INSIDER
From humble beginnings to Houston restaurant empire, David Herrera's legacy started with one goal
Read full article: From humble beginnings to Houston restaurant empire, David Herrera's legacy started with one goalAs we continue to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, we're featuring the inspiring story of restaurant owner David Herrera. From living on a farm in El Salvador to owning seven restaurants in the Houston area with his sons, how he says others can create their own path to success.
Wilmer Valderrama. Rosario Dawson. America Ferrera. Star-led drive aims to get Latinos to vote
Read full article: Wilmer Valderrama. Rosario Dawson. America Ferrera. Star-led drive aims to get Latinos to voteThe Voto Latino Foundation has launched a $5 million initiative to encourage Latinos to vote.
Awareness of 'Latinx' increases among US Latinos, and 'Latine' emerges as an alternative
Read full article: Awareness of 'Latinx' increases among US Latinos, and 'Latine' emerges as an alternativeOver the last few years, various terms have emerged to describe those in the U.S. with roots in Latin America and Spain.
John Leguizamo reaches back in time to reclaim Latin American history for a PBS documentary series
Read full article: John Leguizamo reaches back in time to reclaim Latin American history for a PBS documentary seriesIf you think Latin American history starts with Christopher Columbus, John Leguizamo would like to have a word.
It’s not just South Texas. Republicans are making gains with Latino voters in big cities, too.
Read full article: It’s not just South Texas. Republicans are making gains with Latino voters in big cities, too.Republican gains among Latino voters in urban areas could spell big trouble for Democrats’ hopes of turning Texas blue.
Latinos are excited about Harris, but she has work to do to win the crucial voting bloc, experts say
Read full article: Latinos are excited about Harris, but she has work to do to win the crucial voting bloc, experts sayLatino voters and leaders say they are enthusiastic about Kamala Harris as the Democratic presidential nominee, but for her to win their crucial support, they want to know where she stands on issues like the economy, immigration and education.
California date palm ranches reap not only fruit, but a permit to host weddings and quinceañeras
Read full article: California date palm ranches reap not only fruit, but a permit to host weddings and quinceañerasSmall date palm ranch owners in Southern California’s Coachella Valley have been petitioning for permission to host special events ranging from quinceañeras to weddings on their properties.
Asian American, Pacific Islander Latinos in the US see exponential growth, new analysis says
Read full article: Asian American, Pacific Islander Latinos in the US see exponential growth, new analysis saysThe number of people of both Latino and Asian American or Pacific Islander heritage has more than doubled in the last 20 years yet it remains an often ignored demographic, according to a new analysis.
Black and Latino students lack access to certified teachers and advanced classes, US data shows
Read full article: Black and Latino students lack access to certified teachers and advanced classes, US data showsAmerica’s Black and Latino students were at a disadvantage in nearly every measure of education opportunity in the 2020-21 school year.
Justice Department secures $9 million settlement with Ameris Bank over redlining in Florida
Read full article: Justice Department secures $9 million settlement with Ameris Bank over redlining in FloridaThe Justice Department has secured a $9 million settlement with Ameris Bank over allegations it avoided underwriting mortgages in predominately Black and Latino communities in Jacksonville, Florida, and discouraged people there from getting home loans.
Judge rules Galveston County must redraw 2021 redistricting map which violates Voting Rights Act
Read full article: Judge rules Galveston County must redraw 2021 redistricting map which violates Voting Rights ActA judge ruled on Friday that Galveston County must redraw its 2021 redistricting map because it violates the Voting Rights Act and United States Constitution, according to a news release from the Texas Civil Rights Project.
Federal judge rules Galveston County commissioner maps violate Voting Rights Act
Read full article: Federal judge rules Galveston County commissioner maps violate Voting Rights ActJudge Jeffrey V. Brown, a Trump appointee, found the county districts denied Black and Latino voters “the equal opportunity to participate in the political process.”
