Bienvenidos al año 2025. I don’t know about you, but I have to stop and think about that number. Well for one thing, it is ¼ of the way into
the 21st century. Secondly, the number reminds me for some reason of outer space. And lastly, this is the year, God willing, that I will turn 73
years old. But all that aside, I look forward to many good things in 2025.
In this issue of La Voz we join the rest of the country in paying our respects to former President Jimmy Carter. On pages 12 and 13 you will
find some reflections on his life. The only thing I can say is that in the Fall of 1976, I was a graduate student at UCLA and did work on his campaign as a block walker. QEPD Presidente!
On the cover of this issue of La Voz is our choice for Person of the Year. Her name is Celia Israel. She came to Austin in the early 1980s from El Paso, Texas to attend The University of Texas at Austin and quickly became involved en la politica. In fact she worked in the administration of Governor Ann Richards as a young adult. In 2014, she ran in a special election for Texas State Representative and served in the legislature. She then ran for Mayor of Austin in 2022 but was not successful. Last year, she ran for Travis County Tax-Assessor Collector with no opposition. She will now be sworn in this month.
In this issue of La Voz we call to your attention the Austin Hispanic Hall of Fame – Round Two. In 2023. A group of friends got together
and worked out a plan to recognize and remember individuals in the Austin area who have made a positive contribution to the Hispanic community. To be sure, there are hundreds of individuals from the Austin area who have worked and sacrificed to improve the city y La Raza.
Our approach is to recognize their respective efforts in small groups or rounds. Porque la mera verdad es que the number of potential inductees
into this hall of fame will grow to over 200. In future issues of La Voz we will keep everyone informed as we move forward with this project. If you
go to our website (www.lavoznewspapers.com) you will find more information on this hall of fame project.
The next story we wish to call to your attention to titled The Mexican Middle ClaSs. The folks at ReVista–Harverd Review of Latin
America were kind enough to grant us reprint permission. It is no secret that increasingly more and more middle and wealthy Mexicans are mak-
ing their way in to Central Texas. They are buying homes and starting businesses. In future issues of La Voz we will explore this growing demo-
graphic and uts impact on Austin. Last but not least, we extend an invitation to everyone to consider submitting articles or opinion pieces. Don’t worry about your writing abilities, we have people here that can help polish your work. Again, have a great New Year!
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Copyright 2025 by Alfredo Santos and La Voz newspaper.