In The Hyphen

In this episode of In The Hyphen, journalist Fernando Hurtado takes you to Los Angeles' Piñata District, what may well be the piñata capital of the United States. Want to understand U.S. Latino culture and trends better than anybody else? Sign up for the free In The Hyphen newsletter: https://inthehyphen.co/subscribe Find Fernando Hurtado on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn...

Mercado de la Raza is the only Latino grocery store on Oahu, Hawaii, and one of a few in all of Hawaii. What it sells helps tell the story of Latin American and Latino migration to the island. In this episode of In The Hyphen, journalist Fernando Hurtado goes inside Mercado de la Raza to find out who exactly is buying its products and just how big Hawaii's Latino population is. Want to understand...

From "chili queens" to Chipotle, in this episode of In The Hyphen, journalist Fernando Hurtado takes a deep dive into the history of Mexican restaurants in the United States. Want to understand U.S. Latino culture and trends better than anybody else? Sign up for the free In The Hyphen newsletter: https://inthehyphen.co/subscribe Find Fernando Hurtado on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠TikTo...

Puerto Rico and Hawaii share much more than just their island identity. For this episode of In The Hyphen, journalist Fernando Hurtado goes to Hawaii to find out why there is such a vibrant Boricua community, what brought so many of them to Hawaii more than 100 years ago and what keeps them coming. Want to understand U.S. Latino culture and trends better than anybody else? Sign up for the free In...

A year or so ago, we started seeing social media clips of some DACA recipients announcing they were leaving their temporary status behind and moving back to their birth country. Tired of the legal limbo and lack of permanent legal status, some have decided to start over in a new country. For this episode of In The Hyphen, journalist Fernando Hurtado talked to three people who recently made the mov...

If the San Marcos factory closed in 2004, how was I able to buy a San Marcos blanket in 2025? In this episode of In The Hyphen, journalist Fernando Hurtado investigates why the San Marcos blanket factory shut down — and who is bringing the brand back to life. Want to understand U.S. Latino culture and trends better than anybody else? Sign up for my free newsletter: https://inthehyphen.co/subs...

Why do some people refer to New Orleans as the Honduran capital of the United States? It helps that 32% Hispanic residents are of Honduran descent, compared to 2% nationwide. But the large, vibrant Honduran community isn't a recent phenom. Honduras and New Orleans have been intrinsically tied for more than 100 years. In this episode of In The Hyphen, journalist Fernando Hurtado explain what brough...

In this episode of In The Hyphen, journalist Fernando Hurtado explain why Mexipinos in the United States are more common than you think. Want to understand U.S. Latino culture and trends better than anybody else? Sign up for my free newsletter: https://inthehyphen.co/subscribe Find Fernando Hurtado on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm...

The "No Sabo" kids are all grown up. In this episode of In The Hyphen, journalist Fernando Hurtado speaks to Hispanic and Latino adults who are trying to reclaim their heritage language. Want to understand U.S. Latino culture and trends better than anybody else? Sign up for the free In The Hyphen newsletter: https://inthehyphen.co/subscribe Find Fernando Hurtado on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

How did the avocado go from an exotic Mexican fruit to one of the most purchased fruits in the United States? And what role did the Super Bowl play in that? In this episode of In The Hyphen, journalist Fernando Hurtado explains the United States' complicated relationship with the avocado. Want to understand U.S. Latino culture and trends better than anybody else? Sign up for the free In The Hyphen...

In this episode of In The Hyphen, Fernando Hurtado talks to Venezuelans and political experts to find out how the deadly earthquakes and their aftermath could hurt — or help — the current Venezuelan regime. Want to understand U.S. Latino culture and trends better than anybody else? Sign up for the free In The Hyphen newsletter: https://inthehyphen.co/subscribe Find Fernando Hurtado on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Insta...

In this episode of In The Hyphen, Fernando Hurtado looks into why so many U.S. Latinos are obsessed with Vicks VapoRub. The ointment has turned into a protagonist of Latino memes, with people hailing it as a cure for everything from a cold to a broken leg. While it can't fix a broken leg, it's turned into a cultural phenomenon for many Latinos in Latin America and the United States. But why? Ferna...

In this episode of In The Hyphen, Fernando Hurtado looks into whether Latinx, the inclusive term for Latinos in the U.S., is dying off. Want to understand U.S. Latino culture and trends better than anybody else? Sign up for the free In The Hyphen newsletter: https://inthehyphen.co/subscribe Find Fernando Hurtado on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠ Learn more about your ad choic...

