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The Unfulfilled Promise of the U-Visa
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What Gloria Estefan Did When She Was Told She Might Never Walk Again
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People of Color Discuss Their Experiences with Mental Illness (VIDEO)
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Mexican American Winery Owner and Daughter Discuss “One Heritage, Two Generations”
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Inside Woman: Undocumented on Wall Street
View All BusinessFor this week’s sabiduría, or words of wisdom, we turn to the boxing ring. Sammy Vasquez, The Who Can Mexican, is the Welterweight Champion for national and international boxing associations. He’s originally from Monassen, a small town outside of Pittsburgh. He is also a veteran, with two tours of duty in Iraq. He tells us how what he learned on the battlefield translates to what he does in the ring.
Photo courtesy of Erika Beras
When you think Mexico, you don’t really think of NASCAR, but the stock car racing empire has been in Mexico at least long enough for Germán Quiroga to be the only driver to win three consecutive series titles in his home country. Now trying his hand in the U.S. series, Quiroga talks with us about his journey and what it’s like being the only Latin American in NASCAR.
A surfer with a Brooklyn accent? That seems pretty weird. But it exists! Three surf instructors from the New York Surf School show Maria the radical side of New York City. Frank Cullen, Kevin Kash, and Rich Livsey are living proof that there is such a thing as a New York surfer and that they can be pretty hard core.
Special thanks to NY Surf School, a year round surf school based in Rockaway Beach.
It seems like a paradox: Miami has a large Latino population, but no professional soccer team. What will it take to bring a profitable soccer team to the magic city? Could it be – David Beckham? Maria Hinojosa talks to Cesar Diaz about why the sport might need an international high-roller and what a new futból team could mean for Miami.
Cesar Diaz is the Editor-in-Chief for LatinoSports.com & ThisIsCosmosCountry.com. With his family DNA scattered throughout Latin America, he’s never paid for lodging. His tools consist of Cafe Bustelo, Pen, Pad, Humor, Patience, Cantinflas/Chapulin Colorado films and his trusty laptop, Rocinante. Easily approachable, follow him at @CesarDiazNYC or simply email him at CDiazNYC@gmail.com.
Who are the Latinos who are representing us at the Olympics in Sochi? Rico Roman is a US veteran who was injured while on his third tour in Iraq. He told Maria about his injury, recovery and success in becoming a sled hockey player in the upcoming Paralympics in Sochi.
Rico Roman is a member of the US Paralympic Sled Hockey team. He is a US Army veteran and a recipient of the Purple Heart. He currently resides in Wincrest, Texas with his wife and two children.
J.P. Garcia shouldn’t love surfing. With a mom who preferred pools and dad who was scared of the water, no one could have guessed that Garcia would become a “soul surfer”—a surfer who is in touch with nature. But not only has he become a talented surfer, he has also started to pass along his knowledge and skillsets onto the next generation. Diane Bock reports from Santa Barbara, California.
Photo by Diane Bock
Diane Bock is an independent radio producer who enjoys surfing in tropical water.
Despite Cuba’s track record of culling baseball talent, players on the island still make about as much money as an average construction worker. So it’s not surprising that one of their best players, 26-year-old center fielder Rusney Castillo, has defected from his home country in the hopes of signing with a Major League team in the U.S. This comes just months after Cuba’s recent change in policy allowing its players to sign with foreign leagues. But with the U.S. embargo on Cuba still on the books, Cuba will have to do much more to keep its star sluggers from leaving home and heading to the fame and fortune of the American dugout.
Photo by Wikimedia user Ramon.Rovirosa
When Kansas State basketball player Angel Rodriguez lined up for a free throw against University of Southern Mississippi last month, members of the crowd repeatedly chanted the words “Where’s your green-card?” Rodriguez is a U.S. Citizen born in Puerto Rico. Maria Hinojosa talks to Dave Zirin, who writes on the politics of sports for The Nation Magazine, about anti-immigrant sentiment in US sports.
[audio:http://latinousa.org/audio/1214seg04.mp3]
Right-click here to download an .mp3 of this segment.
writes on the politics of sports for The Nation Magazine, and he is also a columnist for SLAM Magazine and the Progressive. His most recent book, in collaboration with Dr. John Carlos, is The John Carlos Story. He is also the host of Sirius XM Radio’s popular weekly show, Edge of Sports Radio.
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