Latino USA

In early February, Salvadoran president Nayib Bukele made an unprecedented and controversial offer: to jail U.S. citizens in El Salvador.

Jason sits down with Maria Hinojosa on this episode of Latino USA to discuss the links between the booming business of human smuggling and U.S. immigration policies and much more.

We resurrect the story of Teresa Urrea, the Mexican Joan of Arc, who was once called “the most dangerous girl in Mexico” by the dictator Porfirio Diaz.

For Ayodele Casel tap dancing is magic.

To say that the United States and Mexico have a complicated relationship is to put it lightly.

A conversation with Mexican-American actor Harvey Guillén, the star of the popular show "What We Do in the Shadows."

Journalist Cristela Guerra reflects on President Trump's recent threats of taking back the Panama Canal, her memories of the last time the U.S. invaded her homeland and the complicated relationship between the two countries.

Emilia Pérez has sparked significant controversy not only because of polarizing remarks from its director and lead star, but for its eccentric storytelling and what many call a downright “off” portrayal of Mexico

For the second episode of our new series "Hombre: Understanding Latino Men," Maria Hinojosa sits down with two young voters from Texas who have similar backgrounds but opposite political views.

Cristina Rivera Garza’s 2024 Pulitzer-winning memoir explores the "emotional archive" of her sister, allegedly killed 30 years ago. Her book became significant in a bilingual women’s claim for justice.

How Toñita’s, the last Puerto Rican social club in Brooklyn, is fighting erasure with free food, dance and building community.

We bring you a different kind of immigration coverage. We're telling a New York story: one that celebrates the beautiful, everyday life of the immigrant.

Amid the chaos generated by Donald Trump’s first days back in the White House, Maria Hinojosa sits down with New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

In 1939, a Mexican-American high school basketball team from San Antonio, Texas shocked the world.

A conversation with author Marie Arana on her latest work, "LatinoLand," a book that helps us understand the past, present, and future of Latinos in this country.

We take a deep dive into the first hours of Donald Trump's return to the White House and how our community is reacting.

Latino USA covers the devastation from the historic fires in Los Angeles, and the community solidarity that has followed.

Dr. Jessica Hernandez, a Zapotec and Maya Ch’orti’ scientist, breaks down why Western conservationism isn't working, and why Indigenous peoples and science need to inform the decisions made about the future of our environments.

Maria Hinojosa speaks to Alex García López, one of the directors of Nextflix’s ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude,’ about the making of the series based on Gabriel García Márquez’s iconic novel.

Nachos’ immense popularity over the years has overshadowed their true history. The first nachos weren’t invented in ballparks or designed for concession stands. They were created 80 years ago in a small town in Mexico

For Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Ileana Cabra — known by her stage name, iLe — music has always been a way to reflect and comment on the world around her.

On May 3, 2017, a young woman was found dead on the campus of a prestigious university in Mexico City.

Filmed over six years, "The Silence of Others" reveals how survivors and their families have struggled to cope in the aftermath of Spain’s 40-year dictatorship under General Franco.

On this collaboration with Northwest Public Radio, Latino USA dives into the dynamics of the reservation, exploring how two communities living side by side try to learn to get along.

"The Return" is an intimate portrait of what gets left behind when we immigrate and what we can gain when we return.

A conversation with journalist Natasha Alford, on growing up Afro-Latina in Upstate New York, and how to juggle the complexities of being a Black Puerto Rican woman in a divided country.

ITT hosts Maria Hinojosa and Paola Ramos are joined by NBC News correspondent Jacob Soboroff for a deep dive into the devastating consequences of Donald Trump’s first term immigration policy.

This week on Latino USA, we look at surveillance technology on the U.S.-Mexico border, then, now, and where it’s headed.

This week Latino USA brings you an episode of the The Burden: Avengers podcast.

We sit down with Immortal Technique to get a deeper sense of what it was like growing up in Harlem and how his rage has played into his successful music career.

Maria Hinojosa talks to the show’s award-winning creator Maria Perez-Brown, who is Nuyorican herself, about jumping into the world of children's television after being a tax lawyer, and the surprisingly long legacy of “Taina.”

With DACA and the Dreamers poised to be back in the center of the national conversation, Latino USA revisits this episode about what it means to be young and undocumented in the United States today.

There's out-of-date immigration laws are and the only cure is comprehensive immigration reform from Congress.

Maria Hinojosa sits down with actors Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal to discuss their latest projects. They also chat about fostering their lifelong friendship and creating politically powerful art.

Through drag performance, Paloma discovers her connection to womanhood and femininity. In this episode, we follow her transition journey as she undergoes Hormone Replacement Treatment.

A week after the re-election of Donald Trump, Maria Hinojosa is joined by ITT all-stars Imara Jones, journalist and founder of Translash Media, and Karen Attiah, Washington Post Opinion columnist.

The series follows a group of tenants who came together and fought back against their landlord.

A special election episode in collaboration with Futuro’s political podcast In The Thick to unpack key updates and trends from the 2024 election.

How young Latino voters are showing up for the 2024 presidential election, and two young Latinos hand-picked by the parties to get out the youth vote.

This week on Latino USA we bring you an episode from Futuro’s own 'In The Thick' podcast.

The Misinformation Web: An investigation into the social media content creators driving  election misinformation aimed at Latinos.

