January 2020
Volume 16 No. 2
Un Periódico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper
¡Feliz 2020! Un Periódico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper
Un Periódico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper
Front Page of January 2011 edition
Arte por Gaddier Rosario | Regalos de Reyes (edición limitada)
Un Periódico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper
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Editorial / Editorial
La Nueva Realidad Política del 2020
The New Political Reality of 2020
Comenzamos el nuevo año en medio de un ambiente político nacional que merece la atención de todos, especialmente de los Latinos y otras minorías que continúan viéndose afectados de manera desproporcionada por la agenda de la actual administración en Washington.
We begin the new year in the midst of a national political environment that deserves the attention of everyone, especially Latinos and other minorities who continue to be disproportionately affected by the current administration’s agenda in Washington.
En estos momentos es de suma importancia seguir informando sobre este ambiente político desde nuestra perspectiva. Continúa siendo prioridad abrir espacios periodísticos a voces y perspectivas diversas para que sean escuchadas, incluídas y representadas en los asuntos de política y política pública, y en los procesos de toma de decisiones que impactan a nuestras comunidades.
At this time it is very important to continue informing about this political environment from our perspective. It is still a priority to open journalistic spaces with diverse voices and perspectives so that they are heard, included and represented in matters of politics and public policy, and in the decision-making processes that impact our communities.
En el 2020, El Sol Latino reitera su compromiso de ser una fuente independiente de noticias y de seguir trayendo la perspectiva puertorriqueña/Latina a las comunidades de nuestro Pioneer Valley.
In 2020, El Sol Latino reiterates its commitment to be an independent source of news and to continue bringing the Puerto Rican / Latinx perspective to the communities of our Pioneer Valley. Happy New Year to all!
¡Feliz y Próspero Año Nuevo a todos!
Foto del Mes/Photo of the Month
Reconocen al Trío Los Andinos
contents
2 Editorial / Editorial The New Political Reality of 2020 3 Portada / Front Page The poverty rate in Puerto Rico decreased 1.3 percent between 2017 and 2018 4 Reconocen a Alvilda Sophia Anaya-Alegría por su Obra Artística en Contra de la Violencia 5 Cuarta Marcha Anual de Mujeres del Valle Pionero en Springfield en 2020 7 Carlos Vega Fund for Social Justice Announces Appreciation Grants Isabella Cámara Torres Joins Nueva Esperanza Inc. 8 Política / Politics SPLC: Emails Expose Key White House Aide Stephen Miller’s Affinity for White Nationalism 9 Opinión / Opinion How the legal system cripples people who live in poverty 10 Libros / Books Boricua Jazz: La Historia del Jazz Boricua 11 Medios / Media Multicultural Media Revenues to Grow in 2020, as Expanding Hispanic, African & Asian American Markets Fuel Growth 12 Por más medios solidarios 13 Educación / Education Holyoke native brings casino dealing skills back to the valley 14 STCC computer class project to benefit students in need 15 Ciencias / Science ¿Por qué las abejas son tan importantes?
Founded in 2004
Ramón Rodríguez Maldonado, Ramoncito Rodríguez Guzmán “El Andino” y Manuel Ruiz Guadalupe
n
Volume 16, No. 2 n January 2020
Editor Manuel Frau Ramos manuelfrau@gmail.com 413-320-3826 Assistant Editor Ingrid Estrany-Frau Managing Editor Diosdado López Art Director Tennessee Media Design Business Address El Sol Latino P.O Box 572 Amherst, MA 01004-0572
Editorial Policy
El Sol Latino acepta colaboraciones tanto en español como en inglés. Nos comprometemos a examinarlas, pero no necesariamente a publicarlas. Nos reservamos el derecho de editar los textos y hacer correcciones por razones de espacio y/o estilo. Las colaboraciones pueden ser enviadas a nuestra dirección postal o a través de correo electrónico a: info@elsollatino.net.
Ramón Rodríguez Maldonado, Ramoncito Rodríguez Guzmán “El Andino” y Manuel Ruiz Guadalupe, en Palate el 12 de diciembre de 2019, junto a los anfitriones del evento donde fueron reconocidos por el Springfield City Council y La Cámara de Representantes de Massachusetts el día previo a su concierto.
