Fronteras: Recent Episodes
Texas Public Radio
"Fronteras" is a Texas Public Radio program exploring the changing culture and demographics of the American Southwest. From Texas to New Mexico and California, "Fronteras" provides insight into life along the U.S.- Mexico border. Our stories examine unique regional issues affecting lifestyle, politics, economics and the environment.
Writer Tim Z. Hernandez has spent nearly two decades working to identify the Mexican nationals who were killed in the 1948 incident.
The South Texas native discusses his works and how they're influenced by the duality that exists living on the U.S.-Mexico border.
Photographer Marni Shindelman's series, "Restore the Night Sky" documents the effects of light pollution at 45 private ICE detention centers across the U.S.
The new book, “The Donkey Lady: A Graphic Parable,” retells a haunting San Antonio legend by inviting children and adults alike to consider new moral dilemmas.
Local fashion designers took high fashion to the streets last month to showcase clothes characterized as "rasquachic."
The Voting Rights Act, the landmark civil rights law, banned racial discrimination in voting and enforced the 15th Amendment right for Black men to vote.
Author Reyna Grande writes about the struggles of assimilation and the healing powers of storytelling in her new memoir.
In her latest essay collection, author Reyna Grande reflects on her difficult experiences migrating to the U.S. from Mexico.
A new Brookings article examines the ways colonias in the Rio Grande Valley continue to be disinvested and what needs to be done to improve conditions.
The Climate Heritage Network is an organization looking to meet the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement by tackling climate change through heritage, arts, and culture.
The exhibit showcases posters, pictures, flyers, and other memorabilia that were mainstays of Saluté International Bar for 25 years.
MACRI’s annual symposium brings speakers from all over the country to speak about contemporary civil rights issues and how they affect people today.
From the desert into the detention center, "Peregrina/Pilgrim" shares the immigrant experience with readers.
A new report from the George W. Bush Institute argues that many border policies only provide short-term solutions to illegal immigration.
Selena's legacy is explored in the literary collection through essays, short stories, poems, and memoirs.
"Embodied Encuentros" outlines the best practices in gathering and archiving the oral experiences of Latino communities.
The "A Mirror and a Map" report by NALAC examines how these groups are faring in factors ranging from financial stability to leadership structures.
A historic preservationist Sehila Mota Casper discusses how the history and legacy of the farmworkers movement will evolve following new revelations against Chávez.
The book "Los Adaes, the First Capital of Spanish Texas" explores the colonial history of this all-but-forgotten Spanish fort and mission.
"Censorship at Texas A&M" is a film that follows prominent writers and activists as they bring attention to the crackdown of race and gender studies at Texas universities.
The new bilingual novel follows protagonist Solitaria, a queer Chicana returning to her hometown on the South Texas border after fleeing 15 years prior.
Historian Jorge Luis García Ruiz discusses the lesser-known contributions of Spain to the American cause during the 18th-century war.
The new book by acclaimed Mexican author Álvaro Enrigue weaves the past and present to tell the story of the Apache surrender in the U.S.-Mexico borderlands.
Archeologist Carolyn Boyd discusses recent discoveries made at the Pecos River-style mural site on the Texas-Mexico border near Del Rio.
The book is part of a series that explores how contemporary movements shed new light on Shakespeare's work.
A new study by the Brookings Institution examines how federal policies are causing harm to Latino-owned businesses across the state.
An archaeology team from Texas Tech University and the Texas Historical Commission recently discovered remnants of the mission on a private ranch near Presidio La Bahía in West Texas.
The book Live from America: How Latino TV Conquered the U.S. details the powerful figures who worked behind the scenes to make Spanish-language media successful.
The nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute has published an analysis of the Trump administration’s immigration actions one year following his inauguration.
Historian Sam W. Haynes explains how a convergence of Mexican, Anglo, and indigenous cultures led to instances of conflict and violence from 1821-1879.
The documentary follows the lives of San Antonian JV Villarreal and his Marine brothers while on tour in Afghanistan.
Scholar and anthropologist Davíd Carrasco has dedicated much of his career to exploring Mexico’s Mesoamerican past. He is also dedicated to telling the story of his father, David L. Carrasco—an El Paso native who became the first Mexican American head basketball coach at a major U.S. university.
A former San Antonio ice house is now home to a community museum that celebrates the people, stories, and contributions of the city's historic West Side.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been ramping up detentions of individuals who appear at Immigration Court for their mandatory hearings, including in San Antonio.
The new children’s book Of the Sun: A Poem for the Land’s First Peoples celebrates the ties that Indigenous peoples still hold to the land.
The book explores the disparities in education between the children of Nazi scientists and the ethnic Mexican children who attended segregated schools in El Paso.
Photographer Marni Shindelman's series, "Restore the Night Sky" documents the effects of light pollution at 45 private ICE detention centers across the U.S.
University of Michigan PhD candidate Vianey Rueda wrote about the ongoing water conflict between Mexico and the U.S.
The picture book, "Franky(sito)'s World," highlights the story of a young boy with autism growing up in a multigenerational Latino household.
Cisneros v. Corpus Christi ISD: The Long Fight to End School Segregation details what came before, after, and during the historic court case.
The group took a long road trip last month through the Southwestern United States with a goal to visit the places that communities value as a connection to their history and culture—and share the untold stories.
Joss, a member of the LGBTQ community, was also of Comanche and White Mountain Apache descent. His death highlights a crisis of underreported mental health disparities.
D. Esperanza details his 10-month journey from Honduras to the U.S. through reconstructed and translated journal entries.
American Indians in Texas at the Spanish Colonial Missions embarked on a campaign in May to highlight the disproportionate effect of violence against Native women.
