The Famous Fifteen

by Hugo Acosta

2004 – 2019… 15 years that could be identified in many occasions with many events, but in my life, and hopefully for the local Latino (or even non-Latino) community of Central New York (or even the entire New York State), these 15 years has been a mixed of growing pains and enjoyable pleasure, in a journey of varies experiences, that have developed and made the CNY Latino newspaper, what it is now, and yours truly (Hugo Acosta) what he is now.

There is a popular traditional milestone in the Latino culture called Quinceañera, that is the colloquial name of when a Hispanic Girl becomes a woman, at the age of 15 years old (see article about Quinceañera in the print publication of the CNY Latino newspaper February 2019 edition). Now, I don’t want to insinuate any gender classification, nor to identify our newspaper as a female entity, but we could say that we are right now going through (and celebrating) a Quinceañera moment, with this 15-year anniversary, and we probably should be doing all the different actions and components this cultural moment brings. Well… we are not going to do anything like that… not for now, but we will try to enjoy the moment, reflect the milestone, and contemplate about our progress (or our failures – if any).

During the last week of each month, I try with Marisol and our small staff, to put together a publication we want (and hope) to be proud in our culture and for our people, and we do our best to do it error-less and presentable, not only to have a good product to represent well and with pride the publishing industry, but also to represent well and with pride the Latino culture. That last week of the month very often give us chaotic times of deadlines and rushing goals, that we have to handle and struggle, with other business errands or life procedures, and even though there has been some delays or setbacks during this 15 year, we are proud to also indicate they have been very few and very minor, to consider them of any significant issues to grieve and regret about it.

In each anniversary year (for the past 14 years) I have been trying with these editorials, not only to express myself as celebration of each commemoration, but also to describe the feeling of both accomplishment and success, for a product that has been very well welcome from its creation, until nowadays; and I hope that now, I can again provide here, my humbling sense of achievement and appreciation of success. It has not been easy, and in many occasions, it has been frustrating, but once problems have been resolved and obstacles have been overcome, the overall experience was fulfilling and that mentioned sense of success was always very gratifying.

I believe that for the last 4 or 5 editorials (4 or 5 years) I have mentioned the gradual but surely changes the newspaper industry has been going through, and the business alterations we are experiencing (and suffering) with respect of a traditional way of delivering a message (and the news). Those changes are still happening, and are still affecting our product, and in a way also affecting how we do business, and how our chances of being profitable (or how our chances of survival) are; but we will adapt to those changes, and will keep providing to our community and our culture… as long as they demand or ask for. I hope I didn’t sound pessimistic nor I seemed to be negative, but life always changes, and technology is affecting the publishing trade to the point that many newspapers and publications are closing and disappearing. Nevertheless, thanks to our culture, we believe CNY Latino will still be around for a while… maybe 5 or 7 more years… maybe less… maybe more, and we will keep our goals to defend and protect our culture, preserve and safeguard our people (in America), and deliver the message and the news, in BOTH “English” AND “Spanish”, in the traditional paper format, in the new digital version, or however the new changes bring us to do.

Of course (as also mentioned in past editorials), all these accomplishments and successes could not be done, without the constant help and patience of my business (and life) partner Marisol Hernandez, the dedication and commitment of our associates, the sporadic help of our Interns, and the indirect support of our friends and family (especially during those hard-difficult moments). You put all this together with the unconditional backing of our Latino (and non-Latino) community, the loyal readership and the dedicated advertisers, and the supportive vendors, we in CNY Latino have been lucky to become what we are now, and celebrate such of a commemorative and memorial anniversary.

So, with all this said… THANK YOU…! Thank you very much..! and we will try our best, to keep and better the making of this newspaper, to keep and better the delivery of the message and the news, and to keep and better protecting and defending our culture and our people.