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
Perhaps it was all those holiday wishes for "Peace on earth" and "Goodwill to mankind" that crept into the mind ... Read More
Perhaps it was all those holiday wishes for "Peace on earth" and "Goodwill to mankind" that crept into the mind of retiring Sen. Orrin Hatch. In his farewell address to Congress this week, the Utah Republican floated an... Read More
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his ... Read More
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder." Most Christmas seasons, the Bible passage from Isaiah prompts only the best of humanity to come forth with abundant blessings for the baby Jesus. Read More
When FBI released its report "Hate Crimes Statistics, 2017" earlier this week, Srinivas Kuchibhotla's name was nowhere to be seen. Yet ... Read More
When FBI released its report "Hate Crimes Statistics, 2017" earlier this week, Srinivas Kuchibhotla's name was nowhere to be seen. Yet his widow, Sunayana Dumala, knows his murder in Olathe, Kan., was a hate crime. She... Read More
President Donald Trump, in a pre-midterm snit, is obsessing over his fear of brown babies. It's not surprising. After all, ... Read More
President Donald Trump, in a pre-midterm snit, is obsessing over his fear of brown babies. It's not surprising. After all, this is a president who manages to label any group of Latino migrants as "very bad people." It was only... Read More
Kathleen Sebelius might as well be spitting into the Kansas wind. Don't try this. People who have stood against the ... Read More
Kathleen Sebelius might as well be spitting into the Kansas wind. Don't try this. People who have stood against the blistering gales of the prairie can attest to the futility. And yet Sebelius, a former Kansas governor and U.S. secretary of health and... Read More
One deftly worded tweet. That's all it took for a 19-year-old college student to school GOP pooh-bah Mike Huckabee about... Read More
One deftly worded tweet. That's all it took for a 19-year-old college student to school GOP pooh-bah Mike Huckabee about voter demographics. Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor, likes to let loose his stilted wit on Twitter, and the other day he chose to mock pop star... Read More
When Barack Obama was asked about the future of the Democratic party in a final White House interview, without hesitation ... Read More
When Barack Obama was asked about the future of the Democratic party in a final White House interview, without hesitation he said one name: Missouri's Jason Kander. Obama likely recognized that Kander had the zest and charisma to enthrall voters, and that he could do so ... Read More
Hell hath no fury like an entitled man scorned. America met that man on Thursday, in all his caustic glory. ... Read More
Hell hath no fury like an entitled man scorned. America met that man on Thursday, in all his caustic glory. He's federal Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh, now well on his way to becoming the next U.S. Supreme Court justice. Read More
For all their well-learned politesse, the Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee have scarcely been able to conceal their ... Read More
For all their well-learned politesse, the Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee have scarcely been able to conceal their determination to get Christine Blasey Ford out of their hair. Read More
In The News
Health
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More From The Well
WASHINGTON — A pair of yearlong clinical trials conducted by the drug maker Eli Lilly appear to show that its... Read More
WASHINGTON — A pair of yearlong clinical trials conducted by the drug maker Eli Lilly appear to show that its obesity drug, Zepbound, can provide considerable relief to overweight people who have sleep apnea. Though the findings have yet to... Read More
WASHINGTON — Aircraft manufacturer Boeing Co., was accused of skimping on safety to maximize profits during two Senate hearings Wednesday.... Read More
WASHINGTON — Aircraft manufacturer Boeing Co., was accused of skimping on safety to maximize profits during two Senate hearings Wednesday. The Senate committees are investigating recent dangerous mid-flight equipment failures blamed on faulty design and assembly of airliners. One of... Read More
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Wednesday that he strongly supports a proposal from Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson to provide... Read More
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Wednesday that he strongly supports a proposal from Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson to provide aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending crucial bipartisan support to the effort this week to approve $95 billion in... Read More
Most of you have seen recent stories on European farmers organizing for better prices by blocking highways and business districts... Read More
Most of you have seen recent stories on European farmers organizing for better prices by blocking highways and business districts with their tractors. Older farmers might remember the 1979 Tractorcade by American farmers demanding “parity,” meaning farmers should get paid the cost... Read More
Forced to hide her true self, Joe Horras’ transgender daughter struggled with depression and anxiety until three years ago, when... Read More
Forced to hide her true self, Joe Horras’ transgender daughter struggled with depression and anxiety until three years ago, when she began to take medication to block the onset of puberty. The gender-affirming treatment helped the now-16-year-old find happiness again,... Read More
HONOLULU (AP) — When wildfires broke out across Maui last August, some firefighters carried victims piggyback over downed power lines to safety... Read More
HONOLULU (AP) — When wildfires broke out across Maui last August, some firefighters carried victims piggyback over downed power lines to safety and sheltered survivors inside their engines. Another drove a moped into a burning neighborhood again and again, whisking people away from danger... Read More
