At De Los, we’re working hard to bring you the best stories daily. From trending news moments to features and commentary— we are proud of every piece of journalism we produce.
But sometimes it’s hard to keep up. We get it, it happens to us too. So we decided to put together a weekly review of some of our best work for you to stay on top of all our coverage.
Monday
40th anniversary of Latino series emphasizes importance of representation
At De Los we know we owe a debt of gratitude to the pioneering group of Black and Latino journalists who came before us. This past Monday was the 40th anniversary of the publication of our groundbreaking Latinos series that was meant as a rebuke to our paper’s coverage of the Latino community.
In 1982, “Black L.A.: Looking at Diversity” aimed to tell the stories of Black Angelenos. The following year the series on Southern California’s Latino community was published, and would go on to win the 1984 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service.
Reporter Chelsea Hylton talked to several reporters on those projects who are still working at The Times and got some amazing anecdotes about how many hurdles the black and brown journalists had to overcome to even get a single story published.
More:
- What do ‘Blue Beetle,’ Quetzalcóatl and Chapulín Colorado have in common?
- Junior H lives a dream by playing Crypto.com Arena
- Photos: The running clubs of L.A. and Chicago
- Video of farmer slapping migrant worker leads to human trafficking investigation
TUESDAY
Visiting a shrine to Walter Mercado at a Puerto Rican mall
The second De Los contributor Edgar Gómez pitched this story, we knew it was going to be great. If you grew up around Spanish-language television in the ‘80s and ‘90s then you know the name Walter Mercado.
Mercado was an astrologer who had regular segments on Univision and became one of the most recognizable faces across the Spanish-speaking world. So it came as a shock to Gómez to run across Mercado’s memorabilia in a store at a mall in Puerto Rico. Capes, perfumes and other trinkets of Mercado’s were all for sale.
Gómez became a regular visitor to the store and the care and honor he showed to the pieces he would periodically visit show the impact of Mercado’s presence on television. While Mercado coyly would say that he “has sexuality with the wind,” seeing someone being truly himself made an impact on Gómez as he was looking for acceptance.
More:
- How L.A.’s young, queer Latinos are redefining gender roles
- The funniest Selena Gomez cobija memes
- The Latino movie marathon picked by De Los staff
- These young Latino creatives are breaking gender role norms
Wednesday
As a Oaxacan, living in Miami brought me closer to Mexico
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This story might not have been intended to be a love letter to Miami, but Noé López’s essay on how moving to South Florida helped him learn to embrace his Mexican culture captures the city’s Latinidad perfectly.
Growing up in Oaxaca and being fiercely Oaxacan, López resisted much of the Mexican culture around him, embracing the tradition and customs of his home state. But after arriving in Miami and meeting people from all over Latin America, López came to understand his place in the world.
The moment when he reconciled with Mexico — in a cab ride from downtown to Doral — is worth the read alone.
More:
- With Tepito Coffee, Richard Cabral brings East L.A. to Pasadena
- Comic: Finding solace in my local Latino grocery store
- How this Latina mother-daughter duo is confronting mental health
- Telemundo’s all-female TV crew makes U.S. history
Thursday
Yahritza y Su Esencia: ‘The whole thing was heartbreaking for us’
It has been a rough couple of weeks for the members of the band Yahritza y Su Esencia. During an interview with Mexican media, the band members were asked about their impressions of Mexico. Their responses were what you would expect from teenagers traveling outside of their country for the first time. They talked about how much they preferred the Mexican food back in Yakima, Wash., and how busy Mexico City felt.
Well, the media and the internet didn’t wait to pounce. It’s not worth getting into all the negativity, but in an exclusive interview with De Los columnist Suzy Exposito, the band members gave their version of what happened during their visit and shed more light on the reasoning behind their comments.
More:
- Do Latinos in the U.S. have a ‘toxic gratitude’ problem?
- ‘Blue Beetle’ director talks representation, music and the film’s working class roots
- De Los weekend guide: DannyLux at free L.A. show, Karol G goes stadium big
- ‘I’ve got to find out who I am:’ How the Garifuna Museum is reclaiming culture and identity
Friday
Is Messi bringing more European stars to the MLS?
Few players, in any sport, have had the immediate impact that Argentinean superstar Lionel Messi has had since his arrival to the MLS. On Saturday, he is leading Inter Miami into the finales of the Leagues Cup vs. Nashville. You can get details on when and how to watch here.
Messi’s success here in the U.S. has caught the attention of stars playing in top European Leagues, especially Antoine Griezmann, who insisted he wants to end his career playing in the MLS.
Our colleague Jad El Reda wrote this week about Griezmann’s fascination with U.S. sports and how he is an active fantasy sports player.
It is clear that the Messi effect is not just happening on the pitch and at the turnstiles as the possibility of more big names making the jump from across the pond seems probable.
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