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Hector Tobar begins weekly column

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California Editor David Lauter announces that Hector Tobar will begin writing a weekly column beginning in tomorrow’s California section:

Those of you who read the tag line at the end of Friday’s terrific Column One already know this news. But for the rest of you: I’m delighted to announce that Hector Tobar will begin writing a weekly California section column, the first of which will begin Tuesday.

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Launching this column fulfills a major goal that we’ve had -- to add to our existing mix a columnist whose frame of reference includes the experience and culture of Southern California’s Latino population. Hector’s skill as a writer and his breadth of experience as a reporter make him the ideal person for this role.

Hector was born and raised in Los Angeles, the son of immigrants from Guatemala. He was a product of LA’s public schools and earned a BA in Sociology and Latin American studies from UC Santa Cruz before coming to The Times 20 years ago through the Metpro training program. He worked as a reporter for the suburban sections, the city desk and the state staff before becoming a national correspondent and then a foreign correspondent, first in Buenos Aires and most recently as bureau chief in Mexico City. Along the way, he took a break from The Times to work as Features Editor at the LA Weekly and found time to earn a Master in Fine Arts in Creative Writing from UC Irvine. He is also the author of two books: a novel, “The Tattooed Soldier,” and “Translation Nation: Defining a New American Identity in the Spanish-Speaking United States.”

Please join me in congratulating Hector on his new assignment.

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