El Sol Latino welcomes submissions in either English or Spanish. We consider and review all submissions but reserve the right to not publish them. We reserve the right to edit texts and make corrections for reasons of space and/or style. Submissions may be sent to our postal address or via electronic mail to: info@elsollatino.net. El Sol Latino is published monthly by Coquí Media Group. El Sol Latino es publicado mensualmente por Coquí Media Group, P.O Box 572, Amherst, MA 01004-0572.
Portada / Front Page
El Sol Latino January 2020
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The poverty rate in Puerto Rico decreased 1.3 percent between 2017 and 2018 by EL SOL LATINO Amherst, MA | December 2019- According to the latest Census Bureau of the United States report released last September 2019, during the 20142018 period, there was an decrease in poverty levels, a significant increase in the population over 65 years and an increase in the depopulation of the Island. The report details that at the level of Puerto Rico, 44.5 % of the population and almost 41% of families live below the poverty level. In a comparison of the previous five-year period 2009-2013, compared to the most recent period 2014-2018, estimates indicate that at the municipal level the median household income increased in 28 municipalities- Rincón, Morovis, Salinas, Lares, Aibonito, Gurabo and Juana Díaz. On the other hand, the median household income decreased in 50 municipalities. Jayuya, Cidra and Camuy were the ones that registered the greatest decrease. The median household income increased in 28 municipalities, among them Rincón, Morovis, Salinas, Lares, Aibonito, Gurabo and Juana Díaz. In Puerto Rico, the median household income declined significantly by 4.9%, a reduction of $1,047 annually. One of the most significant findings of the report was that 36 of the 78 municipalities have 50 percent or more of their residents in poverty. The municipalities with the highest poverty level, with a rate ranging between 60% and 64%, are Adjuntas, Lajas, Comerío, Maricao, Guánica, and Jayuya. This means that 6 out of 10 people in these towns in the southwest and central part of Puerto Rico live in poverty.
Percentage of poverty in the population by Municipalities. PR: 2014-2018 “The level of poverty continues to be high, around Puerto Rico, in percentage terms. The geographical distribution indicates that with the exception of Loíza, Juncos and Yabucoa in the eastern region, the highest percentages are concentrated in central, southern and western regions of Puerto Rico. On the other hand, most of the municipalities with the lowest percentages of poverty were around the metropolitan area, with the exception of San Juan and Cataño,” said Alberto Velázquez-Estrada, Statistical Project Manager of the Statistics Institute in his written statement.
The municipalities with greater number (1 in 5) of residents 65 years of age or older are Rincón: 22.3%, San Germán: 22.1%, Lajas: 21.8%, Ceiba: 21.2%, Cabo Robo: 21.1%, San Sebastián: 20.8% , Sabana Grande: 20.5%, Culebra: 20.4% , San Juan: 20.3% and Vieques: 20.2% For the purposes of this survey, people in poverty are determined by thresholds generated annually by the U.S. Census Bureau
H C C . E D U /A D U L T
The thresholds establish a total amount of income that a household, family and its variants have, based on family size and composition. If the household generates less than what is established in the threshold, its members are considered to live in a state of poverty. For example, a family unit of three people with an annual family income of less than $ 19,985 is classified as a family in poverty.