We examine the growing support for extremism in America and why Latinos can be especially susceptible to far-right ideologies

This week, Latino USA shares the conclusion of Futuro Investigates podcast series USA v. García Luna.

A conversation with legendary jazz musician Paquito D’ Rivera on his seven decades-long career, why he left Cuba, and his philosophy of improvisation—in music and in life.

Argentinian composer and guitarist Jacinta Clusellas didn’t expect that she would end up writing musicals when she moved to the United States to study music.

In the U.S., Columbus Day is a federal holiday in honor of the Italian navigator Christopher Columbus—and it’s a day of Italian-American celebration.

Being a new parent comes with a series of challenges—one being the decision whether or not to teach your child a second language.

Today on Latino USA, we share the second episode of “Chess Piece: The Elián González Story,”  a new podcast from Futuro Studios and iHeartMedia.

Twenty five years after a young Cuban boy named Elián González was rescued from the sea, we revisit his story.

In 1945, 20-year-old Anthony Acevedo was held in captivity with other American soldiers inside a Nazi concentration camp called Berga.

We sit down with Rubén Blades, to discuss music, politics, and his long career.

Maria Hinojosa brings together three Latino journalists; John Quiñones, Maria Elena Salinas, and Paola Ramos. They get into the state of journalism, conservatism, and the 2024 Latino Vote.

Ernesto talks about his healing —and journalistic— journey with psychedelics.

Latino USA brings you the launch of In The Thick’s new popup season—to help you break down this unprecedented political moment and what it means for our communities and our futures.

Maria Hinojosa travels to San Diego to explore how inflation is impacting the price of a taco. She also talks with a single mom about how her finances might influence her vote in November.

A conversation with Irene Vallejo, author of “Papyrus: The Invention of Books in the Ancient World,” on connecting millions of readers across the world with the very long history of caring for books.

In Part 2 of The Moving Border, we visit Tapachula, Mexico in search of a young man whose life is in danger.

"Making Movies" is a rock band based out of Kansas City, they talk with Latino USA about their unique sound and collaboration with Rubén Blades.

In this 2-part investigation The Moving Border, Latino USA delves into the increasing pressure put on refugees seeking safety in the United States via its southern border.

In this “How I Made It,” Erik Rodriguez takes us through his transformation into Cimafunk.

Gun violence is a top voting issue for Latinos and Latinas this election cycle.

Draco Rosa talks about his career, his battle with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Hurricane María, and the creation of Monte Sagrado.

We travel to eastern New Mexico to meet Latinas and Latinos who have mobilized politically for and against abortion in the region.

The story of Daniel Zamora who remade his life after being deported from the U.S. to Mexico.

The Mortgage Wall: An investigation into what makes it harder for Latinos and Latinas to overcome mortgage lending barriers and achieve homeownership.

Cuban Singer, songwriter and composer Daymé Arocena shares how she creates music that doesn’t fit easily into a box.

Latino USA explores the relationship between the construction of Dodger Stadium and the displacement of the Mexican-American community in the 1950s.

For this ‘How I Made It’, we sit down with cultural icon Alaska to speak about her career and how her song became a pride anthem all over Latin America.

On the heels of President Joe Biden’s decision to abandon his re-election campaign, we revisit Maria Hinojosa’s sit-down interview with the Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris.

Venezuelan investigative journalist Roberto Deniz has uncovered widespread corruption in his home country’s government.

Maria Hinojosa sits down with Isa Nakazawa, the host of the new Futuro Studios’ show, Stars and Stars with Isa, to discuss how astrology can enhance your life.

One of the most influential anthropologists of our time tells us about her creative process on the page and on the dance floor.

Get in, we’re going clubbing in Juárez! It’s going to be glitzy, it’s going to be gritty.

A podcast about going back to your roots, with the life of Juan Gabriel as a guide.

In part two of our two-part special, we continue our investigation into the death of a man in a U.S. immigration detention center, examining surveillance video and other clues about what happened

Colombian-Canadian singer-songwriter Lido Pimienta talks about her new album, "Miss Colombia" and how her love of Afro-Colombian music came to be.

A man dies in a U.S. immigration detention center, under unusual circumstances

Angela Guzman explains how she helped designed the first set of Apple emojis, her inspiration, and process.

In this episode, we travel to Sasabe, a remote town on the Arizona border with Mexico, to find out how the battles over human smuggling turned this tiny community into a ghost town.

The Tiarras have been playing together since they were just little girls, but they’ve been sisters forever.

For Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Ileana Cabra — better known under her stage name, iLe — music has always been a way to reflect on the world around her

Will watching all of Pedro Almodovar's movies in one month make you more or less neurotic?

Shea Serrano’s prolific writing career started unexpectedly when his wife, pregnant with twins, had to stop working.

In this episode of Latino USA, we hear from three Latino voices around the country on what informs their solidarity with Palestinians as the war on Gaza continues.

Luna Luna is a rising four-member band from different walks of life.

In November 2021, Robert Santos became the first Latino to be confirmed as the Director of the U.S. Census Bureau.

In Far West Texas, there’s only one hospital, serving a region of 12,000 square miles.

On June 2nd 2024, Mexico will elect a female president for the first time in the country’s history.

Latino USA interviews Xiomara Torres who started as an undocumented migrant and made her way through the foster system to become a judge in Oregon's Circuit Court.

Latino USA examines how and why someone with serious mental illness falls through the cracks of the nation's mental health system.

