Elaine Del Valle: Brownsville Bred, Boricua Identity & Latino Story Telling

Award winning writer, director, producer, and actor Elaine Del Valle joins Gracias, Come Again for a powerful and deeply honest conversation about survival, storytelling, and representation. Elaine opens up about growing up Puerto Rican in the 1980s in Brownsville, Brooklyn, raised in low income housing while surrounded by addiction, poverty, and instability.

We talk about being sent to Puerto Rico as a form of punishment, an experience many Latino kids can relate to, and how those summers on the island shaped her identity and perspective. Elaine reflects on becoming a socially impactful storyteller who centers voices and communities that are rarely seen or heard on screen.

Elaine began her acting career in the 1990s, appearing in projects like Donnie Brasco, The Sopranos, and lending her voice as Belle the Octopus on Dora the Explorer for 23 episodes. We also talk about her acclaimed film Princess Cut, now streaming on HBO Max, and the importance of telling authentic Latino stories without compromise.

Make sure to stream Elaine Del Valle’s powerful new film Brownsville Bred, available now on Amazon Prime Video. This episode is a must hear for anyone interested in resilience, culture, filmmaking, and stories rooted in truth.

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