In late 2019, the Sun-Times debuted La Voz Chicago as an experimental section in the newspaper to better serve Spanish-speaking readers.
After that test run, we made it official: On May 10, 2020, we launched suntimes.com/lavoz — which provided Spanish-first coverage of COVID-19 and relevant issues disproportionately impacting the Chicago area’s growing Latino communities.
Latinos, who now make up the second-largest demographic in the city per the latest Census, span the majority of Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods, with roots in Mexico, Puerto Rico, El Salvador, Ecuador, Colombia and other Latin American countries.
In the past three years, editor Jackie Serrato has overseen La Voz Chicago’s expansion online and the production of seven print editions inserted into the Sun-Times newspaper. Some of those sections were also distributed for free in ZIP codes with large Spanish-speaking populations.
Our coverage has included reporting on South American migrants, a look at demographic changes in Latino neighborhoods, an interview with Chicana author Sandra Cisneros, a review of the Netflix series “Taco Chronicles” and updates on developments at the Little Village Discount Mall.
La Voz Chicago continues to gain readership through our popular daily newsletter, managed by audience engagement editor and reporter Ambar Colón. In 2022, encouraged by incoming Sun-Times executive editor Jennifer Kho, La Voz launched its first side-by-side bilingual print edition in order to make its stories more accessible and inclusive.
Now, on our third anniversary, we’re reimagining La Voz Chicago to better serve the local Latino communities. With a focus on culture and lifestyle stories, the improved La Voz aims to showcase and celebrate the breadth and intersectionality of the diverse Latino communities in the Chicago area.
The Sun-Times held reader listening sessions across the city in recent months, including in Little Village and Pilsen with the support of La Voz, to find out about the issues and stories Chicagoans want more of.
Our future coverage will include service journalism to help Latinos participate in — and get the most out of — our community, stories about triumphs and solutions, and articles that feature diverse voices and experiences.
Please join us by reading this section and signing up for our newsletter at suntimes.com/lavoz. Let us know what you think by emailing lavoz@suntimes.com.
You can also support the Sun-Times by donating or becoming a member at suntimes.com/become-a-member or subscribing to the paper at suntimes.deal.com. Thanks for reading!
