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BOSTON — It is the end of The Latino Newsletter’s 123rd week, and I am keeping it going. Since our first week in May 2024, I have told myself that this small part of the online journalism space needs to keep going. There is still so much work to do, and it’s time for another startup update.
We wrapped up an incredibly successful Season 1 of American Colony at the end of August, and since the start of September, The Latino Newsletter editorial team has been solo again. I remain its only part-time person while I focus on my primary professional tasks.
That all might seem scary, but right now, it is the only sustainable way forward. Being solo has also given me time to think about what The Latino Newsletter can pivot to, and we see a positive path. I still want to pass the baton to others, and that is still in the works, although we are not there just yet.
I have been an independent journalist, or whatever we are called these days, for more than 20 years. Creator journalism is the new label for something many of us have done since blogs and online forums were the thing, and I was sold the illusion that hustle and more output is ideal.
It’s not.
Building something from scratch with limited time still takes time. I find that all the advice and support The Latino Newsletter gets is indeed important, but so is slowing down and reassessing. That’s a privilege I don’t underestimate.
The Craft Comes First
I will always enjoy finding and editing new stories, publishing and working with new voices, and sharing American Colony bonus episodes, but on my terms and schedule. The Latino Newsletter’s pivot will lean into our production and editing expertise, using my experience to mentor emerging talent and journalists. There are so many stories out there that speak to our community’s complexities, and it’s what I love to do during my spare time. I learned this at Latino Rebels, which became a starting point for so many people. I want to keep teaching the craft and exploring new ways to achieve that.
If anything, the work here at The Latino Newsletter has proven the concept. For a year, the team out of Puerto Rico was impactful, and while we have had to pause that work due to lack of funding, I am extremely proud that the team made a mark.
Locally here in the Greater Boston area, our partnership with El Planeta — thanks to the support of the Latino Media Consortium — is another example of what The Latino Newsletter can achieve. Rosanna Marinelli’s stories speak to our community and highlight voices that don’t often get the opportunity to be featured in English-language outlets like ours.
It is also a win that El Planeta publishes the Spanish versions of her stories under our outlet. We have 19 stories listed there, and we hope to add more. This is a winning local journalism model that we must continue to uplift and support.
A Few Things I’m Excited About
My local news advocacy work in Massachusetts with Free Press is going to ramp up over the next few months and into 2027. Having called the state home since my days as an emerging journalist and having built two organizations here (Latino Rebels and The Latino Newsletter), I want to work with allies to ensure that the journalism outlets delivering for underserved communities are part of the funding conversation in a state that has at times structurally shut them out. I look forward to sharing more developments about what that vision can be.
Earlier this month, I moderated a panel for the release of ¡Somos Más!: Latino Civic Engagement in Massachusetts, a Latino Equity Fund session built around a new report from UMass Boston’s Gastón Institute on Latino voters.
Next Wednesday, October 21, I am joining Jazmine Ulloa of The New York Times, Javier Marín of El Planeta, and Marcela García of The Boston Globe at the Harvard Club of Boston for America Speaks Spanish?, a conversation about media, identity, and democracy. The evening is hosted by Conexión, the Harvard Club of Boston, and El Planeta.
Finally, thank you to everyone who chose American Colony at the Signal Awards. We will find out on October 20 whether we won the Listener’s Choice and whether we took Gold, Silver, or Bronze in our category.
What would help most right now is your continued support and your belief that we will make it.
Because we will.
Our New $40,000 Campaign
As we enter the final quarter of 2026, The Latino Newsletter is seeking to raise $40,000 to continue our work. We’ll share more exciting updates soon to help us reach that goal, and you can give anytime to keep this outlet free and accessible to all.
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What We’re Reading
Naturalized Voter Poll: From the National Partnership for New Americans, a new poll of naturalized citizen voters found the following:
A strong majority, 90 percent total, expressed a commitment to voting. Of those, 3 percent had already voted, 73 percent definitely planned to vote, and 14 percent stated that they would probably vote.
78 percent ranked grocery and food prices as their top issue when deciding whether to vote or who to vote for
44 percent report family finances are worse, compared to one year ago
53 percent report feeling less secure in their citizenship—a permanent, constitutionally enshrined protection
Julio Ricardo Varela is the founder of The Latino Newsletter. He is also its current part-time publisher and executive director.
Consider donating to The Latino Newsletter. Any contribution, no matter how small, helps keep this newsletter free and accessible to all. ¡Gracias mil!