Pair gains American dream through Latino newspaper

Gladys Gonzalez and her daughter, Sandra Plazas, chuckle when they talk about the first-ever edition of Mundo Hispano, the Spanish-language newspaper they run together.

"The first edition took us a month," Plazas said. "There we were, a monthly newspaper, and it took us a month to put together the first edition. In the early days, we cut and paste every single edition."

"We did everything," Gonzalez added. "We even delivered the papers."

From its humble genesis in 1993 "in a small living room in the apartment of my daughter," Gonzalez said Mundo Hispano is now a weekly publication with a verified circulation of 10,000. The paper has five free-lance reporters and a correspondent in Mexico City.

Gonzalez and Plazas, who used to do the reporting and editing as well as design, marketing and delivery, now function in executive roles: Gonzalez as publisher, Plazas as managing editor.

"We are a mother and daughter team," Gonzalez said. "We (are) a great team."

Gonzalez came to Utah from Colombia in 1991. A graduate in business from the Los Libertadores University in Bogota, she was consul for Colombia in Ecuador and worked at the Colombian offices of Manufacturers Hanover Trust (which became Chase Manhattan Bank).

When she arrived in the United States, Gonzalez knew some English, but she saw the need for Spanish speakers to have some some sense of community. So with Plazas, Mundo Hispano was born: a team effort, Gonzalez said, and hopefully a legacy.

First, regarding the team: Plazas paused, then laughed.

"This has been a great experience," she said. "But I'm not going to deny that this has also been a challenging experience. We work together a lot of hours every day, and sometimes we have to leave challenges at the office."

Gonzalez said she is the "creative" part of the team. She develops ideas for content, gives the paper visibility in the community and works to form partnerships and grow the publication.

"And I am more knowledgeable about technology," Plazas said. "I'm a lot more patient than she is, which is helpful sometimes when working with people."

Together, they have made Mundo Hispano their legacy. And community and business leaders said their work has helped to inform, unify and empower Utah's growing minority population.

Gonzalez "is among a distinguished group of people across the country who are committed to business innovation, vision, excellence and community service," said Robert A. Hatch, president and CEO for Wells Fargo in Utah. "Gladys is a testament to the strength and unlimited potential of this dynamic group of business owners."

The bank, along with Latina Style magazine, chose to honor Gonzalez as one of its 10 national Anna Maria Arias Memorial Business Fund Award winners.

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