Latino USA

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 on her path healing from gun violence and postpartum depression, in a country where there’s little support for either.

Latino USA is the longest-running news and culture radio program in the U.S., centering Latino stories and hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa.
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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 launching her very own production company. After being dropped from the Scream franchise for speaking out about the ongoing genocide in Gaza, Melissa talks about how she’s learned to take more control of her life and career, and why art should be a safe haven when things in the world feel bleak.

Latino USA is the longest-running news and culture radio program in the U.S., centering Latino stories and hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa.
Follow the show to get every episode.
Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for exclusive episodes, sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes chisme on Latino USA and all our podcasts.
Follow us on TikTok and YouTube. Subscribe to our newsletter.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 Honduras, after their unlawful deportation, the struggles they’re now going through after their return and how they’re still vulnerable to the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

Latino USA is the longest-running news and culture radio program in the U.S., centering Latino stories and hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa.
Follow the show to get every episode.
Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for exclusive episodes, sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes chisme on Latino USA and all our podcasts.
Follow us on TikTok and YouTube. Subscribe to our newsletter.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 said, “Who’s that???”
Today, in an exclusive listen to the first episode of “Muy Excited with Maria Garcia,” our new podcast from Futuro Studios and iHeartRadio, Maria revisits the importance of Ricky Martin, the queer icon’s career and life, and how he had to live “La vida loca” so that Bad Bunny could do “Lo que le da la gana.”
Watch this episode on YouTube.

Latino USA is the longest-running news and culture radio program in the U.S., centering Latino stories and hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa.
Follow the show to get every episode.
Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for exclusive episodes, sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes chisme on Latino USA and all our podcasts.
Follow us on TikTok and YouTube. Subscribe to our newsletter.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 about salsa music history, the native Nuyorican immediately said yes. Rosie is the host of Futuro Media’s new podcast “Our Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva York” about the history of salsa in the city, the legends behind the music and Fania Records–often called “the Motown of Salsa”. On this episode of Latino USA recorded in front of a live audience at WNYC’s The Greene Space in New York City, Rosie Perez opens up about the experience. We discuss her love of boxing, what it means to grow up Nuyorican, and what salsa history means to her.

Latino USA is the longest-running news and culture radio program in the U.S., centering Latino stories and hosted by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa.
Follow the show to get every episode.
Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for exclusive episodes, sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes chisme on Latino USA and all our podcasts.
Follow us on TikTok and YouTube. Subscribe to our newsletter.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.