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CCNMA changes name for changing times
At its 35th Anniversary Gala & 27th Scholarship Banquet in Los Angeles on June 1, 2007, the California Chicano News Media Association announced that it is changing its name to CCNMA: Latino Journalists of California. The organization was created in 1972 by a handful of Latino male journalists who originally called the group the California Chicano Newsmen’s Association, identifying as Chicanos as a reflection of the Chicano civil rights movement occurring at the time. But after realizing that there were Latino women working in journalism, the name of the organization was changed to the California Chicano Newsmedia Association. In later years “Newsmedia” was separated into two words to create the acronym CCNMA. In the early years, most Latinos working in journalism in Los Angeles were of Mexican heritage and identified as Chicanos. But over the past 35 years, as the organization spread south to San Diego and north to Sacramento, Latinos from other regions, particularly from Central America, began practicing journalism, in English and Spanish, throughout California. “Non-Chicanos have always been part of the membership and the leadership of CCNMA, but we recognized that some Latinos were not comfortable associating with an organization that so prominently identified with the term Chicano,” said Julio Moran, executive director of CCNMA. Moran said the acronym was kept as part of the name out of respect for history and the original members who founded the organization, with the new tag line reflecting the current identification preference by Latino journalists working in California.
Former CCNMA-San Diego student member turns pro, lands L.A. Times job
Former CCNMA-San Diego member Jaime Cardenas, a San Diego native who grew up in Tijuana, was recently hired as a Los Angeles Times sports writer. Cardenas, who started a CCNMA student chapter attending Southwestern College in Chula Vista, was an active member, volunteering at many chapter events, including the annual La Pluma fundraising event. After attending Southwestern College, Cardenas attended California State University Fullerton, from which he recently graduated. He worked as an intern at the Los Angeles Times and was then hired on as a full time staff writer just last month. A recent entry by Kevin Roderick on LAObserved.com presents a fitting tribute to Cardenas, who will always be known in these circles as a hard-working CCNMA member who got what he wanted. We’re proud of you, Jaime. Here’s the link: http://www.laobserved.com/archive/2007/08/intern_gets_lat_sports_jo.php.
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