Renowned radio journalist Maria Martin, celebrated for her significant contributions to public radio and for creating the show Latino USA, has passed away in Austin, Texas, at the age of 72 following a recent operation.
Born in Mexico City and raised in California, Martin’s career spanned nearly five decades, during which she amplified the voices of Latin Americans and Latinos in the United States. Her reporting extensively covered politics, violence, and indigenous communities in Central America.
Martin began her radio journey at KBBF in Santa Rosa, CA, the first Latino-owned community radio station in the U.S. She then became an editor on NPR’s Latin File, and later the network’s first Latin American affairs editor on the national desk. In 1993, Martin left NPR to launch Latino USA, an English-language radio program reflecting the diverse experiences of the Latino community.
Martin was a mentor to many – training journalists in Guatemala, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Kyrgyzstan, and the US. She also established the GraciasVida Center for Media to enhance public radio coverage of Central America. She was also a Fulbright fellow and was inducted into the National Association of Hispanic Journalists Hall of Fame.
