Latino Voices
Latino Voices
Spanish Is Fading Across Generations. These Latino Parents Are Working to Keep It Alive
Nationally, the share of Latinos who speak Spanish at home declined from 78% in 2000 to 68% in 2024, according to a Pew Research Center analysis. The decline has been particularly pronounced among U.S.-born Latinos, as English becomes increasingly dominant across generations.
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Grassroots Effort Grows Into Queer-Led Community Hub in Gage Park
In a neighborhood where nearly 90% of residents identify as Latino and many families are rooted in Catholic traditions, the queer-led Gage Park Latinx Council has grown into a hub for families.
Read more >Black Voices
Black Voices
Smithsonian Head Lonnie Bunch on Preserving History, Retirement and Trump Administration Threats
Lonnie Bunch was named secretary of the Smithsonian Institution in 2019. He began his career at the Smithsonian at the National Air and Space Museum in 1978 and took on a new role in 2005 to lead the development of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Read more >Black Voices
Chicago State University Gears Up for First-Ever Football Game
For Chicago State University, the first game will be about more than football. The university is hoping the new program can help build a new sports identity on Chicago’s South Side.
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Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, Oct. 22, 2022 - Full Show
Health professionals push flu and COVID vaccines — what you need to know. Calls for more Latino political representation. And exploring mental health through dance.
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Advocates Push for More Latino Representation in Politics
Despite a growth in population size, the Latino community is underrepresented in politics, with less than 2% of Latinos in elected positions nationwide.
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Health Care Officials Expect Rough Winter for Respiratory Illness
Winter is on the way, and with it come respiratory illnesses like cold, flu, and COVID-19. And nationwide, hospitals are seeing an alarming rise in cases of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV.
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Owners of La Michoacána Shop Sharing Mexico’s Ice Cream Culture With Chicagoans
The history of La Michoacána goes back decades to a small town named Tocumbo in Michoacán. The brand name has given people like the Garcias opportunities to open their own independent businesses.
Read more >Black Voices
Community Activists Question How Relaunched Chicago Police Gang Database Will Impact Black Chicagoans
Chicago Police Department officials are looking to bring back a system that would track Chicagoans they believe to be members of gangs. But it’s not without controversy and pushback.
Read more >Black Voices
Celebrating the Culture, Conversation and Comedy of Black Twitter As Social Media Company Faces Uncertainty
From the moment Elon Musk took the reins at social media platform Twitter, chaos has seemed to envelop the site. But even on Nov. 17, when the farewell tweets were flying and users feared the site would implode, Black Twitter was still Black Twittering.
Read more >Black Voices
Cook County Guaranteed Income Pilot Prepares Participants for First Payments
At an enrollment event this week, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle welcomed some of the more than 3,000 participants in the Cook County Promise guaranteed income pilot. The participants, who were selected by lottery, are set to receive their first monthly payment of $500 on Dec. 15.
Read more >Black Voices
Chicago Musician and Artist Joining Together to Inspire Next Generation
Musician Nico Segal and contemporary artist Nikko Washington are engaging young artists in a creative partnership with nonprofit Play Together. The collaboration is encouraging students to create either artwork or music based on prompts.
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Join WTTW News every weekend for analysis and features on a wide range of topics, including arts and life, entrepreneurship and innovation, and equity and justice across the sectors of our society and in the Black and Latino communities in Chicago. Make the VOICES series your definitive source for real conversation and a platform for different voices and perspectives.
Latino Voices
Black Voices
Latino Voices
Spanish Is Fading Across Generations. These Latino Parents Are Working to Keep It Alive
Nationally, the share of Latinos who speak Spanish at home declined from 78% in 2000 to 68% in 2024, according to a Pew Research Center analysis. The decline has been particularly pronounced among U.S.-born Latinos, as English becomes increasingly dominant across generations.
Read more >Black Voices
Keke Palmer on Embracing Natural Beauty, Celebrating Black Female Friendship in ‘One of Them Days’
The Chicago-area native recently returned to the city to celebrate natural hair and Black Heritage Month at the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center. She’s on a high after starring alongside SZA in the country’s No. 1 comedy flick “One of Them Days.”
Read more >Latino Voices
Grassroots Effort Grows Into Queer-Led Community Hub in Gage Park
In a neighborhood where nearly 90% of residents identify as Latino and many families are rooted in Catholic traditions, the queer-led Gage Park Latinx Council has grown into a hub for families.
Read more >Black Voices
Chicago State University Gears Up for First-Ever Football Game
For Chicago State University, the first game will be about more than football. The university is hoping the new program can help build a new sports identity on Chicago’s South Side.
Read more >
Black Voices
Storm Recovery Continues in Gary, as Thousands Still Without Power
Tuesday will mark two weeks since a derecho swept through Illinois and northwest Indiana, with winds damaging homes, uprooting trees and knocking out power for hundreds of thousands.
Read more >Latino Voices
New Short Film Showcases Life, Work of Puerto Rican Activist
Members of Chicago’s Puerto Rican community recently took park in a special screening of a new short film based on the life of Pedro Albizu Campos.
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