La Voz: Helping Lead Diversity in the Commonwealth
An article by Kyle Heavrin
There is more to the Bluegrass than thoroughbred racing and college basketball. The area is home to a nationally recognized bilingual paper that has won many awards since it began circulation on January 13, 2001.
The Lexington based paper, La Voz, wasted little time in making its voice heard on the national scene. In its inaugural year, it was awarded 3rd best small Latino newspaper in the United States. It was also recognized as having the best Editorial Column and Front Page.
The nation’s oldest Latino newspaper currently in circulation, it is also the only bilingual paper in Kentucky and the Ohio Valley. They certainly distribute a fair amount of copies around Lexington. According to Andres Cruz, a publisher/editor of La Voz, they print 10,000 copies every two weeks.
Most would assume there is a Spanish community in Lexington, mainly residing towards and around Cardinal Hill; however, Cruz confirmed that they distribute equally all throughout Lexington. He stated, “People think Latinos are very clustered in certain areas in the city of Lexington, but they are spread all around.” He acknowledged that Latinos are dispersing all throughout the city because they are a growing population due to the city attending to their needs in a better fashion than ever before.
According to their website in the “about us” section (www.lavozky.com), volunteers and students publish a bilingual newspaper every 14 days with a local community focus-centered on the immigrant experience in the Bluegrass and the developing processes of interaction and integration in Kentucky. Cruz confirmed that they cover both Latino issues and general Lexington news while creating their own content. The paper is a very valuable source for those that are curious as to what goes on around the Spanish community and what different perceptions they may have.
The paper contains local news, a lifestyle and family section, sports, opinion pieces, and classifieds. This gives readers a different perspective of current events with a Spanish flare as well. Also, according to Cruz, they cover national Hispanic news occasionally, but they mainly focus on news within the city of Lexington.
These two papers represent two separate cultures and how they spend their leisure time. A contrast in cultural differences can be found in the sports section. History shows that the Spanish population has an immense devotion to the game of soccer, which is a large part of their heritage. This is also reflected in the sports section. The main coverage centers on men’s and women’s soccer leagues. This devotion can be paralleled in many ways to football and basketball, which frequently headlines the LHL.
In comparison, both La Voz and the LHL cover Keeneland extensively. It is covered because Keeneland, and horse racing in general, is a staple in the state of Kentucky. One would assume that over time, if someone feels welcomed in a new area, they will acquire pride for the best aspects of their adopted home, and that is what is starting to occur within the Spanish community, according to Cruz.
It is a great example of how the state is growing more in terms of diversity and welcoming immigration to the point that immigrants develop a sense of pride of being here, and they start to take interest in some staples of the community.
An article in the Lifestyle and Family section provides another example of the state's growing trend in diversity. It is titled, “Get Involved in Your Child’s Future!” The most compelling thing that stands out in the article is where it states, “If you do not speak English the school will provide at no charge a translator for you. Letters to parents are sent home in Spanish, your children should be bringing these to you.” The article also goes on to list upcoming events around each local school. It is apparent that everything is more of a challenge to an individual when he/she cannot speak the native language, and it is important for accommodations like that to take place here.
With positive influences like La Voz supporting the diverse community of Kentucky, I expect the numbers of Latinos and other ethnic groups will continue to rise and prosper in our great state.
Kyle Heavrin is a Telecommunications senior at the University of Kentucky and a guest writer for the Lexington Commons Project. He can be reached via email at kyle.heavrin@uky.edu.
