Without a doubt, publishing in the 90s was about one thingmarketing to the niche. 1999 saw this decade's culmination of niche-specific publishing. Titles like La Dolce Vita, an Italian style magazine; QSF, the magazine for homosexuals in San Francisco; and Bride Again, a magazine for "encore" brides all attest to this decade's publishing techniques. While many broad-audience publications like Talk and ESPN The Magazine have appeared in the recent years, it's a title like Latingirl that is most characteristic of what I've seen.

Latingirl recognizes that different cultural backgrounds need different magazines. A Hispanic teen might have trouble seeing herself in the European-styled beauty of Natashia Henstridge. As any teen magazine will note, the shade of your skin can make a difference in how various colors will look on you, but Latingirl seeks to go beyond mere fashion consultation.

It sells itself on Hispanic stars like Rosario Dawson (who costars in the film Light It Up with Usher), and with hairstyles that are flattering to the Hispanic woman.

Content from this New Jersey based magazine isn't all that different from Cosmo Girl!, another 1999 launch. Both magazines recognize that college information, horoscopes, and dating scenarios are relevant to the readers in their audience's age group. Aside from those similarities, Latingirl keeps its individuality because content that can be generated specifically for Hispanic teens is made culture specific. Music, film and literary reviews all feature Hispanic artists.

That diligence to maintaining a unique culture voice is Latingirl's strength. It's a strength the publishers of Latingirl can capitalize on because the percentage of Hispanic-Americans is increasing rapidly.