Latino USA

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It’s a special episode of Latino USA. The legendary Bill Cosby joins host Maria Hinojosa to talk about his love of salsa music and the musicians who made it. We learn about Tito Puente and other musicians who helped shape Latin jazz, and find out why calling the music “Salsa” might be all wrong in the first place. We reflect on how Mr. Cosby’s work welcomed Latinos and other immigrants to the American family. And we hear life lessons from a nearly 100-year-old Rumba player.  

Today on Latino USA, it’s all about Moms, drugs, and Rock & Roll. Maria Hinojosa talks to leading Latina mami bloggers about why they’re ruling the web. Then, we talk to YouTube sensation Jorge Narvaez about his mother, who is in deportation proceedings. In drug-related news, we hear about efforts to stop teen drug smuggling and how prescription drugs are being brought across the Mexico border. We also take a look at the future of pot. And we rock out with the Kumbia Queers before getting a little wisdom from Gabriel García Márquez.

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This week on Latino USA: what it means to be hurt. Jose Antonio Vargas tells Maria Hinojosa about the pain he’s suffered for taking a stand for the undocumented. We hear stories of loneliness at “bailarina bars” in Queens, NYC. We learn how Latin@s deal with eating disorders. We hear about the U-visa program, which helps victims of domestic violence. Spanish Harlem heals after a gas explosion displaces dozens. Latina moms discuss breastfeeding. We pay a visit to Laredo, Texas to check in with jalapeño eating champs. And some words of wisdom about healing through art therapy. 

This week on Latino USA we are back where it all began – Austin, Texas. We bring you a show recorded live at KUT’s Studio 1A where two Tejana sisters tell one crazy true story in two languages. We find out why being Latino can actually be an asset when it comes to a career in technology. We meet a DJ whose multicultural background makes him fearless about crossing genres. An old friend joins us to talk about the history of Latino USA and the role of Austin in it. And one of Austin’s most creative characters drops in to teach us about sound.  

This week, Latino USA is larger than life! We start with a special two-part interview with actress Rita Moreno. Also, the life of one farmworker, now 83, who fought for her rights alongside labor leader César Chávez. We look at the legacy of Hugo Chávez, who died a year ago, and catch up on Venezuela’s  current protests. The band La Santa Cecilia stands up for an undocumented bandmate. And we hear some sabiduría from “The Voice of God.”

This week on Latino USA, we talk about all things Queer—from Anthony Romero, the first gay director of the ACLU, to the practice of “pumping,” or black market silicone injections, in the trans community. We hear two stories about growing up and transitioning genders. We learn about the plight of LGBTQ detained immigrants. We investigate the paranormal in Laredo, Texas. Maria Hinojosa gets a surfing lesson in New York, of all places. We hear from a gay man who ran for class president at UNC. And we check in on the protests in Venezuela.

Latinos have the higest rates of on-the-job injuries of any group of workers, across all industries, from construction to agriculture. From working with date palms to jobs as bounty hunters, business executives, and domestic workers, we hear all sorts of Latino perspectives of work. We’ll also take a look at the history of right-to-work states and what that history means for Latinos and unions. We hear about how Latinas are portrayed in business and what one stock photo company is doing to change that. Also, working up a new soccer team in Miami, and some words of wisdom from Cesar Chavez.

For our Valentine’s episode, Latino USA looks at love and sex. From those forced into sex trafficking and people who choose sex work out of economic need, to stories of love and immigration. We talk about Puerto Ricans in drag. And we hear about planning a cross-cultural wedding, as well as a love letter to a friend, just for being there.

This week, Latino USA examines the notion of control, who has it, and how we lose it. First, we hear from Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards. Then, Pilar Marrero of La Opinión joins us to analyze the GOP’s immigration platform. We revisit the history of the IUD and ask teens about how they use condoms. We learn about Crisis Pregnancy Centers. We hear from D.C.’s Health and Human Services director, and discuss whether it’s even useful to call out racists on Twitter. And Maria Hinojosa reveals her own story of loss, decision, and empowerment.

This week, Latino USA examines the lives of indigenous people throughout the country. We hear about the Zapatista community, twenty years after their uprising in the state of Chiapas, Mexico. We hear about the self-defense campaign carried out by farmers in the Mexican state of Michoacán. April Salazar shares her essay on ancestry. Producer Michael Simon Johnson brings us a story about three indigenous languages, and we hear about efforts to reach a Mayan community in Omaha. The Latino USA team debates whether Justin Bieber is deportable. And we remember Nuyorican poet Tato Laviera.

This week, an NPR poll tells us about Latino attitudes and habits, including the growing “Charismatic Catholic” movement. We learn about surfing with “Soul Surfer” J.P. Garcia. We remember Mercedes Sosa. We talk about how we’re all The Worst Latino. A PBS documentary looks back at Arizona’s S.B. 1070. Funnymen Al Madrigal and Lalo Alcaraz join us for some political coverage. We hear from Fusion’s Alicia Menendez about her new anchor job. And we continue our series on words of wisdom from poets with Erika Sanchez.

This week, Latino USA takes a look at how we deal with our neighbors. One police department in Alabama takes a gentle approach towards undocumented immigrants. A Georgia town provides a place for families of detainees. We hear about the new neighbor in college music (hint: it ain’t a capella). We examine the relationship between Major League Baseball and Cuban players who defect. Journalist Mirta Ojito joins us to discuss a murder and assault in Long Island. A reporter in Tucson asks whether he’s a gentrifier, and whether his neighbors feel that’s necessarily a bad thing. One Kansas town embraces the strangers who arrive. 

This week, we take a look at matters of faith: should immigration reform advocates regain faith in President Obama as deportations drop? What can we expect from the new pope? An undocumented lawyer’s faith in the legal system pays off as he’s finally allowed to practice. Marlon Bishop takes an in-depth look at a Brazil-based megachurch. A mother tells a story about how she prayed for her babies. We talk with two writers about their thoughts on feminism and the Catholic Church. And we kick off our series of poets offering us a bit of sabiduría.