Rafael Pineda, the legendary Univision 41 journalist and one of the longest-serving news anchors in New York’s television history ….

By Tony Hernández – Documentary Filmmaker & Oral Historian Preserving family, founder, and cultural legacy

Rafael Pineda, the legendary Univision 41 journalist and one of the longest-serving news anchors in New York television history, passed away on Sunday in Florida at the age of 88.

For more than four decades, the majority of Latino households across the New York Metro area got their news from Rafael Pineda. He wasn’t just on television — he was part of our lives.

I was one of the millions who quite literally grew up with him. A familiar face. A steady, reassuring voice. He was welcomed into our homes night after night, through moments both ordinary and historic. We trusted him. We relied on him. And, as a community, we entrusted him with something sacred: the responsibility of telling us the truth.

That kind of trust isn’t given lightly, and it isn’t built overnight. It’s earned — through consistency, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to the community you serve. Rafael Pineda earned that trust across generations. In doing so, he became more than a journalist. He became a constant, a compass, and a quiet pillar of our shared experience.

Born in Pinar del Río, Cuba, Rafael came to this country before the age of 20 and went on to make history in American broadcasting. At the time of his retirement, he held the record as the longest-serving news anchor in the New York market — an extraordinary achievement made even more meaningful by the humility, dignity, and deep sense of service with which he carried that role.

He was a pioneer, one of the first Hispanic television anchors to interview a sitting U.S. president. But more than any accolade, what defined him was trust. Even years after he stepped away from the camera, viewers still asked about him. That tells you everything.

That is legacy. Not just a career, but a life lived in service to community, truth, and belonging.

At the Immigrant Archive Project, we exist to honor lives like Rafael Pineda’s — lives that helped shape America quietly, consistently, and with integrity. His story reminds us why preserving these voices matters. Not for nostalgia, but for understanding. For gratitude. And for passing forward the truth of who we are and how we got here.

Rest in peace, Mr. Pineda. Thank you for paving the way, for telling our stories with dignity, and for showing generations what it means to earn trust and carry it well.