Maria Hinojosa

Maria Hinojosa. She is an acclaimed American journalist, author, and producer renowned for her pioneering work in amplifying Latino voices in media. As the founder of the Futuro Media Group, she has created a multiplatform nonprofit dedicated to producing community-based journalism. Hinojosa is best known as the anchor and executive producer of the long-running public radio program Latino USA, distributed by NPR.

Early Life and Education

Born in Mexico City, she moved with her family to Chicago during her youth, growing up in the city's Hyde Park neighborhood. Her father was a research physician from Mexico and her mother a social worker from Cuba, experiences that deeply informed her perspective on immigration and identity. Hinojosa attended The University of Chicago Laboratory Schools before pursuing higher education at Barnard College in New York City, where she majored in Latin American studies. She later completed a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University, solidifying her commitment to the field.

Career

Hinojosa began her career in news as a production assistant at NPR in Washington, D.C., working on programs like All Things Considered. She later became a correspondent for the network, covering a wide range of stories from the 1992 Los Angeles riots to immigration policy. In 1993, she helped launch and became the host of Latino USA, which grew into the longest-running Latino-focused program on public media. Seeking greater editorial independence, she founded the Futuro Media Group in 2010, which produces content for outlets including PBS, CNN, and the CBS News network. Under this banner, she created and hosted the television show America by the Numbers with Maria Hinojosa on PBS and reported for the FRONTLINE documentary "Lost in Detention." Her reporting has taken her across the United States and to locations like El Salvador and the U.S.-Mexico border.

Awards and Recognition

Throughout her career, Hinojosa has received numerous honors for her journalism and advocacy. She is a four-time Emmy Award winner and has been recognized with two Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Awards for reporting on issues affecting disadvantaged communities. In 2012, she was awarded the John Chancellor Award for Excellence in Journalism from Columbia University. Her contributions to public media were further honored with the Studs Terkel Award. Hinojosa has also received several Gracie Awards from the Alliance for Women in Media and was inducted into the New York Women in Communications Matrix Hall of Fame. In 2020, she was named a MacArthur Fellow, receiving the prestigious "genius grant."

Personal Life

She is married to artist and professor German Perez, and they reside in Harlem, New York City. Together, they have two children. Hinojosa is a vocal advocate for media diversity and often speaks at institutions like the University of Texas at Austin and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists conferences. She serves on the boards of several organizations dedicated to journalism and the arts, including the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights organization and the Harlem School of the Arts.

Notable Works

Her notable works span radio, television, and publishing. She is the author of the memoirs "Raising Raúl: Adventures Raising Myself and My Son" and "Once I Was You: A Memoir of Love and Hate in a Torn America." As a producer, her landmark projects include the Latino USA radio program and the PBS television series America by the Numbers with Maria Hinojosa. She also executive produced the Peabody Award-winning podcast "Suave" for Futuro Media Group and PRX. Her reporting for the investigative series "The Forgotten Ones: Women in Immigration Detention" garnered significant acclaim and highlighted systemic issues within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Category:American journalists Category:1961 births Category:Living people