This Central Valley bilingual weekly publication captured five national gold awards
Vida en el Valle reporter María G. Ortiz-Briones picked up four gold and one silver award in the José Martí national competition organized by the National Association of Hispanic Publications.
The winners of 50 editorial categories in the José Martí awards – the country’s largest competition of Latino newspapers and magazines – were announced at the association’s annual convention Oct. 24-26 in Phoenix.
Vida en el Valle editor Juan Esparza Loera won a gold in photography.
The weekly publication also won four bronze awards.
“The five first-place awards are the most we have won in at least 10 years,” said Esparza Loera. Vida en el Valle has won more best bilingual newspaper awards than any other publication.
The gold awards
▪ National political article: A story by Ortiz-Briones on how the family of 9-year-old fourth-grader Jaylen Cazares, one of 19 students at Uvalde’s Robb Elementary School who were killed in a May 2022 massacre, wanted their daughter remembered.
▪ Education article: Reporting by Ortiz-Briones on how Latino students majoring in agriculture at Fresno State are changing the face of agriculture from their family history.
▪ Cultural article: A story by Ortiz-Briones exploring the Madera-based Mixtecos Unidos La Danza de los Diablos maintains its Oaxacan culture through traditional dances.
▪ Community photo: A photo by Ortiz-Briones of a daughter kissing her mother at a September 2022 naturalization ceremony.
▪ News event photo: A photo by Esparza Loera of Ballet Folclórico Guadalajara performing in front of the Madera County Courthouse in May 2022
Silver award
▪ Local political article: An October 2022 story by Ortiz-Briones about how Madera City Councilmember Elsa Mejía endures racism like fellow Oaxacans.
Bronze awards
▪ Outstanding bilingual weekly. The top award went to La Semana del Sur from Tulsa, Oklahoma.
▪ Hispanic success story: A report by Esparza Loera on Ana de Alba, the daughter of farmworkers from Dos Palos who slept on the floor until getting her own bed when she was 15. De Alba became the first Latina to sit on the U.S. District Court of Appeals for the Eastern District of California.
▪ Cultural article: A feature on Ukranian exchange student Alina Ivanova who became a Mexican folkloric dancer in Selma.
▪ Sports photo: A photo by Esparza Loera of Chivas de Guadalajara player Cristián Calderón in action during a March 2022 friendly match against UNAM at Chukchansi Park.
Family of girl killed in Uvalde massacre brings message to California farmworker conference
Interpretan La Danza de los Diablos. Mira cómo celebran estos mixtecos su cultura
