jobs & money

In the Spotlight

Tsi-tsi-ki Felix

By Ivy Gracie • Photography by Steve Becker/beckermedia.com • Fashion Styling by Candace Jordan

Tsi-tsi-ki Felix is on a roll. In January of 2007 she took the chair at the news desk of WSNS Telemundo Chicago's 5pm newscast. In November of the same year she won an Emmy for Outstanding Achievement by a News Anchor. This spring, she launched Noticiero Telemundo Chicago por la manana con Tsi-tsi-ki Felix, a show she not only anchors and but helps produce. Just 30 years old, Tsi-tsi-ki's future seems limitless.

Fifteen years ago, looking toward the future was a luxury Tsi-tsi-ki couldn't afford. Originally from Mexico, she and her family traveled to the United States to celebrate her 15th birthday. An unexpected turn of events left Tsi-tsi-ki, her mother and her three younger sisters living with an uncle in Nevada.

Tsi-tsi-ki moved to Phoenix in her senior year, took a job with a larger Spanish-speaking radio station, and met the man she would marry when she turned 19. At 20, her husband's transfer brought Tsi-tsi-ki to Chicago where she again found a home on radio. Her gaze shifted to television, and she landed a position as a backup reporter with Telemundo Chicago. In her current anchor position, she brings local, national and world news to the Chicago Latino community.

Her marriage ended four years ago, but Tsi-tsi-ki has found love again. She's in no hurry to set a wedding date; instead, a long-distance relationship with her Arkansas-based fiancé allows her to savor their time together while focusing on her career.

The recipient of multiple Emmy Award nominations for her work on camera, Tsi-tsi-ki has also been recognized for her work in radio with a Best Spanish News Presentation in Radio award from the Achievement in Radio Awards. And she's been honored by organizations such as the Union Latina for her contributions to the Hispanic community. Equally Latina and American, Tsi-tsi-ki Felix has her feet planted firmly in two cultures and that's how she likes it.

What brought you to the U.S.? I had the choice of a party or a family trip to celebrate my Quinceañera (15th birthday). I chose a trip to Carson City, Nevada, with stops in Mazatlán and Sonora. In the middle of the trip my parents started fighting. My dad went home, and my mom, sisters and I continued the trip. When we got to the U.S., the situation between my parents wasn't any better. My mom decided we would stay there. So we stayed at my uncle's house in Carson City for a couple weeks and then my mom said, 'We're going to stay here.'

You never went home? All of a sudden we were living at my uncle's with his wife and my cousins. I had to enroll in high school and help my mom support the family.

How did you cope? There's a saying, 'Si del cielo te caen limones, hacer limonada,' which means, if all you're getting from the sky is lemons, make lemonade. It was tough, but it gave me endurance for later challenges in my life.

What was it like moving to a country where you didn't speak the language? It was shocking and a bit traumatic. If I was older or younger, it wouldn't have been as bad. But when you're 15 – when you have your friends and your life is taking its direction - it's a very tough age.

How did you get started in radio? I was working at a factory when I was asked to do commercials for Radio Exito, the local Spanish-speaking radio station. Then I landed the anchor job for the morning talk show, so I was working three hours a day, going to high school and working as a waitress.

Did you do typical teenager stuff? In high school you have clubs and friends. I didn't have that. I don't know if that was good or bad, but you can't regret it because you wouldn't be who you are. I didn't go to prom. That's one thing I regret.

Did you do radio all through high school? I was on Radio Exito through my junior year. My father came back to the U.S., but he was in Phoenix. Before my senior year, my mom decided to give their marriage another try, so we moved to Phoenix. I started working as a waitress and selling cars. Then I was hired at Radio Viva, a bigger radio station with a larger audience.

You were very young when you got married. It was a very unstable time in my life. I think I saw my husband as my angel. You see this person who takes you away from what you've been going through…I don't regret it – everything happens for a reason.

What brought you to Chicago? My husband was the news anchor at Univision in Phoenix and got a job at Univision here in Chicago, so we came here when I was 20. I started working for a radio network service provider. I did traffic, then a morning show with light feature stories and newscasts. A few months later I became the news anchor. My broadcasts aired on WOJO and WIND for about four years.

How did you end up at Telemundo? I'd done shows for the Univision station in Carson City and I thought, 'I've already done TV, why not do television in Chicago?' So I knocked on doors for about two years. But my husband worked at Univision. I couldn't work for Telemundo because it would be a conflict of interest, and when I tried to get something at Univision their policy was that no couples could work together at the same station. I knew there was no chance at Univision so I kept trying at Telemundo. Finally I got to meet with the interim news director. She was the VP of Affiliates and could make decisions. Ironically, she'd been at Univision and hired my husband for his Chicago position, so she knew me and how passionate I was to go back to TV. She hired me as a backup reporter.

And seven years later, you're the solo anchor for the 5pm news. I'd wanted to be an anchor for a long time. I was the weather anchor, but there were people who could not see me as a news person. (News Director) Esteban Creste and (Vice President and GM) Ed Fernandez believed in me and knew I might follow my dream somewhere else, so they gave me a chance.

Tell us about the Emmy. The Emmy was about the presentation of the news. It was about how you present yourself as an anchor, how you interview people, how you cover a story.

So how you present the news is equally important as what's in the news? In my job, I have to be bilingual and multicultural. I have to grasp the meaning of the news and translate, interpret and communicate it, not just to Spanish-speaking people, but to bilingual people who have both cultures. And I have to transmit the American culture to the people who are learning it.

Immigration is a hot topic. What's your take? There's an anti-immigrant spirit all over the country. It's a political agenda. People like Lou Dobbs promote a negative perception of immigrants. Immigrants are not new to this nation; they've been coming from all over the world for over 200 years. Everybody is an immigrant with the exception of the Native Americans.

Are you a U.S. citizen now? I have dual citizenship.

What's your position on immigrants learning English? I know what people go through when they come here. I was one of them, so I feel this issue deeply. I think it's very important for every immigrant to learn English…to be bilingual and bicultural.

Do Americans have a responsibility to be more multicultural? I think we can get the best out of each culture. Without them this country would not be what it is. Bringing in new cultures makes you richer.

What's on the horizon? I want to do things in English. I want to convey what it's like being a Latino in America to American viewers. Telemundo is committed to providing information to the community and its partnership with NBC provides the best of both worlds, so we'll see.

Tell us about your new show. I don't know if I should be excited or scared to death! It's a morning show for women. I'm helping produce it, I'll be in charge of weather and I'll anchor the show. We're going feature stories about health, school, education, kids, beauty; anything that's informative and educational and news-related. It'll run from 10:30 to 11am.

Give us a little dish on your love life. I've been with my fiancé for almost four years. He's a general counsel for Wal-Mart. He lives in Arkansas, but his family lives in Chicago so he comes every two weeks. When we see each other it's fun. But he's an attorney, so you know who wins our arguments!

What do you do to relax? I've immersed myself in yoga. And I love walking on Michigan Avenue.

What's your guilty pleasure? I love pork carnitas with tortillas and guacamole. And Adobo is my favorite restaurant for margaritas.

Who has influenced you the most? My mom. We went through the worst times when we moved to the States. And I never saw her give up. I saw her almost breaking down, but she would say, 'It's just temporary. Tomorrow will be fine.' That stuck with me. And my news director Esteban Creste is my mentor. He's allowed me to fulfill my dream, which is being able to have a voice for the people in this market.

Is Chicago home? Yes. I feel like I'm exactly where I need to be right now.

Hair and makeup by Alx Galasinao.