Cita del Mes/ Quote of the Month “I have watched with dismay and increasing horror as my nephew, who is an educated man and well aware of his heritage, has become the architect of immigration policies that repudiate the very foundation of our family’s life in this country.” Dr. David S. Glosser, August 13, 2018, Stephen Miller Is an Immigration Hypocrite. I Know Because I’m His Uncle, article in Politico Magazine
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Portada / Front Page
El Sol Latino January 2020
Reconocen a Alvilda Sophia Anaya-Alegría por su Obra Artística en Contra de la Violencia por MANUEL FRAU RAMOS Alvilda Sophía Anaya-Alegría ganó el primer premio en el 1er Encuentro Internacional de Artistas en Contra de la Violencia celebrado en la ciudad de Ponce. La artista guayamesa ganó el premio con su obra Hunter Yellow: ¿Baquiné o Feminicidio? Anaya-Alegría explicó que esta creación artística nació de su propia experiencia como víctima de incesto y violencia doméstica a finales de la década de los setenta. La artista ha manifestado en diferentes ocasiones que estas experiencias la llevaron a quitarse el apellido paterno, reemplazándolo por Alegría, para de esta manera retomar “la alegría de volver a retoñar hacia nuevos horizontes.” La Exposición Colectiva “1er Encuentro de Artistas en Contra de la Violencia 2019” es una iniciativa de Maritza González Cintrón, reconocida Artista Plástica, Gestora Cultural y Educadora de Consciencia Social a través de las Artes Plásticas. González Cintrón, Presidenta y Fundadora de Creando Conciencia; Mi Tierra Grita Incorporado, Código Secreto INC, y ArteXperimental MGC 717 Incorporado, se dedica a la educación y preservación de la naturaleza, y al desarrollo de nuevos artistas plásticos desde la edad de dos años en adelante con una visión conservacionista y ecológica, entre otras cosas. El 1er Encuentro Internacional de Artistas en Contra de la Violencia dio inicio con un evento de apertura en el Museo de Historia de Ponce el sábado 21 de diciembre de 2019. En la actividad social se reconocieron a los participantes de la exposición y se premiaron a los artistas ganadores. La exhibición abrió sus puertas el viernes 22 de noviembre del 2019 y se extenderá hasta el 20 de enero del 2020 en la Biblioteca Mariana Suárez de Longo en la ciudad de Ponce. En la misma participaron cerca de 150 artistas, tanto puertorriqueños como internacionales. Anaya-Alegría dejó un legado artístico y profesional en el oeste de Massachusetts donde residió desde 1995. Anteriormente, vivió en Lawrence, MA por espacio de 20 años. La artista tiene una Maestría en Desarrollo Económico y estudios doctorales en Economía, además de tomar cursos de Arte (studio art) en
La obra ganadora de Alvilda Sophía Anaya-Alegría - Hunter Yellow: ¿Baquiné o Feminicidio?
la Universidad de Massachusetts en Amherst. Fue profesora de Economía y de Arte en Cambridge College, y profesora de Desarrollo Económico, y Consejería en Springfield College. Además trabajó como Adjunct Faculty de Inglés y Educación, Literacy Outreach Program Manager, y Coordinadora del Seminario de Primer Año en el Departamento de Inglés en la Universidad de Massachusetts Amherst. Anaya-Alegría es artista de arte contemporáneo, expresionismo abstracto e instalaciones visuales. Estudió con el renombrado artista de acuarelas Richard Yarde, y con otros incluyendo a Selina Trieff, arte moderno, en Fine Arts Work Center, Provincetown, MA y con el renombrado maestro de vitrales (stained glass art)/restaurador, don Matías Arroyo en Theophilus Art Center, Guayama, Puerto Rico. Anaya-Alegría fue premiada por un jurado internacional por su mural “Dulce Sueño Regresa a su Plaza” el cual fue exhibido en el Fine Arts Center, University Gallery, en la Universidad de Massachusetts en Amherst. Ha exhibido sus trabajos en el Centro de Bellas Artes, Guayama, Puerto Rico, The Springfield Fine Arts Museums, Binghamton University Department of Romance Languages & Literature, y en Florida International University, entre otros. Su trabajo se encuentra en colecciones privadas en todo los Estados Unidos y Puerto Rico. Algunas de sus obras de arte han sido seleccionadas y publicadas en dos cuentos cortos - “El Juego del Perdón” Pegasos Ediciones, Argentina; y “El Gran Sempié”, de Rafael Cruz Rodriguez, Esq., Maestro Publications, NY. Alvilda Shophia ha curado muchas exposiciones de arte, recibiendo numerosos premios y grants en Estados Unidos y Puerto Rico. Durante abril y mayo de 2018, la artista, junto a Aníbal Ernesto Rodríguez Ayala, historiador y educador de Museos del Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña (ICP), fueron los co-curadores de la exitosa exhibición Museo Casa CautiñoInsúa: Romance, Arquitectura y Economía en El Wistariahurst Museum en la ciudad Holyoke, Massachusetts. En agosto 2018, una versión reducida de la exhibición fue presentada en la Biblioteca Pública de South Hadley. El Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña la honró como embajadora cultural para traer esta instalación de arte a los Estados Unidos como “algo nunca antes visto, ni hecho en los Estados Unidos.”