Images of Valor: U.S. Latinos and Latinas of World War II examines the themes of citizenship and civil rights that emerged from Latino veterans’ experiences.
Rudi Rodriguez, the president and founder of the San Antonio-based organization, discusses his fascination with Texas history and his own Tejano heritage.
Students in A&M San Antonio's Language and Literacy in Latinx Communities class aim to better understand the socio-economic backgrounds of the city’s Latino populations and their experiences with language.
MPI Policy Analyst Kathleen Bush-Joseph discusses the firehose of executive actions on immigrations.
Local author Carmen Tafolla and UTSA's Patricia Sánchez discuss the Premio Campoy-Ada and how Spanish literature can serve as a tool for young readers.
Steena Hernandez said incorporating her own experiences as a dancer in a children’s book highlights the importance of diversity in dance and beyond.
Texmaniacs founder Max Baca and his nephew and accordionist, Josh Baca, share stories from the road and about their mentor and friend, Flaco Jimenez.
The musical group was formed three years before San Antonio’s first César Chávez march and has continued using corridos as a form of activism and protest.
"El Rinche: La Matanza" is the third book in a four-part series inspired by the period of state-sanctioned violence against ethnic Mexicans.
Historian Aaron E. Sánchez detailed the different ways ethnic Mexicans viewed, embraced, or rejected their new identities as American citizens.
San Antonio native Vincent Valdez tackles symbols of power in contemporary society through large-scale, life-like portraits.
Chicano scholar Tomás Ybarra-Frausto and the McNay Art Museum's Mia Lopez lead a walkthrough of the exhibit, Rasquachismo: 35 Years of a Chicano Sensibility.
Rasquachismo denotes both the scarcity and ingenuity of the predominantly middle- and working-class Latinos. Rasquachismo became reflected in poetry, music, and visual arts fueled by the Chicano movement.
In a true Austin-San Antonio collaboration, the Austin Symphony Orchestra will premiere the multi-genre take on A Midsummer Night’s Dream March 3-5.
A group of researchers from Texas A&M University and Methodist Healthcare Ministries collaborated to investigate the presence of arsenic and other water contaminants in colonias in South Texas border communities.
San Antonio councilmembers Phyllis Viagran and Adriana Rocha Garcia have teamed up with Dr. Lyssa Ochoa of the SAVE Clinic to address health disparties in the city's South Side.
Co-founder Melissa del Bosque created the weekly newsletter and bi-weekly podcast which provide coverage and analysis of border issues and border communities.
Latino scholar Ilan Stavans collaborated with political comic strip artist Lalo Alcaraz on the book, now reissued for its 25th anniversary edition.
Researchers from the University of Michigan and the University of Colorado spoke with over 300 immigrants from Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean about their exposure to gun violence.
Rolando Briseños nearly six-decade career includes showings at major museums, and public art displayed across the country, including in Texas and New York.
San Antonio-based artist Kathy Sosa discusses how her art explores the blended cultures of the U.S.-Mexico through a feminist lens.
Kathy Sosa is a San Antonio-based artist whose colorful works have been displayed across North America. She discusses how she began painting and how her artwork explores the blending of Mexican American and indigenous cultures.
Three San Antonio playwrights were chosen to present their unpublished plays before an audience in an informal setting as part of the Teatro Salon series.
A new cover story from "Texas Monthly" chronicles the lineage of the Longhorn, from feral breeds in Spain to today’s Texas ranches.
Tejano music, musicians, and its lasting influences are the focus of the new "Texas Monthly" podcast.
Co-researchers Jongyeon (Joy) Ee and Patricia Gándara examined how immigration raids under President-elect Trump's first presidency disprupted the educational and mental health of students.
José Ralat, taco editor at "Texas Monthly," has traveled thousands of miles across Texas writing about tacos, Tex-Mex, and Mexican food and the people behind these fascinating and delicious cuisines.
"Nepantla Familias" compiles 30 poems, short stories, and essays from Mexican American authors to highlight what it means to live between two cultures, families, and languages.
Irma Herrera's one-woman play, "Why Would I Mispronounce My Own Name?", focuses on issues of identity and the power in making sure our names are pronounced correctly. Herrera, an activist, playwright and former civil rights attorney, shows that how we say a name reveals the preconceived ideas or assumptions we make about others.
Voces director and founder Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez reflects on the work Voces has done for the last quarter century and the road ahead.
The Black Navarros project led by St. Mary's University and the San Antonio African American Community Archive & Museum explores slavery in Spanish colonial-era San Antonio, and how the city's prominent Navarro family played a role in slavery in Texas.
The Colectiva has issued two volumes of "The Bard in the Borderlands," a collection of adaptations of Shakespeare's most iconic work with a borderland twist.
The international exhibition, "Al Otro Lado del Espejo / The Other Side of the Mirror," features nearly two dozen artists to highlight the centuries-long relationship between the two cities.
Amalia Mesa-Bains: Archaeology of Memory at the San Antonio Museum of Art incorporates room-sized art installations with hundred of found items.
The acadmic course aims to help students who have been exposed to Spanish develop their unique linguistic culture and practices.
In the latest season of the podcast, Taco journalist Mando Rayo explores the personal journeys of chefs and taqueros from across the state who are connecting to their roots.
"The Border is Beautiful" exhibition takes the works of nearly 50 artists to showcase their own unique perspectives of what it's like having ties to binational and bicultural communities.
The conference was created in 1984 by Latinas determined to make a difference in the community. The 40th anniversary of that first conference takes place next weekend in San Antonio.
The play grew out of the aftermath of the racist massacre at an El Paso Walmart in 2019. Plawright Gregory Ramos describes how he used interviews with community members to touch on gun control and immigration.
