History

While experts and others do know that it is possible, desirable, and mutually beneficial to maintain U.S. citizenship in any sovereignty option, statehooders keep trying to misinform Puerto Ricans and policymakers in Washington.

On this episode of Latino USA, Mexican chef and cookbook author Margarita Carrillo Arronte talks with host Maria Hinojosa about the rich history of her home country’s cuisine, debunking misconceptions about it, and spending a lifetime cooking, eating, and loving Mexican food. 

Fearing the increasing displays of nationalistic pride sweeping across Puerto Rico in 1936, colonial authorities derailed that year’s constitutional convention movement to establish the Republic of Puerto Rico, thus ensuring U.S. colonialism would endure.

In recent years, the seaside neighborhood of Barrio Logan has gained newfound popularity amongst younger, more affluent outsiders drawn to the neighborhood for its rich history and vibrant culture. But the recent shift has come at a cost, as long-time businesses and residents have been forced out.

The first in a three-part series looking at the attempts made by Pedro Albizu Campos and other local leaders in Puerto Rico to hold a constitutional convention in 1936—the closest the archipelago has come to breaking free of U.S. colonial rule.

In this episode of Latino USA, we present a conversation between Nadine Córdova and Tim Hernández, two teachers who —almost three decades and more than 400 miles apart— faced the same consequences for teaching Chicano history.

As the fight for African American studies continues in Florida, Latino Rebels Radio host Julio Ricardo Varela welcomes Sean Arce, co-founder of the Mexican American Raza Studies Program in Tucson, to draw parallels between the current battle and Arizona’s ethnic studies battle over a decade ago.

Given the recent controversy surrounding Latino members of the Los Angeles City Council, it is important that we differentiate between Latino representation and Latino political power and define what each one means given the persistent issues facing the city and county.

Hundreds of years ago the Indigenous group, the Nahuas, believed that a hairless dog, the Xoloitzcuintle, was a sacred creature who could guide its deceased master through the underworld. “Xolos,” as they’re known, were the focus of a recent museum exhibition in Mexico City honoring the breed.

Latino Rebels speaks with Chilean filmmaker Christopher Murray, co-writer and director of ‘Sorcery,’ which is set on Chile’s Chiloé Island in 1880 and follows a 13-year-old Huilliche girl, Rosa, as she seeks revenge after a white man kills her father.

A wrap-up of the most important and interesting Latino news items from the past week

In this episode of Latino USA, host Maria Hinojosa sits with journalist Jodi Rave Spotted Bear, founder of the Indigenous Freedom Alliance, and historian Kathy Roberts Forde, author of ‘Journalism and Jim Crow,’ for a panel discussion about the history of journalistic blind spots.

In this episode of Latino USA, host Maria Hinojosa speaks with Nikole Hannah-Jones, author of “The 1619 Project,” who reflects on how she’s pushed ahead despite controversy, on trying to fit in at predominately white institutions, and on the importance of intersectionality.

Nachos: They’re one of the most popular snack foods in the United States. But their immense popularity over the years has overshadowed the true history of the dish. On this episode of Latino USA, we tell the story of the man who unintentionally created a phenomenon.

For this second episode of #WajInvadesAmerica, host Wajahat Ali gives advice to some of his social media followers and then welcomes Fordham University Associate Professor of Political Science Christina Greer to discuss white supremacy’s foundational roots.

While Futuro Media remains on holiday break, Latino Rebels Radio producer Oscar Fernández steps in once again for another episode of the Latino Media Collective. Oscar spends the hour with Professor Tanya Katerí Hernández to discuss her recent book, “Racial Innocence: Unmasking Latino Anti-Black Bias and the Struggle for Equality,” and the inconvenient truth of […]

Senior editor Hector Luis Alamo gives a rundown of some of the facts, bits of news, real histories, and actual lies he came across during the past week.

In honor of December 10, the anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Paris that transferred ownership of the Spanish colony of Puerto Rico to the United States, a look back at the U.S. invasion of the island, what it meant to Puerto Ricans at the time, and what it means today.

At approximately 45 days, Puerto Rico is known for having one of the longest holiday seasons in the world. Starting the week leading up to Thanksgiving, and ending with Las Octavitas on 14 January, a festive aura envelopes the archipelago. But amidst the merriment, there’s one significant cultural tradition whose absence is painfully palpable : Los Reyes Magos.

This week’s wrap-up comes to you from the cozy confines of quarantine, as senior editor Hector Luis Alamo has managed to catch COVID for only the second time this year.

For Puerto Rico, Don Pedro represents an important link between the 19th century, when Latin America freed itself from Spanish colonialism, and the modern era, in which Latin America strives to protect itself from the insidious influence of U.S. imperialism.