Luis Torres, Ph.D.
Posted October 30, 2025
The Spanish language has a long and significant history in Colorado; the state’s name means “Colored Red” in Spanish. The language has been spoken in Colorado at least since 1664, during an excursion by Spaniards, followed by an expedition in 1694, another in 1706, and so on (see Colorado Hispanic / Latino Historical Overview | History Colorado). The Colorado Constitution, adopted in 1876, was thereafter printed and disseminated tri-lingually, in English, Spanish, and German, testament to our state’s residents, and previously the variety of Indigenous languages. Despite the importance of Spanish, Colorado passed overwhelmingly an amendment to the State’s constitution in 1988, making English the Official State Language, shunting aside the historical influence of Spanish, and of Spanish-speakers.
Colorado has had a divided, binary approach to Spanish, honoring it with its version of the State Constitution, but denigrating it with the Official Language amendment. However, since the 1880s, publishers of bilingual English-Spanish newspapers have persevered in its use, consequences be damned, from then to the present. Our contemporary newspaper El Semanario/The Weekly Issue, published continually since 1989, is a testament to that resolution, steadfastly celebrating its Spanish-English bilingualism even in its title.
Colorado has had a divided, binary approach to Spanish, honoring it with its version of the State Constitution, but denigrating it with the Official Language amendment.
This “Legacies…” article is but a brief foray into the history of Colorado’s bilingual newspapers, which have been a constant source of news, especially, but not limited to the Spanish-speaking community; many of the papers are bilingual, with articles also in English.
Those of us associated with El Semanario are considering a much more in-depth project about this history, but for now, we provide examples of the vibrancy of these newspapers. We have briefly reviewed the following, from 1883 to today: El Anunciador de Trinidad (1883—1887); La Voz del Valle (1899—1901), Antonito; La Hermandad (1896-1907), Pueblo; El Democrata del Condado de Costilla (1923—1939), San Luis; El Gallo (1967-1980), Denver; El Semanario/The Weekly Issue (1989-present), Denver; and Enterate Latino (2012-present), Grand Junction, serving the Western slope. We are also reviewing La Tribuna, Greeley; El Diario de la Gente, CU Boulder; and Viva Colorado, the Spanish-language addition to The Denver Post, 2006—2015. The newspapers constantly evolved, covering the society, culture, commerce, politics, and religion, some including poetry. We note, testifying to Colorado’s linguistic multiplicity, that during this period there were also at least five Italian newspapers between 1897-1944—three in Pueblo, one in Denver, and one in Las Animas—and two Slavic papers, 1901-1904, and two Serbian papers, 1902-1911.
We offer here three examples of documents from these bilingual newspapers.
1) “Felicito a mi Hijo,” by Luz de Luján, 12 de Junio, 1899, in El Progreso, from Trinidad. This poem from a mother, Luz de Luján, to her son on his Saint’s Day, is about the distress of separation, albeit only from Trinidad to Ratón, New México. It displays sophisticated use of poetic technique, with an involved rhyme scheme, (ABAB CDDC…), consistent line length, and tone of pride in her son, along with the evocative sorrow of his absence. Placed as it is, casually surrounded in the newspaper by current-topic articles and various ads, indicates including poetry was an inherent part of this newspaper. (See Poem from Luis de Lujan to his son Antonio Lujan on his saint’s day, 12 June, 1899 – Chicano & Latino History Project. Poem collected by Latino History Project, CU Boulder.)
2) “Mi Gusto,” by “A.”, La Voz del Valle, Antonito, October 19, 1899.
This poem by “A.” (Anonymous) is by its bilingual language use an inventive commentary about the cultural risks of a Spanish speaker learning English—or, vice-versa. However, more so, it concerns the vulnerabilities the speaker and the “linda paisana” face of acculturation, with the English language the main driver of such assimilation. The concern is not the learning of English, but the accompanying loss of Spanish. See La Voz Del Valle October 19, 1899 — Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection, page 2, bottom middle for the poem. As with the “Felicito a mi Hijo” and its placement in the paper, “Mi Gusto” demonstrates that La Voz del Valle also included such poetry regularly.
3) “Editorial against the “Ku-Klux-Klan” El Democrata Del Condado de Costilla, San Luis, Sept. 27, 1924. This newspaper from San Luis was founded in 1923 by Frank LaCombe as a weekly publication “dedicada al bienestar, adelanto y progreso del condado de Costilla” (“dedicated to the well-being, advancement and progress of Costilla County”). With such principles, the editorial on the front page, top left, against the “Ku-Klux-Klan,” as it was written, was a forceful repudiation of the organization violating the U.S. Constitution. The timing of the Editorial, in September 1924, coincided with the upcoming elections of 1924. We offer here a brief transcription and translation of the Editorial:
Por ser una organización contraria a la Constitución, es una amenaza a la nación, por lo que es el sagrado deber de todo ciudadano hacer cuanto esté en su poder para su exterminación… En nuestro poder está, ya que con gran facilidad podemos libramos de esta calamidad reprochándola y exterminándola por medio del sufragio… Tened esto presente y no la perdáis de vista.
(As an organization contrary to the Constitution, it represents a threat to the nation, so it is every citizen’s sacred duty to do everything in his power to exterminate it… It is in our power, since we can easily rid ourselves of this calamity, reproaching and exterminating it through our votes… Keep this in mind and do not lose sight of it.)
(See Image 1 of El democrata del condado de Costilla (San Luis, Colo.), September 27, 1924 | Library of Congress for anti-KKK Editorial
Luis Torres, PhD, retired, served as Deputy Provost for Metropolitan State University of Denver for Academic and Student Affairs and professor of Chicana/o Studies. Torres is a noted advocate for equity in education, policy and community efforts. Torres is also a member of The Weekly Issue/El Semanario Advisory Board.
