Portrait: National Association of Hispanic Journalists Chapter at the J-School

Making connections with renowned journalists such as Jorge Ramos — the School of Journalism’s 2017 commencement speaker — the National Association of Hispanic Journalists chapter at UC Berkeley is in a time of growth and stability.

Ramos, one of the most prominent Spanish-speaking journalists in the hemisphere, agreed to address Berkeley grads after being asked by a J-Schooler who spent the summer interning at Univision headquarters in Miami.

The chapter has also brought on as its faculty advisor an alum who is an Emmy-nominated journalist and documentary filmmaker. Andrés Cediel (‘04), who works out of the School’s Investigative Reporting Program, agreed to advise the group this semester.

Cediel’s work includes “The Judge and the General,” a documentary about Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, and the award-winning “Rape in the Fields,” an investigation of sexual abuse of immigrant farm workers. He said he was impressed by the motivation and of chapter members and wanted to help in any way he could, including providing mentorship.

“I was the beneficiary of lots of mentors — before, during, and after the J-School,” Cediel said. “It’s extremely powerful and helpful to learn from somebody who has more experience.”

Race and immigration have risen in prominence as political issues in recent months, and NAHJ members have been working to explore those issues from different perspectives.

NAHJ President Angelica Casas (‘17) recently traveled to Arizona with classmate Jennifer Cain (‘17) to shoot a story on a group called Arizona One, which registered 150,000 people to vote, even though many of the group’s members cannot themselves vote because they are undocumented. Their film aired on the PBS Newshour in October.

“That was an important story for me professionally and personally,” Casas said. “We wanted to showcase the power that Latinos have in exercising their voice despite their immigration status.”

Casas, along with classmates Mariela Patron and Robin Simmonds, attended the joint NABJ/NAHJ Convention in Washington, D.C., in August, which drew media institutions such as ESPN, CNN, The Washington Post, CBS, VOX Media, McClatchy, Reuters, Gannett, and Al Jazeera.

The students who attended were eager to connect with potential employers, Casas said, and employers equally excited to meet journalists of color. She said organizations increasingly understand the value of having diverse staffs in order to engage with a broader audience.

Casas gave the example of her summer internship at a major cable-news talk show, where she was the only Latina on staff. She said issues related to race tended not to be raised, unless she or the show’s lone black staffer drew attention to them.

It’s crucial, Cediel said, for students of color and journalists of color to share experiences and help each other out on a wide variety of matters arising both in and outside the newsroom.

“Hispanic journalists who speak different languages have an incredible opportunity to cover communities that are underserved and underreported,” Cediel said. “The Latino population is an increasingly powerful demographic, and it doesn’t receive the amount of coverage that it warrants.”

The UC Berkeley NAHJ chapter has built mentorship into its organizational structure, ensuring the group stays healthy and that its members learn and grow. Last year’s president Gabriela Arvizu (‘16) instituted a system where second-year students mentor and groom their successors. This year, Pablo De La Hoya (‘17) is vice-president, slated to take over from Casas next year. Other officers include treasurer Mariela Patron, marketing chair Juan Manuel Reyes, and professional chair Robin Simmonds.

NAHJ hosted two events this year during Hispanic Heritage Month, which ran from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. The first was a mixer, and the second was a documentary screening of “Ruben Salazar: Man in the Middle,” a film documenting the life and public death of a Los Angeles Times journalist at an anti-war protest in East Los Angeles in 1970. The event also featured a Q&A with the filmmaker, Phillip Rodriguez, who traveled to Berkeley from Los Angeles at the group’s invitation.

“Most of the conversation was about race and our identification, and how it shapes what we do,” Casas said. “[Salazar] was a journalist, but he was also a Latino, so he stood behind a lot of the movements he ended up covering.”

Pegging events to news hooks, in the aftermath of the 2016 presidential election, NAHJ joined with the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association (NLGJA) chapter to host Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas at the J-School. Vargas’ 2013 movie “Undocumented” chronicles his experiences as a working journalist and undocumented immigrant.

Going forward, UC Berkeley’s NAHJ Chapter is enjoying strong ties with the group’s Bay Area Chapter, and its president, Claudia Cruz, who works at CNET en Español.

At a recent meeting, the UC Berkeley NAHJ chapter welcomed its founding president, Raquel Maria Dillón (‘07), back to campus. Since graduation she has worked for the Associated Press and in public radio, and is now a digital video reporter at NBC Bay Area.

“[Dillón] was literally in our shoes 10 years ago,” Casas said. “It gives us hope. It helps us to see where they started and where they are now.”

By Sam-Omar Hall (‘17)

NAHJ BIOS

Angélica M. Casas: Multimedia journalist and two-time student Emmy award-winner

Pablo De La Hoya: Documentary filmmaker and photojournalist

Mariela Patron: Multimedia journalist who has covered education, citizen activism and Los Angeles city life

Robin Simmonds: Reporter drawn to issues involving underserved populations, as well as environmental matters

Juan Manuel Reyes: Multimedia sports reporter

Erika Alvero: Reporter focusing on education, globalization, social justice issues, and wildlife

Akira Olivia Kumamoto: Video and narrative journalist who reports on media representation, the arts and multiracial issues

Marcos Martinez: Investigative journalist focused on politics and the Hispanic community

Gabriel Tolliver: Former U.S. Army video journalist, author, haiku poet, mixed-media artist, entrepreneur and filmmaker

Jackeline Luna: Journalist who covers housing in the Bay Area

Nate Sheidlower: Writer who covers public health issues and attitudes

Liliana Michelena Rebatta: Multimedia journalist originally from Peru