Lydia Camarillo, the current president of the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, discusses how the organization has worked to give electoral power to Latino voters for the last 5 decades.
Fronteras takes a tour of the artworks on display as part of the new "Xicanx: Dreamers + Changemakers | Soñadores + creadores del cambio" exhibit at San Antonio's Contemporary at Blue Star.
Three student researchers spoke to other local students, teachers, and administrators about the role MAS plays in the community. They talk about their findings and what people can take away from the report.
Perales was a key figure in the founding of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) in 1929.
The 1951 film — a blend of noir, melodrama, and musical — was recently reissued by the acclaimed Criterion Collection. It will be screened as part of TPR Cinema Tuesday.
Jorge Luis García Ruiz translated the baptismal, marriage, and burial records of the Mission San Antonio de Valero — now known as the Alamo — and published them in three volumes. He discusses the history of the mission and what can be gained from the records.
Three San Antonio chefs and a local historian came together to explore and highlight Asian American cuisine as part of a Great SA panel discussion in May, hosted by Texas Public Radio.
A preview of CineFestival, the original and longest running Latino film festival in the U.S., taking place July 11-14 in San Antonio.
Almost 900,000 workers passed through Rio Vista as part of the Bracero Program. Fronteras talks to two individuals who have fought to keep this important chapter of history from being forgotten.
The sport of fastpitch softball has brought Mexican American communities from across the U.S. together since the 1930s. Author Ben Chappell and Ruben Rios Jr., a local member of the San Antonio Glowworm Athletic Club, speak about the game's impact and legacy.
San Antonio educator and writer Georgette María Messa explores the story of her mother's trauma growing up on the El Paso-Juarez border. Messa talks about the production and her own journey to understanding and healing.
Lina González-Granados — the first Latina resident conductor of the LA Opera — is making waves in the Americas and Europe. She discusses her career climb and how she hopes to expand the standard orchestral repertoire.
The immigrant youth-led United We Dream fights for the dignity and fair treatment of the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S., including DACA recipients. Two members of the organization talk about their own journeys in their immigration status.
San Antonio attorney and writer Humberto Garcia chronicled the true story of the Mexican American golf team in his 2012 book, "Mustang Miracle." Humberto talks the players, his book, and the journey to the new film adaptation.
The initative allows creatives across the country to fight back against negative border narratives by writing their own. Three of the initative's newest cohort grantees talk about how their projects more accurately depict border life, culture, and home.
San Antonio's Mexican American Civil Rights Institute (MACRI) works to advance forgotten chapters of Mexican American civil rights in Texas and beyond. It will host a free symposium May 17 & 18 at the Central Library downtown.
Holy Cross of San Antonio educator Eddie Vega was selected to serve as the city's seventh poet laureate. He began his three-year term in April and will hold the position until 2027.
"Indigenous Foodways of Texas and Northern Mexico" will highlight the food traditional, techniques, and histories that have been passed down by Mexican and Indeginous peoples from generation to generation.
The FBI and CIA surveilled the Latino civil rights movement and its leaders in the 1960s and '70s at the height of the communist panic. Democratic Congressman Joaquin Castro and his mother, activist Rosie Castro, talk about the effort to establish a clear historical record of the movement.
The United Farm Workers of America became a target of FBI surveillance during the communist scare of the 1960s and '70s. Arturo Rodriguez spent over 50 years with the UFW. He talks about working alongside civil rights leader Cesar Chávez and about government surveillance of their movement.
Musician Lisa Morales has released six albums as part of the duo Sisters Morales and three as a solo artist. She discusses her introduction to music growing up in Tucson, Arizona, the death of her sister Roberta in 2021, and more about her influences ahead of her April 13th Creekside Sessions Concert at TPR.
Thirty Talks Weird Love confronts mental health issues, the growing pains of young adulthood, and the ongoing violence against women in Cuidad Juárez. Author Alessandra Narváez Varela discusses her inspiration behind the book and what she hopes readers take away.
Todos Agua is a three-day celebration at San Antonio's Esperanza Peace & Justice Center that honors the community's spiritual and cultural connections to water. Three of its featured artists include poet Carmen Tafolla, musician Azul Barrientos, and activist María Berriozábal.
Howard Campbell spent over three decades in Cuidad Juárez speaking to victims and perpetrators of ongoing violence in the city. He includes their stories and an analysis of the violence in the book, "Downtown Juárez: Underworlds of Violence & Abuse."
Cuidad Juárez — a sister city to El Paso, Texas — had once been dubbed the "murder capital of the world." Anthropologist Howard Campbell breaks down the complex causes of the violence in the book "Downtown Juárez: Underworlds of Violence & Abuse."
The Jan. 24 panel discussion used the reissue of the book "West of the Creek: Murder, Mayhem and Vice in Old San Antonio" as a launching point for a broader conversation about the importance — and misconceptions — of San Antonio's historic West Side.
Texas Public Radio and Trinity University Press hosted a book club discussion on the reissue of "West of the Creek: Murder, Mayhem and Vice in Old San Antonio." Local activists, historians, and writers used the book as a launching point to a broader conversation about the significance of San Antonio's West Side.
The massive multidisciplinary project stemmed from a large-scale painting of the same name by New Mexico-based artist, James Drake. The performance features themes of conflict, suffering, and healing.
A recent analysis from the MPI examines Biden's presidency at its three-year mark. Two of its co-writers discuss how despite accusations of inaction at the border, legal immigration numbers have gone back to Pre-Trump and pre-COVID normal.
San Antonio's Centro Cultural Aztlan presents the 47th annual "Segundo de Febrero" exhibit to commemorate the anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. This year's exhibition, "Seguimos" or "we go on," explores themes of migration, adaptation, and the duality of the Mexican American identity.
