New Magazine to Give Voice to Latinx Stories

Emerson students Valentina Amaro ’20 and Vera Santana ’20 say they hope to give Latinx students a new voice on campus with their new magazine, Raiz Latinoamericana.

Raiz Latinoamericana (Latin American Root), which will debut in early December, will feature student poetry, short stories, art, photography, and other work by Latinx students.

“It’s a collection of arts and ideas that represent, or feel that they’re from, the Latinx community,” Amaro, who is studying Marketing and Political Communications, said.

Santana, a Communication Studies major, added that anyone who feels a connection to the Latinx community was welcome to submit work for their magazine. The editors are open to Latinx students submitting anything they want, and non-Latinx students can submit work related to Latinx themes, she said.

“We just wanted it to be a voice for those who feel like their voice is not big enough on campus,” Santana said.
Although the submission deadline was November 1, students will have an opportunity to show their work next semester, as well as join the team as translators, editors, and social media directors, Santana said. She said students who are interested in helping them produce the magazine should email them at valentina_amaro@emerson.edu and vera_santana@emerson.edu.

Amaro and Santana said they hope the magazine will be inclusive and accessible to non-Latinx students, so they’re printing it in both Spanish and English.

Raiz Latinoamericana is a new organization on campus that creates Latinx productions, including the magazine. The group is also working on a short film and a documentary about the protests in Venezuela.

Amaro said she hopes the magazine will build community on campus. She wants the magazine to help build understanding among cultures through students’ stories.

“I really have high hopes for [the magazine], honestly,” she said. “Since we’ve said we are doing this magazine, a lot of students have come to us and said this is really needed on campus. I feel that we would make that space that many people feel right now that they don’t have.”