Latino Voices

Latino Voices

Spanish Is Fading Across Generations. These Latino Parents Are Working to Keep It Alive

(WTTW News) 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 >

Latino Voices

Grassroots Effort Grows Into Queer-Led Community Hub in Gage Park

Antonio Santos and Katia Martinez founded the Gage Park Latinx Council. (WTTW News) 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

FILE - Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution Lonnie Bunch speaks at an event, Feb. 20, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo / Allison Robbert, File) 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

The Chicago State University football team at practice. (WTTW News) 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 >

Latino Voices

After Struggling Through the Pandemic, Restaurants Still Face Staffing Shortages

(Shutterbug75 / Pixabay) The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 1.3 million job openings in the accommodations and food industry, which makes up 11% of the total openings across all occupations nationwide. The shortage has caused a strain on current restaurant workers, shortened business hours, and even led to the closing of many restaurants. Read more >

Latino Voices

Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, Sept. 17, 2022 - Full Show

The battle over the border as more migrant buses arrive in Chicago. Plus, what’s causing a restaurant worker shortage, songs for Hispanic Heritage Month and a sweet treat on 26th Street. Read more >

Latino Voices

El Churro Shop Makes Old Traditions New on 26th Street in Little Village

El Churro Shop in Little Village. (WTTW News) “Crunchy outside, soft center, golden brown and delicious” – that’s how Aldo Rios, owner of El Churro Shop in Little Village, describes the perfect churro.  Read more >

Latino Voices

Government Officials, Local Organizations Work to Respond to Hundreds of Arriving Migrants

Salvation Army Center in Chicago. (WTTW News) Texas Gov. Greg Abbott continues to bus hundreds of migrants to cities across the country. That includes Chicago, which has welcomed more than 500 people seeking asylum since Aug. 31. Another bus arrived Thursday night at Union Station.   Read more >

Black Voices

Student Debt Forgiveness’ Potential Impact on Black Student Debt

(QuinceCreative / Pixabay) Pending the outcome of several lawsuits, borrowers can qualify to have up to $10,000 forgiven if their loan is held by the Department of Education, and they make less than $125,000 individually or $250,000 for a family. Read more >

Black Voices

Black Women Are 41% More Likely to Die from Breast Cancer Than White Women

(WTTW News) Breast cancer is one of the most treatable types of cancer — when detected early. Despite that, it’s the leading cause of cancer deaths among Black women. Read more >

Black Voices

New Exhibition Series to Showcase Work of Incarcerated Young People

(WTTW News) Three Chicago art galleries and programs are partnering for a three-part exhibition series as they work to explore the impact incarceration has on young people. Read more >

Black Voices

Cook County Hopes to Inspire Federal Government with Guaranteed Income Program

(WTTW News) Funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, the program will pay 3,250 residents of Cook County $500 a month for two years. It is the largest publicly-funded guaranteed income pilot in the nation to date. Read more >

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

(WTTW News) 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

Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Jan. 22, 2025 - Full Show

Brandis Friedman hosts "Chicago Tonight: Black Voices" on Jan. 22, 2025. (WTTW News) The city’s new director of reentry on his plans for those returning from prison. Black migration’s profound impact on American culture. And a play takes us into the world of an African salon. Read more >

Latino Voices

Grassroots Effort Grows Into Queer-Led Community Hub in Gage Park

Antonio Santos and Katia Martinez founded the Gage Park Latinx Council. (WTTW News) 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

The Chicago State University football team at practice. (WTTW News) 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

The city of Gary, Ind., is pictured in a file photo. (WTTW News) 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

The case and crew of the short film “Mataron A Pedro” at a screening in Chicago. (Carmona Rivera / National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture) 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.  Read more >