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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How the Wards Get Their Shapes and Why You Should Care: A Voices Crossover Conversation
A 5% uptick in the Latino population, a whopping 30% increase in the Asian population, and a 10% decrease in the Black population have translated into factions fighting for wards mapped to maintain racial majorities and all but ensure proportionate racial representation.
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Speaking Spanglish: How to Reach America’s $1.7 Trillion Latino Consumer Market
Latinos now make up 19% of the country's population, and half of them are under age 29. And while America’s Latinos spend an estimated $1.7 trillion annually, the Hispanic Marketing Council says only 6% of overall industry investment is spent targeting the Latino community.
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Modern and Traditional Mix at Mestiza Shop in Pilsen
The Mestiza Shop on 18th Street offers wares made by local artists as well as imported goods. The items range from the traditional to the quirky – but all with a distinctively Latina accent.
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Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, November 27, 2021 - Full Show
Helping households afford internet access. Meet a woman fighting fire with fire. And conserving monarch butterflies.
Read more >Black Voices
‘Chicago Party Aunt’ Chris Witaske Tours Chatham with Local Historian Shermann ‘Dilla’ Thomas
“Chicago Party Aunt,” based on the fictional Twitter account by Chris Witaske went national last September with the premiere of the Netflix series. But Witaske has roots primarily in the western suburbs which leaves some things out. So another Chicago social media star gave him a tour of a prominent South Side neighborhood.
Read more >Black Voices
Chicago Dancer ‘Poppin’ Chuck’ One of Dozens Receiving Historic Grant
We introduced you to a violinist who's one of dozens of Chicago artists receiving cash grants to pursue their careers. Now, meet an artist with a dance style that started in the late ‘60s but has evolved through the decades.
Read more >Black Voices
Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, November 6, 2021 - Full Show
The state invests $250 million in its latest public health crisis: gun violence. James “Big Cat” Williams on the latest in football and what’s next for the Bears. And the Black Harvest Film Festival opens.
Read more >Black Voices
Violence Prevention Plan Focuses on Youth, Mental Health
Community organizations working to prevent gun violence will soon get a boost in funding from the state. Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed an executive order declaring gun violence a public health crisis and announced a plan to address it.
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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
It’s Been a Year Since Illinois Eliminated Cash Bail. Prosecutors, Researchers Examine the Impact
Illinois became the first state to eliminate cash bail exactly one year ago Wednesday. Supporters said the law is intended to address equity issues, while opponents feared a spike in crime. New research paints a preliminary picture.
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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