Hispanic Heritage Month: Q&A with 12 Informa

In 12 News’ Hispanic Heritage Month special , 12 News This Morning anchor Kait Walsh sat down with the team behind 12 Informa , our digital Spanish-language news program. Here are some excerpts from their Q&A session.

Kait Walsh : We have a lot of Spanish-speaking people from Latin America, from Spain, from all over the world in Rhode Island and the South Coast of Massachusetts, so this is huge, what you’ve been doing over the past — how long would you say now?

Delia Rodríguez-Masjoan : It’s been over a year right now, so we just inaugurated the second year of doing 12 Informa. Rhode Island has one of the fastest-growing Latino communities [in the United States], and we’re so small that many times we don’t see it, but we’re approximately, I would say based from the last census to now, close to 200,000 Latinos in the state of Rhode Island.

Rodríguez-Masjoan : People that are newly arrived in the country, they’re looking for information and they’re looking for outlets that can provide that. So, with our reporters, with the show, with 12 Informa, we can really bring the information that’s important to the community.

Walsh: So this is a really important outlet for people to be able to get their local news in a way they might not otherwise be able to get by watching television and watching online?

Alex Torres-Perez : When I first moved from Puerto Rico to Florida when I was 10 years old, one thing I noticed was that there was just no news in Spanish. I would see my dad watching news from Puerto Rico, and I was always curious: “What’s happening here? What’s happening in my home or my community?” To be able to tell the stories of our community and share that with others, it’s been a blessing.

Rodríguez-Masjoan : I’ve been in the state for 37 years. When I came there were barely about 40,000 Latinos. So I’ve seen the growth! I did work for the census one year and saw that every 10 years, the [growing] Latino population of Rhode Island is the one that maintains the population in order for us to maintain two congressional seats.

Vallery Maravi : When it first started it was, “Yeah, let’s put it out there, let’s do it!” But once you’re there, you meet the people, it’s like, “There’s a need.” The experience has been amazing, and to serve my community too — it’s just a little more special.

Walsh: What kinds of stories are you providing?

Torres-Perez: I like to focus a lot on hard news. What’s going on? What do people need to know about what’s going on in their community? But also we highlight a lot of our community leaders . For example, a few months ago, the Diocese of Providence just ordained our first priest that was [Dominican], and so many people went to his ordination. It’s important to show people that we’re here and that we tell their stories as well.

Rodríguez-Masjoan : One [important aspect] is information. People want to buy a house . People want to find a job. Whatever it is, we bring those organizations that provide that information, the “how-to.”

But then it’s also the human stories, right? Because people love to see themselves reflected. When somebody tells their stories, either how they started a business a long time ago or how they came to this country or how they got to where they are, they are inspired. They see themselves reflected in those Latinos and they want to see more.

Rodríguez-Masjoan : Having worked in Spanish media for the last 20-odd years, it’s really important to have that local connection, that local information, that connection with the organizations but also with the mainstream community to know what’s going on … People know that [we’re] out there doing this and are really excited. They know that 12 Informa is the best way to be able to reach the community.

Walsh: So for people who want to watch 12 Informa, where can they find it?

Maravi: Events coming up, special events where [people] can get information about financial help, mental health — we all constantly post it on our Facebook page, 12 Informa .

Torres-Perez: And then on our website, 12Informa.com — and also if you go to just our WPRI.com website, you can access it that way as well.

Watch the full conversation in the video player above, and watch our full Hispanic Heritage Special right here .

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WPRI.com.