It’s Sad to See Any Change at La Opinion

The news that “Times Mirror to Buy a 50% Stake in La Opinion” (Aug. 3) brought back memories. Like so many other Los Angeles Chicanos, La Opinion was a fixture in my household during my childhood. For many whose parents and grandparents could not read English, La Opinion served not only as an important source of information, but as a positive literary influence in the home as well. My parents still religiously read the paper every day.

Now, as an adult and Latino advocate, I have come to appreciate La Opinion as the only faithful, timely print source of information and coverage on the Latino population; a successful Latino-owned enterprise and an exemplary model of corporate responsibility.

Business is business, and hopefully both parties will benefit in Times Mirror’s purchase of a stake in La Opinion. However, I can’t but mourn this evolution of an independent, Latino, family-owned institution.

ARTURO VARGAS

Los Angeles