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
PARIS — When U.S. President Donald Trump was diagnosed with COVID-19 last week, it wasn’t long before the chaos began.... Read More
PARIS — When U.S. President Donald Trump was diagnosed with COVID-19 last week, it wasn’t long before the chaos began. Those who lament the lack of transparency and the mixed messaging from the White House regarding the president’s condition are missing the point. This is Trump’s... Read More
The nation is screaming Black Lives Matter. The president keeps communicating that they do not. Among the latest evidence of... Read More
The nation is screaming Black Lives Matter. The president keeps communicating that they do not. Among the latest evidence of the disconnect is the fact that a federal judge halted President Donald Trump’s version of how policing will reform. The reason is damning. In this moment... Read More
How cruel is America willing to be to other people's children? We're about to find out. Are you OK with... Read More
How cruel is America willing to be to other people's children? We're about to find out. Are you OK with allowing your tax dollars to fund detention centers where Central American children will be locked up indefinitely, simply because the Trump administration claims that it can't... Read More
You have to hand it to Ken Cuccinelli. As President Donald Trump's wingman on immigration, in a scant few days... Read More
You have to hand it to Ken Cuccinelli. As President Donald Trump's wingman on immigration, in a scant few days he managed a trifecta of arrogance, ignorance and hubris. It was a performance one can only call Trumpian. Cuccinelli, the acting director of U.S. Citizenship and... Read More
Say this for Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos: She's consistently elitist. She's also consistently obtuse, which often is the demeanor... Read More
Say this for Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos: She's consistently elitist. She's also consistently obtuse, which often is the demeanor of the entitled. DeVos simply can't be bothered to consult studies that don't comport with what she already believes or to consider input from members of... Read More
The black silhouettes posted to BlueHelp.org are immediately recognizable as police officers. Nameless and faceless, each outline represents an officer... Read More
The black silhouettes posted to BlueHelp.org are immediately recognizable as police officers. Nameless and faceless, each outline represents an officer who took his or her own life. Three police suicides are listed for February 11, the day that the Kansas City Police Department announced the death... Read More
President Donald Trump neglected to mention gun violence in his State of the Union address. The following day, the congressional... Read More
President Donald Trump neglected to mention gun violence in his State of the Union address. The following day, the congressional stalemate over what to do about the killing and mayhem played out at a House Judicial Committee hearing on gun violence. Most of the news coverage... Read More
There are a lot of ways to build a wall, as Donald Trump can attest. Although it's quite possible that... Read More
There are a lot of ways to build a wall, as Donald Trump can attest. Although it's quite possible that even the president doesn't fully grasp what a cadre of lawyers, policy makers and advisers are accomplishing on his behalf. He's simply too focused on his... Read More
Donald Trump should have realized that his presidential clout was weakening when a GoFundMe account became the leading source of ... Read More
Donald Trump should have realized that his presidential clout was weakening when a GoFundMe account became the leading source of funds for his long-desired "big, beautiful wall." The social media effort, started by an Iraq... Read More
In The News
Health
Voting
More From The Well
PHOENIX (AP) — An Arizona grand jury has indicted former President Donald Trump 's chief of staff Mark Meadows, lawyer Rudy Giuliani and 16 others... Read More
PHOENIX (AP) — An Arizona grand jury has indicted former President Donald Trump 's chief of staff Mark Meadows, lawyer Rudy Giuliani and 16 others for their roles in an attempt to overturn Trump’s loss to Joe Biden in the 2020 election. The indictment released... Read More
WASHINGTON (AP) — Coal-fired power plants would be forced to capture smokestack emissions or shut down under a rule issued... Read More
WASHINGTON (AP) — Coal-fired power plants would be forced to capture smokestack emissions or shut down under a rule issued Thursday by the Environmental Protection Agency. New limits on greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel-fired electric plants are the Biden... Read More
NEW YORK (AP) — Ever since college, Brad Jobling struggled with his weight, fluctuating between a low of 155 pounds... Read More
NEW YORK (AP) — Ever since college, Brad Jobling struggled with his weight, fluctuating between a low of 155 pounds when he was in his 30s to as high as 220. He spent a decade tracking calories on WeightWatchers, but... Read More
WASHINGTON — Even years after the fact, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden recalled the moment with a sense of astonished... Read More
WASHINGTON — Even years after the fact, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden recalled the moment with a sense of astonished disbelief. Biden was second lady, the wife of Vice President Joe Biden, at the time, and Maria Shriver was the... Read More
WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration approved Pivya (pivmecillinam) tablets for the treatment of female adults with uncomplicated urinary... Read More
WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration approved Pivya (pivmecillinam) tablets for the treatment of female adults with uncomplicated urinary tract infections. “Uncomplicated UTIs are a very common condition impacting women and one of the most frequent reasons for antibiotic... Read More
Nearly everyone has an opinion on whether the United States should force a TikTok ban over national security concerns. Voters support a... Read More
Nearly everyone has an opinion on whether the United States should force a TikTok ban over national security concerns. Voters support a ban, Trump opposes a ban and Biden just signed Congress’ divestment bill. Everyone from security hawks to tech experts to “suburbanites” have weighed in. But what gets lost... Read More
