Voices for Justice: The Enduring Legacy of the Latino Press in the U.S.


Voices for Justice: The Enduring Legacy of the Latino Press in the U.S. commemorates the bicentennial of Latino journalism in the United States with a wide range of programs documenting a journalism legacy that began with the nation’s first Latino newspaper, El Misisipí, founded in New Orleans in September 1808.

From September 2008 through September 2009, Voices for Justice will use multi-media and public programs to tell the story of the establishment, development and current growth of the U.S. Latino press. Acción Latina, a San Francisco non-profit organization that publishes El Tecolote, a bilingual, biweekly newspaper founded in 1970, spearheads the effort. Providing the historical background and documentation is the University of Houston’s Recovering the U. S. Hispanic Literary heritage Project, directed by Nicolás Kanellos, author of  the book, “Hispanic Periodicals in the United States: A Brief History and Comprehensive Bibliography.” Providing an academic base for the project is Félix Gutiérrez, journalism professor in the University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication.

The project includes plans for a documentary film by veteran filmmaker Ray Telles for possible airing on the Public Broadcasting System and for use in schools, public events across the country, an interactive website, a companion book with added stories published by Arte Público Press, and a PowerPoint presentation. 

“Throughout the last two centuries, Hispanic communities from coast to coast have supported newspapers ranging from eight-page weeklies printed in Spanish or bilingually to highly entrepreneurial large-city dailies published completely in Spanish,” said Kanellos. “Most newspapers have protected the language, culture and rights of an ethnic minority within a larger culture that was in the best of times unconcerned with the Hispanic ethnic enclaves and in the worst of times openly hostile.”

“The project tells the story of the more than 2500 Latino newspapers published since 1808 and review stories they covered that were ignored or inaccurately reported by mainstream news media,” said Félix Gutiérrez. “The story begins in New Orleans with the founding of El Misisipí in 1808 that set the stage for thousands of publications, broadcast, and Internet news outlets currently serving Latinos,” said Gutierrez.

Voices for Justice also traces the 19th century Caribbean exile and independence press on the East Coast, newspapers published in the U.S. Southwest after it was occupied by the U.S. following the 1846-48 war against Mexico. Likewise, it highlights the many newspapers established as a result of the Mexican Revolution in the early 20th century, youth publications of the 1930s and 40s, Puerto Rican and Chicano movement newspapers of the 1960s and 70s, the more recent emergence of major media corporations publishing newspapers and magazines in Spanish, and the growth of Latino broadcasting and online media used by Latinos into the 21st century.
 
“From coast to coast we will encourage cities and universities to host events to help draw attention to this historic time,” said Eva Martínez, Acción Latina coordinator of the project. “It also includes securing a Congressional resolution, as well as city proclamations honoring the nation’s Latino press.”

Support for the project has come from the Ford Foundation for a short demonstration film to be completed by September 2008, said Juan Gonzales, editor of El Tecolote and City College of San Francisco Journalism professor.  Other supporters include the University of Southern California Annenberg School of Communication, University of Houston Recovering the U.S. Hispanic Literary Heritage and Arte Público Press, City College of San Francisco Journalism Department, the Freedom Forum Trustee Initiative, and La Raza Media Education Fund of the San Francisco Foundation.

“We welcome all the support we can get,” Martínez said. “We want to talk to people who can help us in any way – getting stories written, leading us to funding sources, helping us to do research, directing us to pioneers and archival materials, and contributing money.”
For more information on the project and planned events, contact Gonzales at accionjg@aol.com or Martinez at (415) 648-1045.