Maritza González Cintrón, organizadora del 1er Encuentro Internacional de Artistas en Contra de la Violencia, junto a la obra ganadora de Alvilda Sophía Anaya-Alegría - Hunter Yellow: ¿Baquiné o Feminicidio?
Alvilda Sophía Anaya-Alegría durante la exhibición Museo Casa Cautiño-Insúa: Romance, Arquitectura y Economía presentada en la Biblioteca Pública de South Hadley.
Portada / Front Page
El Sol Latino January 2020
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Cuarta Marcha Anual de Mujeres del Valle Pionero en Springfield en 2020 SPRINGFIELD, MA | PIONEER VALLEY WOMEN’S’ MARCH | Diciembre 27, 2019 - Durante los últimos tres años, la Marcha anual de mujeres del Valle Pionero (Pioneer Valley Women’s’ March) que ha tomado lugar en la ciudad de Northampton ha acogido a miles de manifestantes de comunidades de todo el oeste de Massachusetts. Este año la marcha se llevará a cabo el sábado 18 de enero de 2020 en Springfield. Bajo el tema, Unidad entre las comunidades para salvar nuestro mundo, la marcha se centrará en tomar acción para lidiar con el cambio climático, además de exigir justicia e igualdad para las mujeres y las personas oprimidas por el género. Según Jeannette Rivera, de Chicopee, Directora de Alcance Regional de la marcha, “La Marcha de las Mujeres del Valle Pionero es más que una marcha de protesta, es un evento que reúne a mujeres y aliados para el mejoramiento de todos nosotros. Queremos llamar la atención sobre las necesidades de los marginados, ofrecer apoyo y proporcionar un espacio para la acción colectiva ”.
Sitio web: www.pioneervalleywomensmarch.org Facebook: @pvwomensmarch Twitter: @pvwomensmarch Instagram: @pvwomensmarch Hashtags: #PVWMSpringfield2020 #UniteInSpringfield #PVWM2020 Si necesita transporte o puede proporcionar transporte hacia y desde la marcha: https://www.groupcarpool.com/t/9ydh7i o https://forms.gle/ mpMbw4c11Xumfhgp6 Si está interesado en ser voluntario o unirse al equipo de planificación, regístrese aquí: https://forms.gle/QkhhenButsKpiNx57. Si está interesado en patrocinar el evento, complete este formulario: https:// forms.gle/KuyNdQHdpW8f1WJAA Para inscribirse en la Feria de Activistas de la Comunidad: https://forms. gle/qqU4UrRHfmumMkvu8 Una transmisión en vivo de la marcha estará disponible en la página de Facebook de Pioneer Valley Women’s March. Para consultas de los medios sobre la Marcha de las Mujeres del Valle Pionero, comuníquese con: Rachel Maiore (Directora) Correo electrónico: pvwomensmarch@gmail.com / Teléfono: (413) 923-4318 • Jeannette Rivera (Directora Regional de Alcance) Correo electrónico: pvwomensmarch@gmail.com / Teléfono: (413) 896-7100
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Ella dijo que el comité planea trasladar la marcha a diferentes ciudades del Valle Pionero para aumentar la unidad progresiva y la acción en todo el Valle. “Tenemos que mostrar solidaridad con las luchas de nuestras ciudades hermanas migrando la marcha alrededor del Valle. Comenzar con la ciudad más grande del Valle hace sentido ”.
H C C . E D U / S TA R T
La marcha comenzará en Northgate Plaza, 1985 Main Street a las 11:00 a.m., donde habrá música y oradores. La marcha finalizará en el ayuntamiento de Springfield, 38 Court Street con una manifestación pacífica, feria de activista y yoga para activistas.
Imaginar el Futuro.
