gave me the ins and outs of their relief efforts.

You guys are the largest food pantry.

Tell me about what that means in terms of, you know, the importance of filling that gap of a warm meal in your belly.

- Right from the beginning, we knew that we wanted to do this work by following the lead of mutual aid organizations who were already immersed in the community, who already knew what they needed because they themselves had that experience, right?

- How do we really create those communities so that people feel a little safe, a little familiar in an unfamiliar place?

- This is a place, thank God, that they feel comfortable in.

One main way of attaining that is to just keep showing up, just keep opening your doors, just dignify people.

And when you have a a table that's set, people will sit down.

- Whoever said it takes a village was not kidding.

Volunteers from all walks of life descended to lend a hand.

From clothing donations to distributing food and medical supplies and the VIA station doing what they do best, helping those in need.

Niurka broke down why so many have been forced to flee the place that they once loved.

In 1998, when Chavez started to really come into power and was elected, did the magic go away?

- I wasn't that aware in that moment.

We couldn't notice that hate behind their, Chavez's suspicious and their team.

- And you voted for Chavez.

- Yes, we did.

- What was the regret you felt after you realized?

- Being my first vote in my country, was following the crowd.

Not questioning people.

That's why nowadays for me it's a value, it's a principle.

No matter who, no matter what, question first.

- [Buki] When you seek asylum, you can no longer return to the place you once called home.

It took Niurka a year to make the decision and the first person she called was her father.

- And I said to him, "You know what happened?

I'm learning about this stuff, but I know the only thing I know is that if I apply for this humanitarian protection that is called asylum, I won't be able to go to Venezuela.

And I don't want that, Papa."

And he said, "Don't do this to my grandson."

And when he say, "Don't do this to my grandson," I started to cry and I knew I had to apply for asylum.

I wasn't expecting to leave my country.

Even being in New York, I thought this is gonna be temporary.

I thought Venezuela is gonna get better.

- As Niurka awaits for her own asylum, she and Hector continue to blaze a trail to help other asylum seekers and forced migrants build the lives and communities that were lost, never giving up hope that Venezuela will rise again.

Carolina Bermudez, Anthony Amador, and Niurka Melendez can't speak for all Latin Americans, but they gave us a window into the heart of what these cultures represent.

Unconditional love for family, unwavering pride and sense of community, resilience in the face of opposition, and some of the best food I've ever tasted.

[upbeat music] ♪ We riding in the car ♪ ♪ We riding in the car ♪ ♪ Hey ♪ ♪ I'm a low rider.

♪ We're low riders now!

Hey!

[upbeat music fades] - [Announcer] Support for "Table for All" provided by Garden State Wine Growers Association.

Visit us online or download our app and passport program to learn more about New Jersey wineries and events at newjerseywines.com.

Edible Jersey, celebrating the local food of the Garden state for 16 years.

Learn more at ediblejersey.com.