This year, we recognized Hispanic Heritage Month by highlighting a journalist, article, insightful fact, or helpful resource each day from September 15 to October 15. Now that we’ve reached the end, we’re compiling everything in one article for easy reference. Whether you missed a day or want to revisit something, we hope this serves as a useful resource during Hispanic Heritage Month and beyond.
Resources
From impactful organizations to helpful guides, these resources are great tools for journalists, businesses, and anyone who’s interested in learning more.
National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ)
The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) is dedicated to the recognition, development and advancement of Hispanic journalism students and professionals. The group offers networking opportunities and awards, and it even has a business journalism task force! There are currently 24 active professional chapters and 28 student chapters across the U.S. Find your local chapter here.
California Chicano News Media Association (CCNMA)
Founded in 1972 in Los Angeles, the California Chicano News Media Association (CCNMA) is the oldest regional organization for journalists of color in the U.S. In addition to providing over $800k in scholarships over the years, CCNMA offers training and job placement support to members, holds the annual Ruben Salazar Award, and helps foster fair, diverse news coverage for communities of color. Since 2012, it has been housed by the Walter Cronkite School for Journalism and Mass Communication in Santa Monica, California.
The Latino Data Hub uses the most recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau to share critical insights in both English and Spanish on key topics like digital equity, housing, and employment to help advocate for the broader Latino community.
The Hispanic Heritage Foundation
The Hispanic Heritage Foundation, an award-winning nonprofit organization established in 1988, provides education programs and workforce development to empower students and professionals alike, while providing the support they need to succeed. Its available resources include resume and interview prep, financial education, and even coding classes.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
The Committee to Protect Journalists is an independent, nonprofit organization that promotes press freedom worldwide and defends the rights of journalists. You can find many different resources on its website, including a toolkit for how journalists can stay safe while covering protests.
National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC)
The National Hispanic Media Coalition is a woman-led nonprofit organization that was founded to eliminate discrimination and racism toward Latino communities. NHMC works to increase Latino visibility in policy and advocates for better representation in the media.
Latino Business Action Network
The Latino Business Action Network works to empower Latino entrepreneurs across the country. In addition to providing development programs for business leaders, it hosts the State of Latino Entrepreneurship (SOLE) Summit each year in collaboration with Stanford University. This is a free event that welcomes people of all backgrounds and presents current research findings to business and government leaders.
Journalists to watch
While this is by no means an exhaustive list, we’ve gathered a handful of journalists we think are worth watching. Many of these journalists have won awards and served on boards for some of the organizations mentioned above, and all of them are doing noteworthy reporting that deserves attention.
- Rachel Uranga | Bluesky | X
- Rachel Uranga covers immigration for the Los Angeles Times and serves as the current board president of the CCNMA Latino Journalists of California. Recently, she has covered ICE raids and Border Patrol activity in the LA area.
- Robert J. Lopez | X
- Robert J. Lopez is an independent journalist and the current CCNMA Latino Journalists of California Board Vice President. He was part of a Los Angeles Times reporting team that won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for public service and was awarded a Barlett & Steele Award in 2023 for an investigation into the cannabis industry that found corruption in issuing licenses to cannabis farms and other shady dealings.
- Hilda Gutierrez | X
- Currently an investigative reporter for NBC Bay Area, Hilda Gutierrez’s work has been recognized with eight Emmy Awards and an Edward R. Murrow Award. She has reported on a range of topics, including police misconduct, sexual harassment, the housing crisis, and the impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable communities. She was recognized as one of the most influential Latina journalists in California by CCNMA and NAHJ in 2024.
- Brittny Mejia | X
- Brittny Mejia is a reporter who covers federal courts for the Los Angeles Times. She was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2021 for an investigation that exposed failures in LA County’s safety-net healthcare system that resulted in months-long wait times for patients, including some who died before getting appointments. Last year, she was recognized as one of the most influential Latina journalists in California by CCNMA and NAHJ.
- Cecilia Vega | Instagram | X
- Cecilia Vega is an Emmy Award-winning journalist and 60 Minutes correspondent currently reporting for CBS. Her reporting has covered topics such as the Russian abduction of Ukrainian children, issues of understaffing and abuse inside a federal women’s prison, numerous elections, and stolen government funds. She was chosen as the 2024 National Latina Journalist of the Year recipient by the CCNMA in collaboration with the NAHJ.
- Steve Padilla | X
- Steve Padilla has been with the Los Angeles Times for over 30 years. He has edited a range of topics, including presidential politics, higher education, and religion. He was inducted into the NAHJ Hall of Fame in 2024. Recently, he reported on trade talks between the U.S. and Mexico amidst the new looming tariffs.
