Maya’s Lens -
MAYA CUEVA BY MICHAEL DAKS
M
aya Cueva is an award-winning director and producer who began broadcasting for NPR’s “All Things Considered” at the age of sixteen through Youth Radio before directing her first documentary short The Provider, which won an Emmy at the College Television Awards. We sat down to talk about her deeply personal and political stories.
Daks: Hi Maya ! Before we get started on your work and career, can you give me a bit of background family history? I know it’s an interesting story. Cueva: Hi Michael. I’m Jewish Peruvian American. My dad i s from Peru and immigrated here when he was eighteen. My mom is from Chicago and was raised in a Socialist family that was heavily involved in the Civil Rights and Anti-War movements. Daks: That sounds like a fiery combination. Can you tell me where you grew up? Cueva: I’m from the Bay Area here in Berkeley, California. My dad met my mom in Chicago and then followed her to the West Coast. In fact I made a podcast for NPR’s Latino USA about how they met.
152 Rare Magazine
