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
Health
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More From The Well
NEW YORK — A New York judge fined former President Donald Trump $9,000 Tuesday for violating a gag order but... Read More
NEW YORK — A New York judge fined former President Donald Trump $9,000 Tuesday for violating a gag order but warned him jail is the next step if his public criticisms of persons involved in his criminal trial continue. Trump... Read More
WASHINGTON — The House Democratic leadership on Tuesday said if Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., proceeds with introducing a motion... Read More
WASHINGTON — The House Democratic leadership on Tuesday said if Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., proceeds with introducing a motion to oust Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., they will muster enough support to table and effectively kill the measure. The revelation,... Read More
WASHINGTON — Nearly 60 years ago, James Brown told us, “This is a man’s world,” and sadly, it appears as... Read More
WASHINGTON — Nearly 60 years ago, James Brown told us, “This is a man’s world,” and sadly, it appears as true today as it was when the song first became a hit. Despite the efforts of hundreds of thousands of... Read More
Recent heated debates over Proposition 1 in California, which authorizes $6.38 billion for mental health treatment facilities, have put these centers... Read More
Recent heated debates over Proposition 1 in California, which authorizes $6.38 billion for mental health treatment facilities, have put these centers in the spotlight. Put simply, community mental health care is broken. Multiple states across the country have attempted and failed... Read More
Regular mammograms to screen for breast cancer should start younger, at age 40, according to an influential U.S. task force.... Read More
Regular mammograms to screen for breast cancer should start younger, at age 40, according to an influential U.S. task force. Women ages 40 to 74 should get screened every other year, the group said. Previously, the task force had said... Read More
Three women were diagnosed with HIV after getting “vampire facial” procedures at an unlicensed New Mexico medical spa, the Centers... Read More
Three women were diagnosed with HIV after getting “vampire facial” procedures at an unlicensed New Mexico medical spa, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a report last week, marking the first documented cases of people contracting the virus through... Read More
