This year we produced more stories than ever before. And with new Sports, Food and Film sections, these stories covered a wider range of topics than we ever have – from news on the new TV pilot ordered by NBC that features a Dominican-American family for the first time (Vlad), to a feature on the Peruvian teenager fighting to make Quechua cool again, to the secret history of how Mexico pushed baseball toward racial integration, among others.
But there were three types of stories in particular that really caught your attention this year:
- Stories about strong women
- Stories that revisited our roots and history as Latinos to provide context for current trends.
- Stores about celebrities who spoke up for the Latino community.
With that in mind, here are our top 10 most read articles of the year:
1
Three Young Mexican Girls Covered “Enter Sandman” and Blew Our Minds
Date: April 9
In April, we took notice of three sisters – Daniela, Paulina, and Alejandra – who mastered Metallica’s “Enter Sandman.” Unlike other done-to-death covers of the song, this one captivated us and you.
Read the original article here.
2
This Frida Kahlo-Inspired Cartoon Will Get You Through the Day
Date: June 29
With one cartoon, Gavin Aung Than showed why Frida Kahlo’s refusal to give into society’s beauty norms is so important. Here, a young girl, who is rocking her own pair of Frida-esque brows, learns to love the way she looks because of Frida.
Read the adorbs comic here.
3
Anthony Bourdain Pays Respects to Carlos Llaguno on Twitter, Media Ignores Famed Chef’s Death
Date: February 12
Anthony Bourdain has long been an ally to Latinos in the U.S., repeatedly highlighting how important their contributions are to America’s restaurant industry and kitchen culture. And in February, when much of mainstream media ignored the death of Mexican chef Carlos Llaguno, Anthony Bourdain made sure the world knew how important Llaguno was.
Read what Bourdain had to say about Llaguno here.
4
Way Before Kim Kardashian's Butt Broke the Internet, There Was Iris Chacon
Date: November 20, 2014
Last year, Kim Kardashian’s Paper Magazine cover made #BreaktheInternet a thing. While KK bared her pompis for the mag, we took a trip down memory lane to the OG butt positive diva: Iris Chacón.
Take a look at Iris Chacón’s career here.
5
Ernest Hemingway’s Cuban Legacy Starts at Finca La Vigía
Date: July 21
On Ernest Hemingway’s birthday, we looked back at the place he called home for many years: Finca La Vigía. Between 1939 to 1960, Hemingway lived in San Francisco de Paula, Cuba. This year, Cuba and the United States worked to renew their relations, but in 2007, they worked together to restore Hemingway’s home.
Check out images of his home here.
6
Ecuador To Spend $3.8 Million on Super Bowl Commercial
Date: January 27
Before the Super Bowl rolled around, it seemed Kim Kardashian would star in the most memorable ad, but Ecuador came out with a pretty excellent commercial that came at a $3.8 million price tag.
Find out why Ecuador made this move here.
7
These Anti-Princess Books Give Young Girls Badass Latina Heroines to Look Up To
Date: September 8
Tired of seeing books that revolve around princesses who needed saving, author Nadia Fink turned to real-life heroines, such as Frida Kahlo, to create books that would inspire a new generation. She dubbed them anti-princess books, because they look at real, flawed women who didn’t sit around waiting for a prince to save them. Instead, they changed their own lives.
Find out more about the series of books here.
8
The Quintanillas Dropped a Posthumous Unreleased Selena Song for the Fans
Date: September 14
Selena’s fans scored another victory this year when they persuaded Abraham Quintanilla to drop a previously unreleased song. Abraham was unsure about letting the public hear it, because it was never professionally recorded. But for fans, it was worth the wait.
Listen to it here.
9
John Leguizamo Says He's Never Watching 'SNL' Again
Date: November 5
Ahead of Donald Trump’s Saturday Night Live appearance in November, John Leguizamo was one of the celebrities who spoke out against the sketch show. Leguizamo said that booking Trump was disrespectful, so he had no choice but to boycott them for their lack of support.
Relive the moment here.
10
3 Argentine Women Riding In a Car & Talking Shit Makes For a Hilarious Short Film
Date: March 11
We covered a lot of short films in our Film section this year, but Salón Royale out of Argentina was one of the most popular. Released in 2011, it features three women driving to a mutual friend’s wedding, and talking shit about all the usual: clothes, relationships, friendship – but with hilarious dialogue that makes it fresh. When the conversation shifts to one’s ex-boyfriend, things get real juicy.
Watch the short here.