'Blue Beetle' actors may be sidelined by the strike, but their director is keeping focus on them
Read full article: 'Blue Beetle' actors may be sidelined by the strike, but their director is keeping focus on themNormally, the weeks heading up to Friday’s release of the DC film “Blue Beetle” would be a triumphant, celebratory time for its filmmakers and Latino-led cast.
In federal trial, Galveston County challenged on efforts to undo Black and Latino voting power
Read full article: In federal trial, Galveston County challenged on efforts to undo Black and Latino voting powerThe coastal county faces a drawn-out trial over claims of intentional discrimination in its 2021 redistricting of commissioners court precincts. The only district in which Black and Latino voters could meaningfully influence elections was dismantled.
State troopers will resume patrolling Austin streets in July, with some changes in response to criticism
Read full article: State troopers will resume patrolling Austin streets in July, with some changes in response to criticismTexas Department of Public Safety officers were criticized for the disparate number of Latino and Black residents arrested during the first iteration of a partnership to help Austin with policing duties.
Settlement reached in investigation into illegal dumping in Houston’s minority neighborhoods
Read full article: Settlement reached in investigation into illegal dumping in Houston’s minority neighborhoodsThe Justice Department and Mayor Sylvester Turner will hold a news conference Tuesday to make a civil rights announcement regarding an environmental justice matter on illegal dumping.
Fort Hood is officially renamed Fort Cavazos after the first Latino four-star general
Read full article: Fort Hood is officially renamed Fort Cavazos after the first Latino four-star generalIn a ceremony Tuesday, the Army base received its new name honoring Gen. Richard Cavazos, a Texas-born Mexican American who serves as a lasting inspiration.
Once again, tension builds after state police are deployed to a major Texas city
Read full article: Once again, tension builds after state police are deployed to a major Texas cityA month after the Texas Department of Public Safety began patrolling Austin streets, city officials have both praised a drop in violent crime and condemned the operation’s disparate impact on Latino and Black residents. In 2019, Dallas faced the same challenges.
Mark Cuban’s online pharmacy partners with Zócalo Health to help lower prescription drug cost for Latino community
Read full article: Mark Cuban’s online pharmacy partners with Zócalo Health to help lower prescription drug cost for Latino communityThe Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company announced that they are now collaborating with Zócalo Health to lower prescription drug costs for the Latino community.
Houston area families speak out after losing thousands of dollars in crypto-related fraud case
Read full article: Houston area families speak out after losing thousands of dollars in crypto-related fraud caseThe alleged victims of a crypto-related fraud case targeting the Latino community held a rally and protest outside the Federal Courthouse in downtown Houston Thursday morning.
Fito Olivares, legendary Mexican saxophonist known for his popular cumbia music, dies at 75, reports say
Read full article: Fito Olivares, legendary Mexican saxophonist known for his popular cumbia music, dies at 75, reports sayLegendary Mexican Saxophonist Fito Olivares, whose music soared into popularity in parties and events in the Hispanic/Latino community, has died, according to multiple reports. He was 75 years old.
Juan Felipe Herrera wins Frost lifetime achievement medal
Read full article: Juan Felipe Herrera wins Frost lifetime achievement medalFormer U_S_ poet laureate Juan Felipe Herrera is this year’s winner of the Frost Medal for lifetime achievement, with judges praising him for a “a poetic voice that is both deeply embedded and wholly original.”.
Democratic-backed Connecticut bill would ban 'Latinx' term
Read full article: Democratic-backed Connecticut bill would ban 'Latinx' termA group of Hispanic lawmakers in Connecticut has proposed that the state follow Arkansas’ lead and ban the term “Latinx” from official government documents, calling it offensive to Spanish speakers.
‘Racist campaign tactics’: Adrian Garcia calls for investigation over anonymous mailers to Latino residents
Read full article: ‘Racist campaign tactics’: Adrian Garcia calls for investigation over anonymous mailers to Latino residentsHarris County Precinct 2 commissioner Adrian Garcia is calling for an investigation of what he says are racist campaign tactics after anonymous mailers were sent to people with Latino surnames.
