Walter Thompson-Hernández: More Than Just a Writer

When you think of Compton, your first thought might be about the city that’s portrayed as one that’s riddled with gangs, gun violence, and a high police brutality rate. But for Walter Thompson-Hernández, it’s much more than that. It’s a city that's riddled with culture and stories that often go unheard. 

Hernández, a former New York Times (NYT) writer and UP alum, is a journalist who strives to share stories of people and cultures worldwide. His big break came after his article “For the Compton cowboys, horseback riding is a legacy and protection” which led to a Harper Collins book deal that launched him into the career he holds now as a jack of all trades – from being a writer to a full on multimedia storyteller. 

“[Writing about the Compton Cowboys] was really gratifying because I grew up in Compton,” Hernández said. “Most of my family are still in that same community. So for me, I felt like I was sharing a really intimate personal story that was so personal to my life.”

Working for the NYT was a dream come true and opened up doors to many opportunities. During this time he kept up his passion for visual storytelling ultimately doing a project about a subculture in Japan that was emulating Chicano culture and starting his own podcast with NPR called “California Love” – something he describes more as an audio memoir rather than another podcast. 

Hernández is vulnerable in his storytelling and is amazed to see that he has been able to do work that reflects aspects of his identity in ways he hasn’t seen before. 

“Because most times it's usually a white dude who parachutes into communities of color and sort of extracts information,” Hernández said. “Being able to do this work redefined, to me, what it meant to be a New York Times writer and journalist. I'm someone who is still so deeply connected to the communities where I come from, and so it was a really incredible experience essentially writing a story about folks who look like me.”

He primarily seems to write about cultures he connects with, but he also enjoys stepping out of his comfort zone while writing about things he is not as familiar with. While this can be a difficult task, Hernández emphasizes the importance of being respectful as a journalist and in every capacity of life. 

photo from A New york Times story about a Burlesque Group Advocating For Racial And Gender Equity, Immigration Reform And Climate Change. Photo by Walter Thompson-Hernandez / for The New York Times.

“At the end of the day we're all humans,” Hernández said. “We have to have a certain amount of respect for each other and that comes before being a writer and before being a journalist.”

Being a journalist comes with its uncomfortable moments, and he stresses the importance of having good rapport with all of the people involved with the story. 

“It always starts with a lot of respect and transparency about what I'm doing.” said. “I never walk into a situation, a community, or someone's home acting like I'm the expert because I'm not…I'm just here because I'm curious. I want to work with them to help tell their story.”

His process always starts with a question, whether it’s about someone in the community or about their experience, and believes genuine curiosity is key. 

Questions that ask how a person lives a certain way, thinks about their lives, and how he can help tell their story to a larger audience, determines how Hernández should structure the story and figure out which medium to use.

“I'm a storyteller',” Hernández said. “I’m not just a writer.”

(More of his work)