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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.

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

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  • 41 episodes
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  • English

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  • Today · 29 min

    Guillermo del Toro on Why His Pan's Labyrinth Is More Relevant than Ever

    This spooky season we get an extra treat from one of the masters of horror. On October 9th, Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro’s seminal fantasy horror classic, Pan’s Labyrinth, returns for a 20th-anniversary theatrical re-release. Running until October 15th, the anniversary release includes a 3D conversion and the 4K restoration. In a conversation with Guillermo del Toro anticipating the re-release, we dive into the film's themes of fascism, machismo, and violence against women and girls – themes which unfortunately still speak to our current times two decades later. 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. Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for ad-free listening, early-access and exclusive bonus episodes with the chisme behind Latino USA and all our podcasts: www.futuromediagroup.org/joinplus. Follow us on TikTok and YouTube. Subscribe to our newsletter. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  • Friday · 36 min

    The Whisper Game: Looking for Answers in Perú

    What identified Nixon as a member of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua? Was it a confidential informant's testimony? Was it the rose tattoo on his arm? Was the fact that he was skinny, young, living without parents in a housing complex? After seeking answers from local and federal law enforcement, we travel to Perú to search for Nixon and to find out whether he was a member of Tren de Aragua. 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. Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for ad-free listening, early-access and exclusive bonus episodes with the chisme behind Latino USA and all our podcasts: www.futuromediagroup.org/joinplus. Follow us on TikTok and YouTube. Subscribe to our newsletter. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  • October 4 · 32 min

    The Whisper Game: Trump Comes to Town, a Young Venezuelan Migrant is Sent to CECOT

    Before the Venezuelan migrant Nixon Azuaje-Pérez was arrested, a PR firm reached out to national media outlets and told them that the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua was taking over apartment complexes in Aurora, Colorado. A local politician said the organization was also taking over entire swaths of the city. After that shocking claim, the politician got a call from then-presidential candidate Donald Trump. He was coming to town. The game of telephone that started with spent bullet casings ends with Nixon on a plane headed to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador. 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. Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for ad-free listening, early-access and exclusive bonus episodes with the chisme behind Latino USA and all our podcasts: www.futuromediagroup.org/joinplus. Follow us on TikTok and YouTube. Subscribe to our newsletter. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  • October 2 · 32 min

    The Whisper Game: A Young Migrant and Spent Bullet Cases

    In July 2024, then nineteen-year-old Nixon Azuaje-Pérez picked up spent bullet casings after a shooting outside his apartment in Aurora, Colorado. It was a decision that would thrust the Venezuelan migrant into the middle of Trump’s presidential campaign and eventually land him in a maximum-security prison in El Salvador. Local police suspected Nixon was part of a Venezuelan gang called Tren de Aragua. But was he a member? And how would anybody know? 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. Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for ad-free listening, early-access and exclusive bonus episodes with the chisme behind Latino USA and all our podcasts: www.futuromediagroup.org/joinplus. Follow us on TikTok and YouTube. Subscribe to our newsletter. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  • September 27 · 28 min

    From the Fields to Hollywood: Luis Valdez on Chicano Storytelling

    Before 86-year-old Luis Valdez directed the play Zoot Suit and the film La Bamba, he was staging theater in the back of a flatbed truck in the fields of California for farmworkers on strike. His work in teatro campesino would eventually make its way to Broadway and then Hollywood, paving the way for Chicano stories to be told with dignity and nuance in American culture. Now, he’s the subject of a new documentary: “American Pachuco: The Legend of Luis Valdez.” On this episode, host Maria Hinojosa talks with Luis Valdez and director David Alvarado, the documentary’s director. They talk about making history, the importance of sharing archival footage from the past, and about artistic inspiration. 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. Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for ad-free listening, early-access and exclusive bonus episodes with the chisme behind Latino USA and all our podcasts: www.futuromediagroup.org/joinplus. Follow us on TikTok and YouTube. Subscribe to our newsletter. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  • September 26 · 6 min

    Sneak Peek: How Peniley Ramírez survived one of the deadliest earthquakes in Mexico City

    We bring you a sneak peek of a recent Futuro+ bonus episode. Our co-CEO Peniley Ramírez remembers the devastating 2017 Mexico City earthquake that occured on the 32nd anniversary of the strongest earthquake ever recorded in Mexico, and shares what it takes to tell the stories that are important. Listen to the full episode by subscribing to Futuro+ at futuromediagroup.org/joinplus The Futuro Plus Team includes associate producer Liliana Ruiz, production manager Victoria Estrada, and development manager Danetsy Len. Mixing by Multitude Productions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  • September 25 · 28 min

