

Latino USA
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Latino USA is the longest-running news and culture radio program in the U.S. centering Latino stories, hosted by Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Maria Hinojosa Every week, the Peabody winning team brings you revealing, in-depth stories about what’s in the hearts and minds of Latinos and their impact on the world.
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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
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 4, 2021 • 11min
How I Made It: No Te Va Gustar
For over 25 years, Uruguayan band No Te Va Gustar has been filling concert venues across Latin America. With their mix of pop, rock, reggae, ska, and other styles, the band has evolved over the years from its original three-member composition to its current nine members. Their most recent album, "Otras Canciones," commemorates their 25th anniversary by featuring some of their most popular songs, performed in front of a live audience and featuring collaborations with legendary guests like Julieta Venegas, Draco Rosa, Jorge Drexler, and Flor De Toloache. For this edition of our segment, "How I Made It," we hear from three members of No Te Va Gustar: Diego Bartaburu, Martín Gil, and Francisco Nasser.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 30, 2021 • 47min
The Wrongful Conviction Of Joseph Webster: Episode 1
Nearly 2,800 people have been exonerated — or legally cleared — after being convicted and going to prison for crimes they didn’t commit over the last three decades. In this episode of Latino USA, we explore the case of Joseph Webster, a Black man who was serving a life sentence for murder in Tennessee – a murder he says he didn’t commit. We also learn about how the justice system is trying to right some of these wrongs through the creation of conviction review units and the long-term consequences that wrongful convictions have on people’s lives.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 27, 2021 • 19min
Ornella & Violeta
For seventeen years, Ornella Pedrozo thought of her mom's detainment by ICE as her deepest, darkest secret. When she was four years old, her mother Violeta, who had fled the armed conflict in Peru, was abruptly detained by ICE. That separation, which lasted seven months, was something that Ornella didn't really talk about, until recently. In this episode, you'll hear fragments of a letter Ornella wrote about her complicated feelings back then, and she also sits down with Violeta to talk — at length for the first time — about how those seven months left a permanent mark. This episode originally aired in February of 2020.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 23, 2021 • 29min
La Reina Del Rock: Alejandra Guzmán
Known by many as “La Reina del Rock,” the queen of Latin American rock, Alejandra Guzmán has built a legacy for herself through her soulful performances and scandalous lyrics. Her famous Mexican parents, rocker Enrique Guzmán and actress Silvia Pinal, introduced her to the industry, but it’s Alejandra’s fierce stage presence and ambition that have sold over 12 million records over three decades. In this episode, Alejandra talks to Maria Hinojosa about her rebellious roots and what the rock 'n' roll lifestyle looks like with hip replacements. This episode originally aired in February of 2020.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 20, 2021 • 38min
Cross-Border Misinformation
On today’s episode of Latino USA investigative journalist Jean Guerrero speaks with Maria Hinojosa about her recent reporting on Latino social media influencers who are fanning the flames of the immigration debate. Guerrero also reflects on the dangers of misinformation and talks about why combating false narratives is personal for her.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 16, 2021 • 43min
Your COVID-19 Vaccine Questions, Answered
Can undocumented people get the vaccine? How much is it going to cost? And how well do the COVID-19 vaccines work around children? Or with pregnant women? Many are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel after a long year like no other, as adults in the U.S. are quickly becoming eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. But some still have questions. Many Latinos — who are among those hardest hit by COVID-19 — have expressed concerns about access to the vaccine and avoiding the spread of misinformation among loved ones. Latino USA asked listeners to call in with their questions about the vaccine, and guest health experts Dr. Olveen Carrasquillo, from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and Dr. Amelie Ramirez, director of Salud America!, join us to provide some answers. Also, Maria Hinojosa checks back in with Dr. Anthony Fauci after getting her second shot of the COVID-19 vaccine.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 13, 2021 • 25min
Rita Indiana's Pan-Caribbean Rebirth
Ten years ago, when she was at the peak of her career, Dominican writer and musician Rita Indiana announced she was leaving music. But “La Montra” is now back with a new album, Mandinga Times, a fusion of punk, rock, rap dembow, heavy metal, and reggaeton. In this episode, Maria Hinojosa speaks with Rita Indiana about her new album, her queer Pan-Caribbean identity, and why she decided to leave the music scene.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 9, 2021 • 33min
Birth Control In Times Of Crisis
For women, losing access to contraceptives and getting pregnant without planning has long-term consequences – on their education, professional development, and economic and psychological well-being. Latino USA follows Ecsibel Henriquez, a 20-year-old Venezuelan migrant, as she gives birth to her second unplanned child in Colombia. We also look at how access to birth control and other reproductive services for women in Latin America and around the world has been impacted by decisions taken in the U.S, and how it is not only a foreign issue.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 6, 2021 • 21min
How I Made It: Unforgivable
Until recently, San Francisco Gotera prison in El Salvador was a gang prison, dedicated to holding members of the notorious MS-13 and 18th Street gangs. In 2017, nearly all the inmates inside San Francisco Gotera withdrew from their gangs and converted to Christianity. Evangelical churches came to control every part of the prison, except for one: a small isolation block where nine former gang members have chosen to live, locked in around the clock, because they are openly gay. Latino USA speaks to filmmakers Marlén Viñayo and Carlos Martinez about their award-winning documentary, Unforgivable, which documents life inside that isolation cell.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 2, 2021 • 39min
La Brega: The Bankruptcy Letters
Luis J. Valentín Ortiz from the Centro de Periodismo Investigativo tells a hidden story from Puerto Rico’s debt crisis, that of the micro-creditors — thousands of low-income retirees and former public employees with claims that the government may never pay, ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars. As a federal judge prepares to make a decision on whether they’ll get paid, this episode asks: how can the government settle its many debts — not just monetary — with its citizens?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.