Black and Latino residents’ complaints about illegal trash dumping in Houston lead to federal investigation
Read full article: Black and Latino residents’ complaints about illegal trash dumping in Houston lead to federal investigationThe U.S. Justice Department says it has launched a civil rights investigation to determine whether the city’s response to residents’ complaints about illegal dumping was discriminatory.
Feds: Illegal dumping in Houston may violate civil rights
Read full article: Feds: Illegal dumping in Houston may violate civil rightsThe Justice Department says it's investigating illegal dumping in Houston, including dead bodies and medical waste, that officials say is plaguing Black and Latino neighborhoods in the nation’s fourth largest city.
First Lady Dr. Jill Biden under scrutiny after comparing breakfast tacos to uniqueness of Latino culture in San Antonio
Read full article: First Lady Dr. Jill Biden under scrutiny after comparing breakfast tacos to uniqueness of Latino culture in San AntonioFirst Lady Dr. Jill Biden is under scrutiny after a controversial comment she made at the UnidosUS Annual Conference in San Antonio Monday.
St. Joseph Medical Center in Houston opens new Latino Health Center for Spanish speaking patients
Read full article: St. Joseph Medical Center in Houston opens new Latino Health Center for Spanish speaking patientsSt. Joseph Medical Center in downtown Houston aims to accommodate the Latino patient population and cut down on a national problem with non-English speaking patients facing higher rates of hospital readmissions.
Stronger Houston: Breaking down HIV barriers in Spanish-speaking communities
Read full article: Stronger Houston: Breaking down HIV barriers in Spanish-speaking communitiesA Houston organization is working hard to remove the stigma surrounding HIV in the Hispanic and Latino communities. It’s a stigma that’s preventing people from knowing their health status and attributes to the further spread of the virus.
Justice Department sues Texas over new redistricting maps
Read full article: Justice Department sues Texas over new redistricting mapsThe Justice Department has sued Texas over its new redistricting maps, saying the plans discriminate against minority voters, particularly Latinos, who have fueled the state’s population boom.
First lawsuit filed challenging new Texas political maps as intentionally discriminatory
Read full article: First lawsuit filed challenging new Texas political maps as intentionally discriminatoryBefore they’re even signed into law, the state’s new maps for congressional and statehouse districts have been challenged in federal court by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund.
Hispanics, Latinos face challenges with mental illness
Read full article: Hispanics, Latinos face challenges with mental illnessPeople with mental illness in the Hispanic and Latino communities face challenges getting help, including a language barrier, a lack of health insurance, fear over immigration status or a cultural belief that mental illness is a weakness.
Biden announces 2nd round of diverse federal judiciary picks
Read full article: Biden announces 2nd round of diverse federal judiciary picksPresident Joe Biden has announced another diverse group of candidates for his second round of judicial nominations, a day after some in his first slate of picks went before the U.S. Senate.
Despite growing chorus, DOJ is limited in police probes
Read full article: Despite growing chorus, DOJ is limited in police probesCalls have grown for federal investigations into police killings across the nation since President Joe Biden took office and said he believes racial disparities in policing must change.
In likely California recall, energizing Latino voters is key
Read full article: In likely California recall, energizing Latino voters is keyLatino voters who have been hard hit by the pandemic could be a key group of voters in Newsom's potential recall election. “If they're successful in doing that then certainly the Latino vote could be persuaded to vote for the recall," Alvarado said. “Latino voters are incredibly important to our campaign, to Kevin personally, and to our pathway to victory,” he said. He said the campaign is partnering with community-based organizations that understand the diversity within California’s Latino communities and deploying surrogates to speak around the state. For both sides, the key will be to connect their outreach to Latino voters’ individual experiences, she said.
