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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Study: Latino, Black People Less Likely to Receive CPR From Bystanders
According to a 2022 American Heart Association study, Black and Latino people experiencing cardiac arrest are 41% less likely than their White peers to receive CPR from a bystander. But health professionals say just about anyone with hands can help save a heart.
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Monuments Honoring Latina History Coming to Pilsen
The Pilsen Latina Histories Monuments Project is beginning the process of creating monuments that represent a fuller spectrum of history depicted by the Latinas who lived it.
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Chicago Tonight: Latino Voices, July 7, 2023 - Full Show
U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García with the latest on aid to migrants in Chicago. What's behind CPR disparities. And a musician who blends her bicultural influences.
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US Rep. Jesús ‘Chuy’ García on Immigrant Support, Supreme Court Rulings and Debt Ceiling Vote
U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García said he doesn’t believe the federal government is providing enough support to Chicago and other cities that are receiving large numbers of migrants from other states.
Read more >Black Voices
Captain Bill Pinkney, Pioneering Sailor, Dies at 87
In 1992, native South Sider Captain Bill Pinkney became the first African American to sail around the world solo via the Southern Capes. It was a feat that took 22 months, which he chronicled in a video diary and in a documentary.
Read more >Black Voices
Author Jonathan Eig Takes Nuanced Look at Martin Luther King Jr. in ‘King: A Life’
In the 55 years since his death, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. is often quoted and revered, an icon. But in the new book “King: A Life,” author Jonathan Eig draws King as “a man, not a saint, not a symbol” — delivering far more nuance than history has allowed.
Read more >Black Voices
Safer Foundation Unveils Mural Honoring US Rep. Danny Davis in East Garfield Park
The nonprofit Safer Foundation provides assistance to citizens returning from incarceration. Much of its work is made possible thanks to the Second Chance Act, which was championed by longtime U.S. Rep. Danny K. Davis and passed in 2008 with bipartisan support.
Read more >Black Voices
Examining Effects of Extreme Heat in Chicago’s Black Communities
Chicago is one of 18 cities participating in the Heat Watch 2023 program with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, in which community volunteers collect temperature and humidity data to analyze for underlying reasons and potential mitigation efforts.
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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
Meet the Chicago Teen Going Viral for Giving Free Hair Makeovers in the School Bathroom
For many Black people, getting their hair done can be a costly ordeal. But Jessica Thurmond, a student in North Lawndale, is trying to alleviate that. She’s styling her classmates’ hair for free in her school’s bathroom stalls just in time for class.
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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