Maria Hinojosa talks with Sergio Dias, leader of influential tropicalia band Os Mutantes, about life in Las Vegas and their new album, Fool Metal Jack.

Os Mutantes

August 7, 2019 forever changed the lives of many immigrants in Mississippi. Almost 700 people were taken by ICE that day in the largest single state immigration raid in the country.

Latino USA continues its reporting in Mississippi and heads back to the state to follow-up with some of the people we met in last year’s episode, After the Mississippi Raids, to see what’s changed and what hasn’t in their lives and their communities.

We also dive into the racial history behind the chicken processing business in the South and the vicious cycle of an industry that continues to exploit the most vulnerable.

Mississippi Rising

Music journalist and all-around cool guy Bill Adler has graciously allowed us to stream this year's installment of his famed Xmas Jollies mix for your holiday pleasure.

Fiction Family - I Don't Need No Santa Claus

Israel Duncan Houghton II - Sonny Boy Christmas

B.B. King - Christmas Celebration

Los Dos Gilbertos - Noche de Paz

Bing Crosby & the Andrew Sisters - Mele Kalikimaka

Grace Castagnetta - Rise Up, Shepherd, And Follow

Ska Santas - White Christmas

Claudette et Ti Pierre - Mary's Boy Child/Jingle Bells

Johnny Albino - Merry Christmas Boogaloo

Felix Del Rosario feat. Frank Cruz y Macabi - Felicitaciones

Dave McKenna - O Little Town of Bethlehem

El Conde Esteban Cespedes - Llego Navidad

The Angelic Gospel Singers - Jesus Christ Was Born

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.Feb 21, 2014

#1408 - Work it!

On Tuesday May 24th, 2022, an 18-year-old man entered Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, and shot and murdered 19 children, as well as two teachers. The ripple effects of this mass shooting have been felt across this small Mexican-American community, and across the country. We mourn with Uvalde.

In a tight-knit community like Uvalde, Robb elementary is the lifeblood of the town. That same elementary school has roots that stem back to 1970 when students, teachers, and parents held one of the longest walkouts in the country’s history to protest discrimination in the school.

On today’s episode, we tell the story of resistance of this Mexican-American community — how it stood up against segregation and oppression and how after such a devastating tragedy it is trying to heal. Because Uvalde is much more than the headlines.

Uvalde- Awards Edit

A Mexican philosopher named José Vasconcelos believed a new race would be born of of the Americans, La Raza Cósmica. He envisoned a future where traditional ideas of race and nationality would be transcended in the name of common destiny. The National Council of La Raza takes its name from this idea. 

Latinos: The Cosmic Race

Before the 1970s people of Latin American origin were classified as white. Author Cristina Mora tells Latino USA how the Census Bureau, activists and Univision created the Hispanic category. 

The Invention Of Hispanics

Darializa Avila-Chevalier is an Afro-Latina sophomore at Columbia University. She is an illustrator for the student newspaper, the Columbia Specator. Sometimes that means illustrating articles laced with unrecognized privilege. 

Darializa's story

An extra from our show #1429 - Live at the Greene Space. Here is Juana Molina performing her song Un Día.

Juana Molina Live at the Greene Space - Un Día

La Malinche, often referred to as “the mother of all mestizos” is one of the most controversial figures in Mexican history. She’s been called a traitor and a victim. She was a Nahua woman who acted as translator for the conquistadors in the early sixteenth century. She became Hernan Cortes’s lover and their child, Martín, is often called the “first mestizo.” Mestizos are the mixed race people of Mexico that make up 60% of the country. Her legend led to the creation of the term “Malinchista.” A Malinchista is a traitor, or someone who denies their Mexican culture in favor of another.

But since the 1950s, female writers have been trying to reclaim and vindicate the story of La Malinche - not just in Mexico but also here in the U.S. Chicana writers relate to La Malinche. They too are stuck between two cultures: their Mexican heritage and the U.S. culture they live their daily lives in.

We look at who La Malinche was and what she has come to represent over time.

 

Photo via Wikipedia

La Malinche: The Story of Mexico’s Eve

ene Perez Joglár, lyricist and frontman for Calle 13, didn’t mean to become a revolutionary icon for Latin America’s youth.

“They try to put stamps on you,” Perez tells Latino USA in a one-on-one interview. “It’s more simple than that. It’s just a normal guy, writing about the things he sees around him.”

Calle 13 began life as a potty-mouthed rap group from Puerto Rico. They gained attention for their alternative take on reggaeton, characterized by over-the-top sexual humor and smart punch lines. Over years and albums, their music became more serious and socially engaged, addressing topics like poverty, migration and social justice in Latin America. Musically, they absorbed influences from traditional and folk sounds from the region.

Now, nine years after their debut, Calle 13 has released their most introspective album yet, titled Multi_Viral. Featuring guest spots from leftist icons Eduardo Galeano, Julian Assange and Silvio Rodriguez, the album touches on a lot of “big ideas”: on the resilience of the human spirit in “El Aguante”, on the ephemeral nature of life and death in “La Vida (Respira el Momento)” and on the power of ideas itself in “Así de Grandes Son las Ideas.”

René Perez sits down with Maria Hinojosa for a an intimate interview about his new album.

Calle 13: Accidental Revolutionary

Warning: This piece has language that may be deemed offensive. 

