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  • Arizona Memory Project now home to territorial Spanish-language newspaper

Arizona Memory Project now home to territorial Spanish-language newspaper

PRESS RELEASE
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For Immediate Release
Friday, November 20, 2020

PHOENIX – Started nearly 20 years before Arizona would become a state, El Observador Mexicano served the Mexican American population that called the Salt River Valley home. From 1897 to 1898, it claimed to be the only Spanish-language newspaper published in the Territory’s capital. Editor R. Silva A. was personally involved in civic organizations that lead to editorials and politically leaning articles about the Spanish-American War, Cuba’s fight for independence, and the actions of the Mexican president. El Observador Mexicano also included community news, church and train schedules, poetry, and a professional directory.

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“Between the 1880s and 1900, about a dozen short-lived Spanish language newspapers were circulating in Phoenix,” said Sativa Peterson, National Digital Newspaper Program Grant project director and news content program manager for the State of Arizona Research Library. “One of these was El Observador Mexicano, which provided information to the Spanish speaking community and offered advertising opportunities for Mexican businesspeople.”

This is just one of the seven Spanish-language newspaper titles that were digitized and added to the Arizona Memory Project by the Arizona State Library in partnership with the University of Arizona Libraries, thanks to the National Endowment for the Humanities and Library of Congress’ National Digital Newspaper Program. These new issues of El Observador Mexicano span 1897-1898 and will be available indefinitely and for free on any digital device at http://go.azsos.gov/elobservador.

For questions about this or any digital collection, or for cultural institutions interested in sharing collections on the Arizona Memory Project, contact [email protected].


The Arizona Memory Project provides free online access to the wealth of primary sources in Arizona archives, museums, libraries, and other cultural institutions. The Arizona Memory Project is supported by the Arizona State Library, Archives & Public Records, a division of the Secretary of State, with federal funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

 

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Periódico territorial en español ahora disponible en el Proyecto de Memoria de Arizona

PHOENIX – Iniciado casi 20 años antes de que Arizona se convirtiera en un estado, El Observador Mexicano sirvió a la población mexicana-estadounidense que llamó Salt River Valley su hogar. De 1897 a 1898, afirmó ser el único periódico en español publicado en la capital del Territorio. El editor R. Silva A. estuvo personalmente involucrado en organizaciones cívicas y luego artículos políticamente inclinados sobre la guerra hispano-estadounidense, la lucha de Cuba por la independencia y las acciones del presidente mexicano. El Observador Mexicano también incluyó noticias comunitarias, horarios de iglesias y trenes, poesía y un directorio profesional.

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“Entre las décadas de 1880 y 1900, alrededor de una docena de periódicos de corta duración en español circulaban en Phoenix”, dijo Sativa Peterson, la directora del proyecto de subvención del Programa Nacional de Periódicos Digitales y gerente del programa de contenido de noticias para la Biblioteca de Investigación del Estado de Arizona. “Uno de ellos fue El Observador Mexicano, que proporcionó información a la comunidad de habla hispana y ofreció oportunidades de publicidad para empresarios mexicanos".

Este es sólo uno de los siete títulos de periódicos en español que fueron digitalizados y agregados al Proyecto de Memoria de Arizona por la Biblioteca Estatal de Arizona en asociación con las Bibliotecas de la Universidad de Arizona, gracias a la Dotación Nacional para las Humanidades y el Programa Nacional de Periódicos Digitales de la Biblioteca del Congreso. Las ediciones de El Observador Mexicano de 1897 a 1898 estarán disponibles indefinidamente y se pueden ver de forma gratuita en cualquier dispositivo digital en http://go.azsos.gov/elobservador.

Para preguntas sobre esta o cualquier colección digital, o para instituciones culturales interesadas en compartir colecciones con el Proyecto de Memoria de Arizona, comuníquese con [email protected].


El Proyecto de Memoria de Arizona proporciona acceso gratuito en línea a la gran cantidad de fuentes primarias en los archivos, museos, bibliotecas y otras instituciones culturales de Arizona. El Proyecto de Memoria de Arizona está apoyado por la Biblioteca, Archivos y Registros Públicos del Estado de Arizona, una división de la Secretaría de Estado, con fondos federales del Instituto de Servicios de Museos y Bibliotecas.

 

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Sophia Solis
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Phone: (480) 417-2802 | Email

 

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