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HouWeAre celebrates the start of Hispanic Hertage Month

Starting last week, HouWeAre has returned to biweekly production as we continue to strive to bring our valued readers the stories and narratives that spotlight, celebrate and examine the tapestry of one of the nation's most diverse cities.

Do you have a story to share or know of one that needs to be told? Share it with us here.

In today's edition, reporter Jhair Romero shares the 30-year journey of ¡Que Onda! Magazine for local Latinos; reporter Matt deGrood breaks down Houston's spike in hate crime; and sports reporter Danielle Lerner spotlights Olympian Simone Manuel's foundation to increase diverse representation in swimming.

Welcome back to HouWeAre.

Jaundréa Clay, HouWeAre editor

HouWeAre@houstonchronicle.com

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Gabriel Esparza, publisher of the bilingual publication ¡Que Onda! magazine, talks about the most important things he reports in his office on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023, in Houston. Esparza's parents started the magazine 30 years ago to keep Spanish-speaking residents of Houston informed.

Photo by: Annie Mulligan, Contributor

¡Que Onda! Magazine marks 30 years as resource for Houston Latinos

Founded in 1993 by José and Lilia Esparza as a Spanish-language entertainment weekly, ¡Que Onda! Magazine, celebrating its 30th anniversary, has grown into one of Houston's most prominent Latino-focused publications and a resource for communities across the city.

¡Que Onda!, its name stemming from a popular way to ask "What's up?" in parts of Latin America, first gained prominence through its founders' marketing savvy.

But it was the magazine's entertainment reporting and promotion of Hispanic musicians from a variety of backgrounds that made it a staple during a time when Houston's Latino population swelled and the popularity of Latin American artists in the United States skyrocketed.

"Our job is to educate through this newspaper," says publisher Gabriel Esparza, who helped found the publication but took over after his father's death in 2006 and his mother's retirement 12 years ago. "This isn't about selling paper, and it never has been."

What We're Talking About

According to a new report, the number of hate crimes reported in Houston spiked in 2022, part of a nationwide trend that saw surges in many major cities. Reporter Matt deGrood breaks down the data.
Today is the start of Rosh Hashanah, or Jewish new year. Here's why one of Judaism's holiest days is so important to Jewish communities around the globe. (USA Today)

Our Picks

Simone Manuel, competing in July in Irvine, Calif., has launched a foundation with the goal of helping Blacks in swimming, both competitive and recreational.

Photo by: Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

Olympian Simone Manuel launches swim safety foundation

The Simone Manuel Foundation's goal is to provide education and resources around water safety and swim readiness for Black, Indigenous and people of color.

Jacinto Vega and Gustavo Garrison finish a Hispanic Heritage Month-theme mural on the Midtown sign in Bagby Park, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023, in Houston.

Photo by: Jason Fochtman, Staff Photographer

Hispanic Heritage Month: How to celebrate Latino culture in. Houston

Houston, a city with one of the largest Hispanic populations in the country, has been gearing up for a celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month which begins Sept. 15.

Artist and Chief Curator at Houston Museum of African American Culture Christopher Blay showcases a new installation in the ION Building on Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023, in Houston.

Photo by: Raquel Natalicchio/Staff Photographer

Houston museum curator's triple duty as curator, artist, writer

His latest curated show at the Houston Museum of African American Culture, 'Johnny Floyd: GODBODY,' opens Sept. 15 for a two-month run.

Four young women standing beside a convertible automobile, ca. 1958. This image appears in

Photo by: Courtesy Of WANN Radio Station Records, Archives Center, National Museum Of American History, Smithsonian Institution., Archives Center, National Museum

'Green Book' exhibit explores segregation-era life of Black travelers

"The Negro Motorist Green Book" exhibit, a collaboration with author Candacy Taylor, is open at the Holocaust Museum Houston through Nov. 26.

One More Thing

This weekend, Asia Society Texas is hosting the Jaipur Literature Festival, blending the festival's spirit of literature with Houston's unique culture and diversity. Learn more at jlflitfest.org/houston.

From the HouWeAre team of Jaundréa Clay, Joy Sewing, Fatima Farha, Asha Gilbert and Yasmeen Khalifa, thanks for reading. If this email was forwarded to you, sign up for HouWeAre here. Let us know what you think by emailing us at HouWeAre@chron.com.