Cristina Pacheco facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cristina Pacheco
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Pacheco in 2012
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Cristina Romo Hernández
13 September 1941 San Felipe, Guanajuato, Mexico
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| Died | 21 December 2023 (aged 82) Mexico City, Mexico
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| Education | National Autonomous University of Mexico |
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| Years active | 1960–2023 |
| Spouse(s) | José Emilio Pacheco |
| Children | 2 |
Cristina Romo Hernández (born September 13, 1941 – died December 21, 2023), known as Cristina Pacheco, was a famous Mexican journalist, writer, and TV host. She started her journalism career in 1960. She wrote columns for the newspaper La Jornada.
Cristina Pacheco was most famous for her work on television. She hosted two popular shows on Once TV: Aquí nos tocó vivir and Conversando con Cristina Pacheco. She started these shows in 1980. On these shows, Pacheco interviewed many important people. She also shared stories about everyday Mexican culture. She talked to regular people about their lives. Cristina Pacheco won over forty awards for her work. These include Mexico’s National Journalism Prize. She also received the first Rosario Castellanos a la Trayectoria Cultural de la Mujer Award. This award honors outstanding women in the Spanish-speaking world.
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Early Life and Inspiration
Cristina Pacheco was born Cristina Romo Hernández on September 13, 1941. She was born in San Felipe, Guanajuato, Mexico. Her family was not wealthy. They knew what it was like to be hungry. However, her parents taught her to be strong and not to give up.
Her family moved to San Luis Potosí for a short time. Then they moved to Mexico City for her medical treatment. Her mother decided they should stay in the city. They lived in one room with little privacy. Cristina didn't have much money or many toys. But she felt free because her mother was always busy. She would listen to her neighbors' conversations. She said she saw and heard many things. No one paid much attention to her. She called herself an "insignificant child." This was not because she felt unimportant. It was because others saw her that way. What she saw, both good and bad, inspired her. It made her want to become a writer and journalist. She never changed her mind about this goal.
Cristina Pacheco studied at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. She earned a degree in Spanish. She was married to the writer and poet José Emilio Pacheco. She used his last name for her professional career. They had two daughters together. She didn't like to talk much about her marriage. She said it was an ordinary marriage. But she greatly admired her husband's work. Even though she was successful in radio and TV, she didn't want her daughters to follow that path. She believed these media didn't always inform the public well. She also didn't like being famous. She often did her own housework. She said it "kept her feet on the ground." She needed a certain amount of order to work. She was asked to run for political office but said no.
Career as a Journalist and Writer
Cristina Pacheco's career started with writing. She worked as an editor, journalist, and writer. She wrote in many different styles. She was best known for writing about Mexican popular culture. Later, she did this on radio and television. She always saw herself as a journalist and writer first. For her, it was an adventure. It involved imagination and being able to think on the spot. When she was younger, she wanted to cover war stories. But later, she was very happy with the work she did.
She began her journalism career in 1960. She worked for newspapers like El Popular and Novedades. In 1963, she started writing for Sucesos magazine. She used the pen name Juan Ángel Real. In 1977, she joined the team at Siempre! magazine. She also published interviews and articles for other publications. These included El Sol de México and El Día. From 1986 onwards, she wrote for La Jornada. Her most famous work there was a weekly column series. It was called Mar de Historias (Sea of Stories). She also edited several book series and magazines.
Besides newspaper columns, she wrote many books. These included short stories, novels, essays, and children’s books. She published fifteen novels. Some titles are Para vivir aquí (To Live Here) and Sopita de fideo (Noodle Soup). She also published collections of her interviews. These often felt like stories themselves. Her children’s books include La chistera maravillosa (The Wonderful Top Hat) and El eucalipto Ponciano (Ponciano the Eucalyptus).
Career on Radio and Television
Even though she had a long journalism career, her TV work made her famous. She started as a commentator on the show Séptimo Días on Channel 13. There, she did a series of interviews with writer Renato Leduc. After 1977, she worked with Once TV. She started as a commentator on shows like Así fue la semana.
In 1980, she began hosting two of her own shows on Once TV. These were Aquí nos tocó vivir (Here We Had to Live) and Conversando con Cristina Pacheco (Conversing with Cristina Pacheco). Both shows covered cultural topics about Mexico.
On Conversando con Cristina Pacheco, she interviewed people from the arts and popular culture. These included writers, musicians, artists, and sports figures. She interviewed famous people like Portuguese writer José Saramago and singer Joan Manuel Serrat. With Aquí nos tocó vivir, she focused on everyday life in Mexico. She interviewed people who were not famous. But their stories were interesting to her.
She would research her guests before interviews. But she never prepared a list of questions. She felt it was disrespectful. She didn't like being interviewed herself. But it helped her understand the people she interviewed. She was not aggressive in her interviews. She believed there were limits to what an interviewer should ask. Her interviews usually lasted two to three hours. Then they were edited down for TV. She said every person has a unique story. Even interviewing the same person twice would give different results. Because of this, she was always nervous before each interview. She worried she might miss important information. She said all her interviewees impressed her. No one person stood out more than another.
She also worked in radio. She had programs on XEQ-AM radio like Voz pública (Public Voice). She also worked on XEW-AM and Radio Fórmula.
Cristina Pacheco passed away on December 21, 2023. This was 20 days after she announced her retirement from Aquí nos tocó vivir. She retired for health reasons.
Awards and Recognition
Cristina Pacheco received more than forty awards and honors during her career. These include the National Journalism Prize in 1975 and 1985. She also won the National Association of Journalist Prize in 1986. In 2001, Once TV honored her with a special plaque.
In 2011, she received a national tribute at the Palacio de Bellas Artes. In 2012, she received several important awards. These included the Juan Crisóstomo Doria Prize. She was also recognized at the Guadalajara International Book Fair. She received the first Rosario Castellanos a la Trayectoria Cultural de la Mujer Award. This award celebrates women in the Spanish-speaking world. It honors those who excel in their fields and promote culture.
See also
In Spanish: Cristina Pacheco para niños
