Season 8 Episode 7 Club de Lectura: Archives of Unknown Universes
On today's episode, we dive into Archive of Unknown Universes by Rubén Reyes Jr., a speculative fiction collection that explores alternate realities, diaspora identity, and the fragile turning points that shape our lives. Through stories rooted in Salvadoran history, migration, and memory, this book asks a powerful question:What if our lives (and our family histories) had unfolded differently?
As a podcast centered on Latino genealogy and heritage, this conversation goes beyond the page. We reflect on the real-life “alternate universes” within our own family trees, the moments where everything could have changed. A decision to leave or stay. A war survived. A path taken.....or not taken. For many of us, especially those shaped by migration, those alternate realities are not abstract, they’re incredibly real.
This episode explores how speculative fiction can help us understand identity, ancestry, and the invisible threads connecting past, present, and future.
For anyone exploring their roots, this episode reframes genealogy as something deeper than names and dates. It becomes a way of understanding possibility, loss, survival, and the many lives that exist just beyond the one we know.
If one moment in your family’s past had gone differently…who would you be today?
“Our lives are just one version of many possible histories, and our family trees are the evidence.”
Watch Edward's free online webinar: "How Full-Text Search Can Find Latin American Genealogy"
https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/session/how-full-text-search-can-uncover-latin-american-genealogy [https://www.familysearch.org/en/rootstech/session/how-full-text-search-can-uncover-latin-american-genealogy]
Read Edward's blog Genetic Funhouse about his latest adventures with Full-Text Search:
* "Can AI Test for Limipeza de Sangre?" [https://geneticfunhouse.blogspot.com/2026/02/can-ai-test-for-limpieza-de-sangre.html]
* "The Browser History That Led to Rubens’s Cathedral" [https://geneticfunhouse.blogspot.com/2025/12/the-browser-history-that-lead-to.html]
Try out FamilySearch.org for yourself!
* Full-Text Search: https://www.familysearch.org/en/search/full-text [https://www.familysearch.org/en/search/simple-search]
* Simple Search: https://www.familysearch.org/en/search/simple-search [https://www.familysearch.org/en/search/simple-search]
* FamilySearch Research Wiki: https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Main_Page [https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Main_Page]
Follow us on social media:
* Facebook: Rediscovering Latinidad [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085646619259]
* Instagram: @RediscoveringLatinidad [https://www.instagram.com/rediscoveringlatinidad]
* Bluesky: @RediscLatinidad [https://bsky.app/profile/redisclatinidad.bsky.social]
* X: @RediscLatinidad [https://x.com/redisclatinidad]
* Reddit: r/RediscoveringLatindad [https://www.reddit.com/r/RediscoveringLatindad/new/]
Please visit Edward's blogs! Let's keep this family research going:
http://ruedafingerhut.blogspot.com [https://ruedafingerhut.blogspot.com]
https://geneticfunhouse.blogspot.com [https://geneticfunhouse.blogspot.com]
Know Your Rights Trainings and Legal Service Agencies
National:
● Trainings for immigrant educators, students and parents – https://www.immschools.org/ [https://www.immschools.org/]
● Free or low-cost immigration legal services -- https://www.immigrationlawhelp.org/ [https://www.immigrationlawhelp.org/]
● For Dreamers - Legal Services - Cornell Law School –https://sites.lawschool.cornell.edu/path2papers/about/ [https://sites.lawschool.cornell.edu/path2papers/about/]
CA:
● CA Immigration Legal Service Agencies (Bay Area) –https://www.immigrationadvocates.org/legaldirectory/search?zip=95126&x=0&y=0 [https://www.immigrationadvocates.org/legaldirectory/search?zip=95126&x=0&y=0]
● Legal services for immigrants - https://www.pangealegal.org/ [https://www.pangealegal.org/]
● Trainings and Resources - Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) - https://www.ilrc.org/ [https://www.ilrc.org/]
● California Charter Schools Association (CCSA) Resources – https://info.ccsa.org/safe-spaces [https://info.ccsa.org/safe-spaces]
DC:
● DC Immigration Legal Service Agencies –https://www.immigrationadvocates.org/legaldirectory/search?state=DC [https://www.immigrationadvocates.org/legaldirectory/search?state=DC]
TN:
● TN Immigration Legal Service Agencies – https://www.immigrationadvocates.org/legaldirectory/search?state=TN [https://www.immigrationadvocates.org/legaldirectory/search?state=TN]
● NICE - National International Center for Empowerment – https://www.empowernashville.org/ [https://www.empowernashville.org/]
● TNJFON - Tennessee Justice for Our Neighbors -- https://www.tnjfon.org/ [https://www.tnjfon.org/]
WI:
● Milwaukee Immigration Legal Service Agencies -https://www.immigrationadvocates.org/legaldirectory/search?state=WI [https://www.immigrationadvocates.org/legaldirectory/search?state=WI]
Rediscovering Latinidad is an independent podcast. This show is hosted by Briar Rose, Edward, y Jellissa and is engineered by Matthew Sambolin. Cover art designed by George Colon.
Visit our website at www.RediscoveringLatinidad.com [https://rediscoveringlatinidad.com]. If you would like to reach out, please email us at RediscoveringLatinidad@gmail.com, or leave us a voicemail at 646-470-9824.
If you would like to become a member of our Patreon, please join at https://patreon.com/RediscoveringLatinida [https://www.patreon.com/RediscoveringLatinidad]d