A conversation with Lucía Díaz Genao, a mother who became a leader in the fight to search and find the disappeared in Mexico.

A conversation with Pulitzer prize-winning journalist Andrea Elliott on documenting life on the margins of power and the role of journalists of conscience.

Trans activist, actress and author Cecilia Gentili on the intersections of advocacy and storytelling.

Mexican singer-songwriter Natalia Lafourcade embraces contrasts in her music.

A look at how disinformation affects Latino and Spanish-speaking communities, and how to combat its effects—a new episode of “The Latino Factor: How We Vote,” our 2024 election year series.

Mexican actress Melissa Barrera talks about her journey into acting, the importance of using her platform and how she views her own diverse career during what she calls an age of self-reflection.

In the 1990s, Detective Louis N. Scarcella was legendary. In a city overrun by violent crime, he cracked the toughest cases and put away the worst criminals. “The Hulk” was his nickname.

Toxic Labor: A first of its kind investigation into how prolonged exposure to toxins affects the health of workers who rebuild American cities after natural disasters.

When Mireya Ramos found herself subject to scrutiny and machismo as the only woman mariachi singer in the male-dominated mariachi circles, she decided to do something about it.

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones rose to instant recognition when she published the 1619 Project in 2019.

Wildland firefighter Armando Perez recreates a typical day as a member of Eldorado Hotshots; what is it like to go into the fire—and get out of it?

What and who do you include in a national Latino museum? That’s a question that many have been asking since late 2020, when Congress green-lit the creation of The National Museum of the American Latino

In this episode of Latino USA, Mimy and Tony show us how, with the right timing and your family, nothing can get in the way.

As part of our special election coverage for 2024, “The Latino Factor: How We Vote,” we discuss one of the top mobilizing issues for voters: abortion and reproductive rights.

One student shares her story of loss and growth after the pandemic flipped her senior year of college upside down.

In a new migration reality, women and children are requesting asylum in Mexico at higher rates than men. A look into what it’s like to migrate undocumented when you’re a woman, and the central role her body plays in transit.

Latino USA speaks with some of the Latinos and Latinas who made the recent and historic mission to Mars possible.

It was an anti-immigrant initiative in his home state of California that pushed Alex Padilla into politics, now he is making history as the first Latino to represent California in the US senate.

Argentine writer Samanta Schweblin shares how she constructs short stories and novels that reveal the uncanny of everyday life.

How Toñita’s, the last Puerto Rican social club in Brooklyn, is fighting erasure with free food, dance and building community.

When Annette Vega was in elementary school, she found out the man she called “dad” wasn’t her biological father.

Maria Hinojosa speaks to Andes plane crash survivor Roberto Canessa, “Society of the Snow” actor Matias Recalt, “The Eternal Memory” director Maite Alberdi and “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" producer Phil Lord ahead of the 2024 Oscars.

This week on Latino USA author Myriam Gurba unmasks the creeps.

A conversation with Salvadoran author Javier Zamora, on his memoir Solito, his complicated relationship with his home country and the role of a writer in today’s world.

Buscabulla is a Puerto Rican indie duo formed by wife and husband Raquel Berrios and Luis Alfredo del Valle. In this segment of our "How I Made It" series, the duo joins us from Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, to tell us about their debut album "Regresa."

In 2018, a young Guatemalan man named Reynaldo Castro Tum was ordered deported even though no one knew where he was. Now, more than two years later, his case has sucked another man back into a legal quagmire.

Las Cafeteras is a band out of East LA known for their politically charged lyrics, speaking out against injustices within the immigrant community and their experiences as chicanos in East LA. On today’s How I Made It, we sat down with members of the group.

The story of a house in Los Angeles owned by the California Department of transportation. And the struggles of residents past and present, who have fought to make it their home

This week on Latino USA a conversation with comedian and author Aida Rodriguez.

Maria Hinojosa sits down for a one on one conversation with the first Latino to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, Xavier Becerra.

In this live and intimate conversation, Sandra Cisneros reflects on her past, present and the legacy she hopes to leave behind.

Since the beginning of the Trump administration, the U.S.-Mexico border and immigration policy have been front and center in public conversation.

Visual artist Pepón Osorio on his latest comprehensive exhibition at the New Museum, growing up in Puerto Rico, his passion for collecting objects and finding home in the Bronx.

Maria Hinojosa sits down with Mexican film and comedy star Eugenio Derbez for a conversation about becoming a dramatic actor and changing the narrative of Latinos in Hollywood.

For generations, Christopher Columbus has been glorified in monument after monument across the United States.

A special episode remembering Latino USA founder and pioneer public radio journalist Maria Emilia Martin, who passed away on December 2nd, 2023.

Latino USA host Maria Hinojosa sits down with actor and entrepreneur Danny Trejo.

It's a common sight in Puerto Rico—men in bright yellow T-shirts going door-to-door- selling cakes.

Latino USA speaks with Héctor Rodríguez III, the creator of El Peso Hero, a comic book superhero celebrating its 10th anniversary.

We continue our investigation into the Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS).

Chilean singer-songwriter Francisca Valenzuela takes us on her life journey, from moving from the U.S. to Chile, breaking into music, and creating a Latinx feminist music collective.

After a domestic violence incident, Leah Garcia called the police looking for safety for her and her two children.

