Latina journalists shine in a Smithsonian exhibit

Spanish-language television plays an important role in immigrant communities who don't speak English, as well as bilingual families. Each relies on it as a source of news. Now, some of the female broadcasters who pioneered Spanish- language television are being recognized in a new exhibit at the National Museum of American History, at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

"¡De última hora! Latinas Report Breaking News" is a bilingual experience. The exhibit includes names that may not be familiar to many TV viewers, but who are household names in Spanish-language and bilingual families. It highlights the work of María Elena Salinas, Blanca Rosa Vílchez, Dunia Elvir, Marilys Llanos, Gilda Mirós, Lori Montenegro, and Ilia Calderón – former and current TV journalists.

Melinda Machado is a co-curator, she says these women "serve as the face, the trusted source and voice for Spanish-speaking communities in the U.S." Their stories embody those of many hundreds of women who work in broadcasting, she says.

The idea for "¡De última hora! Latinas Report Breaking News" began about seven years ago with a project called "Escúchame'' or "Listen