The beginning of the end: An introduction to a WhiteLatina

The October 2009 issue of Latina Magazine will be my final issue. I am ending this 3 year subscription without renewal, without hard feelings, but mostly because it is no longer Latina to me.

Three years ago I constantly complained about not being able to find Latina Mag at my local grocery store and having to go to specialty bookstores to actually buy an issue. I would take my copy home and turn the glossy pages, filled with photos of Latinas, some with white ivory skin and others dark molasses. There were thin Latinas, and thick, curvy Latinas who shared their pant size with the nationwide readership! Despite my lack of interest in the kitchen I loved to tear out the recipe pages and keep them in a three-ring binder for the day I might start to cook. That day did come once – I made shrimp seasoned with something delicious and possibly mango, wrapped in aluminum foil. I tossed on the grill for 10 minutes, flipped over for another 10 minutes and then served with rice and black beans.

After hearing my complaints, my boyfriend at the time asked, “Why don’t you just get a subscription, instead of complaining that you can’t find the magazine every month?” I wanted to see the magazine at checkout after raiding Target on pay day, to be able to pick up the February issue while shopping for tissues and Sudafed to nurse my winter cold at the neighborhood CVS (then Sav-ons!). One October day as I was sorting through the mail I happened across an issue of Latina Magazine. Did I subscribe for this while I was drunk? Maybe someone got this for me as a gift and I don’t remember? As I’m listing reasons to myself as to why I have this magazine in my hand, my boyfriend looks over and says, “Oh, by the way, I filled out one of the subscription cards that always fall out of the pages and mailed it in so you don’t have to go searching for the magazine every month.” It was a really practical, yet romantic gesture that lasted a year, and then due to marketing chance, a great deal on another 2 year subscription.

I regret to say that some of my Latina friends may not understand why I have to end my subscription to the only magazine, that in theory, caters to a 20 to 30 something woman. The reality is I used to once work in the publishing world at a small insignificant newspaper, writing copy that reached maybe 30,000 people. Unlike Latina Mag, who reaches over 2 million readers, I may have had limited readership, however I still have ideas of what a Latina Mag should mean to me.

Let’s start with the basics. White space. Aesthetically it can be pleasing or over whelming. While learning page design, one of the cardinal rules was to mind your white space. Not sure what that is? Take a look at how much more white or blank space there is on a copy page (page with type). This change came with the new editor of Latina Mag Mimi Valdez. It was so significant to me that the very first issue she held editorial over left a bad taste in my mouth. Personally I think this is her creativity bleeding through the lines from her days at the music mag Vibe.

I began to notice the curvy women disappearing from the pages, being replaced by thinner Latinas. I myself am of the curvy school of Latinas and rather enjoyed seeing a difference in this magazine, that not all women had to be a size 2, but could range in size and be beautiful. There was a collection of wedding spreads that used to be in the last pages of the magazine which I loved. Although I was not engaged at the time (yes, I am now to Mr. Subscription), I loved seeing the different ways Latin culture could be brought into a wedding, an event so traditional in most Latin cultures and is trumpeted only by the celebration of a new child. From the coin toss, dollar dance to how to create a vintage Mexican feel to a wedding was beyond interesting to me, but I loved learning how a single important event was celebrated in different countries. I loved that there were similarities and such vast differences. Valdez even went so far as to remove the “Ask Dolores” column (think Dear Abby for women of mixed Latino communities) from the magazine and made it a web only section of the magazine. Eventually an editor’s note would mark Dolores’ return due to the high demand and outcry from her absence.

The more I received Latina in the mail, the less I felt a connection to the bulk in the pages. As my Mexican father says, “the straw that broke the cameos’ back”, was the identities that seemed to be favored in the magazine. Previously, Betty Cortina, the Cuban-American editor had spread the love for all countries Latinas come from. I never felt that any Latina was being excluded from the magazine, however, after the year or so of Valdez’ editorialship, it is quite clear she is Puerto Rican. The magazines of Latina have been inundated with the Puerto Rican flag, Puerto Rican singers, actors, politicians, news, etc. The February 2009 issue celebrated Afro-Latinas in honor of Black History month. The editorial photo at the bottom of the editor letter doesn’t lie. Valdez clearly is Puerto Rican and Afro-Latina.

I am by no means racist towards other Latinas, and even being half Cuban, I don’t dislike Puerto Ricans as is the great cultural myth. But why can’t we celebrate Brown or Yellow Latinas? Or, just maybe white Latinas. The likeliness of an issue celebrating brown Latinas I can foresee. Living in Southern California there is a stigma that most Latinos are a shade of brown anyway. But celebrating white Latinas? Never. Could you imagine the controversy? Readers would start shouting about affirmative action, darker skinned readers would complain about how they have less opportunities because of the color of their skin. Let’s face it, the majority of the readership would be up in arms!

Even though Latina Mag is very vague in describing the demographics of their readers, they claim to be 100% Latina, 100% American. I determine that we’ve thrown all the countries in South America, Central America, the Caribbean, Mexico, America and maybe a bit of Spanish in the mix, and voilá, you’ve got a magazine that caters to all Latinas. Clearly, this is no longer the case.

Latina Mag, this is good bye. I know your letters will continue to arrive by mail for months, asking me to come back for the low discounted price off the newsstand issues and you might even throw in a free gift. Truth be told, you no longer serve this Latina’s unique needs or unique lifestyle.