La Malinche, often referred to as “the mother of all mestizos” is one of the most controversial figures in Mexican history. She’s been called a traitor and a victim. She was a Nahua woman who acted as translator for the conquistadors in the early sixteenth century. She became Hernan Cortes’s lover and their child, Martín, is often called the “first mestizo.” Mestizos are the mixed race people of Mexico that make up 60% of the country. Her legend led to the creation of the term “Malinchista.” A Malinchista is a traitor, or someone who denies their Mexican culture in favor of another.

But since the 1950s, female writers have been trying to reclaim and vindicate the story of La Malinche – not just in Mexico but also here in the U.S. Chicana writers relate to La Malinche. They too are stuck between two cultures: their Mexican heritage and the U.S. culture they live their daily lives in.

We look at who La Malinche was and what she has come to represent over time.

La Malinche: Mexico's Eve - Uncensored and extended version

Mary’s Journey - Award Edit

Toxic Labor - Award Edit

Latino USA's producers decided to spend a whole day at a bodega. But what exactly is a bodega?

1508 BODEGA TEASER

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For the first part of a two-part series on how Latinos have influenced hip-hop Latino USA producers Daisy Rosario and Marlon Bishop learn about the early years by talking to legends like Devastating Tito, Lee Quiñones, and Charlie Chase. They break down the four elements of hip-hop: MCing, DJing, graffiti, and break dancing and explore how New York City made it all possible.

#1512 - A Latino History of Hip-Hop Part I

Before 1970, the US Census Bureau classified Mexican, Cuban and Puerto Rican immigrants as whites. Each community of Latin American origin would go by their nationality and by the region where they lived in the United States. But all that changed in the seventies, as activists began lobbying the US Census Bureau to create a broad, national category that included all these communities. The result was the creation of the term "Hispanic", first introduced in the US Census in 1970.

The Invention of Hispanics

Spillover-NAHJ

FUH Misinformation Web

Cherríe Moraga explains why the ideas in her seminal feminist anthology This Bridge Called My Back are needed now more than ever.

Cherríe Moraga and the Importance of Chicana Feminism

Two years ago, a group of young undocumented activists staged one of, if not the, riskiest protests in the history of the immigration rights movement. The Dream 9 was a group of people who had grown up in the U.S., had gone back to Mexico and now wanted to return to what they thought of as “home.” Some of them had even left the U.S. just to participate in the action. Their efforts landed all of them in detention. Latino USA dedicates the entire hour to their story and discussing their legacy.

#1542 – The Dream 9

Latino USA gets spooky. We share new ghost stories and talk about the history behind classic scary icons, like La Llorona and La Lechuza. 

#1544 – Ghost Stories

Twenty-one years after her death, Tejano singer and pop culture icon Selena Quintanilla Perez once again became immortalized. It all started when Patty Rodriguez launched an online petition over a year ago with a single mission: to get MAC Cosmetics to release a “Selena Quintanilla for MAC” limited edition collection.  A few months and 38,000 signatures later, MAC said the magic words, “It’s happening! We are excited to announce the MAC Selena Quintanilla collection, available in 2016.” Fans of the Tejano singer would soon have the chance to hold Selena-inspired products made by a global beauty brand. The company went on to say, “Like the legend herself, Selena Quintanilla’s fans are an inspiration to us all for their love and enthusiasm.” Her fans clamored and someone finally listened.

Thanks to the efforts of those thousands of fans, that day has arrived.

Full story: http://latinousa.org/2016/10/06/selena-mac-collection/

The Day Selena’s MAC Collection Hit Stores

'Julieta' is out in theaters now, and to hear how Almodóvar feels about its place relative to the rest of his films, listen to a snippet of Latino USA’s interview with the director.

http://latinousa.org/2017/01/12/almodovar-julieta-us-politics/

Almodóvar on 'Julieta' and US Politics

This month Puerto Ricans commemorated the centennial of the Jones Act, the first piece of legislation that gave Puerto Ricans a pathway to U.S. citizenship. Starting in 1917, people born in Puerto Rico, a territory of the U.S, were able to become American citizens through naturalization, and they did so for about 20 years.

"It's a complicated identity struggle with our people," said Adrián Viajero Roman, co-founder of Defend Puerto Rico. 

Viajero Roman curated a show called “CitiCien: 100 Artists 100 Years of the Jones Act,” an exhibition that gathers the work Puerto Rican artists to shine a light on how this law impacted Puerto Rican history.

Latino USA intern Nicole Acevedo visited the show and brings us the voices of some of those artists.

Click here for the full story: http://latinousa.org/2017/03/09/puerto-rican-artists-show-jones-acts-complicated-identity-struggle-art/

Puerto Rican Artists Show Jones Act’s ‘Complicated Identity Struggle’ Through Art

Devotion to The Holy Death, a folk saint with the face of a skull, is a religious movement growing in Mexico and Central America that is also represented in New York City.

La Santa Muerte

Journalist Paula Moura gives an update on Venezuela. She discusses some of the suppression against dissidents in the country, and explains how activists have organized protests in New York City.

How Protests in NYC Bring International Attention to Deepening Crisis in Venezuela

Latino USA is the foremost Latino voice in public media and the longest running Latino-focused program on radio. As the most consistent voice reporting on Latino news and culture since 1992, Futuro Media Group’s Latino USA (LUSA) brings depth of experience, on-the-ground connections and knowledge of current and emerging issues impacting Latinos and other people of color to every broadcast. Reporting stories about diversity, culture, civic dialogue and how people live (and struggle) with difference in community is the bedrock of Latino USA.

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