Gutierrez, F. “Spanish-Language Media in America: Background, Resources, History.” Journalism History 4:2 (Summer 1977): 34-41, 65-67.
The objective of this article is to highlight and encourage Spanish language media as a topic of study and research. Gutierrez does so by using a threefold approach: he illustrates the relationship between Latinos and Spanish language media, he identifies key resources that can aid in the field of this study, and then he outlines the long history of Spanish language media.
In 1954, sociologist John Burma falsely predicted that Spanish would become obsolete in the U.S. The article credits the increasing popularity of Spanish-language media because of the growing population of Latinos in the United States. The article also shows that Spanish-language media has been in the United States for many generations because of the Spanish speaking population that became Americans when land was acquired from Mexico. Gutierrez points out that Spanish-language media has been successful because Spanish speaking Americans are a good market for advertisers. He says that “larger family size and continued immigration,” (Gutierrez, 35) make the population appealing to advertisers. This has led to an increase in funds for Spanish language media. Growing Spanish media should be an aspect of historical study, but historians tend to ignore the fact that this type of media was actually the first minority media. Mexico had a printing press even before Harvard did, and Spanish language media began circulating a solid twenty years before Black media.
There is a huge array of resources on Spanish media in other fields of study – like those under Chicano, immigration, history journals, and other topics related to Latinos. Most of these sources are not found in mass communication publications. There is statistical information regarding the Latino population as early as the 1880s. While there are history journals about the Southwest, as well as books on immigration and language, the most resources can be found in Chicano works. Most books that mention Spanish language media are about New Mexico, Louisiana, and Texas. Mass communication publications mention Spanish language under other newspaper articles, but do not have articles related directly to the Spanish language media. More information can also be found in trade media journals. One of the only known sources of an original Spanish language media that can be utilized are the original and microfilm copies of the San Antonio’s La Prensa that has a reprinted version of 451 articles.
In order to fully express its history, Gutierrez also discusses the roles that Spanish language media has played in Latino life. It has served as institutions of social control, activism, and expression of Chicano life. These goals are similar goals of the mainstream media, except the mainstream media is openly profit driven. After the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, the mainstream press was getting subsidized to translate their articles into Spanish, and many newspapers became bilingual. El Misisipi was the first Spanish language periodical of the U.S. Therefore, the mainstream media was controlling the Spanish minority media by controlling the job opportunities, labor markets, and news content that were printed in Spanish. The Spanish edition was also a translated copy of the last week’s English edition.
Spanish language journalists were able to relieve Chicano stress by promoting activism within minority media. In El Clamor Publico, Ramirez, the editor, called for collective action against their Anglo oppressors. When that failed, he called for Chicanos to move back to Mexico. He also condemned lynching and violence that was carried out against Chicanos, as well as unfair wages, workers unions, and bilingualism in schools. Although these Spanish newspapers worked jointly under their mainstream partners, they were able to express their anger, opinions, and oppression, and thereby promote activism to combat it. In addition to expressing Chicano sentiments, these periodicals also mentioned communal events, social and cultural aspects, and other feature of Chicano life. Spanish language media encouraged the maintenance of cultural identity and discouraged assimilation. It served as a way to unite the community, help new immigrants, and give a political voice to the Chicano minority.
Gutierrez writes this article in hopes that researchers, historians, and students will find Spanish language media a topic of interest. He points out that there are rich resources available, but they must be searched for in other fields of study.
Reviewed by Ariela Kauffman
Edited by Claire Rietmann-Grout
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