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.
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
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.
Read more >Latino Voices
Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, Nov. 23, 2023 - Full Show
Activist Dolores Huerta on her legacy fighting injustice. The pride and pressure that come with being first-generation. And a local biochemistry professor wants to get more Latinos in laboratories.
Read more >Latino Voices
Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, Nov. 16, 2023 - Full Show
Chicago is set to get more money from the state to care for migrants. What local Mexican restaurants are bringing to the table for vegans. And why Cicero has worse air quality than its neighbors.
Read more >Latino Voices
Legislation Would Help Non-English Speakers Access Government Services in Illinois
According to Cook County data, 35% of residents speak a language other than English at home, while 14% of those people say they speak English less than “very well.” Meanwhile, migrants continue arriving in Chicago with limited to no English-speaking skills and few resources.
Read more >Latino Voices
Cicero Independiente’s Yearlong Project Reveals Air Quality in Cicero is ‘Much Worse’ Than in Surrounding Communities
The project involves sensors installed and monitored by the Cicero Independiente and MuckRock providing data to back up what many community members were already feeling.
Read more >Black Voices
Bronzeville, Chatham Expect Boost From Cultural District Designation
The cultural district designation will allow districts to apply for a share of $3 million set aside in state funding to support projects that uplift communities, spur economic development and preserve cultural heritage.
Read more >Black Voices
Chicago Tonight: Black Voices, March 6, 2024 - Full Show
The Bring Chicago Home referendum is back on the ballot. Pushback as plans for a hybrid elected school board move forward. And the difficulty of getting around town with a disability.
Read more >Black Voices
Syphilis Cases in Babies on the Rise in Chicago, Health Department Says
It’s part of a nationwide increase in congenital infections, passed along to an infant during pregnancy. If undiagnosed, the baby can be born with a number of health issues, including cataracts, deafness and a low birth weight, or can even be stillborn.
Read more >Black Voices
Pace Taxi Program Aids Chicagoans With Disabilities, But Advocates Say Systemic Issues Affect Access
For Chicago residents with disabilities, getting around the city can be more of a burden than a simple task. Users and advocates say the Pace Taxi Access Program is plagued by long wait times, verbally abusive drivers and unreliable rides.
Read more >
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
DJ Sisters Bringing ‘Booty Bass’ to Chicago on Lollapalooza Debut
Twin sisters Rachel and Nicole Henderson — aka the DJ duo RaeCola — are about to have a very special homecoming. The South Side natives may now live in Los Angeles, but on Sunday they’ll be making a triumphant return to their hometown to DJ at this year’s Lollapalooza music festival.
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.
Read more >