Latino USA

How American do Puerto Ricans feel? What about Nuyoricans? We explore the complications of Puerto Rican identity as part of our series Somos/We Are. Then we hear about the dilemma of garbage on lands with little regulation. And we take you on an electro-cumbia boogie with Simon Mejia, bassist of the Colombian band Bomba Estéro. How do you see yourself? Send us a video or leave us a message about your identity. We love hearing for you!

Are the rumors true? Is newly-reelected President Obama ready to move on immigration reform? We speak to NPR senior political correspondent Maura Liasson and Republican political advisor Lionel Sosa. Then we take you from immigration politics to the politics of sound. We talk to Rolling Stone Mexico about the US branch of the magazine’s top ten Latino rock albums list. Hey, Thanksgiving is coming! And so are the balloons. We take you afloat the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and then hear from Sandra Cisneros about being led through grieving by a cat.

The elections are over! And the Latino vote was a big topic in this cycle. So what was the proof in the pudding and in the polls? We get an overview of Latino turnout, the effects of voter ID laws and early voting, and other factors that influenced the Latino role in the presidential, congressional races and ballot initiatives of 2012. Then, hear from a first-time voter as they cast their pick for president! And boogie hate away with Chilean singer and advocate Alex Anwandter, who tells us about his latest video.

As a Mexican American boy living in Cheyenne, Wyoming, Solomon Trujillo only dreamed of having what the other neighborhood kids had. And after becoming the first Latino chairman and CEO of a Fortune 150 company, the Republican businessman is now taking his influence from the corporate world into U.S media and politics. Want to know more about this influential Latino businessman? We bring you a profile. We also take you to the new Southwest, where author Ruben Martinez explores the economic and cultural contradictions of this desert America. And then we go mamboing—and bring you a story about some of the genre’s biggest fans—who happen to be Jewish. 

As we get ready for this year’s elections, we bring you stories from two true believers—one Republican and one Democrat—who go above and beyond to inform people in their communities to vote. Are all Arizona politics local politics? As more young Latinos vote in the state of harsh anti-immigration laws, we examine the Arizona political landscape. And we take you with us to an event we hosted in New York, in collaboration with the project Feet in Two Worlds, where we examine whether the economy or immigration matter more to Latino voters. It’s all politics all the time in this edition of the Latino USA podcast!

PODCAST DESCRIPTION: INSIDE WILLACYMental health coordinator Twana Cooks-Allen showed up to work at an immigration detention facility thinking she was going to treat troubled detainees. But she soon discovered the real threats were not the people locked up there. We take you inside the center and deep into what happened at Willacy, in this special program produced by Catherine Rentz in partnership with PBS’s FRONTLINE and the Investigative Reporting Workshop. Then, we take you back in time to a 1977 when Puerto Rican activist Mikey Melendez and eight others took hostage the Statue of Liberty.

Two out of five New Mexico voters are Latino, and hundreds of Latinos hold office in the state. When New Mexicans approach the ballot box, ethnicity matters less than how many generations their family goes back in the state. This makes for a less predictable Latino electorate, one likelier to vote for pragmatists than along party lines. Is this the future of the Latino electorate? And what do two Minnesota sisters who are part-time Texans think of Latino immigrants to the US? We also take you through an art exhibit in New York that paints the many shades of the Caribbean.

After a year of bringing you stories of Latinos interacting with nature in powerful ways, we revisit some of the places we’ve gone to this year: from Colorado landscapes where we talk to shepherds to the deserts and rivers that musician Raquel Z. Rivera calls “Planet New Mexico.” We also take you with us to fly kites in San Diego and we go on a canoe trip down the Bronx River.

Hispanic Heritage Month, Sept. 15-Oct. 15, is supposed to be a time to celebrate Latino contributions to U.S. society and culture. But is it a way to sanitize Latino history and market to Latinos? We speak with Prof. Arlene Dávila and humorist Lalo Alcaraz about the uses and meanings of Hispanic Heritage Month as part of our series on Latino identity, "Somos." We also bring you a profile on health hero Salvador Balcorta, a man who leads a clinic in one of the country’s poorest neighborhoods. And although superheroes may rule the movie screens, two Chicanos from Southern California have ruled comic books with Latino stories for the past 30 years. Hear what Jaime and Gilbert Hernandez, creators of Love and Rockets have to say about their work, being the grandfathers of indie comics, and punk rock.

How are colleges and universities throughout the country dealing with undocumented students? We survey the state of collegiate life without papers. We also bring you one of two reports from the Rio Grande Valley in Texas—this one about two different men who share the same last name but very different views on immigration enforcement. We also hear about how your grandmother's herbal remedies can now get official recognition, and we talk to musician Camilo Lara, aka Mexican Institute of Sound, about his new record, his love of sonideros and how politics came to his door.

The face of America is changing, with now more people of color all over the country, and many in more rural areas than you might expect. Maria Hinojosa explores this demographic shift via Clarkston, Georgia - a town called the new Ellis Island. We also bring you an interview with author Junot Diaz, where he talks about heartbreak, the inner lives of boys, and the many sides of his new work, This is How You Lose Her. Ever heard of geocaching? Let us take you on this 21st century scavenger hunt. And we also share with you the sounds of Bolivia. 

Latinas are more likely to die from breast cancer than most other ethnic groups. They're also more likely to suffer from depression if they are cancer survivors. In this week's episode, we explore the psychological effects of breast cancer, and we bring you information about a new genetic link between Latinas and cancer.

The site for this year's Democratic National Convention: Charlotte, North Carolina. We take you to this southern city, home to biotech, NASCAR's Hall of Fame and a growing diverse community of Latinos and other immigrants. We also bring you a profile of San Antonio mayor Julian Castro, who has the Democratic party abuzz, and we hear how one man is helping teens in the Bronx be sexually healthy. Want to know what else we’re doing? We’re on TV! Check out our new special, America By The Numbers.

This week, we take you to Tampa, the site of the GOP convention, and one of the oldest Latino neighborhoods. We get you better acquainted with Canadian Latino Ted Cruz, who landed a coveted speaking spot at the RNC, we bring you a retrospective on the now 25-year-old film Born In East LA, and we hear from the late singer Chavela Vargas’s funeral.

Chicago's Kovler Center was created to help victims of torture overcome their turbulent experiences. This week, we go into the center and hear from a victim of torture and from the doctor who helped him. We also talk to students who juggle college with working on the fields picking fruits and vegetables, hear from Mexico-via-L.A. band Kinky about their newest album, and get a steamy summer read recommendation.