In this episode of The Thin Veil, Ezra sits down with musician, activist, and La Gente SF frontman Rafa Sarria Bustamante for a wide-ranging conversation on identity, decolonization, Palestine, diaspora, anti-fascism, and political awakening.
Rafa reflects on growing up Colombian-Nicaraguan in San Francisco’s Mission District, navigating mixed cultural identity, confronting racism and colorism, and how those experiences shaped his activism. The conversation explores connections between Indigenous struggles across the Americas, Palestinian liberation, Zionism, diaspora identity, and the ongoing work of decolonizing inherited narratives.
They also discuss activism, music as resistance, solidarity movements, electoral politics, direct action, and what it means to find your place in liberation work.
The Thin Veil / Ezra Lipp’s Patreon
Sunday 5/31/2026 Ivy Room, Albany CA
The Thin Veil with Ezra Lipp
Ezra Lipp’s Sites
Thin Veil Theme Music by Magic In The Other
- (00:00) - Intro
- (02:45) - Meet Rafa
- (03:20) - Growing Up Colombian-Nicaraguan in San Francisco
- (05:35) - Colorism, Colonialism & Identity
- (09:35) - Palestine, Arab Diaspora & Political Awakening
- (13:35) - Ashkenazi Jewish Identity & Decolonization
- (16:45) - Music as Activism
- (20:10) - Cultural Tokenism & Political Pushback
- (22:45) - Grief, Gaza & Radicalization
- (24:40) - Speaking Across Communities
- (27:45) - Land Back & Indigenous Liberation
- (29:45) - Armed Resistance vs Pacifism
- (32:20) - How to Start Organizing
- (34:10) - Outro
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What is The Thin Veil with Ezra Lipp?
The Thin Veil explores what happens when inherited narratives about history, identity, power, and belonging begin to break down—and what it means to move toward greater moral clarity and alignment in their wake.
Centered around Palestine and anti-Zionism, and rooted in musician/activist Ezra Lipp’s own process of political unlearning later in life, the show features conversations with artists, organizers, and others navigating questions of imperialism, colonization, liberation, and the systems shaping our world.