Roberto Clemente: More than Latin America’s baseball star
Read full article: Roberto Clemente: More than Latin America’s baseball starRoberto Clemente was the first Latino to be inducted in the Baseball Hall of Fame. The legacy of Roberto Clemente is still treasured today, proven nearly 50 years after his death. In fact, the Orange County School Board unanimously voted to rename the facility Roberto Clemente Middle on Sept. 21, coincidentally during Hispanic Heritage Month. Becoming baseball’s most prominent Afro-LatinoRoberto Clemente started his Major League Baseball career with the Pittsburg Pirates. The son of a sugarcane worker, Clemente began his professional baseball career just after finishing high school.
The message behind Texas’ Latino vote
Read full article: The message behind Texas’ Latino voteHOUSTON – During the November election, Latinos in Texas helped former Vice President Joe Biden secure his bid for the White House. However, Zermeno said, this doesn’t mean the Latino community isn’t engaged“We are seeing a tremendous uptick in participation,” Zermeno said. “The Latino vote has always been kind of nuanced,” said Michael Adams, PhD., chair of Texas Southern University’s political science department. “I think, too, both parties dialed in the Latino vote for this election,” said Diaz. On the flip side, there’s not an articulated approach to the Latino vote.”The election-eve poll from the research firm Latino Decisions also ranked priorities in the Latino community based on answers.
What you need to know about Texas Latino voters and nonvoters
Read full article: What you need to know about Texas Latino voters and nonvotersCredit: Jason Garza for The Texas TribuneWill Texas Latinos eventually turn the state from Republican red to Democratic blue? Their research, commissioned and funded by the Texas Organizing Project Education Fund, sought to better understand Latino voters and nonvoters in Texas. Latino voters in Texas have been characterized as a “sleeping giant” that’ll wake up one day and show up at the polls. What are some of the things that Texas Latino voters said they care about? They're seen as one-dimensional voters with one entrance — immigration — and that's the only time Latino voters get engaged.
Many Trump voters skeptical of vote count
Read full article: Many Trump voters skeptical of vote countNationally, Biden earned support from roughly two-thirds of Latino voters, while Trump got the backing of about a third. But Latino voters are not a monolithic bloc, given their vastly different cultures, and many U.S.-born Latinos have few cultural ties to Latin America. About 9 in 10 Trump voters were at least somewhat confident in the high court to be fair and impartial in its decisions, compared with about half as many Biden voters. About half of Trump voters called the economy and jobs the top issue facing the nation, while only 1 in 10 Biden voters named it most important. Trump voters remain adamant that the economy is in good shape: About three-quarters call national economic conditions excellent or good.
Texas voters have to wear masks while voting despite Gov. Greg Abbott’s exemption, federal judge rules
Read full article: Texas voters have to wear masks while voting despite Gov. Greg Abbott’s exemption, federal judge rulesVoters cast their ballots at the Performing Arts Center at Texas State University in San Marcos. Texas voters should be required to wear face masks when casting ballots during the pandemic, a federal district judge ruled Tuesday, invalidating an exemption for polling places that Gov. Greg Abbott had included in his statewide mask mandate. The argument for a mask mandate at the polls was first raised in a much broader lawsuit filed against Abbott and the Texas secretary of state in July by Mi Familia Vota, the Texas NAACP and two Texas voters. “Under these conditions, Black and Latino voters must choose between not voting or risking their lives or the lives of their loved ones to vote.
Gifty new and unusual pandemic-proof games for the holidays
Read full article: Gifty new and unusual pandemic-proof games for the holidaysThis image shows a party game focused on Latino pop culture. the Tragos Stay Home Pack and includes such activities as showing off your best moves to Bad Bunnys Yo Perreo Sola dance and taking your best shot at duplicating Cardi Bs coronavirus howl. Half the proceeds of the set go to The Immigrant Worker Safety Net Fund. Options in Spanish and English, both digital and in a box, are now widely available. (Tragos Games LLC via AP)
Houston’s East End Street Fest goes virtual
Read full article: Houston’s East End Street Fest goes virtualHOUSTON – Houston’s East End Street Fest happens on Saturday, October 17 with a virtual event. The three-hour virtual festival will include various Latino artists such as headliner Zenteno Spirit and their mix of jazz, Latin, funked-up fusion, and rock and roll honoring an East End legend, Norma Zenteno. The East End Street Fest is happy to welcome Zenteno Spirit and their mix of jazz, Latin, funked-up fusion, and rock and... Posted by East End Street Fest on Sunday, October 11, 2020Other artists include David de la Garza, a four-time Grammy award-winner, who in 1989 joined the internationally known Tejano band, La Mafia. 🕺The East End Street Fest is back with a mix of colorful dance performances by Ambassadors International Ballet... Posted by East End Street Fest on Friday, October 2, 2020Immediately following the virtual festival, the East End Houston Cultural District will debut a short documentary on the life, music, and legacy of Roberto and Norma Zenteno and their family. All you have to do is log on to www.eastendstreetfest.com and watch from the comfort of your home.
