Welcome to Tostada Magazine!
Or rather, welcome back! I’m Serena Maria Daniels, Chigona-in-Chief and co-founder of Tostada Magazine. I wear many hats: editor, development director, reporter, occasional website fixer. Today, I’m excited to announce the OFFICIAL relaunch of the newsletter (which you early supporters have had the privilege of receiving in your inbox the past several weeks). I am grateful for your continued support and for signing up for the newly relaunched newsletter Tostada Thursdays, your weekly source for food journalism and curated community events that empower communities & preserve culture.
In fact, if you’ve been reading the past several weeks, it’s because you’re a longtime supporter. Which means you value what we have to bring to the table. That said, I’ve got one teeny favor to ask of you. Please take a second to share this post (and this link to be added to the newsletter!) to all of your networks. It’s thanks to supporters like you that we are able to grow our Tostada Familia.
In the four years since launching Tostada Magazine, I’ve experimented with ways to transform local food & culture journalism that centers communities of color. Tostada has hired dozens of freelance journalists, artists, photographers, and designers of color, most of whom live and work in the city of Detroit.
Through original storytelling, service journalism, translating content, collaborative work with fellow local independent newsrooms in Detroit, and now this newsletter, Tostada is constantly evolving to meet the information needs of the city’s Black and brown residents.
Check out some of the work Tostada has been able to publish to serve Detroiters during the pandemic that highlight the work being done in communities of color to overcome these turbulent times.
- Tag team approach to healthcare reaches older adults in Bangladeshi community during COVID-19 pandemic
- With no stove, no car, no money for rent, a single mom found a neighborhood lifeline
- Los trabajadores del servicio de alimentos que viven o trabajan en Detroit ahora son elegibles para la vacuna COVID-19
As a reader-supported news organization, my goal is to empower the Tostada Familia to have a say in the direction of our storytelling.
From day one, I’ve stood by the notion that BIPOC-centered food journalism has the power to unify communities and preserve culture. If you want to support this mission, consider making a donation today.
GRACIAS for joining me! I’m looking forward to dishing out the best for you each week.
Abrazos!
Serena Maria Daniels
Your Chingona-in-Chief
A version of this story originally appears in Tostada Magazine’s latest Tostada Thursdays weekly newsletter. Not a subscriber? What are you waiting for, gente? Go ahead and add your deets HERE and we’ll get you on the list!
This article was made possible by the Detroit Journalism Engagement Fund, a project of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, that’s working to increase quality journalism and help better inform communities.

Author: Serena Maria Daniels
Serena Maria Daniels is an award-winning journalist based in Detroit. She specializes in reporting on issues that intersect food, identity, and culture.
Find her one Twitter and Instagram @serenamaria36!