According to founding Executive Producer Maria Emilia Martin, Latino USA was born following several failed attempts by NPR to create Latino-oriented programming for public radio.
Dr. Gil Cardenas, director of the Center for Mexican-American Studies, co-wrote a grant proposal with KUT-FM to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) that eventually led to the creation of Latino USA, which premiered in April 1993.
Originally launched by University of Texas in Austin and the Ford Foundation in 1992, it was a cutting-edge experiment to create an English-language Latino-centered public radio program.
[4] In 1992, Maria Emilia Martin left her position as editor at NPR in Washington, D.C. to become Latino USA's founding Executive Producer.
In 2000, responsibility for the administration of Latino USA was transferred from the Center for Mexican American Studies at the University of Texas at Austin, to KUT-FM, based at UT's College of Communication.