In Brownsville, Texas, picking up the Latin American practice of using “promotoras” lets neighbors teach neighbors about the most common health issues. Part of our year-long series on “health heroes.”

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María Emilia Martin is a pioneering public radio journalist with more than two dozen awards for her work covering Latino issues and Latin America. She started her career at the first community public radio station owned and operated by Latinos in the U.S. Martin has developed ground-breaking programs and series for public radio, including NPR’s Latino USA, and Despues de las Guerras: Central America After the Wars. A recipient of Fulbright and Knight Fellowships, she has extensive experience in journalism and radio training, in the U.S., Mexico, Guatemala, Bolivia and other countries. Sports Business Journal, among other publications.