Seventeen students and 10 teachers under the CAST Schools network in San Antonio visited Mexico City last month as part of a diplomacy program that aims to strengthen the cultural and diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Mexico. Some of those students joined Fronteras to talk about their experiences.
The drug war in Mexico has claimed thousands of lives in the country over the span of three presidents. Alexander Aviña — an expert on immigration and state violence in Mexico — discusses the drug war, the 2024 Mexican presidency, and the ongoing militarization of both Mexico and the Texas-Mexico border.
Alexander Aviña, associate professor of history at Arizona State University, discusses the historical precedent of drug violence in Mexico, the United State's role, and possible solutions moving forward.
Our Lady of the Lake University associate professors Christopher Carmona and Valerie Martínez take Fronteras on a tour of the panel exhibit "Life & Death on the Border: 1910-1920." The exhibit explores topics ranging from the militarization of the border, to Juan Crow laws, to artistic and literary contributions to the Latino civil rights movement.
The exhibit is on display at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio through March 31 and was arranged by Refusing to Forget, a group of historians who work to bring awareness to the period of state-sanctioned violence against Mexicans in Texas.
Pioneer María Martin helped train participants at San Antonio's Esperanza Peace & Justice Center before her death. Some of those students reflect on what they learned and how Martin's legacy in journalism will live on.
Journalist María Martin died Dec. 2 at the age of 72. Fronteras takes a look back at past interviews with Martin that discuss her life and pioneering work to tell underrepresented stories in the U.S. and Central America.
Four San Antonio chefs, advocates, and community members came together as part of the Great SA: Native American Influence on South Texas Cuisine panel, hosted by Texas Public Radio. In part two of the conversation, panelists take questions and discuss how Native foods continue to impact culture and traditions today.
Texas Public Radio took a deep dive into the importance of traditional indigenous foods during a Great SA panel discussion moderated by TPR's Norma Martinez. The four-person panel discusses native ingredients and how they connect to our food today.
The McNay's first curator of Latinx art takes Fronteras on a tour of works by Latino artists on display across multiple galleries. Artworks range from photo-realistic representations of Mexican conchas to an installation that pays tribute to the migrant lives lost in the journey to the U.S. Fronteras also gets a sneak peak of an artwork not yet on display.
Curator Mia Lopez is fine-tuning the Latino art collection at San Antonio's McNay Art Museum. Lopez talks about what led her to the position, why it's important for Latino artworks to get long-overdue recognition, and begins to introduce the works of Latino artists on display.
Nosotrxs Por El Valle, a group of historians and activists from the Rio Grande Valley, have launched a traveling exhibit to share the community's history with residents. Co-founder Juan Carmona and three of the group's members discuss the experience.
The new podcast explores diverse stories of Texas, from how corridos served as historical storytelling devices, to the anti-Mexican violence by the Texas Rangers in the early 20th century. Host John Phillips Santos discusses more about the project.
The "Becoming Texas" podcast aims to bring to light a broader perspective of Texas history — one outside the stories of the Alamo and Texas independence. Host John Phillip Santos discusses the effort to preserve and popularize the complete story of Texas and how its history continues to evolve.
The anthology collects voices and writings of 140 women that span time, styles, and traditions into one volume. Editor Sandra Guzmán and contributors Norma Elia Cantú and Natalia Trigo discuss the anthology's 13 sections, its use of Latine in the subtitle, and more.
The works of 140 writers, leaders, scholars, and activists are compiled in the anthology "Daughters of Latin America: An International Anthology of Writing by Latine Women." Editor Sandra Guzmán and contributors Norma Cantú and Natalia Trigo speak about their works and the importance of the anthology.
The flight of enslaved people to Mexico is an often untold part of history — and San Antonio played an important role. Professors Mekala Audain and María Esther Hammack were two key speakers at the recent "San Antonio in the Fight & Flight for Freedom" symposium hosted by the San Antonio African American Community Archive and Museum.
President and CEO of Lutheran Immigration and Refuge Service, Krish O'Mara Vignarajah, discusses immigration policy and how the organization works to assist migrants and refugees.
Season three of the Tacos of Texas podcast takes listeners across the state to meet the people behind Taco culture. Host and producer Mando Rayo discusses how the newest season explores topics from culturally relevant foods in schools to a San Antonio bean and cheese showdown.
The Chicana Art Song Project takes the texts of Chicana writers and sets them to original music. Founder Noël Archambeault and South Texas composer Edna Alejandra Longoria discuss the significance of the project in classical music.
Researchers with the Civil Rights in Black and Brown Oral History Program traveled across Texas to gather oral histories of communities of color in civil rights movements. Their stories are complied in the book, "Civil Rights in Black and Brown: Histories of Resistance and Struggle in Texas."
Adrian Davila is carrying barbecue traditions started by his grandfather as owner and president of operations at Davila's BBQ in Seguin and the newest Davila's on Wheels food truck in San Antonio. He discusses the history of food and barbecue in his family, and learning about the centuries-old roots of the cuisine.
The radio program "Caló: A Borderlands Dialect" features words and phrases from the dialect of Caló, which originated in Europe and made its way to the Southwest. Host Oscar Rodriguez discusses the history and meaning of the words, and why it's important to recognize their heritage.
UT Austin assistant professor Belem López discusses the importance — and the implications — of the day-to-day informal language process known as language brokering.
José Martínez Hinestroza received a grant from the National Science Foundation to study how bilingual students in bilingual classrooms learn math. He discusses how elementary students have used their language to learn mathematical concepts and what he hopes future teachers take from his research.
San Antonio-based Teatro Audaz aims to bring diverse and inclusive productions to the stage. The theater's executive and managing directors discuss past and future productions, and how the unique plays help young audiences see themselves represented in theater and beyond.
