Gerardo Fernandez: A Positive Light for Latinos in the Media

At first glance, Gerardo Fernandez is fairly unassuming. Standing at an average height of 5’10” with understated boyish clothing and a sheepish grin, you wouldn’t necessarily peg him as the editor-in-chief of Alianza News, one of San Jose’s most prominent Latino news publications. Yet after two years of following in his father’s footsteps and taking engineering classes at the University of Washington, the Mexico City native decided to switch to a career in journalism. Early success in radio with appearances on programs such as “Pajaro Latino-Americano” in San Francisco and regular pieces featured in El Tecolote eventually led to his dream job: editor-in-chief of a well-respected Latino newspaper. However, Fernandez is quick to point out that the road to his achievements was not always such an easy one.

As a Latino in a field that is dominated by Caucasian journalists covering predominately Caucasian stories, it is no wonder Fernandez felt marginalized. “Just by having a Latino last name, I am looked at in a certain way, and am automatically placed in a certain niche,” Fernandez explains. “It can be very frustrating.” And he is certainly not alone in his sentiment. Rick Sanchez, former reporter for CNN and proud Cuban-American has stated on multiple occasions that he was told he could never be an anchor because those positions were reserved for the “high profile white guys.”

The fact of the matter is that Latinos are not prominent figures in the media, and on the rare occasion they are, it is usually associated with something negative, such as illegal immigration or drug-related crime. In the spring of 2009, Sonia Sotomayor became the first Latino to be nominated for a seat on the Supreme Court of the United States. A huge milestone for the Latino/Hispanic community, Sotomayor’s nomination received considerable media attention, and was the most popular Latino news story between Feb. 9th and Aug. 9th of that year, with H1N1 and Mexican Drug violence coming in a close second and third, according to a study done by the Pew Hispanic Center and the Project for Excellence in Journalism. Yet looking at the media as a whole during that six-month period, only 654 of 34, 452 articles made any reference to Latinos and only 57 actually discussed an aspect of Latino life in the United States. Furthermore, although many journalists covering the Sotomayor story did state that her ethnic background was not the most important aspect of her nomination and that her qualifications were a far more relevant topic, the fact that she was Latina was still mentioned fifty percent of the time.

For Fernandez, life as a journalist has been rewarding yet exhausting. As the only member of his family living in the United States and a successful Mexican-American journalist, he feels it is his job to counterbalance the negative image of gun-toting, tattooed criminals and uneducated, dirty families slipping past our borders with concrete stories of Latino successes and cultural celebration. Rossana Drummond, publisher of Alianza News and friend to Fernandez has seen firsthand the benefits of the work Fernandez has done for the San Jose community and the Latino/Hispanic community as a whole. “Gerardo serves a distinct purpose as the face of Alianza News. People expect him to set an example for their children and family back home in Mexico, as something they should work towards. He is something they can aspire to, and reminds them that the American dream is possible.” Upon hearing this, Fernandez simply shrugs. “I’m just doing what I feel is right. People may criticize Hispanics for a lot of things, but just read through a copy of Alianza News and they might find their perceptions may change.”

Alma Martinez, a San Jose resident of 12 years and mother of four is an avid reader of Alianza News and could not be more proud of her Oaxacan heritage. Like Fernandez, Martinez has grown weary of the negativity of the news. “I turn on the television nowadays and all I see are stories of murders and earthquakes and tragedy, and I open the San Francisco Chronicle and there is no mention of Latinos whatsoever. Gerardo Fernandez should be proud of the work he’s doing. I miss my family in Mexico everyday but at least now I can tell them that I am staying culturally connected by reading a newspaper that actually cares about Latinos.”

As our global network continues to expand via social networking and online media sources, many experts have postulated that newspapers such as the Alianza News will become obsolete. It is a growing concern for even the most respected publications, and threatens to jeopardize thousands of jobs and livelihoods, especially for smaller, localized operations. Still, Fernandez remains optimistic. “It is easy to forget where we come from as immigrants in this country. The minute we find success, we forget about family back home who are struggling and we only look after ourselves. Alianza News is that connection back to an older way of life, and to our culture. It reminds us that we can be whatever we want and do whatever we want, but we will never be free from our heritage.”