Latino USA

In this segment of our "How I Made It" series, Charlie Uruchima shares his journey with his ancestral language and tells us how he created "Kichwa Hatari," the first Kichwa-language radio station in the U.S. From a bedroom-turned-radio studio, to building an entire community of radio hosts and language activists, Charlie tells us how he discovered the power of radio to build solidarity that defies borders.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Anthony Ramos discovered theater in high school, it changed his life. As a teenager, he had his sights set on baseball, but an injury led him down a very different path. Ramos first burst onto the scene in the 2015 smash Broadway hit "Hamilton," but since then he's had roles in major Hollywood films and television. In October of 2019, Ramos released his debut album 'The Good and the Bad', a personal journey set to funky bass lines and R&B vocals. Latino USA sits down with Ramos to discuss growing up in Brooklyn, how mentorship has played an important role in his career, and finding himself in "the room where it happens."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The nationwide protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd have started a firestorm of activism. Crowds of people have taken to the streets to support Black Lives Matter, many of whom are non-black. YR Media and Latino USA bring you a discussion with four young adults from different racial backgrounds to discuss what it means to be an effective ally in the fight to end anti-Blackness, the role young people are playing in this new wave of activism, and the importance of "unlearning" long-held perspectives rooted in our communities.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In late June, Ritchie Torres made history when he took the lead in the Democratic primary to represent New York's 15th Congressional District, which is in the Bronx. While absentee ballots are still being counted, Torres is now poised to become the first openly LGBTQ Afro-Latino member of Congress. Torres was one of 12 candidates, among them a Pentecostal minister who opposes gay marriage and a political newcomer endorsed by Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. In this episode, Latino USA digs into this wild election and talks with Torres about what being progressive means to him.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In an interview from before the pandemic, Latino USA visits the home of tattoo artist, entrepreneur, reality star, and goth icon Kat Von D. She first became famous in the early aughts as the first female tattooer on the hit reality television show 'Miami Ink'. Beloved for her artistry and straight shooting banter, she would soon get her own spinoff, 'LA Ink.' She gives us a tour of her baroque home, talks about scaring her Catholic mother, and the backlash she has gotten for her previous relationships and how it has raised accusations that she is a Nazi.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While covering the protests sparked after George Floyd's murder in May, CNN correspondent Omar Jimenez was arrested by the Minnesota State Patrol. He was reporting live on the air at the time, and the video of that moment would go viral, as a symbol of racist comportment by the police. Omar Jimenez, who is Afro-Latino, reflects on that moment and talks about the role of his identity in his reporting.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alejandra Ghersi, the experimental musician from Venezuela known as Arca, has been at the forefront of a movement that has pushed the boundaries of the pop music landscape. Since dropping her first mixtapes in 2011, she has produced album after album of boundary-defying music, and has been tapped as a producer for Kanye West, Bjork and FKA twigs. In this episode Arca talks with Maria Hinojosa about growing up in Venezuela, her philosophies around music, and about finding herself as a trans woman.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Growing up as a Nuyorican kid in the Bronx, Bobby Sanabria first watched "West Side Story" in the movie theaters, on the 10th anniversary of the film's release. "I was mesmerized," said the Latin Jazz drummer and composer. In 2017, the Broadway classic celebrated its 60th anniversary and to honor this milestone, Sanabria re-envisioned what Latino New York City actually sounds like. The result was his album, "West Side Story Reimagined." Maria Hinojosa talks to the drummer and composer about what the iconic musical means to him and how he paid tribute to its legacy. This story originally aired in September of 2018.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the early 70s, Miguel Angel Villavicencio was focused on making his most ambitious dream possible: to become a famous singer in Bolivia and across the world. And he was halfway there—his love songs were on the radio and he was appearing on TV. But to take his singing career truly international, he needed money. So he decided to work for Bolivia's most powerful drug cartel in the 80s—a major supplier for Pablo Escobar. Choosing this path would lead him on a journey of self-destruction, unexpected betrayal and finally, redemption. This story originally aired in January of 2019.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brazil recorded its first death from COVID-19 on March 17th and by mid-June the country was the world leader in daily deaths. Overall, Brazil is only behind the United States both in the number of cases and deaths due to coronavirus. But Jair Bolsonaro, the country's right-wing nationalist president, continues to be dismissive about the threat posed by the virus. In this episode, we find out why Brazil, one of the largest economies in the world and a nation often in the forefront of innovative public health treatments, has failed to combat the pandemic.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.