    The “Water War” in the Rio Grande

    Last year, reporter Jack Herrera traveled the length of the Rio Grande basin – from its source in Colorado to the Gulf of Mexico. He found that the water crisis in the region is worse than anyone imagines.  ”It's not a metaphor, it's not a hyperbole, we're in a water war,” he tells Maria Hinojosa. In today's episode, we explore the consequences of that crisis for the region and its people. As well as the bitter dispute for control of that water between citizens and their governments, and even between the United States and Mexico. 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. Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for ad-free listening, early-access and exclusive bonus episodes with the chisme behind Latino USA and all our podcasts: www.futuromediagroup.org/joinplus. Follow us on TikTok and YouTube. Subscribe to our newsletter. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  • September 20 · 30 min

    Breakfast at Puerto Viejo: Reclaiming Afro Dominican Music with YEИDRY & Yasser Tejeda

    YEИDRY is a Dominican-Italian artist whose newly released debut full-length album, Como Agua, takes a deep dive into Afro-Dominican rhythms. The album includes palos, bachata, merengue and boleros. Like many Dominicans, YEИDRY did not grow up with Afro-Dominican rhythms. As an adult, she discovered it was because of a dark, racist past in her country. In this Dominican takeover of Latino USA, Producer Jeanne Montalvo takes YEИDRY and Yasser Tejeda, another Dominican artist, to the oldest Dominican restaurant in Brooklyn, NY. Over a Dominican breakfast, the three of them will take you on a journey to learn about their country's difficult past, their quest to find their roots, and the reasons why Afro-Dominican music has been hidden in plain sight. 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. Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for ad-free listening, early-access and exclusive bonus episodes with the chisme behind Latino USA and all our podcasts: www.futuromediagroup.org/joinplus. Follow us on TikTok and YouTube. Subscribe to our newsletter. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  • September 18 · 20 min

    LA's Backyard Party Scene: An Instagram Account and a Memoir

    Guadalupe Rosales is an artist and the creator of the popular Instagram accounts “Veteranas and Rucas” and “Map Pointz,” which focus on the fashion, the music, and certain latino subculture of the ‘80s and '90s in Los Angeles. She was part of the so-called party crews of the time and has kept the moment alive in history on social media and now in her new memoir East of the River: A Memoir of Los Angeles Girlhood. She writes about her adolescence living in this unique moment: the parties, the vibrancy, as well as the dangers of the time, and how sisterhood played a role in her survival. 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. Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for ad-free listening, early-access and exclusive bonus episodes with the chisme behind Latino USA and all our podcasts: www.futuromediagroup.org/joinplus. Follow us on TikTok and YouTube. Subscribe to our newsletter. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  • September 13 · 30 min

    The Art of Soccer Chants: The Good, The Bad, and their History

    What would soccer be without fans? And what would a match feel like without them chanting at the top of their lungs? Chants are a way to express joy, patriotism, and frustration. They can also be funny, vulgar, and harmful. We get into the history of chants and how they had nothing to do with sports for a long time. We speak to Andrew Lawn, author of “We Lose Every Week: The History of Football Chanting” about the best chants from so many countries at the men’s World Cup, and ask why the U.S. just doesn’t have that special something when it comes to chants compared to the rest of the world. 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. Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for ad-free listening, early-access and exclusive bonus episodes with the chisme behind Latino USA and all our podcasts: www.futuromediagroup.org/joinplus. Follow us on TikTok and YouTube. Subscribe to our newsletter. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  • September 11 · 28 min

    9/11: The Day that Forever Changed U.S. Immigration Policy

    September 11, 2001 was a paradigm shift. The terrorist attacks reshaped U.S. immigration policy forever and this year marks the 25th anniversary. Nearly 3,000 people were killed and an entire nation was traumatized. Today, as the Trump administration targets non-citizens in unprecedented ways, we revisit some of the major changes that over the past 25 years altered the country’s stance on immigrants through the lens of this one catastrophic day. Listen to an updated episode from a few years ago here. 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. Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for ad-free listening, early-access and exclusive bonus episodes with the chisme behind Latino USA and all our podcasts: www.futuromediagroup.org/joinplus. Follow us on TikTok and YouTube. Subscribe to our newsletter. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  • September 6 · 26 min