- Jean Guerrero | X
- Jean Guerrero is an award-winning investigative journalist, essayist and speaker, as well as the author of multiple books. She is a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times, a senior journalism fellow at the UCLA Latina Futures 2050 Lab, and has been published in Vanity Fair, Politico, Wired, The Washington Post, and more. She was named Journalist of the Year in 2019 by the San Diego Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
- Alessandra De Zubeldia | Instagram | LinkedIn
- Alessandra De Zubeldia was the Reynolds Center’s 2024-2025 James B. Steele Fellow and is a graduate of The Cronkite School’s Master’s in Investigative Journalism Program. Alessandra grew up in Guadalajara, Mexico and developed a love of storytelling early in life. She is passionate about holding powerful institutions accountable, highlighting critical societal issues, and advocating for equitable solutions. Her last story with the Reynolds Center was on the future of fintech companies. Our team was deeply impressed with her this past year, and she’s surely a journalist to watch!
Articles
These articles cover a range of topics, including Hispanic-owned businesses to support and the unique challenges Hispanic communities are facing.
- “Hispanic Heritage Month in Greater Phoenix” – Visit Phoenix
- Need ideas for #HispanicHeritageMonth celebrations to cover? Museums, libraries, and other community centers are often a great place to start if you’re looking for ways to get started. Be sure to check your city’s website, as most post a calendar with upcoming events. For example, Phoenicians have these events to look forward to!
- “New Report Shows How Immigrant Entrepreneurs Create Jobs Across the U.S.” – American Immigration Council
- A 2024 research report by the American Immigration Council found “Fortune 500 companies founded by immigrants or children of immigrants – including Amazon, DoorDash, and Apple – employ 15.5 million people worldwide, more than the population in Pennsylvania.” Nan Wu, director of research at the American Immigration Council, said, “Our country is stronger and richer thanks to those who’ve immigrated here, and we need our policymakers to recognize that reality.”
- “Festivals and Parades Are Canceled Amid US Immigration Anxiety” – Bloomberg
- Concerns over immigration-related arrests have “prompted organizers across the US to reconsider holding public events that celebrate different ethnicities or that might draw large crowds from immigrant and refugee communities. While these decisions were often made to protect vulnerable populations, they’re also taking a toll on the cultural vibrancy of cities, and costing some cultural groups essential revenue.”
- “101+ Latino-owned businesses to support in 2025 and beyond” – NBC
- From bookstores to beauty brands and beyond, here is a list of over 100 Latino-owned businesses you can cover.
- “Latino workers in Arizona face the highest risk of job automation, report finds” – AZPM News
- “We found that Latino workers were the only racial or ethnic group that was overrepresented in high-risk occupations,” said Citlali Tejeda, undergraduate student and policy fellow at the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute. In this article, you can read the findings from the Institute’s report on Arizona’s labor force.
- “8 times Latinos and Latin Americans changed the world with new inventions” – Pulso
- From color TV to the first oral contraceptive pill, Hispanic inventors’ work has changed the world. These are just some of the men and women who have left their mark through various inventions.
- “Resources for growth and success featuring Hispanic and Latino businesses” – JPMorganChase
- Hispanic and Latino-owned businesses face many obstacles, including limited access to capital. To help drive growth and provide support for these businesses, JPMorganChase compiled a range of resources for those businesses, including guides, research, and inspirational stories.
Facts to think about
These facts and statistics tell a story and are worth digging into. If you want to learn more, please check out the accompanying links!
- The Hispanic population accounted for 19% of the U.S. civilian workforce in 2023, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, growing at a much faster rate than that of the non-Hispanic workforce.
- “According to the latest official data, Hispanic business owners represented 14.5% of business owners in 2022, a 13% increase from 2021.” View the full infographic from the U.S. Small Business Administration here.
- El Misisipi is commonly referred to as the “earliest Spanish-language periodical published in the U.S.” Published in New Orleans from 1808 to 1810, it paved the way for other Spanish-language newspapers to emerge.
- According to the 10th annual State of Latino Entrepreneurship (SOLE) Report, Latino business owners are more likely to offer pathways for growth and advancement to employees compared to their White counterparts. While 89% of Latino-owned businesses provide employer-paid benefits, just 75% of White-owned businesses do the same. Furthermore, the data show “90% of Latino-owned businesses offer skill development opportunities, surpassing 77% among White-owned businesses.” The most recent SOLE Report was published in March by the Stanford University Graduate School of Business in collaboration with the Latino Business Action Network.
- The NAHJ Hall of Fame honors trailblazing journalists whose work has left a lasting impact and paved the way for Latinos in the industry. This year, Alina Falcón, Mercedes Olivera, Janelle Rodriguez, and Damian Trujillo were inducted into the Hall of Fame for their valuable contributions and dedication.
- Today, there are over 600 Latino news media outlets across the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Although the industry’s biggest players, like Univision and Telemundo, are owned by non-Latino corporations or private equity funds, smaller independent outlets are most often Latino-owned. Another reason to support your local independent news outlet whenever you can!
- On trend with previous years’ findings, the 10th annual SOLE Report published in March found that Latino-owned businesses are half as likely to receive full funding compared to White-owned businesses (21% vs. 40%). Latino business owners were also less likely to receive an explanation for funding denial than their White counterparts (51% vs. 87%). This highlights a need for more transparency and better support for Latino businesses, which are a huge driver for the U.S. economy.