This week Latino USA shares an episode of the podcast, Imperfect Paradise: Nury & The Secret Tapes, from LAist Studios.

Our continuation of 30 years of Latino USA. This time, looking at one subject that holds us all together: immigration—then and now.

The Gun Machine is a new podcast from WBUR in partnership with The Trace, exploring the 250-year history of one of the most tragic and confounding forms of addiction in America: guns.

We begin the celebrations of being 30 years on the air with an oral history of Latino USA. The memories of how it all started and what it took to keep the show going for over three decades, as told by the people who lived through it.

A night of live music and conversation with the Colombian band Monsieur Periné.

A look at the workings of the Nettie Lee Benson Latin American Collection—one of the most important institutions collecting the history of Latin America and US Latinas and Latinos.

United Stateless Podcast documents the stories of "returnees", people who immigrated to the US, largely as children, and have since returned to their home country.

Latino USA tells the story of Richard Oakes' life, from his first involvement in activism to his untimely death at the age of 30.

Historian Kelly Lytle Hernandez talks about her book Bad Mexicans Race. Empire and revolution in the borderlands, which tells the story of a cross-border insurgency that has been left out of most U.S. history books.

Maria Hinojosa sits down with labor leader Dolores Huerta for a one-on-one interview.

The multimedia sci-fi project Futuro Conjunto uses music, animation, and an interactive website to transport listeners to the Rio Grande Valley in Texas — centuries into the future.

Maestro Gustavo Dudamel, the Music and Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, talks about adapting to uncertain times, the unifying power of music, and how he finds his roots wherever he goes.

In this episode, we can’t talk about class without talking about race.

Maria Hinojosa sits down with the Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris, for a one-on-one interview.

In this "Portrait Of," Maria sits talked to Gabby about her beginnings as a writer, her difficult experience with #comicsgate and about returning to comic book writing.

Latino USA visits University Park, a neighborhood in South Los Angeles and the site of a battle brewing between communities who are fighting for clean air and an oil industry with a deep history in the city.

Luz Elena Mendoza Ramos, an Indie musician, has been playing as Y La Bamba for nearly 20 years. They reflect on their path towards becoming more themselves.

We explore the Bracero program’s legacy as seen through the eyes of Juan Loza, a former bracero, and his niece and historian, Mireya Loza.

When Austin's cumbia-funk institution Grupo Fantasma went to record their seventh album at a studio in Tornillo, Texas, they had no idea that right next door was a tent city for detained immigrant youth operated by ICE.

Latino USA follows the often-bizarre story of these Bitcoin pirates of the Caribbean, from crypto boom to crypto bust.

In 2017, while working at a fast food restaurant, Omar Apollo found his first breakthrough on Spotify with the song "Ugotme." Four years later, he has amassed more than 100 million streams on the platform and has toured internationally.

Latino USA producer Reynaldo Leaños Jr. travels to Kodiak, Alaska to see how a fishing community is trying to stay afloat as climate change disrupts their industry—and lives.

Avocado consumption has exploded in the U.S. over the past decade. But what’s rarely seen is the rotten underbelly of this industry, controlled by armed groups in Mexico who use smuggled weapons from the U.S. to keep control over this lucrative business.

We accompany Mary Estrada as she visits her husband Robert in prison, a Sunday ritual she’s been performing for some forty years.

Maria Hinojosa talks to the singer-songwriter about his life-changing trip and how his multicultural upbringing influenced his unique sound.

The growing call to abolish student debt. We listen to the stories of Black and Latino students organizing at the forefront of this movement.

Latino USA sets off to answer the question: Do Latinos cry more? The result is a meditation on how Latinos process emotion and the role of tears in society in general.

The story of Lance Corporal David Lee Espinoza, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2021 during the U.S. withdrawal from the country.

A conversation between Isaac and Esteban Hernández, the first siblings to become principal dancers for the San Francisco Ballet.

A conversation with poet and revolutionary, Gioconda Belli, who is living in exile in Spain after being recently stripped of her Nicaraguan citizenship by the authoritarian government of Daniel Ortega.

The September 11 attacks left nearly 3,000 dead, many more injured, and a nation traumatized. In the 20 years since, the U.S. has drastically altered its approach to immigration, moving towards tightened borders and tougher enforcement against non-citizens.

In this episode, get a behind-the-scenes look at the experience of trying to navigate the immigration courts as an asylum-seeker under the Trump Administration

In this “How I Made It,” Rodrigo and Gabriela take us back to the origins of their band and tell us what keeps them going after more than 20 years.

In a world full of stereotypes, Latinos listen to nothing other than tropical rhythms with heavy percussion. But, the reality in plain sight, is heavy metal is one of the biggest genres of music across Latin America.

Soulection is a music startup, which has quickly grown to be a powerhouse with a record label, a popular radio show, and worldwide tours—bringing together an international group of music lovers.

Latino USA Producer Patricia Sulbarán embarks on a journey to find out how Latino USA covered the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1990s. In it, she learns about women’s unique struggles to get access to treatment through the experiences of two Latinas – the iconic late actress and lawyer Ilka Tanya Payán and Puerto Rican activist Aracelis Quiñones.

Muralist Judith Baca on resuming work for the Great Wall of Los Angeles, one of the world’s largest communal murals, and the joy of collaborating with youth.

A conversation with Meg Medina, an award-winning Cuban-American writer and the first Latina National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, on trusting kids to find and share their own stories.