The Mexican American barrio of San Felipe in Del Rio, Texas took steps to educate their children in their own way. Jesús Esparza is the author of "Raza Schools," a forthcoming book that explores the rise and fall of San Felipe ISD.
San Antonio is home to the Macondo Writers Workshop, a five-day annual event that gathers like-minded writers from across the country. Writers learn and share their work to foster creativity and serve the community. Trinity University will host this year's workshop July 25-29.
Comedians Vanessa Gonzalez, Raul Sanchez, and Tori Pool took center stage June 6 in celebration of Latino comedy as part of TPR's Creekside Sessions series. They participated in an hour-long set before sitting down for a conversation moderated by Fronteras producer, Marian Navarro.
Several countries across Central America have seen freedom of the press slowly chip away, including in Guatemala. Veteran journalist María Martin discusses the the cycle of violence in the country, the limited news coverage coming out of the region, and the future of democracy.
María Martin hosted and produced SOS Central, and in-depth podcast that follows the ongoing deterioration of democracy and rule of law in many Central American countries. The pilot episode explores renowned Guatemalan journalist José Rubén Zamora, who was imprisoned and sentenced on charges of money laundering and corruption.
Jovita Idár was a teacher, nurse, journalist, and feminist who played an important role in Texas history during the 19th and early 20th century. A forthcoming anthology is collecting poetry, photograph, and other works that honor her life and contributions.
Trinity University Press established Tinta Books imprint to focus on Mexican American culture, history, and foreign affairs. Publisher Tom Payton and editor-at-large Yvette Benavides discuss the idea behind the impress, its first release of books, and its efforts to diversity the publishing industry.
Scholars and chefs who attended the one-of-a-kind event "Encuentro: The Native American Roots of Texas Mexican Food" reflect on their experiences talking and learning about indigenous cuisine.
The anthology is a collection of poems, essays, and illustrations by 41 migrants, refugees, and Dreamers. Co-editors Reyna Grande and Sonia Guiñansaca discuss how the book highlights the unique and complex experiences of what it's like to live undocumented today.
A forensic anthropology professor and her two graduate students spent a week in Eagle Pass, Texas, to help exhume and identify those who died crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. They reflect on their experience working with Operation Identification, an effort that uses community outreach and scientific analysis to ID migrant remains.
Chicano writer Nephtalí De León was named the sixth San Antonio Poet Laureate in March. His poetry, children's stories, and paintings take on a social justice bent and aim to capture the essence of Chicano culture.
Nephtalí DeLeón is a Chicano writer and artist known for his poetry, children's stories, essays, and painting. The self-described "Chicano gypsy poet" will serve as San Antonio's Poet Laureate from 2023-2026.
Four Tex-Mex experts came together as part of the Great SA panel hosted by Texas Public Radio. In part two of the conversation, panelists take questions from audience members about the merits of Tex-Mex, its regionality, and how people have experienced it over time.
Texas Public Radio took a deep dive into iconic Tex-Mex cuisine during a Great SA panel discussion moderated by TPR's Norma Martinez. The four-person panel of Tex-Mex experts discussed the history of Tex-Mex food and the false narrative many people have surrounding in part one of a two-part conversation.
The book chronicles the story of two unaccompanied migrant children as they make the dangerous journey to the U.S. Children's author and illustrator Erika Meza shares the inspiration behind the book and why she thought it was important to shed light on the topic.
NBC News partnered with ProPublica for the Repatriation Project, a series investigating the delayed return of native remains. NBC News reporter Graham Lee Brewer and Ramón Vásquez, a member of the Tāp Pīlam Coahuiltecan Nation, speak about the struggle to regain access to pieces of tribal heritage and the renewed interest by some institutions to repatriate remains.
The story of El Batallón de San Patricio — or the Saint Patrick's Battalion — is told in the historical fiction "A Ballad of Love and Glory." Author Reyna Grande discusses her personal connection to the story and how the book shines a light on a forgotten portion of history.
The Borderlands Shakespeare Colectiva is a multi-institutional research initiative that engages with Shakespeare's works to portray the realities of life on la Frontera. The initiative's co-founders discuss their new anthology and how these adaptions have resonated with students.
A 2022 study examined 11 films in Hollywood that feature Black male teachers. Co-author Marcus Johnson explains how the study found representations of these savior and father figures are often rooted in false stereotypes of Black men and boys.
Abel Sánchez and Andrés Alegría are co-writers and co-producers of the documentary film, a decade-long project that features musicians and artists to honor the contributions of civil rights icon César Chávez. The film screens at Trinity University in San Antonio on March 21.
Trinity University, IDRA, and Edgewood ISD will host an event to commemorate the 50th anniversary of this landmark case, in which the U.S. Supreme Court determined that there is no constitutional right to an equal education.
The "Soy de Tejas: A Statewide Survey of Latinx Art" exhibit at Centro de Artes gallery in San Antonio collects over 100 pieces from artists representing seven regions and fifteen cities throughout Texas. The artworks engage with themes of identity, cultural heritage, pop culture, and modern political concerns.
"Bridging Cultures: Reflections on the Heritage Identity of the Texas-Mexico Borderlands" highlights the missing pieces of history often left out of the borderland narrative. It features a collection of essays ranging from the enduring cultural practice of quinceañeras, to wildlife along the border, to how border artists capture everyday life.
The essay collection — co-edited by Harriett Romo and William Dupont — explores the complex and rich heritage of the the Texas-Mexico borderlands through the perspective of architects, historians, anthropologist and others.
