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.
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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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Self-Taught Historian Pays Tribute to ‘South Chicago Legacies’
A museum in West Town is paying tribute to the city’s South Chicago neighborhood in a new solo exhibition by a self-taught historian. Arts Correspondent Angel Idowu introduces us to Roman Villarreal.
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Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, July 16, 2022- Full Show
A Highland Park city council member shares his story from the July 4 mass shooting. Plus, Latino startups get funding from Google. And recognizing South Chicago with marble and wood.
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Highland Park Council Member Andres Tapia on July 4 Shooting: No One Escapes the Impact of What Happened
Highland Park city council member Andres Tapia was present at the parade, and posted his personal account of the events on LinkedIn. Tapia said that publicly sharing his experience and talking about seeking help for the trauma he endured was important for him to do as a community leader.
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Google’s Latino Founders Fund Awards 5 Local Startups
Five local Latino-led startups received some welcome news this week. Each of their businesses was awarded $100,000 from Google’s Startups Latino Founders Fund.
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Youth Environmental Program Helps Teens Explore Nature, Recognize Sociological Impacts of Climate Change
As brutal heat waves sweep across the globe, calls to address the effects of climate change have become increasingly urgent. But in addition to large-scale policy efforts, making lasting change often starts with individuals.
Read more >Black Voices
Hoops in the Hood Takes Basketball to Chicago Neighborhoods
Hoops in the Hood is taking over the streets of Chicago this summer by bringing kids and teens together to play basketball in their neighborhood backyards. Chicago Tonight’s Joanna Hernandez hears more about the mission behind the program and the leaders who are driven to make a change.
Read more >Black Voices
As Chicago’s Guaranteed Income Pilot Launches, Leaders Hope to See Work Replicated
Both Chicago and Cook County are in the process of launching guaranteed income programs that will provide more than 8,000 residents with $500 a month, no strings attached. While applications for Cook County residents will open in the fall, Chicago residents have started receiving monthly payments.
Read more >Black Voices
Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, July 23, 2022 - Full Show
Checks begin rolling out for Chicago’s guaranteed income pilot program. Plus, how the Nature Conservancy is connecting teens to nature. And honoring White Sox favorite Minnie Miñoso.
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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
Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Dec. 18, 2024 - Full Show
The city’s budget director on what’s in the 2025 spending plan. We tour the Greater Chicago Food Depository’s new facility. And plans to improve health disparities on the South Side.
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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