In this episode of In The Hyphen, Fernando Hurtado explains why some Latino parents are turning to gentle parenting after growing up with more aggressive forms of parenting. Want to understand U.S. Latino culture and trends better than anybody else? Sign up for the free In The Hyphen newsletter: https://inthehyphen.co/subscribe Find Fernando Hurtado on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Y...

They're some of the biggest, most successful companies in the United States, but in certain Latin American countries they were total duds. In this episode of In The Hyphen, Fernando Hurtado explains why Walmart, The Home Depot and Taco Bell just didn't win over certain countries. Want to understand U.S. Latino culture and trends better than anybody else? Sign up for the free In The Hyphen newslett...

Do you know any AAPI Latinos? Are you an AAPI Latino? From 2000 to 2022, the number of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Latinos in the U.S. increased by 153%. That means it's growing at a faster rate than the overall Latino population. In this episode of In The Hyphen, Fernando Hurtado answers why that is. Want to understand U.S. Latino culture and trends better than anybody else? Sign u...

What goes into a quinceañera in 2026? How much are parents spending on these lavish coming-of-age parties? And why do some quinceañera businesses put on Met Gala-esque fashion shows? In this episode of In The Hyphen, Fernando Hurtado goes inside the quinceañera industry. Want to understand U.S. Latino culture and trends better than anybody else? Sign up for the free In The Hyphen newsletter: https...

Why are you seeing Tajín everywhere? In this episode of In The Hyphen, Fernando Hurtado explains the Mexican company's rise and the unlikely role Michelle Obama played in the chili powder's popularity. This video was originally published in 2025. Want to understand U.S. Latino culture and trends better than anybody else? Sign up for the free In The Hyphen newsletter: https://inthehyphen.co/subscri...

In this episode of In The Hyphen, Fernando Hurtado takes us inside the world of traje de charro tailors, seamstresses and designers. He also meets the woman behind singer-songwriter Lupita Infante's album cover outfits. Want to understand U.S. Latino culture and trends better than anybody else? Sign up for the free In The Hyphen newsletter: https://inthehyphen.co/subscribe Find Fernando Hurtado on...

In this episode of In The Hyphen, Fernando Hurtado explains the role Kim Kardashian played in the Colombian faja empire. The United States is the top buyer of Colombian fajas, a type of specially made waist trainers that help women — and men — achieve the body of their dreams. How did the garment go from medical apparel to fan favorite in the United States? And what role does Kim Kardashian play i...

Want to understand U.S. Latino culture and trends better than anybody else? Sign up for my free newsletter: https://inthehyphen.co/subscribe In this episode of In The Hyphen, Fernando Hurtado goes to a swap meet in Los Angeles to see how the industry has changed. The advent of online shopping, the pandemic and immigration enforcement operations have dealt a heavy blow to foot traffic, but there's...

Have you heard of "gentefication"? It's a cousin of gentrification and a term that some say applies to higher-income Latinos who move into low-income areas. Want to understand U.S. Latino culture and trends better than anybody else? Sign up for the free In The Hyphen newsletter: https://inthehyphen.co/subscribe Find Fernando Hurtado on: ⁠⁠ Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠ Learn more about y...

Would you get a master's in mariachi? In this episode of In The Hyphen, journalist Fernando Hurtado explores what's behind the mariachi ensembles at U.S. colleges and universities. Special thanks to all the interviewees for this piece: University of Texas at Austin: Prof. Greg Cavazos, Nathanael Lim, Emma Adams, Sydney Bejarano, Elián Villareal, Michael Edward Diaz-Santos UCLA: Jesús "Chuy" Guzmán...

Want to understand U.S. Latino culture and trends better than anybody else? Sign up for my free newsletter: https://inthehyphen.co/subscribe In this episode of In The Hyphen, journalist Fernando Hurtado explains why Turkish telenovelas are so popular with U.S. Latinos, and why TV giants like Univision and Telemundo keep buying them. Thank you to these restaurants for allowing me to interview them:...

Want to understand U.S. Latino culture and trends better than anybody else? Sign up for my free newsletter: https://inthehyphen.co/subscribe In this episode of In The Hyphen, journalist Fernando Hurtado explains why you're seeing things like "birria ramen" and "birria pho" around the U.S. Thank you to these restaurants for allowing me to interview them: Amor A Mí Evil Cooks Find Fernando Hurtado o...