Many in Long Island still remember José Martínez for his proximity, commitment and clear voice in news. There he directed the digital writing and led the beloved Café with José, where he made visible the local Latin voices through interviews that combined journalism, emotion and real community.
Today, that same journalist – a multi -award -winner Emmy, with a trajectory that took him from the halls of El Diario de New York to CBS studies in San Francisco – presents a new proposal: Your English is Great, But … (Your English is excellent, but …), his first book.
A title that says everything.
“That comment -‘your English is great, but… ‘ – chased me for years. In work interviews, on the street, in the university. There was always a’ but ‘I wrote this book for all who have felt the same,” says Martínez.
A race built from the roots
José was born in Cartagena, Colombia, and formed as a social communicator at the University of Cartagena. He emigrated young to the United States and built a race that broke barriers.
He served as a political reporter in the New York newspaper, where he covered from the City Hall to the NYPD. In NY1 News, he investigated cases of labor abuse, sexual harassment and exploitation of immigrant workers. In news, he led as editor in chief of the digital platform and gave voice to thousands of residents of Long Island, where he launched the Café with José, a weekly conversation about urgent issues for the community.
“Café with José was born to stop asking for permission and start telling us our own stories. That is the seed of this book,” he said.
His most recent experience was as a reporter in CBS News Bay Area (KPIX-TV), where he covered stories with human approach and raised the voices of immigrant, Latin, indigenous and LGBTQ+communities. From San Francisco, he addressed complex issues such as mental health, food insecurity and the struggles of the working class, always with a deep and empathic narrative style.
A work published under its own seal
Your English is great, but … it’s not just a book. It represents the first NYC voice project, the publishing house that Martínez founded to amplify Latin and immigrant voices. Based in New York and Heart throughout Latin America, the publisher was born with a clear mission.
Published in English and bilingual sensitivity, the book collects essays, reflections and memories that explore what it means to live in translation: between accents, between homelands, between “being enough” and “not fit at all.”
The tone is intimate and journalistic at the same time. The intention, clear: remind the reader that his story matters – in the language as it is.
Acknowledgments and next steps
José has received two Emmy awards, the Media & Journalism Award from the American Colombian Chamber of Commerce in New York (2017 and 2019), and was selected as Media of the Year in Latinus 20 Under 30. Recently, he returned to 69 News as a presenter and bilingual reporter.
From his new base in Pennsylvania, he continues to tell stories that cross borders and hopes to meet his Long Island readers in a special event soon.
“Journalism gave me the voice. This book gave me the soul. And I wrote it thinking about you.”
Where to get the book:
Your English is great, but… is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/b0fhbjkj6r
More information: www.voznyc.com/shop
Instagram: @josemartineznews
