Norma Martinez

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.

A largely-forgotten court case about race discrimination in Texas schools is brought to life in a documentary.

It’s been a personal journey for the film’s executive producer.

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. 

More than 30 million Americans have diabetes, and there are probably millions more who have it and don’t know.

Latinos and African Americans are at a much higher risk for developing the disease than non-Hispanic whites. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says over 50% of Hispanic men and women are expected to develop Type 2 diabetes in their lifetimes.

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)