The museum was founded in June 2022 by eight individuals who wanted to highlight Mexican American history and culture. Two of the co-founders, Gus Hinojosa and Juanita Nañez, discuss what led to the creation of the museum, its inaugural exhibit, and why it was important to create a space for Mexican American contributions.
The Mexican American Studies course is offered to students at Jefferson High School in San Antonio. Fronteras visited the class in January to speak with the educators who helped bring the course to life, and to students on what the class has taught them so far.
Over 2,700 works by over 600 regional and international artists are displayed throughout the university as part of the UTSA Art Collection. The endowment honors over 20 years of work from the collection's curator, Arturo Infante Almeida.
Jack Herrera, the host of Texas Monthly's new "White Hats" podcast, and Monica Muñoz Martinez, a co-founder of the history project Refusing to Forget, discuss their efforts to highlight the history of violence and oppression committed by the Rangers against Mexicans and Texas Mexicans.
Playwrights David Lozano and Raul Treviño discuss how the production dives into Crystal City Mexican American students who staged walkouts in protest of discrimination. The play makes its San Antonio debut at the Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center Jan. 19-22.
The Migration Policy Institute and the United Nations Children's fund (UNICEF) released a brief in December 2022 with recommendations aimed to strengthen protections of unaccompanied migrant children and facilitate their reintegration with their families in the U.S.
The Health Confianza program aims to repair the lack of trust many people — especially underrepresented populations — have with the U.S. healthcare system. A cohort of 10 organizations pledged to adopt health literacy policies and practices that will lead to better outcomes for San Antonio residents.
Luis Rendon — a journalist living in New York — returned home to Laredo in December 2021 on a mission to reconnect with his roots. He wanted to experience Latino Christmas traditions like posadas and midnight mass on Christmas Eve, and wrote about his trip in a recent article for the Texas Highways Magazine.
The alphabet book — written by Mando Rayo and Suzanne García-Mateus, with illustrations by Martha Samaniego Calderón — celebrates the people, places, and things that make up Latino culture.
The play — going on its 27th year in San Antonio — was written, produced and directed by Alicia Mena. She spoke about what inspired her to write the play and the impact it has had on audiences.
Medical anthropologist Elizabeth Farfán-Santos spent five years with Claudia García, a mother from Mexico who illegally crossed the border into the U.S. to provide a better life for her deaf daughter. She details García's story and struggles in her book, "Undocumented Motherhood: Conversations on love, trauma, and border crossing."
Medical anthropologist Elizabeth Farán-Santos recounts the immigration journey of Claudia Garcia, a mother from Mexico who crossed the border with her deaf toddler in search of better medical resources and a better future.
“The Politics of Exclusion and the Protocols of Resistance: Understanding the Political Landscape of 21st Century Texas," panel discussed a variety of issues affecting Texans, including academic freedom in the classroom, the suppression of reproductive rights in a post-Dobbs world, and the status of immigration in the state.
The San Antonio Museum of Art’s new exhibit “Traitor, Survivor, Icon: The Legacy of La Malinche,” examines the historical and cultural impact of Malinche — the Mexican figure who served as translator to Hernán Cortés during the conquest of Mesoamerica.
Anthropologist and Rio Grande Valley native Jill Fleuriet spent years conducting research and analysis about the Valley. She discusses what the media, and us as individuals, can do to correct the oversimplified narrative of the border that is often portrayed in the news.
Jill Fleuriet, author of "Rhetoric and Reality on the U.S.-Mexico Border: Place, Politics, Home," discusses her ethnographic research of the Valley and how mass media inaccurately portrays life of southern border communities.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) released its 2022 report on the lack of Latino representation both on and off screen. San Antonio Congressman Joaquín Castro discusses the barriers Latinos face in media and what the government can do to make the industry more inclusive.
Sarah Gould, executive director of San Antonio-based Mexican American Civil Rights Institute (MACRI), discusses the significance of Latino civil rights history and how the organization's 2022 Symposium will address topics like voting, education and representation.
The Los Angeles-based performer will celebrate 40 years of performance at the Esperanza Peace & Justice Center with her latest solo show, 'I'm Still Here.' She discusses her start in the performing arts, the bumpy road to her solo career, and her experiences as a queer comic.
The essayist and professor at the University of Texas at Austin reflects on the experience that inspired his Texas Monthly article, "What We Say When We Say 'San Antonio,'" the Anglicized pronunciation of Spanish-language names, and the larger implications of language loss.
The essayist and professor at the University of Texas at Austin reflects on the experience that inspired his Texas Monthly article, "What We Say When We Say 'San Antonio,'" the Anglicized pronunciation of Spanish-language names, and the larger implications of language loss.
Independent producer and journalist María Martin has lived and reported on Guatemala for years. She discusses a history of civil wars in Central America, a lack of interest in news coming from the area, and the dangerous state of the press in Central America.
Independent producer and journalist María Martin has lived and reported on Guatemala for years. She discusses a history of civil wars in Central America, a lack of interest in news coming from the area, and the dangerous state of the press in Central America.
Rafael Acosta Morales, author of "Drug Lords, Cowboys, and Desperadoes: Violent Myths of the U.S.-Mexico Frontier," delves into how Mexican villains have been portrayed in mainstream media, the repercussions of those portrayals and what sparked his interest in writing the book.
Rafael Acosta Morales, author of "Drug Lords, Cowboys, and Desperadoes: Violent Myths of the U.S.-Mexico Frontier," delves into how Mexican villains have been portrayed in mainstream media, the repercussions of those portrayals and what sparked his interest in writing the book.
The Raza Unida Party — a Mexican American political party and social movement that emerged during the late ‘60s and early ‘70s — will host a 50th Anniversary celebration to honor the work of past members and analyze the current struggles faced by the Latino community.
