Conclusion

The influenza epidemic of 1917-1918 was a devastating event, further exacerbated by World War I and the United States’ fraught international relations at the time. This shaped the accuracy of documentation, level of information and censorship surrounding the disease, its spread and preventive measures in the United States. Because newspapers like La Prensa (San Antonio, Texas), El Imparcial de Texas (Roma, Texas), and El Mañana (McAllen, Texas) were written in Spanish, they had more editorial freedom and were able to publish diverse articles ranging from the epidemic’s political implications to its effects on affected communities. This curated collection of news clippings, published during the 1917-1918 influenza epidemic, opens new avenues for exploring the factors and consequences of a historic public health crisis. It does so through the language, themes and information that were pivotal for public awareness at the time.