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.
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.
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Volunteers Help Immigrant Parents Get Their Kids to School With the ‘Walking School Bus’
“The moment that the raids started happening and people started getting pulled off the street, you could just see it,” volunteer Alyssa May said. “You could see less students, less families, less vendors. And it really did change. It just became a really quiet place.”
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In Chicago, Some Businesses Report Pandemic-Era Drop in Sales Amid Immigration Raids
“I thought after COVID, like, alright, we’re in the clear,” said Adrian Zamudio, owner of Angelo’s Stuffed Pizza in Archer Heights. “We don’t have to think of anything spontaneous or something to survive anymore. A couple years later, here we are again.”
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Homeland Security Terminates Automatic Work Permit Renewals; Advocates Say Move Could Broaden Deportation Efforts
The Trump administration says this move allows better vetting of those using work permits. However, some are skeptical of that reasoning.
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Pilsen Museum Celebrates Día de los Muertos With Vibrant Artwork, Community Ofrenda
El Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a tradition that dates back centuries. The Mexican holiday honors deceased loved ones by creating altars and sharing memories.
Read more >Black Voices
Jesse Jackson’s Daughter on His Leadership and Handling Adversity: ‘He Was Not Going to Back Away’
“Let us continue with the work.” That was the call to action from the family of the Rev. Jesse Jackson, a civil rights activist and religious leader who died last week at the age of 84.
Read more >Black Voices
‘He Was This Transformational Figure’: Reflecting on the Life and Legacy of the Rev. Jesse Jackson
The Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Chicago ties run deep, dating back to the 1960s when he was appointed by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to direct Chicago’s Operation Breadbasket program.
Read more >Black Voices
Black History Month Rings in 100 Years as Educators Push to Preserve Heritage
There are efforts from the federal government to reshape how history is taught and examined by institutions.
Read more >Black Voices
CPD Policy That Does Not Ban No-Knock Warrants Leaves Anjanette Young ‘Frustrated’
A new Chicago Police Department policy that does not ban officers from serving no-knock warrants or from pointing guns at children during raids is now final.
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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
Free Boxing Club Empowers West Side Youth: ‘They Feel the Confidence’
Roy Flowers started his boxing club in 2021 in the hopes of creating healthy, supportive spaces for the youth in his community. “I just wanted to be the mentor that I wish I had.”
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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