The musical genres most people associate with the Dominican Republic are merengue and bachata.

Latino USA and Black Public Media bring you Alzheimer’s In Color.

Latino USA producer Reynaldo Leaños Jr. went to Congressman Frost’s district in Orlando to interview him and attended one of his community events.

Latino USA takes a deep dive into bilingual education history as Jeanne looks for solidarity in the ghosts of New York City’s past.

The beer industry might be dominated by men today but women were the original brewers and played a vital role in beer’s popularity!

A story about how ICE detainees are sexually abused when they were at their most vulnerable —in a medical setting— and how ICE has done very little to stop it.

Latino USA takes a walk with poet and author, Willie Perdomo, through the neighborhood of his adolescence and hear from his newest book of poetry, 'The Crazy Bunch'.

Latino USA brings you back to 1968, when thousands of students participated in a series of protests historically known as the East L.A. Walkouts.

Steven Melendez, dancer and artistic director of the New York Theater Ballet, says that movement is a kind of universal language.

Pioneering filmmaker Hector Galán —who has documented Latino communities for over four decades— returns to Latino USA to talk about his long career, 30 years after his first appearance on the show.

According to Haitian-American author Edwidge Danticat, stories are a way of finding inspiration and comfort during the times we’re living through.

In 1919, an intrepid Texas state representative, José Tomás Canales, decided to lead an investigation into the abuse of power by the Texas Rangers.

In honor of Latino USA’s 30th anniversary, we explore the history of Latino USA’s theme music with the creator of the current song and a special 30th anniversary remix, musical artist Xenia Rubinos.

Anita Flores shares a story of love and language—how her relationship to Spanish changed in the face of her father’s fading memory.

For many years, Richard Montañez was known as the Mexican janitor who invented Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. That is until May of 2021 when the L.A. Times published a 5,000-plus word article titled The Man Who Didn’t Invent Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.

What happens when people who are struggling to make ends meet get a stable income from the government? We look at how guaranteed income programs like the pilot launched by the city of Los Angeles could help tackle inequality in the US.

For over 25 years, Uruguayan band No Te Va Gustar has been filling concert venues across Latin America.

Latino USA goes inside the biggest free health clinic in the country, which serves only people without insurance.

Maria Hinojosa and Julio Ricardo Varela reflect on the one-year anniversary of the school massacre in Uvalde, Texas, and the lasting impacts on the community.

One year after the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, Latino USA and Futuro Investigates explore how families in the community are dealing with grief, how they’re navigating their journey to healing and calling for accountability.

In today’s episode of Latino USA, Mexican singer-songwriter Julieta Venegas talks about her new album, “Tu historia,” and her decision to simplify her life by moving to a new country.

Mother and son chefs Zarela Martinez and Aarón Sanchez join in conversation to reflect on their careers and their relationship.

José Ralat is the Taco Editor at Texas Monthly Magazine and consequently the only taco editor in the United States.

Over 300,000 students in the U.S. migrate every year to work in agriculture, from spring to fall.

Argentine writer Mariana Enríquez on how she uses the horror genre to process historical trauma and her latest novel, “Our Share of Night.”

A conversation with music legend Linda Ronstadt, known as the first lady of rock. We talk to her about her memories growing up in Tucson, Arizona, reckoning with her family history… and her legacy.

From gang extortion to scared teens, a deep dive into Honduras and the stories behind migration.

We begin the celebrations of being 30 years on the air with an oral history of Latino USA. The memories of how it all started and what it took to keep the show going for over three decades, as told by the people who lived through it.

The rock en español group, Maná, is one of the most successful Spanish-language rock bands of this generation.

Years ago, Gloria Martinez’s son went out to look for a job and never came back. Gloria would spend months searching for him, and she wasn’t alone.

Former gang members are out on Chicago’s streets trying to slow the relentless violence. A man shot 11 times hides with his kids at home.

In the last episode of our two-part investigative special “Head Down,” we uncover millions of dollars owed to foreign agricultural workers that are kept by the U.S. government; we examine the racist roots of the H-2A program, and share the story of a massive firing at a U.S. farm with unseen consequences. Lastly, we ask: if the H-2A program is largely set up to fail, why is the Biden administration planning to expand it?

Todays episode, is a story about a team of ambitious Latino lawyers who decided it was time to change the system, from the inside.

In 2018, Diego and Mario joined the U.S. government-sponsored H-2A visa program, leaving their families in their home country of Mexico to harvest blueberries at a farm in North Carolina for six months.

The story of Kate Bustamante, a 20-year-old student at Santa Ana College in California. Kate had always worked part-time while attending school, but the pandemic forced her to become her family's main breadwinner.

Latino USA brings you a portrait of the Latina icon, Gloria Estefan. The Cuban-American singer-songwriter, is a multifaceted artist and a philanthropist. Maria Hinojosa sits down with Gloria to discuss her life, and how she overcame trauma.

Host Janice Llamoca goes on a Y2K-filled journey back in time to her own party crew days to find out what this scene meant for teens like her and Emmery, and why – to this day – Emmery’s case remains unsolved.

Three years after her passing, we remember the life and explore the legacy of Lorena Borjas, known as the mother of the translatina community in Queens, New York.

A conversation with Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Quiara Alegria Hudes about adapting her memoir for the stage.

