Descubre with Montse: Recent Episodes
Descubre with Montse
Welcome to Descubre with Montse, hosted by Montse Ricossa. Descubre means to discover, and I’m here to help you discover more about Latino topics in the United States.
During the pandemic, healthcare workers have been in the spotlight, recognized as heroes for stepping up in this crucial point in history. Historically, that career field has been disproportionately white. Although there has been a push for diversity, It’s still not fully representative of our nation.
Representation has always been important to minority communities, whether it be media, literature, or healthcare. But only recently has the issue been getting the attention necessary to see a positive change.
While still short of being an accurate representation of the U.S. population, an increase in representation within healthcare has come at a crucial time as everyone looks for answers in the ever-changing COVID-19 pandemic.
Today, we hear from Dr. Jared Terronez, one of the few Latino doctors in the Quad Cities about the need for someone in healthcare to look like us, and what it means to him, to be that representation for so many.
Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 to October 15, celebrating various Latin American countries and their independence days. We hear from a fiesta organizer on the importance of hosting these events and inviting the whole community.
For a transcript of the episode, click here.
Since 1984, the Quad Cities Ballet Folklorico has taught hundreds of kids in Moline, Illinois about traditional Mexican dancing. It’s the only group of its kind in the area, allowing any kid to join for free and learn more about a variety of Mexican folkloric dances.
For a transcript of the episode, click here.
Joining teams, the Moline Public Library and Project Now: Headstart will now be able to help immigrant and non-English speaking families get the same access to books and education as other families in their community.
For a transcript of the episode, click here.
On Friday, an 11-second video was shared on Facebook, showing a Black football player being pressured into a locker, with bananas hanging in it. You can then hear another student point and yell “get in the chair or I’ll break your knees,” at which point the football player sits inside the locker and appears to be uncomfortable.
For a transcript of the episode, click here.
Vaccination rollouts are well underway across the nation. A recent report shows that only 14% of Black Americans and 34% of Hispanic Americans say they trust the safety of a new COVID-19 vaccine. Now that the vaccine is out and being distributed, will they choose to get it?
For a transcript of the episode, click here.
There are a record 32 million Latinos projected to be eligible to vote in the 2020 election. That’s about 13.3% of all voters. Latinos are expected to be the fastest-growing racial or ethnic minority in a presidential election. So, what do they care about? How is this year different than others?
For a transcript of the episode, click here.
We'll take a look at the data of whom the pandemic is affecting in Iowa and Illinois. Communities of Color are testing positive for COVID-19 at a higher rate than their White counterparts.
For a transcript of the episode, click here.
It’s now been nearly 7 months since we first heard of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. As of Friday morning, there are over 15.5 million positive cases and 633-thousand deaths worldwide. In the United States, there are over 4 million positive cases, 1.23 million recoveries, and 147,000 deaths.
I sat down virtually with Dr. Rebecca Heick who is an epidemiologist, someone who studies the control of disease or injury patterns in human populations, about how we’ve seen COVID-19 change since we first saw it in January, and what we can expect for the future.
For a transcript of the episode, click here.
As the United States’ Independence Day comes closer, some celebrated another independence earlier with Juneteenth. The holiday, also known as the African American independence day, was celebrated on June 19th. 2020 marks the 155th anniversary of the last set of slaves being emancipated. Around the country, there were rallies, celebrations, and parties to honor this special day.
In Davenport, Iowa, a group called Friends of MLK held a virtual festival celebration with over 7,000 viewers. I spoke with one of the organizers, Tracy White, about why this holiday should be celebrated by everyone.
For a transcript of the episode, click here.
The novel coronavirus, COVID-19 is spreading through the entire world. As of Monday morning, with nearly 3.5 million positive cases and nearly 250,000 deaths.In the United States, there are about 1.1 million cases and over 65,000 deaths.
Those cases are seen more widespread in communities of color. In Chicago, 31% of patients who identified their race and ethnicity are white, 30% are Latino, and 29% are African-American. 70% of those who died in Chicago due to COVID-19 are black, while they only make up 30% of the city's population. In Wisconsin's Milwaukee County, 81% of deaths from COVID-19 are black, even though that population only represents 27% of the county.
In the Quad Cities, which is a region of five cities clustered on the banks of the Mississippi River along the Iowa/Illinois border, including Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa and Rock Island, Moline and East Moline, Illinois… we’re seeing similar trends as well.
For a transcript of the episode, click here.
Mexico's patron saint, our lady of Guadalupe, or La Virgen de Guadalupe, is celebrated on December 12th. La Virgen is remembered and celebrated around the world. I went to St. Mary's Church in Moline, Illinois, and attended their ceremony. I spoke with Father Antonio Dittmer about the big day.
For a transcript of the episode, click here.
Thanksgiving is celebrated in the United States on the fourth Thursday of November. November is also Native American Heritage Month. To understand more about the holiday and what it means to Native Americans, I asked Jo Ironshield to join me. Jo is the co-founder of Sage Sisters of Solidarity - a group of indigenous women united against injustice based in Davenport, Iowa. We see and hear many terms used like "Native American," "Indian," "Native Indian," and "Indigenous." I wanted to make sure I understood the differences in terminology and know what Jo prefers to call herself.
For a transcript of the episode, click here.
A group of teenage girls raising money by selling paletas, Mexican popsicles, so they can afford a class trip to Washington D.C. This group of girls is paleteras, those who sell popsicles. They're the only group of mobilized paleteras in the Quad Cities. Plus, reclaiming chingona a once derogatory term used against Latinas. It's now a word "boss women" like the paleteras call themselves.
For the transcript of the podcast, click here.
Mercado on Fifth, in its fourth year, attracting an average of 1,000 people every Friday!
Mercado on Fifth is a staple in Moline, bringing together people of all ages and ethnicities, making its mark in the Quad Cities. We'll hear from the President, Maria Ontiveros.
"Mercado" in Spanish means "market," so Mercado on Fifth is an open-air market on Fifth Avenue in Moline, Illinois. The idea coming from Maria's grandfather, Bob Ontiveros.
For a transcript of the episode, click here.
Making up 18% of the U.S. population, Latinos are the second-fastest growing racial or ethnic group. Hispanic Heritage Month is one of the most important times of the year for Latinos ... and the Latino population is only growing. What does this mean for the Quad Cities? We'll hear from fiesta organizers and community members.
For a transcript of this episode, click here.