JPMorgan puts $30B toward fixing banking's 'systemic racism'
Read full article: JPMorgan puts $30B toward fixing banking's 'systemic racism'CHARLOTTE, N.C. – JPMorgan Chase said Thursday it will extend billions in loans to Black and Latino homebuyers and small business owners in an expanded effort toward fixing what the bank calls “systemic racism” in the country’s economic system. “Systemic racism is a tragic part of America’s history,” said JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon in a statement. Citigroup announced last month it is committing $1 billion toward closing “the racial wealth gap” in the United States, including $550 million toward homeownership programs for racial minorities. He noted that there’s a 30% gap between Black and white homeownership, amounting to about 4.5 million households. JPMorgan was one of 27 major New York-based companies that joined a program to recruit 100,000 workers from the city's low-income, predominately Black, Latino and Asian communities over the next 10 years.
‘Disgraceful.’ Latino civil rights organization plans to file lawsuit against Abbott’s mail-in ballot drop-off order
Read full article: ‘Disgraceful.’ Latino civil rights organization plans to file lawsuit against Abbott’s mail-in ballot drop-off orderHOUSTON – The League of United Latin American Citizens announced Thursday that it is filing a lawsuit against the State of Texas regarding Gov. Greg Abbot’s mail-in ballot drop off location order. Abbott ordered Thursday that each county would have only one mail-in ballot drop-off location, thus closing all other locations selected by local leaders. Domingo Garcia, the national president for LULAC, the nation’s oldest and largest Latino civil rights organization, said Abbott is trying to suppress the Hispanic vote. What Governor Abbott did today is disgraceful.”
New California reopening rules require 'equity' measure
Read full article: New California reopening rules require 'equity' measureA man wearing a face mask walks past a mural Thursday, Oct. 1, 2020, in South Central Los Angeles. California's plan to safely reopen its economy will begin to require counties to bring down coronavirus infection rates in disadvantaged communities that have been harder hit by the pandemic. It allows counties to incrementally reopen businesses as they meet more rigid state standards for both numbers for two consecutive weeks. The equity measure will require that positive test rates in its most disadvantaged neighborhoods, where rates are often much higher, do not significantly lag behind the county overall. “We think it needs to go beyond that because if you don’t have savings, you cannot stay home and not work.
New PBS film probes construction boom on Latino workers
Read full article: New PBS film probes construction boom on Latino workersThis undated photo provided by Panda Bear Films/Latino Public Broadcasting shows Latino construction worker stands outside a Dallas construction site. (Moyo Oyelola/Panda Bear Films/Latino Public Broadcasting via AP)RIO RANCHO, N.M. – Since the Great Recession, cities like Dallas, Houston, Phoenix, and Hobbs, New Mexico, have seen construction booms. “Building the American Dream,” a new VOCES/PBS documentary, examines the effects of this construction boom in the American Southwest on Latino workers by telling the stories of those erecting buildings in Texas. The film dives into the lives of one Mexican immigrant family in Texas after their construction worker son dies while on the job. The film, though a partnership with Latino Public Broadcasting, is scheduled to begin airing on most PBS stations on Tuesday to kick off Hispanic Heritage Month in the United States.