Antonia Cereijido interviews former prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Luis Moreno Ocampo about his real life experience, which inspired the Oscar nominated film "Argentina, 1985."

Prison abolitionist and poet Christopher Soto takes us to El Salvador during the state of exception.

Puerto Rican artists Villano Antillano and Ana Macho talk about their latest projects and dreaming of queer and trans empowerment through their music.

Genaro García Luna’s trial is over, but Maria and Peniley’s investigative work is not.

By the end of the 1990s, merengue ruled supreme on the radio and TV in Puerto Rico, but the road to get there was long and complicated.

In this episode of “How I Made It,” Ayodele takes us through her tap journey and reclaims tap dancing as a Black art form.

In the late 1800s, Teresa Urrea was a superstar. She was a ‘curandera,’ or healer, a revolutionary, and a feminist.

Daniel Suárez made history in 2022 when he became the first Mexican-born driver to win a NASCAR Cup Series race, but the road to this feat has been anything but smooth.

Created by Nuyorican street kids in the mid-80s, freestyle music became the sound and story of second-generation Boricuas.

The food of Mexico is diverse, complex, and beloved across the world. Mexican chef and cookbook author Margarita Carrillo Arronte joins the show to talk about the rich history of Mexican food, and breaks down misconceptions about her home country’s cuisine.

A portrait of Uruguayan singer-songwriter Jorge Drexler, who smashed the latest Latin Grammys.

We launch Valle de Sueños on Our Lady of Guadalupe feast day to honor those who have journeyed and kept their resiliency, faith, and love despite the treacherous path to citizenship.

An intimate conversation between two teachers who —almost three decades apart— faced the same consequences for teaching Chicano history in their classrooms.

Durante más de un siglo, los músicos puertorriqueños han sido influyentes en todo el hemisferio. No hay mejor ejemplo que Rafael Hernández quien escribió Preciosa, una canción de amor escrita para Puerto Rico que alaba la belleza de la isla y también señala a las fuerzas que la oprimen.

For this week’s Latino USA, we’re bringing you an episode from the newly released podcast series from WNYC Studios and our very own Futuro Studios: La Brega, The Puerto Rican Experience in Eight Songs.

In 2018, Latino USA teamed up with the Unterberg Poetry Center at the 92nd Street Y to put on an event honoring the 25th anniversary of Esmeralda Santiago's coming-of-age classic "When I Was Puerto Rican."

In 1998, three television writers tasked with creating the next hit children's show came up with the idea of a young girl who would go on adventures and ask questions directly to the audience.

Trans activist, actress and author Cecilia Gentili on the intersections of advocacy and storytelling.

Mexican singer-songwriter Natalia Lafourcade has had a long and widely acclaimed career, but her latest album “De Todas las Flores” is the result of slowing down and taking time to tend to herself and her inner garden.

Last November, Maria Hinojosa visited Howard University in Washington, DC to celebrate its inaugural Democracy Summit.

Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones rose to instant recognition when she published the 1619 Project in 2019.

Puerto Rican singer-songwriter iLe reflects on the evolution of her music as a form of protest.

Nachos are one of the most popular snack foods in the United States — the name is instantly recognizable worldwide. But now 80 years after they were first invented, nachos’ vast popularity overshadows their small-town origins on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Rubén Blades is a singer, songwriter, actor, lawyer, and politician. He was born in Panama and became a New Yorker in 1974. After four decades in the public eye and some of the best-selling records in salsa history, his unique storytelling across music styles has kept him relevant to this day.

In 1945, 20-year-old Anthony Acevedo was held in captivity with other American soldiers inside a Nazi concentration camp called Berga.

Cómete ese miedo —or eat your fear— is what Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa's husband told her to do when imposter syndrome sneaks up on her.

In most of the country, when someone says they are going to Coachella it means they are going to a music festival. But for many who grew up in the Coachella Valley in California, their experience has nothing to do with music.

In the second episode of Futuro Investigates new series, we dive into who Genaro García Luna is, and the particular way he was able to climb into the highest ranks of Mexican politics and stay there.

When Rafael Reif steps down as president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology at the end of December 2022, there will no longer be a Latino president at the helm of a top university in the United States.

Samantha Ortiz—game writer and narrative designer—on embracing her Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage through the video games she creates.

We premiere episode one of “USA v. García Luna,” a new podcast series from Futuro investigates in partnership with Lemonada Media.

Maria and Julio are joined by Daniela Pierre-Bravo, reporter for MSNBC’s Morning Joe, to discuss her new book, “The Other: How to Own Your Power at Work as a Woman of Color.”

In this year-long investigation from Futuro Investigates, we dig into how the Border Patrol’s decades-long deterrence policies create a deadly funnel, pushing migrants to cross through the Sonora Desert in southern Arizona—one of the deadliest terrains in the country.

Today, we are sharing with Latino USA listeners the the first episode of “White Hats,” a new podcast by Texas Monthly.

On Thanksgiving Day, hundreds of people gather on Alcatraz Island, the famous former prison and one of the largest tourist attractions in San Francisco, for a sunrise ceremony to honor Indigenous culture and history.

Today we bring you a taste of the comedy podcast Hyphenated, by Latina comedians Joanna Hausmann and Jenny Lorenzo.

For this year’s midterms, Latino USA is teaming up with Futuro Media’s political podcast In The Thick for a special post-election roundtable discussion.

