This week on Fronteras:
- Increasing danger for journalists covering organized crime across the border in Mexico.
- Environmentalists file against the U.S. government claiming President Trump’s border wall will harm endangered species.
- Are confederate monuments a symbol of racism?
- Performer and social activist Irma Herrera makes the case for respecting the pronunciation of a person’s name.
- For refugee students, getting through school can be tough. That’s why a Dallas couple says they’re helping kids in their neighborhood.
Reporters Covering Organized Crime In Mexico Face Increased Danger
Journalists who report on organized crime in Mexico know it can be dangerous. Some reporters have lost their lives. Recently, the danger increased.Journalists in Mexico face a lot of insecurity, but what is happening right now to reporters in the border state of Tamaulipas is unusually difficult. In late April, Mexican marines killed the leader of a major cartel in that state—setting off a wave of crime that reporters are struggling to chronicle without being targeted themselves. And the story matters to the U.S. because the fight is in Reynosa, a city filled with assembly-line factories that provide the U.S. with items like furniture, electronics and computers. Marfa Public Radio’s Lorne Matalon has the story.
Environmentalists Sue Government Over Border Wall
In California, prototypes of President Trump’s border wall are scheduled to go up in Otay Mesa over the summer. But environmentalists hope to stop construction, They’re suing the government because they say the wall will affect endangered species. Jean Guerrero of KPBS has details.
The Confederate Monument in Travis Park was erected in 1899
Credit Joey Palacios / Texas Public Radio
Debate Over Confederate Monuments: Are They Racist?
In the heart of one of San Antonio’s oldest parks is a tall Confederate Monument erected thirty years after the civil war. Most visitors to Travis Park only pay passing attention to it, but in the last two years the 40-foot structure has become the subject of scrutiny as people across the U.S. question whether confederate landmarks are an offensive reminder of past racism against people of color. TPR’s Joey Palacios tells us at least two council people would like to see the monument moved to a museum and community support may be growing.
Respecting The Pronunciations Of Hispanic Names
A person’s name can be a point of contention, especially when it’s pronounced incorrectly. If your name is long, perhaps you shorten it. Or if you are Hispanic, perhaps you don’t mind an Anglicized version…take “peh-REZ” instead of “PEH-rez.”
TPR’s Norma Martinez spoke with writer, performer, and social activist Irma Herrera, whose one-woman show “Why Would I Mispronounce My Own Name?” encourages people to embrace the names with which they were blessed.
Dallas Couple Opens Their Home and Hearts To Refugee Children
In one North Texas neighborhood, a young couple is helping refugee students navigate their new lives in America. KERA’s Stella Chavez checks in with the husband and wife team who spend most of their days working with refugee kids. Then at night, they open their Dallas home to them.
