Lauren Terrazas

Professional sports teams have been dogged with accusations of cultural impropriety.  The Washington Redskins and the Atlanta Braves have come under fire for offensive team names. Chief Wahoo, the cartoonish mascot of Cleveland Indians, was officially retired from team uniforms in 2018. 

The Washington Redskins. The Atlanta Braves. The Kansas City Chiefs. Chief Wahoo -- the now-retired cartoonish mascot of the Cleveland Indians. Professional sports have often used offensive Native American terms or imagery for their team names or mascots. The NBA made an important step to amend those wrongs with an event this weekend in San Antonio.

The San Antonio Spurs hosted Indigenous Night Sunday. It paid homage to San Antonio’s indigenous cultures and native people from around the world.

The story of the LGBTQ community in the early 20th century is buried deep in Texas history. A first-generation college student and young historian explored these lesser-known past events and early advocates and published his findings in the scholarly article, “Recovering Queer History in Texas: Female Impersonators, Public Opinion, and Policy Responses in the Early Twentieth Century.”

Cristela Alonzo documents her upbringing in the Rio Grande Valley in her new memoir, “Music to My Years: A Mixtape-Memoir of Growing Up and Standing Up.” Alonzo spoke with TPR’s Reynaldo Leaños Jr. about what inspired her to become a social and political activist.

Plus, the lasting impact of Benny Martinez, a longtime Mexican American civil rights leader, is being remembered as he is laid to rest this weekend in Houston.

Cristela Alonzo is a comedian, writer, producer, and actor. She’s a native of the Rio Grande Valley and doesn’t want you to forget it. 

Alonzo’s new memoir is called “Music to My Years: A Mixtape-Memoir of Growing Up and Standing Up.”

She recently wrapped up a stand up tour she called “My Affordable Care Act.”

Alonzo took the tour to her hometown of McAllen in November. That’s where Texas Public Radio’s Reynaldo Leaños, Jr. — another native of the Valley — caught up with her. 

Born on the Laredo-Nuevo Laredo border, Norma Cantú explores the joy, sadness, love, life and the deaths experienced along the border in her new collection of poetry, “Meditación Fronteriza: Poems of Love, Life, and Labor.” (00:30)

Then, Mexican culture comes alive every holiday season with tamales. Making tamales is a family affair where everyone has a role. Carmen Tafolla and Ellen Riojas Clark are the co-authors of “Tamales, Comadres, and the Meaning of Civilization.” (12:10)

The newest novel by a self-described daughter of the borderlands, Norma Elia Cantú, isn’t a memoir or autobiography, even though it draws on her own personal experiences.

“Cabañuelas” documents Cantú’s young adult life when she sets off to Spain in 1980 to study the country’s culture — specifically, its fiestas. Cantú reflects on Spanish traditions and compares it to South Texas communities that were conquered by Europeans centuries ago.

Originally aired April 12, 2019

Chicana feminists faced obstacles entirely their own during the Chicano movement. Fellow Chicanos and white feminists upheld a racial, sexist and classist barrier between them, but many remained determined to make their voices heard. Chicana Movidas: New Narratives of Activism and Feminism in the Movement Era is a new collection of essays that shares the stories of these lesser-known activists. 

Tacos are a staple food of Hispanic culture, especially in a city like San Antonio that prides itself on their breakfast taco scene compared to other Texas cities. A new TV series is taking it a step beyond the eggs and chorizo wrapped in flour or corn tortilla. 

Two taco journalists are exploring the story, memory and culture behind the taco and how certain regions have become famous for their cooking methods.

Mando Rayo is co-host of the United Tacos of America.