COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY
LATINO ADVERSITY
The 2020 census revealed the largest demographic in Texas was Latinos. Despite this, Latinos still face adversity. I tried to call attention to the adversity that Latinos face in broadcast journalism, a feature story and a personal column. Click the images below to read more information about each individual story and to access the links for each piece.
DEPICTING DISABILITIES
The disabled population at my school is rarely recognized. I tried to change that. The stories behind Luc Wehby and Ashton Smith needed to be told. Despite their disabilities, both contributed to the school’s culture. Click the headlines below to read more information about each individual story and to access the links for each piece.
REPRESENTATION PRAISE
In this episode of my book podcast, my co-host and I called attention to the diverse and important representation in Heartstopper by Alice Oseman. I recognized the importance of accurate teen representation from the teenage cringe to first relationships. I also acknowledged how Heartstopper tackled issues like mental health, family dynamics and coming to terms with one’s sexuality.
REPRESENTATING CULTURES
The package in this October 2021 issue of the newsmagazine was “Our Roots.” It told the stories of how people celebrate their cultures. I got quotes for the “Our Food” section. I understand the significance in passing on recipes to spread culture, especially because I grew up routinely eating my dad’s Mexican food. I shared students’ stories about how specific foods represent and impact their relationship with their cultures. Click the image to expand.
STAFF DIVERSITY
It is important to have multiple perspectives on the staff to accurately represent the school. I helped harness a diverse staff through many recruiting efforts and by creating a welcoming space in the classroom. Kingwood Park is 56% non-Hispanic white, 31% Hispanic, 7% Black and 2% Asian. The newspaper staff is about 68% non-Hispanic white, 25% Hispanic and 7% Black. The hardest group to maintain on staff is men. There were no men in-person on staff the year before I joined. Now, 29% of the staff is men. The newspaper staff has also become a safe organization for LGBTQ+ people. About 39% of the newspaper staff openly identifies as LGBTQ+.
Maya Shea Ortiz 