Latino vs. Hispanic -- one cartoonist illustrated the difference, should brands hitch themselves to spokespeople, the precedent set by the Ashley Madison hackers.
Latino, or Hispanic? The cartoonist who wants you to know the difference
As we look ahead to the election season, candidates from both sides of the aisle will be thinking about ways to court the Latino vote...or, is it the Hispanic vote?
It's the eternal question for millions of Spanish speakers who live in the United States: Am I Latino, Hispanic and does it matter?
is a cartoonist who's been asking himself about this for years. So he decided to tackle it in the best way he knows how: by creating a comic.
"I’m Latino. I’m Hispanic. And they’re different, so I drew a comic to explain." http://t.co/rES5ZwjIte pic.twitter.com/M4e9swBpJ1
— Vox (@voxdotcom) August 20, 2015
Blas's father is American and his mother is Mexican. Though he was born in the states, he identified as Mexican during his childhood in Boise, Idaho. Though is mother would correct him by telling him he is American, it wasn't until he went on a Mormon missionary trip in New York City that he had an epiphany about his identity.
Blas said it all began in the Bronx, where he first experienced other Spanish-speaking cultures.
"It occurred to me that New York City sort of felt like a TV dinner -- like everyone was sort of in their own spot and their own place," he said.
He also learned something about his fellow missionaries.
"Other missionaries, who were coming from Idaho and Utah, had grown up believing that people who spoke Spanish were from Mexico," Blas said. "So it was interesting to me to hear all these different dialects of Spanish spoken there, and to hear something spoken that didn't sound like the Spanish I had grown up speaking, and having to adjust and adapt to that, it really hit me then how varied and how beautiful and different these Latin/Hispanic cultures were."
Latino, Hispanic -- so what's the difference?
It's a question that doesn't necessarily come with a simple answer.
"This is where it gets dicey," Blas said. "My comic, I think, explores some very simplified answers to some really complex terms that people feel have a lot of meanings."
But, his comic breaks it down like this:
- A Hispanic is: someone who comes from a Spanish-speaking country
- A Latino is: someone who comes from Latin America
"I understand that some people feel that's completely untrue," Blas said. "Latino can refer to anyone who speaks a Latin romance language."
Languages such as French, Italian and Portuguese all fall under this umbrella.
"While making this comic, I asked some of my friends who were French if they identify as Latino, and they seemed confused," he said. "They all said no."
While the terms are to be debated, Blas says he has received thanks along with the criticism.
"I've received a lot of messages from other Latino and Hispanic people thanking me for this comic," he said. "A lot of them saying, 'I didn't know this difference, so this has helped me out.'"
To listen to the full interview, click on the blue audio player above.
Lab Notes: Sinking lands, soaring temps, endangered fish
In this week's Lab Notes, KPCC science reporter Sanden Totten drills down on studies that look at the impact of California's record-setting drought:
- "What If California's Drought Continue?" is a new study out this week from the Public Policy Institute of California. It's got good news ... and bad.
- The drought is also having an impact on endangered fish in California.
- And, there is an update on underground aquifers.
State of Affairs: Aid-in-dying bill is back, lawmakers mull plans to fix CA roads, and the race for 2018
On this week's State of Affairs, California lawmakers get back to work, Gov. Jerry Brown convenes special sessions on healthcare and transportation, and the aid-in-dying bill makes a comeback.
USC Professor of the Practice of Public Policy Communication Sherry Bebitch Jeffe and Capital Public Radio state government reporter Katie Orr joined Take Two with more.
To listen to the full interview, click on the blue audio player above.
What the Jared Fogle case can teach us about sex offender profiling
For years, Jared Fogle was known as the "Subway guy" who lost 245 pounds thanks, in part, to his regular patronage of the sandwich chain.
He was seen by the public as an amiable, all-American success story, which, for many, makes this week's news all the more shocking. According to court documents released Wednesday, Jared Fogle agreed to plead guilty to allegations that he possessed child pornography and traveled to engage in sexual acts with girls under the age of 17.
Joelle Casteix, author of "The Well-Armored Child: A Parent's Guide to Preventing Sexual Abuse,"
joined Take Two to discuss what this case reveals about the status of child pornography in the U.S. and the profile of a sex offender.
To hear the full interview with Joelle Casteix, click the link above.
Wheel Thing: Why after 90 years, fuel economy remains nearly the same
Over the past 90 years, there have been all sorts of technological developments to make life on the road easier, safer, more cost-effective. We're talking about everything from seat belts to automatic transmissions, computerized diagnostics to navigation systems. But one thing that hasn't improved much: fuel economy.
That's according to a new study from the University of Michigan, and it's what we're talking about on this week's installment of Wheel Thing.
Sue Carpenter from the OC Register joins the show every Thursday for the regular segment.
How big of a deal is the Ashley Madison hack?
Surprise, surprise -- there's been another data breach. On Tuesday hackers released millions of user records from the site AshleyMadison.com.
If you're unfamiliar with Ashley Madison, just look to their slogan for a hint: "Life is short. Have an affair." It's it's a site that was built to help people cheat on their spouses. And now, everything from usernames, to messages, to payment information have been leaked to the world wide web.
How big of a deal is this hack? Kim Zetter is a senior staff reporter at Wired, and she joined host A Martinez for a discussion on the topic.
If you'd like to hear the entire conversation, click on the audio embedded above. If you'd like to check if information that you're familiar with has been leaked, click here.
Director Juan Feldman returns to Costa Rica for new film, 'After Words'
At first glance, the new film "After Words," sounds a bit like a modern day reboot of "How Stella Got Her Groove Back." A workaholic, middle-aged woman from California travels to a beautiful foreign country where she meets a handsome local who pursues her romantically. But there are some significant departures from the Stella plot line.
In "After Words," the protagonist is a librarian, played by Marcia Gay Harden, who goes to Costa Rica to commit suicide. But then she meets up with a local tour guide, Juan, played by Spanish actor Oscar Jaenada.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBSBvAoHKN4
Juan sells Jane on why she should choose him over the others. Director Juan Feldman joins host Alex Cohen to share what inspired him to tell this particular story.
To listen to the full interview, click on the blue audio player above.