“The Ballot Boogeymen,” a podcast by Reveal, talks about a new rash of laws and agencies criminalizing and prosecuting what they consider to be election offenses.

As Lionel Messi rose up the ranks of the Barça football club in Spain, he dreamed of winning a World Cup for his home country. But playing with Argentina's national team has proven to be this soccer superman's kryptonite.

Today... Narsiso Martinez and his journey from seasonal farm worker to artist.

Author and journalist, Carmen Rita Wong, grew up believing that her father was “Papi” Peter Wong, a Chinese American man. At least, that’s what her Dominican mother, Lupe, told her. But as Carmen's mom neared the end of her life, family secrets came to the surface, sending Carmen on a search for answers.

In the special presentation of the In The Thick political podcast produced by Futuro Media, Maria and Julio are joined by Jennifer Medina, a national politics reporter for The New York Times.

Latino USA producer Sayre Quevedo grew up having only met two members of his blood family, his mom and his brother. His father left before he was born and his mother lost touch with her family after leaving home as a teenager. For a long time, Sayre's family history was shrouded in mystery. Until one Mother's Day, when everything changes, and he finds himself on a journey to untangle the story of his long-lost family and the secrets that have haunted them.

Guest host and Latino Rebels senior editor Hector Luis Alamo speaks with Gustavo Arellano, featured contributor for the L.A. Times, to get a sense of what the scandal means for the people of Los Angeles and the future of the city.

Between the years of 2010 and 2020, North Dakota saw a growth rate of almost 150% of Latinos and Latinas, according to the U.S. Census —the biggest Latino population growth in the entire country.

A podcast about Brazil’s descent toward fascism under President Jair Bolsonaro.

North Dakota saw the biggest growth rate of Latinas and Latinos compared to any other state in the country over the last ten years. How are they changing the state and how is the state changing them?

Nearly a decade ago, a Border Patrol agent in the United States shot and killed 16-year-old José Antonio Elena Rodríguez in Mexico. Rediscovering: Killed Through The Border Fence tells the story of José Antonio and his family's search for something still elusive at the border: justice.

Ahead of the midterm elections, we travel to Arizona to follow a decade-long grassroots movement that has helped transform the state into a political battleground — And their new fight protecting voting rights.

As recently as 1955 there were virtually no immigrants held in detention in the U.S. Today, the federal government holds tens of thousands each day, in 130 facilities across the country. But the story of how we got here did not start at the U.S.-Mexico border - it started on Florida’s shores, 50 years ago.

In 1921, the small town of Minden, Nevada began sounding a “sundown siren” that warned Indigenous people to leave the city limits or face violent consequences. Over a hundred years later, the alarm still blares daily. Why?

Poet and spoken word artist Denice Frohman has made a name for herself over the past 15 years as a passionate, lyrical performer, having shared her work on stages such as the Apollo Theater and the White House. Now, she continues her lifelong mission to share the stories of her queer, Latinx community through her work.

Before it was the classic dress we all know and many still love today, the little black dress was mostly worn by working-class shopgirls and domestics.

Bianca Graulau is an independent journalist who's been using TikTok and YouTube to tell you what’s going on in Puerto Rico—whether you live there or not.

For the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Maria, how mutual aid projects in Puerto Rico are bringing new visions for the future.

The real James Bond was Dominican. No, really! When I found out about Porfirio Rubirosa from a Vanity Fair article in college, I had no idea he would change my life forever.

This summer, Latino USA took a trip to the West Coast for a live show in Los Angeles — and now, we’re bringing that special evening to you!

Wildland firefighter Armando Perez recreates a typical day as a member of Eldorado Hotshots; what is it like to go into the fire—and get out of it?

After decades of advocacy, The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino was officially approved by Congress in late 2020. Today, it’s already making moves, including hiring a founding director and opening its first show in the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. But many are wondering what the vision for this museum looks like, and where it goes next.

We're still on summer break so we are sharing an interview from our archives with poet Yesika Salgado. She heads with Maria Hinojosa to the Hunts Point Produce Market, the largest wholesale produce market in the world, to try to identify the sexiest, most romantic fruit.

In this conversation with Maria Hinojosa, legendary musician José Feliciano opens up about why he keeps the 70s alive and also describes one of his favorite relationships—the one he has with his guitar.

We go on a hike with the LA-based outdoors club Hike Clerb, centering women of color. We talk about the benefits of being in nature and how these women of color are reclaiming and enjoying the outdoors.

In this continuation of Latino USA’s 2022 midterms coverage, Maria welcomes her In The Thick co-host Julio Ricardo Varela and the following two guests: Sonja Diaz, Founding Director of the Latino Policy & Politics Institute at UCLA, and Jazmine Ulloa, national reporter for The New York Times.

Comedian Julio Torres had a major breakout moment as one of Saturday Night Live’s most inventive writers, and he’s interested in challenging audiences to see the world from new perspectives. His unique take on comedy has since translated into a TV show, his own comedy special, and now… a children’s book.

For the closing of our series Genias in Music, celebrating the contributions of women in their fields, we go to Colombia, where Petrona Martínez became one of the most important Black singers in the country’s modern history.

Luna Luna is a rising four-member band from different walks of life. They’re known for mixing nostalgic sounds of the past and fusing them with elements of funk and dream-like pop.

Last November, Robert Santos became the first Latino to be confirmed as the Director of the U.S. Census Bureau.

