Andrew Mendez

This story is part of a series by NPR’s Next Generation Radio program, which explored the theme: What Does It Mean To Be An American?

Growing up, Ricardo Salazar would unapologetically blast traditional Mexican music from the back of his parents’ car. For Salazar, music became the way he was able to express himself and connect to his identity as an American and a Mexican. 

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El sindicato que representa a miles de trabajadores de casinos en Nevada dice que la industria necesita ser transparente en cómo pretende reabrir.

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The labor union representing thousands of Nevada’s casino workers says the industry needs to be transparent in how it intends to reopen.

More than 10,000 Culinary Union employees drove up and down the Las Vegas Strip on Tuesday, May 12, as part of an effort to get casinos to implement stronger public health policies and disclose their full reopening plans. 

El Banco de Alimentos del norte de Nevada ha visto un aumento en la cantidad de personas que necesitan alimentos durante el cierre de negocios impuestos por el estado. Hay dificultades dentro de la organización para alimentar a todos que lo necesitan.

Después del cierre de los negocios no esenciales en Nevada durante 30 días, muchos trabajadores de casinos se quedan sin trabajo. 

Darling Parelta trabajaba como un portera de casino en el Sahara Hotel y Casino ubicado en el famoso Strip de Las Vegas. 

Según el Associated Press, el cierre afecta a más de 200 mil empleados de casinos de Nevada. Parelta es una de ellas.

Ella dice que el cierre da miedo y que solo puede pensar en sus hijos.    

El estado de Nevada está viendo un aumento en los nuevos reclamos de desempleo debido a los cierres de negocios anunciados por el gobernador Steve Sisolak. Varias personas dicen que les está resultando difícil solicitar el desempleo por el aumento de las solicitudes.

After the closure of Nevada’s non-essential businesses for 30 days, many casino workers are left without a job. 

For recent updates on Coronavirus in Nevada, visit our updates and resources webpage.

Southern Nevada Health District Announces Three New Positive Cases Of COVID-19
A Total Of Five Presumptive Positive Cases Reported In Clark County

Democratic hopefuls have made attempts to reach out to Spanish-speaking communities, but voters in Northern Nevada have said candidates are not doing enough to reach them before the caucus.

In the past few weeks, most of the candidates have boosted their efforts to reach Latinx voters, by dropping campaign ads in Spanish ahead of Nevada’s caucus.

Coming into the 2020 Nevada Democratic caucus, many LGBTQ+ voters say they want to see presidential candidates who will speak out about the community's unique issues. 

It’s a Friday night and about 15 people chime in as Lizzo’s “Truth Hurts” comes on. They are at Our Center in Reno, the only LGBTQ+ community center for Northern Nevada, which is decorated with flashing colored lights for a regular event called "Queer Karaoke." 

The Washoe County School District has a shortage of teacher aides and assistants in special education programs. The district is looking to fill 100 open positions.

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas recently hosted the 2020 Native American Presidential Forum where some Democratic hopefuls addressed indigenous communities and their concerns. 

Four presidential hopefuls participated, including Pete Buttigieg, Elizabeth Warren, Tom Steyer and Tulsi Gabbard.  Steyer appeared in person while the others sent in prerecorded messages or appeared on video chat.

Representatives from various tribes across the country asked the candidates questions on topics ranging from climate change to economic development for Native communities. 

The Nevada Democratic Party is hosting a series of interactive sessions where voters can get a better understanding of how to caucus.

Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden campaigned across Nevada over the weekend. At his stop in Sparks, Biden focused heavily on foreign policy amidst America’s ongoing tensions with Iran. KUNR’s Andrew Mendez reports. 

The former vice president rallied with more than 500 voters at Sparks High School, according to campaign officials. 

Biden criticized Donald Trump, saying the president has not kept his promise to end wars in the Middle East, where tensions have grown in light of Trump’s recent order of an airstrike that killed Iran’s top military leader.

This semester, the University of Nevada, Reno has seen a rise in the number of hateful acts on campus. Our bilingual student reporter, Andrew Mendez, sat down with Eloisa Gordon-Mora, UNR’s Diversity and Inclusion Officer, to see how that has affected the campus environment.

Last semester, the University of Nevada, Reno had multiple reported cases of swastikas being found around campus, in addition to white supremacist flyers. Our bilingual student reporter Andrew Mendez sat down with Atty Garfinkle-Berry, the director of Hillel of Northern Nevada to get an understanding of how these acts affect the Jewish community.

This fall, the University of Nevada, Reno has been confronted with numerous acts of white supremacy, hate and bias on campus. Different incidents have occurred across multiple buildings, including Wolf Pack Tower, a residence hall located in downtown Reno. KUNR’s Lucia Starbuck and Andrew Mendez visited the tower to see how students and staff are doing.

KUNR's bilingual student reporter Andrew Mendez has been looking into the unique obstacles Latinx students may face when they enter college. Along with reporting on the hurdles, he's been researching potential solutions on the local level. He joined our news director Michelle Billman to share his findings.

Nearly one in five students at the University of Nevada, Reno identifies as Latinx. Latinx is a gender-neutral term for Latino. Often, these students are first generation or "first gen" college students and face a unique set of challenges when it comes to retainment and support. KUNR’s Andrew Mendez explores.