The Raza Unida Party — a Mexican American political party and social movement that emerged during the late ‘60s and early ‘70s — will host a 50th Anniversary celebration to honor the work of past members and analyze the current struggles faced by the Latino community.
Amanda Frost, author of "You Are Not American: Citizenship Stripping form Dred Scott to the Dreamers," talks about the complicated history of who deserves citizenship in the U.S.
Two university professors from across opposite sides of the U.S. created the "Mexican American Art Since 1848" database to broaden traditionally English, Eurocentric search engines and make it easier to find and study Mexican American art, culture and history.
San Antonio business owner Jaime Macias discusses the role of his bar in the near West Side, "conscientious" development, and finding his place as a Mexican American.
The Advanced Spanish for Health and Helping Professions certificate at St. Edward's University will prepare bilingual or advanced second-language students with training to provide effective healthcare treatment in Spanish.
The 2021 documentary "Backstreet to the American Dream," dives into the experiences of U.S. entrepreneurs and Mexican immigrants in the global phenomena of the food truck industry.
TPR's Arts & Culture reporter Jack Morgan examines the life and inspiration behind the man who created San Antonio's Miraflores garden; An episode from KTEP's public radio program "Words on a Wire" discusses the life and career of late poet and Cinco Puntos Press co-founder Bobby Byrd.
The former president of UT-Brownsville discusses her historic career in higher education and the “surreal” experience of receiving the nation’s highest civilian honor.
Two UT Health San Antonio doctors discuss the barriers behind the lack of Latino representation in clinic trials and the massive need to increase Latino participation.
Mexican artist Margarita Cabrera's latest project honors personal sacrifices and draws inspiration from the story of Copil, an Aztec warrior whose sacrifice resulted in the founding of modern day Mexico.
Friends and colleagues of Rosemary Catacalos gather to share their favorite memories of the late San Antonio poet. They discuss the impact of her work, her fierce spirit and her one-of-a-kind voice.
The partners behind the 6.2-mile long binational river park project discuss the symbolic and environmental impact the park will have for the Laredo and Nuevo Laredo communities.
Anthology "Reverberations of Racial Violence: Critical Reflections on the History of the Border," delves into the systematic killings of Mexican Texans during the 20th century.
San Antonio muralist Alan Calvo discusses the inspiration behind some of his most popular artworks, including his well-known Selena mural outside the Alamo Candy building and the new "Colores del los Nativos" outside of Texas Public Radio's headquarters.
UT Austin assistant professor Belem López discusses the importance — and the implications — of the day-to-day informal language process known as language brokering.
Retired San Antonio priest Fr. David Garcia discusses how his book, "Pandemic Preaching: A Pulpit in a Year Like No Other," guided remote churchgoers through the ups and downs of the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the month of May, San Antonio will collaborate with three other UNESCO Creative Cities to celebrate corn as a cultural ingredient for Pueblos del Maíz.
UTSA associate professor Sonya Alemán explains how the virtual course "Selena: A Mexican American Identity & Experience" prompts broader conversations about Latino issues and culture.
'My Two Border Towns' author David Bowles and illustrator Erika Meza discuss the inspiration behind the story that highlights a young boy's life on the U.S.-Mexico Border.
Award-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa speaks with TPR's Border & Immigration Desk Producer, Sofía Sánchez, about using her experiences to inspire other young Latinos.
Award-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa spoke with TPR's Sofia Sanchez ahead of her talk at San Antonio’s Trinity University about Latinos in the Media.
New community participatory Museo del Westside showcases the stories and experiences of San Antonio's west side residents. Located at the same corner, the MujerArtes Clay Cooperative provides an environment for women to reflect their lives through art.
Museo del Westside captures the unique stories and culture of San Antonio's historic West Side.
Two UTSA professors are looking to preserve the stories of the city’s West Side through the West Side Sound Oral History Project.
The Librotraficantes are launching their next chapter with a caravan to Austin on April 29 to confront Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick about his threat to remove tenure from professors who teach critical race theory at publicly-funded universities.
The late 1960s were defined by civil rights protests and political unrest. While some religious leaders participated in these protests, Latino activists in large U.S. cities felt abandoned by the churches meant to serve them.
Latino activists fed up with the lack of social services occupied churches in U.S. cities in the late 1960s
Mexican-descent students achieve ‘The Chicana/o/x Dream’ of educational success in a system designed for them to fail.
Ethylene oxide is used to sterilize medical equipment. Its emissions may be endangering Laredo residents.
A vacant Texas school played an important role in integration in the 1950s. Proposed housing development threatens its history.
Curanderos on the borderlands offered physical, spiritual and psychological healing; and El Pueblo — the bilingual voice of San Antonio’s West Side.
‘Borderlands Curanderos’ — Faith healers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries were also revolutionaries.
Backpacks, bottled water, bloody clothes — using anthropology and archeology to understand the migration experience.
‘Revolutionary Women’ tells of the women who shaped Texas and Mexico before, during and after the Mexican Revolution.
Mapping the Movimiento is a self-guided interactive tour of San Antonio's Mexican American civil right's history.
Texas congresswoman introduces legislation to establish a humane and equitable asylum process; One musician’s mariachi journey
The 2019 Walmart mass shooting was bookended by more than a year of isolation from the pandemic. This year, the border city’s music and arts organizations came together for a performance to honor the 23 lives lost and serve as a cathartic healing experience for the community.
The United States’ founding documents tout liberty and freedom, but the country’s painful history of racial violence must be reckoned with, according to one Texas public historian, if further acts of violence are to be averted.
Monica Muñoz Martinez’s research on state-sanctioned violence against Mexicans and Mexican-Americans on the border in the early 20th Century has landed her in the national spotlight. The historian and University of Texas at Austin professor is among this year’s MacArthur Fellows.
