EDITORIAL
It’s been seven years since my brother decided to take a chance at starting his own business, something that he quickly realized was more of a service than a business. I still remember him coming up to me and asking about his idea.
“What do you think of the name Hola America?”
I thought sounded friendly and I remembering saying that it’s like the paper is saying “Hola” (Hello) to the individual about to pick it up.
Well, hello and most importantly, thank you.
Thank you for taking the time to pick it up and reading through our pages. I personally was not too sure about this idea back then, but now I have come to realize how important this publication is to some people. The Latino community has depended on our publication for many things that some local media would not even cover or know about. Just last week we promoted and covered the Mexican Consulate visit to Silvis that assisted many Mexican immigrants get documents they needed. We promoted and covered the May 1st marches last year that united the community in the face of unjust political agendas. We have talked to presidential candidates and asked them about the issues that matter to you the reader. We have covered national and local elections. Hola America has also given the entertainment that our readers are looking for, like our interview with singer Jenny Rivera. We cater to the wide spectrum of Latinos in our community. We are a true reflection of the local Latino community.
Our mission statement: “Hola America English/Spanish Newspaper will always do its best to properly reflect the Latino community fairly and with dignity.”
This is something that we genuinely believe in. This is all done from the perspective of Latinos, and that is very important for a number of reasons that are too long to list.
And while the Latino community has grown, we have mirrored that growth and today we reach many more communities in western Ill. and eastern Iowa than before.
To all of the people who look for the new issue every couple weeks, to the contributors, to those who visit our website, to those who took the time to write to us, and to our clients who make this free publication and service possible, Hola America as a newspaper, service, and family says THANK YOU for the last seven years.