Latino USA

Two years ago, 18-year-old Lisbeth Bencosme was shot four times on a sidewalk in Harlem. She was a new mom at the time, and it was her faja, a staple postpartum girdle for many Latinas, that would keep her alive until medics arrived. In this episode, we meet Lisbeth, a true badass New Yorker who takes us on her path healing from gun violence and postpartum depression, in a country where there’s little support for either.Latino USA is the longest-running news and culture radio program in the U.S., centering Latino stories and hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa. Follow the show to get every episode. Follow us on TikTok and YouTube. Subscribe to our newsletter.  Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for exclusive episodes, sneak peaks and behind-the-scenes chisme on Latino USA and all our podcasts. www.futuromediagroup.org/joinplus.

After World War II, Puerto Ricans began settling in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, drawn by economic opportunities among Mennonite farming communities. Several generations later, they’re honoring their history and reclaiming their identity as “Dutchiricans” within the Mennonite church—and beyond. Today, the story of a Dutchirican matriarch —from her family’s migration from Puerto Rico to their adoption of the Mennonite faith— and how spirituality, work, and resilience forged a new cultural identity.Latino USA is the longest-running news and culture radio program in the U.S., centering Latino stories and hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa. Follow the show to get every episode. Follow us on TikTok and YouTube. Subscribe to our newsletter.  Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for exclusive episodes, sneak peaks and behind-the-scenes chisme on Latino USA and all our podcasts. www.futuromediagroup.org/joinplus.

In the news this week: Pope Leo XIV, or Papa León 14, has been selected to lead the Catholic Church and its 1.4 billion congregation worldwide. And on his first moment in a global spotlight, he chose to speak… Spanish. Robert Francis Prevost was born in Chicago but spent most of his life as a missionary and bishop in Peru, where he has citizenship. He’s the first-ever pope from the U.S. and the second from the Americas, which made him an unexpected choice. Chicago is claiming him, of course, but to Peruvians and Peruvian-Americans, he’s Peruvian. Period. Listen to the latest with reactions from our listeners. Latino USA is the longest-running news and culture radio program in the U.S., centering Latino stories and hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa. Follow the show to get every episode. Follow us on TikTok and YouTube. Subscribe to our newsletter.  Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for exclusive episodes, sneak peaks and behind-the-scenes chisme on Latino USA and all our podcasts. www.futuromediagroup.org/joinplus.

In the early 70s, Miguel Angel Villavicencio was focused on making his most ambitious dream possible: to become a famous singer in Bolivia and across the world. And he was halfway there—his love songs were on the radio and he was appearing on TV. But to take his singing career truly international, he needed money. So he decided to work for Bolivia’s most powerful drug cartel in the 80s—a major supplier for Pablo Escobar. Choosing this path would lead him on a journey of self-destruction, unexpected betrayal and finally, redemption.Latino USA is the longest-running news and culture radio program in the U.S., centering Latino stories and hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa. Follow the show to get every episode. Follow us on TikTok and YouTube. Subscribe to our newsletter. This story originally aired in January of 2019. Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for exclusive episodes, sneak peaks and behind-the-scenes chisme on Latino USA and all our podcasts. www.futuromediagroup.org/joinplus.

The National TPS Alliance and seven plaintiffs, including Temporary Protected Status holder Cecilia González, recently sued the Trump administration for illegally terminating TPS for about 600,000 Venezuelans. Though a federal judge temporarily blocked the termination, the legal fight to defend the status, and to advocate for long-term immigration reform, continues.Latino USA is the longest-running news and culture radio program in the U.S., centering Latino stories and hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa. Follow the show to get every episode. Follow us on TikTok and YouTube. Subscribe to our newsletter.  Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for exclusive episodes, sneak peaks and behind-the-scenes chisme on Latino USA and all our podcasts. www.futuromediagroup.org/joinplus.

Pope Francis, history’s only Latin American pope, died on April 21st. As the cardinals of the world set to choose a new leader, we look back on Francisco's papacy, his most praised achievements and his most criticized shortcomings. Plus, how his leadership may influence the church for years to come. Guest host Fernanda Echavarri speaks with professor and feminist theologian Natalia Imperatori-Lee and Argentinian-American journalist Antonia Cerejido. Together, they offer different perspectives to Francisco's legacy. Latino USA is the longest-running news and culture radio program in the U.S., centering Latino stories and hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa. Follow the show to get every episode. Follow us on TikTok and YouTube. Subscribe to our newsletter.  Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for exclusive episodes, sneak peaks and behind-the-scenes chisme on Latino USA and all our podcasts. www.futuromediagroup.org/joinplus.

Elora Mukherjee, a lawyer and director of the Columbia University Law School Immigrant Rights Clinic, dives into the constitutional crisis stemming from Kilmar Abrego Garcia's wrongful deportation after a simple traffic stop. She sheds light on the implications of this case for due process rights and the alarming trend of executive overreach in U.S. immigration policy. Additionally, the episode explores the harrowing experiences of other deportees, emphasizing the urgent need for systemic changes to protect immigrant rights and uphold justice.

This week, Latino USA shares episode 2 of Suave: Season 2. Suave can’t drink. He can’t smoke weed. He can’t travel. He can’t visit old prison friends, or basically have any interaction with the police. And that’s because even though he’s free, he’s on parole for a lifetime. In other words, he’s just serving his prison sentence on the outside. Sometimes all these rules make Suave ask himself, “Will I ever really be free?”Follow us on TikTok and YouTube. Subscribe to our newsletter.  Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for exclusive episodes, sneak peaks and behind-the-scenes chisme on Latino USA and all our podcasts. www.futuromediagroup.org/joinplus.

This week, Latino USA shares episode 1 of Suave: Season 2. Years have passed since Season One, and Suave is thriving. He’s got a great job. He’s on the news for his work on prison reform. He’s even got a new nickname on the block: Mr. Pulitzer. Suave is doing what he always dreamed of – and he’s making a real difference. It almost seems like “happily ever after.” Or is it? Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for exclusive episodes, sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes chisme on Latino USA and all our podcasts.Follow us on TikTok and YouTube. Subscribe to our newsletter.  Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for exclusive episodes, sneak peaks and behind-the-scenes chisme on Latino USA and all our podcasts. www.futuromediagroup.org/joinplus.

Alejandro Heredia’s debut novel “Loca” has been praised as “quintessentially American”. It takes place in both the Dominican Republic and the Bronx, New York, where Alejandro was shaped into the person he is today.In this episode, Latino USA producer Reynaldo Leaños Jr. speaks with the Afro-Dominican author about his —and his family’s— migration journey to the United States, his queer awakening, and being a writer during this moment in history. They also reflect on family, grief, joy—and what it means to reclaim your story on your own terms.Latino USA is the longest-running news and culture radio program in the U.S., centering Latino stories and hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa. Follow the show to get every episode. Follow us on TikTok and YouTube. Subscribe to our newsletter.  Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for exclusive episodes, sneak peaks and behind-the-scenes chisme on Latino USA and all our podcasts. www.futuromediagroup.org/joinplus.