The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade had immediate implications for our region. However, through fundraising events and protests, local and national organizations, such as Frontera Fund, South Texans for Reproductive Justice (STRJ), and the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice, are continuing the strenuous and ever-important fight for our reproductive rights.
Impending natural disasters endanger the Lower Rio Grande due to the increasing climate crisis, which opens the door to inequity in our region during the recovery process. However, when community members and advocates are vigilant and active in the preparedness and public assistance processes, a more just recovery is possible.
Your voice matters, and you can make a difference in our local and state governments by ensuring you are registered to vote. We created this simple Q&A to help clarify the voting registration process for the upcoming elections on November 8th!
RGV Groups seek information on possible collusion between SpaceX and local officials, targeting of environmental activists, and federal licensing process.
The phrase “I can understand Spanish, but I can’t speak it” is uttered often in the Rio Grande Valley. This is not the case just for Winter Texans and other people visiting, but for people who’ve lived here their whole lives as well. Read about what some of the English monolingual twenty percent of the RGV population experience in a majority bilingual community.
The problem of abuse within policing and the larger prison system has been a prevalent force historically. The combination of a culture of impudent behavior and complicity, and an alleged government coverup were the standout characteristics in the case of the “animals” of the McAllen PD, which garnered national attention.
One thing Juan Carlos Lopez remembers about growing up during the ’80s in McAllen, Texas, was the lack of ramps. Lopez uses a wheelchair and recalls that many of his childhood experiences were limited by the inaccessible built environment of public spaces such as parks.
In 2020, the Center for Disease Control released data showing that overall HIV rates in the United States had gone down by 6%, but for Latinx people, in particular, rates increased by 14%. And while in the state of Texas, rates have usually been higher in San Antonio, Dallas, and Houston, the Rio Grande Valley follows right after.
Open air markets gained popularity because of the COVID-19 restrictions placed on indoors spaces. They became a lifeline for many but now the City of McAllen is cracking down on these temporary events. Read more on how vendors are organizing to have their voices heard.
The transgender community has been oppressed by society for decades and even in 2022, the challenges they face seem unrelenting. At just the start of the year in February, Texas governor Gregg Abbott ordered that families and providers of children seeking gender-affirming care be criminalized and investigated, which was then followed by 15 other states with similar agendas.
