These are cross-border stories that connect us. Border people often inhabit this in-between place. From KPBS and California Humanities, “Port of Entry” tells personal stories from this place — stories of love, hope, struggle, and survival from border crossers, fronterizxs, and other people whose lives are shaped around the wall. Rooted in San Diego and Tijuana, we are a transborder podcast for transborder people. We live life on la linea.
Have you checked out our podcast in Spanish? If so, Take our survey.
¿Hás escuchado nuestro podcast en Español? Participa en nuestra encuesta.
Port of Entry
These are cross-border stories that connect us. Border people often inhabit this in-between place. From KPBS, Port of Entry tells personal stories from this place — stories of love, hope, struggle and survival from border crossers, fronterizxs and other people whose lives are shaped by the wall. Rooted in San Diego and Tijuana, we are a transborder podcast for transborder people. We live life on la línea.
Have you checked out our podcast in Spanish? If so, take our
survey.
¿Has escuchado nuestro podcast en español? Participa en nuestra
encuesta.
Port of Entry is hosted by Alan Lilienthal and Natalie Gonzalez
Episodes
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The Port of Entry team takes a deep dive into what it took to pass California Assembly Bill 91 and what it means for U.S. students living south of the border. -
The Port of Entry team follows 71-year-old singer, actor and film producer Emilio Montiel on the set of his films. We discover there's more to his direct-to-YouTube movies than meets the eye — and are reminded of the value of believing in your dreams. -
The Port of Entry team had a busy 2025, and we want to share some behind-the-scenes and reflections of our Public Engagements of 2025. -
Port of Entry sits down with KPBS border reporter Gustavo Solis and Al Otro Lado Director of Litigation Cassandra Lopez to discuss and reflect on the most significant changes in immigration policy and how they have impacted the border region. -
Stopping the flow of cross-border pollution can seem like a Sisyphean task. Luckily, there are four fronterizos who have stepped up to make a difference, filling in the void left by governments on both sides of the border. -
Itamar “Ita” Lilienthal is an emerging biodesigner and architect developing sustainable material alternatives — and he thinks he may have found something big. -
Natalie takes our friend and colleague, Leslie Gonzalez, on her first-ever trip to Tijuana to explore Mercado Hidalgo, celebrate Día de Muertos, and dive into the sights, smells, and flavors of this tradition. -
The team dives deep into the story behind the enigmatic case of Juan Castillo Morales, also known as Juan Soldado. -
We conclude our time with Chama, a Venezuelan exile who made her way to the United States via Tijuana. She shares her Herculean effort to enter the U.S. legally and, despite all her efforts, how the system ultimately failed her. -
In today's episode, we sit down with Chama, a Venezuelan exile who made her way to the U.S. via Tijuana. Chama shares her odyssey out of Venezuela as she searched for a new home to reunite her family with her estranged husband in California. -
In today's episode, we follow Laura Pabon, a staff member at one of Tijuana's busiest shelters, Casa del Migrante. Laura shares her journey to Tijuana and discusses the turning points that made her want to help migrants find a new home. -
KPBS's new youth-led podcast, “Voices del Valle” depicts coming-of-age stories from the Imperial Valley. The Port of Entry team played a small role in the development of this project. Today's episode delves into the nature of that collaboration and the mentorship that played a part in bringing ‘Voices del Valle’ to life.
Español
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El equipo de Port of Entry sigue a Emilio Montiel, un cantante, actor y productor de cine de 71 años. Lo acompañamos en el set de sus últimas películas y descubrimos que hay mucho más en sus producciones directas a YouTube de lo que se ve a simple vista, recordándonos el valor de creer en tus sueños. -
Itamar “Ita” Lilienthal es un bio diseñador y arquitecto emergente que está desarrollando alternativas sustentables a materiales convencionales que contaminan. Él cree haber encontrado algo especial. -
Nos sentamos con Gustavo Solís, reportero de frontera de KPBS, y Cassandra López, Directora de Litigación de Al Otro Lado, para reflexionar sobre los cambios más significativos en la política de inmigración y cómo han impactado en la región fronteriza. -
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(Nos tomaremos una pequeña pausa con los episodios en español) -
En el episodio de hoy concluimos la historia de Chama, una exiliada venezolana que llegó a EE.UU. via Tijuana. Exploramos su camino hacia Estados Unidos, el esfuerzo titánico que hizo por hacerlo de forma legal y, a pesar de toda su persistencia, cómo el sistema terminó fallándole. -
En el episodio de hoy conversamos con Chama, una exiliada venezolana que llegó a EE.UU. via Tijuana. Chama comparte la odisea que fue salir de Venezuela y establecerse en Tijuana mientras buscaba una manera para reunir a su familia con su esposo en California. -
En el episodio de hoy seguimos a Laura Pavón, una integrante del equipo en uno de los albergues más activos de Tijuana, la Casa del Migrante. Laura comparte su trayectoria hacia Tijuana y habla sobre los momentos decisivos que la motivaron a querer ayudar a los migrantes a encontrar un nuevo hogar. -
El nuevo podcast de KPBS que fue producido por jóvenes , "Voices del Valle", retrata historias de la adolescencia procedentes del Valle Imperial. El equipo de Port of Entry desempeñó un pequeño papel en el desarrollo de este proyecto. El episodio de hoy profundiza en la naturaleza de esa colaboración y mentoría que jugó un papel en darle vida a ‘Voices del Valle’. -