Book deserts are not uncommon for lower income communities. A new initiative aims to remedy the lack of access to literature in San Antonio’s West Side, while also amplifying the rich culture of the community and featuring diverse authors often removed from mainstream narratives or not commonly found in popular chain bookstores.
Co-authors Mando Rayo and Suzanne García-Mateus intentionally wrote the book in Spanglish as a way to break shame associated with the language and instead embrace it as a cultural cornerstone for bilingual households and communities.
Latino misrepresentation in the entertainment industry results from the lack of Latino representation in the media.
Brownsville native and writer, Oscar Cásares, penned an article last year after losing a cousin to COVID-19. Like many, he was left to grieve in isolation, but he turned to a cultural tradition as a source of healing: Día de los Muertos. Cásares’ article memorialized loved ones lost to the virus and will be featured in an upcoming collection by Texas Monthly.
In the book, “South to Freedom: Runaway Slaves to Mexico and the Road to the Civil War,” historian Alice Baumgartner examines the U.S. and Mexico’s complicated ties to slavery and how Mexico’s stance on slavery had a major influence on politics to the North.
The Underground Railroad to the North promised salvation for enslaved people in North America. But historian Alice L. Baumgartner explores how some slaves sought refuge in Mexico and how the country’s push to abolish the practice stirred white salve owners in southern U.S. states, eventually setting the stage for the U.S. Civil War.
The political careers of Julián and Joaquin Castro are well known in their hometown of San Antonio and beyond. The twin brothers' rise in public service, and the women in their lives who played a vital role in their success, caught the attention of award-winning children's author, Monica Brown, who chronicled their story in a new bilingual children's book, "Small Room, Big Dreams."
A devastating flood one hundred years ago served as a catalyst for community mutual-aid groups — including Cruz Azul Mexicana and Communities Organized for Public Service (C.O.P.S.) — as they rallied for more proactive responses from city leaders. The floods that landed Sept. 9, 1921 killed 51 people, but that figure is believed to be severely undercounted.
A devastating flood 100 years ago marked a critical turning point for San Antonio’s development. But the response efforts by local leaders at the time were largely driven by protecting economic interests of business elites while neglecting the barrios of the city’s West Side. A new book details what happened on that fatal night and the West Side community organizers who fought to protect their neighborhoods after city leadership failed them.
Teachers have faced an unprecedented amount of stress while navigating the challenges prompted by the pandemic. Now that's being coupled with the politicization of their jobs over the controversy of how they can talk about current events and America’s history of racism in the classroom.
The coronavirus pandemic has complicated daily life for all, but especially for students. Specifically, international students whose studies were burdened by travel restrictions and closures at U.S. ports of entry.
Writer and actor Anna De Luna tells the story of her mother’s immigrant experience filled with harrowing yet sometimes comical struggles in adapting to life in South Texas in her new solo play, “Carmen from Mexico.”
Blending historical events with contemporary civil rights issues, the Mexican American Civil Rights Institute (MACRI) will hold a two-day virtual symposium to spur conversations of how social issues are not constrained by past times and still persist today.
Somos Primos is a site dedicated to Hispanic heritage. Its founder Mimi Lozano says she hopes it inspires Latinos to take pride in their past.
People who have grown up or live on the U.S. southern border know there’s more to the region than the issue of immigration policy. The National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures and the Ford Foundation awarded more than two dozen grants to community organizations and artists to help reframe the border narrative through an arts and cultural approach.
Areli Morales, an elementary substitute teacher in New York, shares her story of coming to the U.S. as an undocumented child and her experience as a DACA recipient in her debut children's book, "Areli is a Dreamer."
In his debut novel, award-winning author and Brownsville-native Rudy Ruiz weaves together the past and present to tell the tale of a son of impoverished immigrants breaking a mystical family curse and fighting to win back the love of his doomed youthful romance.
A 1993 class action lawsuit against Levi Strauss & Co. was ultimately dismissed, but it catapulted the work of Fuerza Unida empowering women workers of color and fighting for social, economic and environmental justice.
News of inhalant abuse became a nationwide concern from the 1960s to the 1980s and it took its toll in San Antonio’s West Side barrios. A UTSA graduate research student dove into this lesser-known piece of the city's history and discovered the community effort that helped barrio youth find a path to addiction recovery.
San Antonio may get its first saint. Mother Margaret Mary Healy-Murphy made her way to South Texas in the late 19th century and created a church and school for Black children. She founded the Sisters of the Holy Spirit and Mary Immaculate in San Antonio 1893, which has since expanded across several Southern states and into Mexico and Africa.
A bicultural ethnographer at the University of Texas at San Antonio examined how a particular group of Mexican American youth actively adopted patterns in their online presence associated with African American English, an area of study that’s in and of itself, controversial.
A lot is at stake in Mexico’s midterm elections on June 6. Critics worry that a divided political opposition will be unable to mount an effective challenge against MORENA—President Andrés Manuel López Obrador's neoliberal party—potentially further weakening the checks and balances system that keeps the country's fragile power structure in place.
One of the Chicano art world's greatest figures died this month. Adán Hernandez is perhaps best known for his work in the 1993 film “Blood In Blood Out,” but his work also caught the attention of museum curators and art collectors.
A one-man show, written and performed by Nicolás R. Valdez, is a love letter to conjunto music — the unique style of music that’s a little bit Mexican, a little bit German and every bit American.
The nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute examines President Biden's policy achievements during his first 100 days in office as well as still-pending actions that will set the course of the president’s legacy on immigration.
Many Chicanas wear their fashion proudly and defiantly. From rebozos and huipiles to China poblanas. But at what point do these traditional styles cross into costumes and appropriation?