Jessai Flores, Illustrations Editor

A message from the editors

Welcome to the News’ special issue celebrating Latinx Heritage Month! We are thrilled to showcase content centered on Latinx members of our community — including profiles, spoken word poetry, photography and illustrations.

We hope you enjoy these pieces and share them with your broader communities. The work reflected in this special issue has been produced by people both within and outside of the News, and we would like to offer a special note of thanks to guest contributors who submitted content specifically for this issue: Zenaida Aguirre Gutierrez ’24, Anna Chamberlin ’26, Michelle Foley ’25, Kassie Navarrete ’25 and Luana Prado Oliveira Souza ’26.

As editors of this special issue, we want to acknowledge that this is the first time in recent institutional memory that the Yale Daily News has produced and printed a full special issue for Latinx Heritage Month. There are three primary reasons for this — none of them adequate. 

First, a historical lack of representation of Latinx people in the newsroom contributes to these perspectives often being left out of coverage. But it is not the burden of people of marginalized backgrounds to be the sole voices advocating for their communities — this coverage is long overdue, and it should happen whether or not Latinx individuals in our newsroom decide to do so themselves. 

Second, our Board has historically turned over in the middle of September, right at the start of Latinx Heritage Month. The News has a history of pursuing initiatives related to diversity and inclusion if and when it is convenient for leadership. This is unacceptable, and we strive to make change. 

And third, overall, the News has historically not had the infrastructure, vision or effort dedicated toward appropriately covering marginalized groups, with the attention and care they deserve. As members of the News stepping into new leadership roles, we apologize. The News commits to learning more, working harder and doing better to include more Latinx voices in our paper — both as part of our staff and in the content we produce 

We recognize that significant work still needs to be done toward appropriately uplifting Latinx and representing Latinx voices. This issue, still, is not fully representative, as many Latinx identities and backgrounds are not included. Our coverage of these communities is not, and will not be, restricted to this issue, and we intend to ensure that diverse communities are consistently part of our daily coverage. 

Thank you to the members of the News — including reporters, desk editors, copy editors, production and design editors, audience editors, photographers, illustrators and management — who contributed their time and efforts to the creation of this issue.  

And thank you to you, our audience, for your readership! We welcome any feedback — please feel free to contact us at editor@yaledailynews.com, or to reach out to us individually at the email addresses below. 

Anika Seth ’25 

University staff reporter, Production & Design editor and co-chair of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the News

Paloma Vigil ’25

University staff reporter and Sports staff reporter

Sophie Wang ’25

Science & Technology editor and co-chair of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the News