Qué onda friends! En el episodio de hoy, concluimos nuestra serie de fronterizas que la están rompiendo en el cine y los medios con nada menos que con la tijuanense Paulina Casmur, ganadora de 19 premios Emmy. Nos sentamos a conversar sobre su impacto en el sector de noticias, los desafíos que ha enfrentado como mujer y fronteriza, cómo ha abierto camino para que las historias fronterizas sean reconocidos en los Emmy como categoría propia y su proyecto el Sin Spoilers podcast. Ah, y también está la historia de como fue el blanco Departamento de Seguridad Nacional de los USA. ¡Definitivamente no querrás perderte este episodio! ¡Nos vemos pronto! *Nota del Productor: Desde que el episodio se publicó, Paulina recibió su decimooctavo y decimonoveno premio Emmy. Su gran total alcanza los 19 reconocimientos. -
Qué onda friends ¡Este episodio es solo conmigo, Natalie! Hoy quiero compartir contigo el impacto que el cine ha tenido en mi vida.Y además, tuve el enorme gusto de sentarme a platicar con tres cineastas increíbles: Marla Arreola, Marinthia Gutierrez y Nicolasa Ruiz, cuyas vidas también han sido profundamente transformadas por el cine. El trabajo de estas tres mujeres talentosas llegó nada menos que al prestigioso Festival de Cine de Cannes. Juntas, hablamos sobre sus trayectorias, los retos que han enfrentado y cómo están abriendo nuevos caminos en la industria del cine, la televisión… y más allá. ¡No te lo puedes perder! -
¡Qué onda, friends! En el episodio de hoy, nos sentamos con Pepe Mogt y Ramon Amezcua, miembros fundadores de Nortec Collective. Reflexionan sobre haber alcanzado 25 años de carrera profesional, cómo lograron definir su sonido y el legado que han forjado en la ciudad de Tijuana. No se lo pierdan! Por cierto! Aquí les dejamos el episodio de Ramón de Port of Entry de hace algunos años! Videos del Concierto: José Ramírez / Osvaldo Valencia
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What Our Listeners Are Saying
"I love the podcast. I have lived my whole life near the border. I have pride and joy in being part of the region. Being also fluent in Spanish I listen to all the episodes twice now. First in Spanish and then again in English to make sure I didn’t miss anything."
- Claire Borja, San Diego, Calif.
"Keep up the fascinating work you do."
- Sally Husch Dean, Encinitas, Calif.
"Me encanta qué hay una comunidad de transfronterizos que compartimos los mismos problemas y felicidades."
- Diana Silero
"I’m a border person (from Matamoros) now living in North Carolina. Love hearing your stories que me conectan a la vida fronteriza."
- Ada V., Asheville, N.C.
"Amo este podcast! Gracias por su esfuerzo y trabajo."
- Tori Luna, San Diego, Calif. and Tijuana
"I love hearing you talk about them places I know and love en ambos lados! Also I have had the occasions to visit some of the places you feature, parts of Tijuana I might never have considered without you."
- Rachel R., Chula Vista, Calif.
"I love it, me hace sentir conectada con mi region de origen y escuchar mi acento y las historias que están evolucionando."
- Eva A., Tijuana
"I absolutely love this podcast. As someone who work on the border, and with those living and attempting to cross the border, I love learning more about the diversity of culture and people and food!"
- Maria Kelly Horsley, San Diego, Calif.
"Gracias por contar cosas lindas de la frontera."
- Jason López, San Luis Río Colorado, Mexico and Yuma, Ariz.
Meet the Port of Entry Team
Co-host
Alan is a musician and the co-host of Port of Entry, a KPBS podcast about cross-border culture and the people who shape it. He was born in Mexico City, grew up in San Diego, learned a lot in New York and now splits his time between Tijuana, San Diego and Los Angeles. Alan is a member of tulengua, a bilingual hip-hop supergroup with members from both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. His life’s mission is to melt borders and celebrate our shared humanity through art.
Co-host & Producer
Telling stories — whether through a microphone on Port of Entry or on stage as a theater actress — is what drives Natalie. It inspires her to move constantly between the two worlds that define this border region: Tijuana and San Diego. She explores the voices, experiences and creativity of this community, bringing them to life for audiences on both sides of the border and in both languages: English and Spanish.
Audio Engineer & Sound Designer
Adrian is a technical producer and sound designer for KPBS. He is the lead sound designer for Port of Entry and assists with various other KPBS productions through audio editing, recording and mixing. When he is not producing or playing shows with his band, Velvet Dinner Party, Adrian explores the culinary and cultural richness of his hometown of San Diego and the adjacent areas of Tijuana and Baja California.
Producer & Editor
Julio, a UC Berkeley philosophy graduate, is a writer, producer, filmmaker and educator from the San Diego–Tijuana border. At KPBS, he serves as the producer and lead writer of Port of Entry, focusing on border life. His past projects include “While We Wait,” “Ruta 40” and “Cocineras.” He co-owns and partners with local creators on multimedia projects and serves as media director for Transfronterizo Futures, supporting transborder students. Passionate about all things Baja, he mentors youth in Tijuana and South Bay San Diego.
Editor
Chrissy leads the KPBS Arts & Culture team, overseeing multimedia coverage across digital, audio and video platforms. She manages the KPBS podcasts Port of Entry and The Finest, as well as the weekly arts newsletter. Before joining KPBS, she served as executive editor of Entertainment and Culture at Yahoo, experience she now brings to her work supporting San Diego’s creative communities and cross-border storytelling.