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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Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, Jan. 30, 2021 - Full Show
As COVID-19 mitigations ease, how are Latino communities faring in Chicago? Aldermen debate expanding protections for immigrants. A Cesar Chavez throwback. And the need for Latino mentors.
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A Match That’s ‘Built to Last’: Exploring the Culture of Sisterhood
The Big Brothers Big Sisters mentoring program has been making matches in Chicago since 1967, but a lot has changed over the years. Many of the kids now come from Spanish-speaking households, and the organization is looking for more “bigs” who speak their language to volunteer.
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Mixed Feelings on Return to Business in Latino Communities
As the city begins to stir from its COVID-19 slumber, we talk with local journalists about how the reopening is impacting Latino communities.
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Aldermen Expand Protections for Undocumented Immigrants
The Chicago City Council on Wednesday wasted no time in symbolically turning the page on the Trump administration by voting to expand protections for undocumented immigrants that had been stalled by the former president’s crackdown.
Read more >Black Voices
How the COVID-19 Surge is Impacting Chicago’s Black Communities
The coronavirus has dealt a blow to the Black community, and the numbers are again on the rise. We discuss the surge with Dr. Doriane Miller, director of the Center for Community Health and Vitality at UChicago Medicine.
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Biden and the Black Vote: Record Turnout in Key States for Former VP
Local journalists discuss national and local elections results following a dramatic Election Day that stretched into Election Week.
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Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, Nov. 8, 2020 - Full Show
Hashing out an Election Day that turned into Election Week. The impact of rising COVID-19 case numbers in the Black community. An up-and-coming photojournalist has The Last Word.
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The Last Word: Vashon Jordan Jr.
The protests that swept across Chicago this summer had plenty of cameras on them, but who was behind the camera?
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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
Carol Moseley Braun on Becoming First Black Woman Elected to US Senate, New Role at African Development Foundation
Carol Moseley Braun has had a storied career spanning more than three decades and six presidents. Most notably, she shot into the cultural zeitgeist in 1993 when she became the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Senate.
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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