Rita Moreno is perhaps the most famous and accomplished Latina actress in history, and she takes Maria and Julio behind the scenes of many of her most recognizable roles, both old and new, touching on issues of representation, accents, and rac…

It’s a new year! And what’s the first week of January all about? RESOLUTIONS. And as you tell your friends how you’re going to starting drinking more water and going to bed earlier, we’re declaring our new years resolution right here and right…

Hari Kondabolu is an outspoken, passionate, darkly funny comedian and the co-host of the podcast Politically Re-Active. In this discussion, co-hosts Maria Hinojosa and Julio Ricardo Varela talk with Hari about the craziest stories of 2016, wha…

With all the media attention about white supremacy and the alt-right, one former FBI undercover agent who infiltrated the white supremacist movement wants to tell this country that we have it all wrong.

In this extended In The Thick, co-hosts…

Fidel Castro has died, but what does this mean for Cuba and its relationship with the US going forward? And what does it mean for Cuba and other US immigrant communities?

Co-hosts Maria Hinojosa and Julio Ricardo Varela lead a discussion with…

Since the election, there has been a rise in public Anti-Semitic and Islamophobic behavior across the country, and many are worried that the nomination of Steve Bannon gives legitimacy and power to this behavior. How are Jewish and Muslim comm…

Protests. Stories of harassment and hate. Calls for national unity. The days after Election Day have been intense. What does it mean for communities of color? And how should journalists responsibly cover this kind of president-elect?

Host Mar…

Donald Trump has won the election, and many are worried what tomorrow, next week, and next year will look like. Communities of color are suddenly fearing an uptick in racial violence and anti-immigrant sentiment.

Host Maria Hinojosa leads a d…

After appearing on MSNBC this weekend, Maria Hinojosa went viral—for explaining why language is important when talking about undocumented immigrants. On this week’s episode, Maria talks with Julio Ricardo Varela about her appearance, and Julio…

This election season, it’s been hard to break out of Donald Trump’s orbit. The last few weeks, we’ve been dissecting all of Trump’s mistakes, so this week, we take on Hillary Clinton, specifically her stance on criminal justice reform. We also…

We’ve at last hit the final presidential debate. While this time around there were less personal digs and more focus on policy, we still didn’t escape the debate without some trending soundbites (cue “hambres”). And we finally got a discussion…

In advance of our final post-debate episode this coming Thursday, we decided to check in on the current state of the election. And it’s not pretty. Donald Trump is facing 16 accusations of sexual assault or sexual harassment, and he is stoking…

What led to the circus that was Sunday night’s debate, and how does that reflect on us as a country? Also, what did we miss by having white moderators who may not have the life experience to reflect on issues that are important to communities …

Vice presidential debates are supposed to be undercards to the their presidential counterparts, but did Governor Mike Pence’s call to not whip out “that Mexican thing” cause more problems for Donald Trump with voters of color?

Julio Ricardo V…

It was THE most anticipated political event of the election season: the first presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. For this special early week release show, we ask: what were the debate’s best moments? What were the wo…

After last weekend’s attack in New York City, the country is once again intensely focused on immigration. Much of this debate stems from fear, but for such an emotional issue, how much can facts really do to change people’s minds? And with Don…

Hillary Clinton faced a storm of criticism about her health this week, but how much of this is due to sexism? And Donald Trump continues to push the limits of what he can say, but are people even noticing?

Julio Ricardo Varela leads a convers…

Last week, Donald Trump visited Mexico and an African-American church in Detroit, but was he really addressing people of color, or were these speeches simply dog whistles designed to show white voters that he that he connects with communities …

We’re off next week, so we decided to look back at some of our favorite In The Thick moments over the last few months. Maria Hinojosa and Julio Ricardo Varela break down their favorite clips, and–now with hindsight–they also discuss how thes…

This week, tennis player Monica Puig won Puerto Rico’s first ever gold medal—which has led many to wonder, why does Puerto Rico have its own Olympians, if it’s part of the US?

In short: it’s complicated. 

Maria Hinojosa leads a discussion ab…

Building a wall to stop immigration. Police killing black men. A politician banning Muslims. As America erupts over race and ethnicity, many reporters of color feel it’s their obligation to lead the conversation dividing the country. Maria Hin…

While Democrats are patting themselves on the back after Khizr Khan’s speech, does their embrace actually go deeper than the surface? Is the Democratic Party actually doing as good a job with communities of color as prominent Democrats claim? …

We recorded so much great material in our week at the DNC that we decided to make a bonus DNC episode. Maria Hinojosa talks with four prominent politicians, advisors, and activists of color: Bill Richardson, former US Energy Secretary and New …

Weeks ago, no one could have predicted such intrigue at the Democratic National Convention. But beyond Wikileaks and the strident support for Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton faces a skeptical public whose enthusiasm for her is in question. Mar…