About El fronterizo. [volume] (Tucson, Arizona) 1922-19??
Tucson, Arizona (1922-19??)

El fronterizo

El Fronterizo was a Spanish-language newspaper that began in Tucson, Arizona on May 18, 1922, published by the Spanish-American Printing Company, led by Enrique V. Anaya. The debut issue presented the newspaper's platform, in part: "defender los intereses Hispano-Americanos ante todo" ("defend Hispanic-American interests first and foremost"). Anaya had been a Mexican consulate and was involved in Alianza Hispano-Americano, a Mexican-American mutual aid society.

The publisher may have been unsure of the newspaper's future: A volume number was omitted from the title page until the eleventh issue, when the paper declared in English above the masthead: "We are here to stay—watch us grow in size and circulation." By the end of 1922, the simple masthead was changed to an image of the U.S., Mexico, and their border running through the newspaper's title. By 1926, the four to six page, twice-weekly newspaper again had a redesigned masthead and, calling itself "El Periodico De La Raza En Arizona" ("The people's newspaper in Arizona"), carried news from Mexico, poems, and "local y personal" columns. The focus on news from both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border continued throughout the newspaper's run.

In the early years of the newspaper, Anaya was publisher and F. E. Schmidt was editor, followed by Francisco Lopez. In June 1927, the Arizona Daily Star reported on the purchase of El Fronterizo by Isaac Montoya and Carlos Bautista, with the intention of consolidating Montoya's newspaper Protección with El Fronterizo and having Montoya as manager and Bautista as editor. However, Montoya soon left and reestablished Protección. El Fronterizo then became a weekly, with a new slogan: "Semanario de los Mexicanos en Arizona" ("Weekly Newspaper for the Mexican Community in Arizona"). The paper raised awareness of the civic organization, Junta Patriotica, and had editorials about discrimination against Mexican Americans. Coverage of international and national news grew, from Charles Lindbergh's trip to Tucson in the "Spirit of St. Louis," to reporting on the publication of forged documents about the Mexican government in William Randolph Hearst's newspapers. In 1928, El Fronterizo grew by one column's width and expanded its content to include chapters of a story, "La Calandria," and a column, "Chistología," with snippets of humorous exchanges.

In December 1928, Salvador Camacho, who had been an editor for El Tucsonense, took over the newspaper. Under Camacho, the newspaper published twice a week and drew from the legacy of the earlier Tucson newspaper of the same name, El Fronterizo, published by Carlos Velasco. Camacho wanted to make his newspaper like Velasco's and paid tribute to the earlier paper, calling his the "tercera epoca" ("third era") and even changing information in the newspaper to say it was founded in 1879 by Velasco. Camacho published El Fronterizo until mid-1929, when Bautista briefly returned as editor, with the newspaper ceasing sometime before 1930. Bautista went on to be editor of the Phoenix Spanish-language newspaper, El Mensajero, from about 1939-1943.

Provided by: Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records; Phoenix, AZ