    Cheech Marin: A Comedy Icon’s Commitment To Preserving Chicano Art

    Cheech Marin is widely recognized as a multi-generational comedic icon. His counterculture humor, as part of Cheech & Chong, defined an era. What fewer people know is that Cheech is also a leading collector of Chicano art worldwide. In this episode, Maria Hinojosa speaks with Cheech Marin about his lifelong love of art, how that art highlights the contributions of Mexican Americans in this nation, and why preserving it is a key part of his legacy. His collection is now on view as “We The People: Chicano Art in the U.S.A.,” at The Cheech, part of Riverside Art Museum in California. 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. 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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  • September 4 · 34 min

    To Live and Die as a Colorado Farmworker

    In the summer of 2025, six workers died from toxic gas exposure at a Colorado dairy farm. Safety advocates say the deaths were utterly tragic, but entirely avoidable. Across the country, most farm workers are injured or die in anonymity. But the scale of this agricultural incident – described as the deadliest in recent Colorado history – makes it impossible to ignore. So we go to Colorado to show what it’s like to live and die as a dairy farmworker. 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. 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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  • August 30 · 29 min

    The Meaning of the Magical Chihuahua

    In a relationship, are you a golden retriever or a black cat? Maria is… neither. She’s a human chihuahua. Because they’re fierce, protective of their loved ones, ancient and some might say magical. Today, the story of the chihuahua like you haven’t heard it before. From spirit guides of the great Toltecs and Mexica to their near extermination during colonization, from their TV star role in food advertising to the objectification by Hollywood. You’ll never look at a chihuahua the same way after you listen to this episode. Watch this episode on YouTube. 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. 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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  • August 28 · 25 min

    Ada Ferrer: A Historian’s Journey to Unearth Her Own Family’s Story

    Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Ada Ferrer has spent decades wading through archives in Havana, helping to unearth and weave the untold stories of Cuba’s people and the island. But the most personal and profound source material she has ever found was a box of letters from the brother her mother left behind in Cuba when the family migrated to the US. Ada Ferrer joins Maria Hinojosa to discuss her new book, Keeper of My Kin, which traces her family’s story. They dive into exile, inherited trauma, and how the hostile relationship between the US and Cuba continues to shape the stories of families today. 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. 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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  • August 23 · 29 min

    Anthony Ramos Finds His Voice

    Actor and singer Anthony Ramos is a powerhouse who broke out in Broadway’s smash hit, Hamilton. From theater to the silver screen and even owning a bar in Brooklyn, Ramos is also a proud New Yorker always hungry for his next project. His latest endeavor is an English-language salsa album, infused with Ramos’ signature R&B-style vocals over a bed of Latin percussion and horns. In this interview, Ramos opens up with Maria Hinojosa about his mental struggles over recent years, his creative process around his latest album, and how he has finally found peace with himself. 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. 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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  • August 21 · 27 min

    More than Natural Disasters: Colombia, Venezuela, Puerto Rico

    Thousands are dead, thousands more injured and missing. The earthquakes in Colombia and Venezuela have been devastating. And while there are similarities in the neighboring countries, an expert told us the biggest difference is in the rebuilding phase right now: One country prepared and trained for the response– the other didn’t. And not too far, in the Caribbean, people are going days without running water in Puerto Rico. A problem journalists on the island say could’ve and should’ve been avoided. “There's a lot of frustration, confusion and a resignation.” Listen to the latest here. 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. 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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  • August 16 · 27 min

    Flipping Texas: Gina Hinojosa Wants to Become Texas’ First Latina Governor

    Texas holds the second-most electoral votes in the nation and is often a testing ground for policies that later manifest across the U.S. But can historically Republican Texas turn blue? And if so, what impact could it have on the rest of the country? We speak to two Democratic contenders hoping to shift the next election. In this episode, Maria Hinojosa speaks with Gina Hinojosa, a Texas State Representative and the Democratic nominee running for Governor of Texas. They discuss key issues like data centers, abortion access and education – and why the outcome of this race has national implications. 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. 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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  • August 14 · 28 min

    Flipping Texas: Can “Moderate” Democrat Bobby Pulido Court Back Latino Voters?

    Texas holds the second-most electoral votes in the nation and is often a testing ground for policies that later manifest across the U.S. But can historically Republican Texas turn blue? And if so, what impact could it have on the rest of the country? We speak to two Democratic contenders hoping to shift the next election. In this episode, Maria Hinojosa sits down with Tejano superstar Bobby Pulido, the Democratic nominee in Texas’ 15th Congressional District. They discuss key issues facing voters in South Texas, and why he thinks his “moderate” Democratic policies can win back Latino voters. 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. 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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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  • August 9 · 30 min

    How My Faja Saved Me: Surviving Gun Violence

    In 2022, 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. 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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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