Atlanta is one of the top Hispanic markets in the country and one of the fastest growing. In 1990, Hispanics constituted less than 2% of the DMA's population. In 2008, they made up 10% or 650,000 people. Our FH Atlanta colleague, Ana Toro, had a good conversation with the publisher of Mundo Hispanico about what the new presidency can bring about for Hispanics. Read on for the Q&A with Anibal Torres.
Anibal Torres was named Publisher of MundoHispánico, the Spanish-language newspaper published by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, in June 2007. MundoHispánico is Georgia’s largest Spanish-language publication and the leading print and online information source for Hispanics in Georgia. Previously, he was Vice President and General Manager of the New York edition of Hoy, a daily Spanish-language newspaper published by the Tribune Company since bought by Impremedia. He joined Hoy from the Orlando Sentinel, where he served from 2003 to 2005 as Publisher of El Sentinel, a Spanish-language weekly. During those years, he also led elSentinel.com, the newspaper's companion website, and was a director at the Orlando Sentinel.
History was made this week when Obama took the White House. How is this significant for Hispanics in the U.S.?
The fact that a minority, an African-American , was elected president is a testament of how we have matured as a nation and also of the greatness of our country.
The dream to reach our potential has been unlocked and this is true for all ethnic groups, including our own Hispanic community. But the lesson is not only that our country offers endless opportunities, but that to take advantage of them we need to make sure education is a priority at a time when Hispanics have a higher than acceptable drop out rate. I am sure this election will encourage more Hispanics to get engaged in public service.
How did you approach the story for your readers?
At MundoHispanico both in print and on-line we covered the priorities of his administration, a summary of his speech and local reaction to the inauguration via interviews, photos and video. We have written extensively about President Obama and expectations from a local perspective. And before the election, we also covered the different campaign positions of both candidates. Many of our readers are first-time voters, so education on the US political process was also important in our coverage.
What do you think about the role of Hispanic media in covering the inauguration ? What, if anything, was missing?
In most cases Hispanic media mirrored what non-Hispanic media did in TV, print and on-line.
What are the main areas that you think President Obama should focus on for the Latino community?
Just like the rest of the nation, Hispanics are concerned about the economy, job creation, education, healthcare and national security. However, it was clear by the overwhelming support of Hispanic voters for Obama that comprehensive immigration reform is a top priority and must be dealt with soon.
How prominent do you think immigration issues will be for the new administration?
It has to be top of the list. President Obama promised during the campaign to work towards immigration reform so that we can restore some sanity to a broken immigration policy. Families are being separated, people are living in fear, local and state authorities are legislating a myriad of anti immigrant laws that impact our communities. These local laws (as we have seen in Georgia) subject our Hispanic community to profiling and do not reflect the values of our country. This is the responsibility of the Federal Government. And once the economy gets back on track, legalizing the status of these immigrants will result in a consumer boom for categories that have been recently depressed such as auto, real estate, home improvement. So it also makes economic sense.
How can Hispanic communities in the U.S. help out in President Obama’s “call to action” to do something to help out America?
We can do plenty. In education the dropout rate among Hispanics is high, so becoming a mentor is one way to serve. Successful Hispanics must act as role models. Volunteering in civic organizations or church groups to improve the quality of life in our own communities. These organizations such as the Latin American Association here in Atlanta are always looking for volunteers for the services they provide. On the business side organizations like the Hispanic Chamber are also opportunities to serve. Decide what you are good at and share your knowledge, experiences. That was the message of the President, that government nor he can do it alone. That it is our responsibility to work together and get the nation back on track.
Do you believe we might see a Hispanic president in a near future?
We already have a talented pool of elected officials serving our cities, counties and states, but I am also sure there is a Rodriguez, Martinez, Torres, Lopez, etc., somewhere in some corner of our nation, in an elementary, high school or university that is getting prepared to go into public service and one day take the oath of President.
SUBSCRIBE