Latino USA sits down with Guadalupe Rosales of Veteranas and Rucas and Map Pointz, two archival projects focused on the Los Angeles backyard party scene of the 80's and 90's that celebrate big hair, house music and endless nights.

In 1950, a group of majority Mexican-American miners in New Mexico readied themselves for a showdown with their bosses.

Latino USA is proud to feature an episode from Colorado Public Radio’s new ¿Quién Are We? podcast, which explores what it means to be Latino, Hispanic or Chicana... or however you identify.

The growing call to abolish student debt. We listen to the stories of Black and Latino students organizing at the forefront of this movement.

The all-women musical ensemble LADAMA brings together rhythms from across Latin America and teaches people to connect through voice, percussion, and movement.

As part of Latino USA’s ongoing 2022 midterms coverage, Maria Hinojosa is joined by her In The Thick co-host Julio Ricardo Varela, Carlos Odio of EquisLabs, and award-winning journalist Tanzina Vega to talk about the lasting impacts of the coronavirus pandemic on Latino communities across the United States. 

In the special presentation of the In The Thick political podcast produced by Futuro Media, Maria Hinojosa and Julio Ricardo Varela are joined by Ibram X. Kendi, founding director of the Boston University Center for Antiracist Research, for a conversation about his new book “How to Raise an Antiracist.”

In collaboration with the local media outlet El Tímpano, we bring you the stories of undocumented Latinos and Latinas living in the Bay Area who had to leave their homes during the pandemic.

For the first time in its history, Colombia has moved to the left with the election of Gustavo Petro as president and Francia Márquez, the country's first Afro-Colombian vice president.

Latino USA takes a look back at Disney’s relationship with Latin America.

For this bonus podcast drop, Latino USA shares the latest episode of the award-winning political podcast In The Thick, hosted by Maria Hinojosa and Julio Ricardo Varela.

Growing up in Denver, Colorado, Kali Fajardo-Anstine did not see herself, nor her family, represented in books or television.

To mark the first anniversary of the collapse, we visit Surfside with producer Elisa Baena, who lives there with her Cuban grandmother.

Co-directors Leah Galant and Maya Cueva discuss the making of their film On the Divide, about the last abortion provider in the Rio Grande Valley.

Last month, news site Politico published a leaked Supreme Court document that suggests the country’s top court is poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, the decision that legalized abortion in the U.S. almost 50 years ago.

Recently, our friends at Death, Sex & Money shared a conversation with Latino USA anchor and executive producer Maria Hinojosa.

We mourn the victims of the Uvalde massacre, and explore the history of activism and strength of this Mexican-American community.

Roberto Carlos Lange has performed as Helado Negro for over a decade. But over the past few years, he’s been doing a lot of self-reflection about his caree from his relationship with music to a lingering sense of burnout. He’s now making moves in a new chapter of his life and his art.

Latino USA dives deep into U.S. immigration policy and where the Biden Administration stands on fulfilling campaign promises as it relates to immigration reform.

Hosts Patty Rodriguez and Erick Galindo reflect on their lives as children of immigrants.

From Futuro Studios and Los Angeles Times, the story of Proposition 187 and how it continues to affect our culture and politics today.

Maria and Julio process the heartbreaking news out of Uvalde, Texas, where an 18-year-old gunman shot and killed two teachers and 19 children at an elementary school.

Oscar Gomez was a star of the 1990s Chicano student movement and then, unexpectedly, he died.

An audio memoir exploring the ways in which migration and depression interlock.

Tattooing is a tool for creativity and self-expression, but it can also go way deeper than that. Tattoo artist, writer, and oral historian Tamara Santibañez believes it’s a way to reclaim your body and your history — on your own terms.

We continue our “Genias in music” series —about the lives and work of notable women musicians— with Violeta Parra, one of the pioneers of political folk music in Latin America

On this week’s Latino USA we visit with The Tiarras, the all-sister music group from Texas that’s all about Latina power.

To kick off Latino USA's 2022 election cycle coverage, Maria Hinojosa and Julio Ricardo Varela are joined by Maria Teresa Kumar, founding president and CEO of Voto Latino, and Jaime Longoria, manager of research and training for the Disinfo Defense League at Media Democracy Fund for a conversation about misinformation and disinformation in the Latino community.

Elizabeth Acevedo is a Dominican-American poet and award-winning author.

The following Latino USA story was originally broadcast on May 31, 2019. It was also the recipient of a 2020 Gracie Award from the the Alliance for Women in Media.

Phone call between Melissa Lucio and Texas State Representative Jeff Leach: Melissa: Hello? Jeff: Melissa? Melissa: Yes? Jeff: This is Jeff Leach. Melissa: Yes sir. Jeff: How are you today? Melissa: I’m doing fine, how are you? Jeff: Have you heard the news? Melissa: No, what? Jeff: You haven’t heard the news yet? Melissa: No, what happened? Jeff: The Court of Criminal Appeals issued a stay of your execution for Wednesday. Melissa: Are you serious?! Are you serious? (starts crying) Jeff: We just got word about 15 minutes ago. Melissa: Oh my God! That is wonderful! (crying)

Los Angeles-based Doris Anahi Muñoz builds a successful career in the music industry, working at major record labels and creating her own music management company. But a series of life-changing events make her realize that’s not what she really wants to do. So she decides to go for her own dream: to be on stage.