Mary Sanchez
Born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, with family roots in Mexico, Mary Sanchez brings an uncommon perspective to the issues that tend to divide Americans into groups of “us” and “them.” A reporter foremost, Sanchez has spent years covering immigration, schools and other volatile beats for The Kansas City Star.
Now an editorial columnist for the Star, Sanchez understands that Latinos in the United States — now the largest minority group in the country — make up a number of diverse and complex communities. Sanchez knows that commentary on immigration, culture and politics needs to reflect that fact — that the one-size-fits-all approach no longer works.
Across the United States, some Latinos are prospering and gaining political power, while others are running up against a changing mood in the American public. Making sense of all these currents requires more than just retelling stories or sharing thoughts. It requires a reporter’s instinct for discovering how issues play out on the street, at work and in the lives of ordinary people.
Sanchez strives for this cross-cultural analysis in her writing. She pushes readers to an understanding of the issues from all sides, and provides an incisive, compelling voice to illuminate these issues in new ways.
Recent Work
A little grace please, a few moments to thoughtfully consider Clarence Thomas. It’s understandable if that ask revolts. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence... Read More
A little grace please, a few moments to thoughtfully consider Clarence Thomas. It’s understandable if that ask revolts. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas gets little love. Mostly, the disdain is earned. He’s burnished his image as a calcitrant man who rose to the highest court by timing. He was... Read More
The crux of America’s looming educational crisis is obvious and it has nothing to do with the books in the... Read More
The crux of America’s looming educational crisis is obvious and it has nothing to do with the books in the curriculum. The lesson is deep into the much-maligned transcript of a Tennessee school board’s discussion before unanimously voting to nix the Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel “Maus” from the... Read More
I consider myself forewarned. Nearly a year ago, a trusted source predicted that COVID-19 would have lasting repercussions on the... Read More
I consider myself forewarned. Nearly a year ago, a trusted source predicted that COVID-19 would have lasting repercussions on the world’s children. An educator, he spoke about how the impact would be felt not only on attendance but what that would mean, outlining dire ramifications on... Read More
The Kansas City School District is now fully accredited by the state, the first time since 2000. It’s been a long... Read More
The Kansas City School District is now fully accredited by the state, the first time since 2000. It’s been a long arduous journey and officials concede that the hill is barely crested. On the day the announcement was made, the district’s leadership drove two hours to mid-Missouri to... Read More
In late October, Jewish Americans saw the release of a report confirming what many intrinsically felt and feared. Antisemitism is... Read More
In late October, Jewish Americans saw the release of a report confirming what many intrinsically felt and feared. Antisemitism is on the rise. One in four American Jews said they'd been targeted by antisemitism during the past year. Four out of every 10 changed their behavior,... Read More
Once an innocent person is entangled in the criminal justice system, it’s damningly difficult to wrench them free. The public... Read More
Once an innocent person is entangled in the criminal justice system, it’s damningly difficult to wrench them free. The public is only vaguely aware of this. After all, that’s the point. Someone sentenced to prison is out of the public eye. Out of sight, out of... Read More
Through more than five hours of testimony, the Congressional hearing on the nation’s ever-decreasing access to abortion showcased a lot... Read More
Through more than five hours of testimony, the Congressional hearing on the nation’s ever-decreasing access to abortion showcased a lot of erroneous thinking. There were twisted interpretations of eugenic's history, a flimsy albeit adamant concern specific to abortions in the Black community, a Pollyanna belief that... Read More
“Flo-Jo” won’t get out of my head. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the trials that led up to it, have... Read More
“Flo-Jo” won’t get out of my head. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the trials that led up to it, have been a ritual of replayed taped events, and the occasional, live event watched at sleep-deprivation hours. Each female athlete’s performance, their achievements on the track and... Read More
His mother began drinking as a ten-year-old. Her prepubescent cocktail of choice was half beer and half soda. As a... Read More
His mother began drinking as a ten-year-old. Her prepubescent cocktail of choice was half beer and half soda. As a young teen out partying with the man who’d father her children, she drank pints of gin and whiskey. Jean Ann Patton was an addict who drank... Read More
In The News
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More From The Well
NEW YORK — New prosecution witnesses at former President Donald Trump’s New York criminal trial Friday further undercut the former... Read More
NEW YORK — New prosecution witnesses at former President Donald Trump’s New York criminal trial Friday further undercut the former president’s denials about paying hush money to a former porn star and then falsifying records to cover up their sexual... Read More
LANSING, Mich. — The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded the state of Michigan $159 million in bipartisan infrastructure law funding... Read More
LANSING, Mich. — The Environmental Protection Agency has awarded the state of Michigan $159 million in bipartisan infrastructure law funding to help lower the cost of community and rooftop solar installations for thousands of low-income households. In announcing receipt of... Read More
WASHINGTON — It’s back to the future for the nation’s internet service providers, as net neutrality makes a comeback thanks... Read More
WASHINGTON — It’s back to the future for the nation’s internet service providers, as net neutrality makes a comeback thanks to a 3-2 vote Thursday by the Federal Communications Commission. The “new” rules governing net neutrality are largely the same... Read More
NEW YORK (AP) — This spring, NBC News, The New York Times and National Public Radio have each dealt with... Read More
NEW YORK (AP) — This spring, NBC News, The New York Times and National Public Radio have each dealt with turmoil for essentially the same reason: journalists taking the critical gaze they deploy to cover the world and turning it... Read More
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans’ majority could tighten by another vote after Tuesday’s special congressional election in Buffalo — at least, temporarily.... Read More
WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans’ majority could tighten by another vote after Tuesday’s special congressional election in Buffalo — at least, temporarily. Voters are choosing a replacement for Democrat Brian Higgins, a longtime House member who cited the “slow and frustrating” pace... Read More
Poultry producers will be required to bring salmonella bacteria in certain chicken products to very low levels to help prevent food poisoning... Read More
Poultry producers will be required to bring salmonella bacteria in certain chicken products to very low levels to help prevent food poisoning under a final rule issued Friday by U.S. agriculture officials. When the regulation takes effect in 2025, salmonella will be... Read More
