E Newsletter

March 2005 E-Newsletter
Editors: Esmeralda Arzola and Lacey Moy

IN THIS ISSUE:

Latinitas Year in Review
Support Latinitas Si Se Puede Walk-A-Thon
March Hosts Eating Disorder Awaremess Week
Board Spotlight: Federico Subervi-Velez
Latinitas Explore UT

LATINITAS YEAR IN REVIEW: Two years strong, Latinitas continues to publish monthly in English and Spanish. But now, a growing team of editors, reporters, translators and photographers alternate the production of fresh content each month for Latinitas and Teen Latinitas, (www.teenlatinitas.org) a sister version started this year to complement the original magazine started in a University of Texas's Latinos and Media course.

Receiving nods from the press and the community, Latinitas was recognized by local media outlets KXAN-TV, KTBC-TV, Rumbo Diario, Ahora Si, and was named Best of Austin 2004, "Best Aspiring Journalists" by media critics at the Austin Chronicle last year. And this winter, Latinitas founders and outreach participants were taped for a feature to be aired this spring on the national TV show, American Latino.

The fundraising committee was strong in 2004, successfully organizing several money-yielding events. The summer fundraiser, the Latin Night Vibe benefit concert, raised the largest amount of money and featured local troubadour Mary Welch and her band the Curanderos, Latino rockers Drink and reggae group the Rokka-tones. Also, the volunteers organized two prosperous garage sales and sold temporary tattoos at local festivals. In addition, Latinitas held their first Annual Campaign, soliciting over 120 businesses in Austin's Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

We formed Latinitas first board of directors, yielding from a dedicated pool of volunteers and recruiting outgoing Hispanic professionals. They have helped us gain prominence and recognition in the community and have spearheaded some fundraising events. Our Latinitas committees grew exponentially including the ongoing volunteer support of the University of Texas's Tower Public Relations staff helping us write press releases, announce events, and work with the media.

February marked Latinitas 2nd anniversary in publication. This year we will celebrate with the launch of a new site interface designed with the help of Coefficient Designs, a web design company in San Marcos.

2004 also marked the second year of our Club Latinitas program at Martin Middle School. Five 7th graders returned this year and nine 6th graders have joined us for new activities involving journalism and digital technology. Club L is facilitated by Laura Donnelly and Marcela Evans this year. To provide relevant and authentic content for Teen Latinitas, the Teen Reporter Intern Program was originated by UT journalism student Sandie Taylor early in 2004. Sandie mentors and edits the work of five consistent reporters from multiple Austin high schools.

Thanks to all of you who supported Latinitas this past year we will continue to pair Latina youth with media and technology helping them grow and succeed while producing a forum to publish their work.

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SUPPORT LATINTAS SI SE PUEDE WALK-A-THON: Obesity rates have quadrupled for Latino youth since the eighties and continue to grow exponentially. Hispanic youth are especially susceptible to high rates of heart disease and diabetes. To get the message out about healthy living, Latinitas has organized a Si Se Puede Walk-A-Thon for the youth participants in its outreach program. We hope you can make an "active" pledge towards Latinitas and the girls and volunteers who will be walking on Sat. April 2nd from 10am to 1pm. Every donation matters!

Click here to donate: http://www.active.com/donations/campaign_public.cfm?key=latinitaswalk Top
MARCH HOSTS EATING DISORDER AWARENESS WEEK: It appears as though the number of American women who are obsessed with thinness continues to increase. In fact, the rates for eating disorders in young Hispanic women has been steadily increasing and are now at higher risk, reports SCAN's Pulse, a journal for sports, cardiovascular, and wellness nutritionists.

Many women feel extreme pressure to assimilate into mainstream society. The media is constantly sending images to young women about "physical perfection." Images of "Coca-Cola bottle" bodies, such as Salma Hayek and J.Lo, are sending out the message that Latinas must have a curvy figure while maintaining a 24-inch waist.

Megan Cano, a teenage soccer player from Austin and Teen Latinitas contributor agrees, "I have a flat- stomach and a big butt. I like my body, but some of the clothes made today feel uncomfortable. They are not made for (my) shape."

At home, food is an important part of Hispanic culture.

"Latino families show love with big meals," says one Latinitas' volunteer whose daughter began the symptoms of bulimia over five months ago, "If someone is sad you say, 'Sit with me and have some cake.'"

Trends dictate that "thin is in." Compound such notions and other stress factors and eating habits will either decrease or increase says GENaustin's (the Girl Empowerment Network) Director of Programs Barb Steinberg. "Girls turn to what feels good- instant gratification. And, food never disappoints," says Steinberg.

We live in a society that is constantly obsessing about body image and diets. And that obsession can trigger a potentially deadly illness in young women of all races. Texas State University counselor Blanca Sanchez-Navarro points out a few ways to role model good body image. On helping a friend or family member dealing with a potential eating disorder, she says remind them to look critically at media images and messages about how women should look. She says it is essential to remind others that their body is far more valuable for what it does than how it looks.

For more information on eating disorder recovery go to http://www.theelisaproject.org/, an national eating disorder awareness site commemorating a young woman who died from anorexia and bulemia.

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BOARD SPOTLIGHT: FEDERICO SUBERVI-VELEZ: For more than twenty years, Dr. Federico Subervi-Velez, a Puerto Rico native, has been teaching, conducting research and publishing works on issues related to the mass media and ethnic groups. Now living in Austin, Texas, this media consultant and scholar is the director of the Latinos and Media Project (www.latinosandmedia.org) and board chair of Latinitas, Inc.

Federico has held several academic positions throughout his long career including posts in the communications departments at University of California-Santa Barbara, the University of Texas at Austin, and Pace University in New York City. He has also been UNESCO professor at the Universidad Metodista de Sao Paulo and visiting professor at the Universidad Diego Portales in Santiago Chile and the University of Amsterdam.

"As a young organization, Federico's tireless support and advice is one our most valuable assets," says Latinitas co-founder Laura Donnelly. "It was the provocation of an assignment in his class at the University of Texas that borne the Latinitas project."

Federico Subervi-Velez has pioneered the study of communication and diversity and devoted his time serving on editorial boards and acting as an advisor to help several non-profit organizations, public and private entities and Latin countries. There is no doubt that he is committed to his purpose and his efforts will continue to help the Latin population to prosper.

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LATINITAS EXPLORE UT: On Saturday March 5, Latinitas volunteers took its Club L program to the University of Texas's Explore UT event. Girls engaged in campus workshops all day such as acting as an anchor on UT's campus news broadcast, learning what it takes to make a good advertising slogan, and even practicing a good "business handshake" at the school of business. For some of the girls in Club L, it was the first time on the University of Texas campus.

Club Latinitas "reporterita" Laura Monroy comments on the day's activities, "I'm going to ask my mom if I can go to school and live here. This school is so much fun. She might not want me to move, but if she saw this she might change her mind."

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