Out of curiosity, I purchased Vanidades, a women’s magazine written in Spanish that focuses on beauty, fashion and entertainment. My Spanish level is conversational so I was unable to fully translate all of the articles. However, I did get the gist of the stories on actors, models, politicians and musicians and picked up trends on fashion, home decor and travel.
Initially, I assumed the magazine would only give me a glimpse of the Hispanic culture and important issues to this community. However, beyond language, I did not recognize a major difference between this publication and other women’s magazines. There were stories on popular actors such as Sandra Bullok, Cameron Diaz and Laurence Fishburne; Italian designers; and musicians like Lady Gaga, Fergie, Rhianna and Gwen Stefani. Furthermore, featured articles included travel in Madrid, a 50-year timeline of top models and the creator of Sherlock Holmes. Lastly, the advertisements were similar to most magazines (e.g. Covergirl, Pantene and Downy), but the ads were written in Spanish and featured mostly women of color.
Through this experience, I was reminded to not judge a “magazine” by its cover. And even if the magazine focuses on a certain culture, I can still read interesting articles and get the latest news on different issues. My point…pick up “cultural” magazines or read them online to see what they have to offer. If anything, practice reading in another language.
Other suggested “cultural” women magazines:
- Asian Woman
- Essence (African-American)
- Latina
