Embedding La Cultura: Digital Engagement by a Latinx Nonprofit Organization

Jasmine Villa; Jennifer Falcón

doi:10.59236/rjv20i3pp56-67

Reflections: A Journal of Community-Engaged Writing and Rhetoric Jun 2021 Open Access

Embedding La Cultura: Digital Engagement by a Latinx Nonprofit Organization

Jasmine Villa ; Jennifer Falcón

Abstract

Located in Austin, TX, Latinitas describes itself as one of the only bilingual tech organizations in the U.S. and prides itself for creating the first digital magazine made for and by Latina youth. In 2002, Latinitas was developed as a project by a group of undergraduate students in a Latinos in Media course at the University of Texas at Austin. Founders of Latinitas saw a need for more representation and stories by Latinas. Prior to the organization receiving its non-profit status, the organization ran as a student-led group. Since 2003, the organization has grown and adapted to the needs of the community and has provided an assortment of writing, leadership, tech, STEM, and college preparation workshops for Latina youth in middle school and high school. Through these workshops and the online magazine, “Latinas discover their voice and develop media skills while building a solid foundation for their future” (Donelly 2017). In addition to serving 3,000 girls annually through a variety of workshops, their online magazine continues to be a key tool for sharing multimedia content that represent the evolving digital landscape and what it means to be a Latina[1]. The work by the magazine’s editors and writers support and circulate the organizational identity[2] of Latinitas. In this article, we focus on how Latinitas, as a Latinx[3] organization, challenges the deficit perspective of Latina youth while trying to keep up with a changing digital landscape.

Journal: Reflections: A Journal of Community-Engaged Writing and Rhetoric
Published: 2021-06-30
DOI: 10.59236/rjv20i3pp56-67
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Topics: graduate education multilingual writers
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Operating Officer at Latinitas, notes that the organization has never barred girls from o…

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Embedding La Cultura: Digital Engagement by a Latinx Nonprofit Organization

Abstract

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (0)

References (11)

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