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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‘Making Mexican Chicago’ Traces History of Mexican Communities in Chicago
The story of how La Villita and Chicago’s other Mexican enclaves developed is the subject of “Making Mexican Chicago: From Postwar Settlement to the Age of Gentrification.” The book walks the streets of the city’s Mexican communities and explores the history of the forces that shaped them.
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Where Can You Get Tropical Paczki? Only in Polombia
The last day before Lent has many names: Shrove Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras. It's also known as Paczki Day when Chicagoans prepare for Lent by indulging in as many of the traditional Polish jam-filled doughnuts as they can eat.
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New Immersive Exhibit Showcases Works of Frida Kahlo
We spoke with Frida Kahlo’s grandniece and great-grandniece ahead of the opening of an immersive exhibit showcasing the artist’s work in 360 degrees.
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Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, February 26, 2022 - Full Show
Can industry and safe environmental practices coexist in Chicago? Free college tuition for local students. And we bring you a taste of Polish treats with Colombian flavors.
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As Pandemic Takes Toll on Students’ Mental Health, School Counselors Call For More Support
School counselors are often a primary resource for mental wellness and guidance, but few can be found in America’s schools. According to the latest data from the American School Counselor Association, there was one counselor for every 424 students during the 2019-20 school year.
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New Film Tells Story of Life Before Slavery Through Instagram Stories
“Equiano.Stories” is a new film that can only be viewed on Instagram. It brings to life the story of Olaudah Equiano, who was enslaved at 11 years old in 1756.
Read more >Black Voices
Chicago Children’s Choir Reconnects with Black History: ‘We’ve Gone Beyond Cultural Appropriation to Cultural Appreciation’
The virtual concert will feature a number of African songs that explore the history of African American culture in the U.S. They’re taking concert goers on a sankofa journey, a word from Ghana which means to return or retrieve what was lost.
Read more >Black Voices
Black History Month Spotlight: Vivian Harsh, Chicago’s First Black Library Branch Manager
To celebrate Black History Month, we’re spotlighting a Chicago Black history maker every week. This week’s history maker is Vivian Harsh, Chicago’s first Black librarian.
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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
United Nations Calls Out ‘Racialized Police Violence’ in Chicago
United Nations human rights investigators said in a statement: “These heinous alleged human rights violations appear to a significant extent to be rooted in systemic racism and have disproportionately affected people of African and Latin American descent.”
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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