How My Faja Saved Me: Surviving Gun Violence

In 2022, 18-year-old Lisbeth Bencosme was shot four times on a sidewalk in Harlem. She was a new mom at the time, and it was her faja, a staple postpartum girdle for many Latinas, that would keep her alive until medics arrived. In this episode, we meet Lisbeth, a true badass New Yorker who takes us…

Melissa Barrera’s Big Year: From Broadway to Hollywood Executive

Melissa Barrera is having quite the year. In April, she made her Broadway debut, landing a dream role as ‘Rose’ in the musical parody Titanique. She’s also an executive producer on the award-winning documentary film Traces of Home, which is set to have its theatrical release this fall. And she’s la…

Orgullosa Returns: Unlawfully Deported, A family Rebuilds Their Lives

In late April, Orgullosa and her children packed up their belongings in Honduras and boarded a plane back to the U.S. after a court ruling said that they were wrongfully removed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In this episode, we follow the difficulties Orgullosa and her family faced in Ho…

The Meaning of Ricky Martin’s Evolution

A few months ago, Maria Garcia was watching the Benito Bowl when an unexpected artist came on: the one and only Ricky Martin. Maria knew this was a touchstone moment — the artist who most represented the ‘90s Latin Boom was singing a song of resistance, in Spanish. And then Maria’s 11-year-old son …

Salsa in NYC: Rosie Perez live at WNYC

Rosie Perez has long been synonymous with New York and hip hop culture, starting with her appearances on “Soul Train”, her iconic choreographies and her big break with Spike Lee in “Do the Right Thing”. But when the Oscar, Golden Globe, and Emmy-nominated actress received a call to host a podcast a…

The Best (and Worst) of the 2026 World Cup

The Men’s World Cup may be over but there’s so much to talk about still. We sit down with a soccer expert and superfan to discuss the significance of this summer’s tournament. We get into the many “firsts” in a global competition that’s been around for almost 100 years; the controversial moments an…

A Live Performance and Interview with Venezuelan Musician Ella Bric

Venezuelan musician and composer Ella Bric made history as the first woman to win producer of the year at the 2018 Latin Grammys. The trumpet player made a name for herself after moving to New York City and most recently made waves on Karol G’s Mañana Sera Bonito Tour. In this special Latino USA co…

Five Days in Palestina

In early February, Latino USA traveled to the occupied West Bank to learn about the roots of the deep connections between Latinos and Palestinians. Maria Hinojosa and producer Nour Saudi accompanied a group of U.S. students and academics as they traveled from Jordan to Ramallah with their counterpa…

Harvey Guillén: Breaking Hollywood Molds

When actor Harvey Guillén auditioned for a role written for a character 20 years older than him, he got cast anyway. In this intimate conversation with Maria Hinojosa, Harvey reveals how he became the breakout heart of What We Do in the Shadows as Guillermo, the vampires’ overworked human assistant…

The Sacred Indigenous Story of the Coca Leaf

Indigenous groups in South America have been cultivating the coca leaf for 8 millennia. But when the coca leaf became the base ingredient for cocaine, its story changed. In 1961, the United Nations classified the coca leaf in the same category as cocaine itself, regulating it at the same level. But…