Rachel Maiore, concejal electa de la ciudad de Northampton y cofundadora y directora de la marcha, dijo que es hora de que la marcha se mude a Springfield este año. “El equipo organizador de Springfield ha estado trabajando duro durante meses para planificar la marcha del 2020. Ahora tenemos un comité grande, entusiasta y diverso. Estoy encantada de que nuestro movimiento haya cobrado impulso y que estemos demostrando solidaridad regional. Tenemos mucho que aprender los unos de los otros.” Ella cree que los manifestantes que asisten a la marcha cada año estarán encantados de venir a Springfield para el 2020 en una muestra de unidad. Rivera dijo que el comité está activamente buscando patrocinadores para la marcha. “Esperamos cientos de manifestantes, por lo que los patrocinadores recibirán mucha exposición”. También agregó que espera que los manifestantes apoyen a los negocios locales antes y después de la marcha. Movilizado por la Marcha de las Mujeres en Washington en 2017 y continuado por el liderazgo local, nuestro objetivo es unir a las mujeres y aliados del Valle Pionero a través de identidades sociales, culturales, religiosas, políticas y económicas para exigir justicia e igualdad para todas las mujeres y personas oprimidas por género.
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Culture & Conversation
El Sol Latino January 2020
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Portada / Front Page
El Sol Latino January 2020
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Carlos Vega Fund for Social Justice Announces Appreciation Grants HOLYOKE, MA | CARLOS VEGA FUND FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE | December 5, 2019 – The Carlos Vega Fund for Social Justice has awarded Appreciation Grants of $200 each to eleven organizations that foster change and promote empowerment, self-help, and economic, political and social justice. The purpose of the Appreciation Grants is to support efforts to address injustice, oppression, and poverty in the greater Holyoke area, particularly for those who are marginalized by our society.
are: American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Massachusetts; Fly Wheel Community Arts Space, Inc.; Holyoke Health Center Foster Care Clinic; Holyoke YMCA Urban Bike School; MERGE for Equality; The Performance Project, Inc.; The Resistance Center for Peace and Justice; Seeds of a Father Inc.; Sisters of St. Joseph Office of Justice and Peace; and Treehouse Foundation, Inc.
This is a new initiative the Advisory Board launched this fall to both show our gratitude for the work these organization do and promote Carlos’s legacy to those who might not be familiar with it. The first grant was awarded in October to The Greater Holyoke Council for Human Understanding to sponsor its 1st Indigenous People’s Day Celebration. The other ten grants were awarded in November, the month in which we celebrate not only a season of giving but also Carlos’ birthday on November 26th.
Carlos Vega was an ardent activist for civil rights, community building, education, healthcare, and social justice in Holyoke. The donor advised fund, which is administered by the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, was started in 2010 to honor Carlos on his 60th birthday and to continue his forty-year legacy by awarding small grants to nonprofit organizations through an annual competitive process. The mini grants, typically ranging from $250 to $1,000, are awarded annually to individuals and nonprofit groups for a specific program or project.
The ten organizations that received an Appreciation Grant in November
Contact: Aaron Vega - aaron@vegaforholyoke.com / 413-522-0268
Isabella Cámara Torres Joins Nueva Esperanza Inc. Originally posted on NUEVA ESPERANZA Inc. – Blog: News & Events | December 17, 2019 – Just in time for Christmas and Three Kings Day Isabella Cámara Torres has joined Nueva Esperanza as our new Program Manager. What an amazing gift!
As program manager Isabella will be responsible for co-managing the administration, programs and strategic plan of the organization. Other key duties include fundraising, marketing, and community outreach. The position reports directly to the Board of Directors.
Isabella Cámara Torres is a young but up and coming community developer who is poised to make a mark in Western Mass since moving from San Sebastian, Puerto Rico just about a year ago.
Nueva Esperanza is lucky to have such a bright young star on the team and we look forward to see what she brings to the “mesa”.
We first met Isabella at our “In Solidarity with Puerto Rico” rally in June where she gave an impassioned speech on the current state of Puerto Rico politics. Board member Samuel Mateo was there that afternoon and tell us “It was amazing and spur of the moment. Her cry was heard loud and clear that June afternoon”. He continued “This young lady made it very clear that she cared about her homeland and her people”. He added “We look forward to that same passion as she helps lead Nueva into 2020 as our Program Manager. Isabella is ready to work. “It is an exciting year for me to be joining this wonderful team. My interest for community development started in my early years of college and has brought me to work for organizations such as AmeriCorps LISC Boston and OneHolyoke Community Development Corporation.” She continued “Serving as a community outreach coordinator in Holyoke has helped me engage with wonderful people that have been teaching me about this beautiful city. As the new program manager for Nueva Esperanza I hope to bring new and innovative ideas to the table in order to help empower this vibrant community.”
Credit: Nueva Esperanza Inc. - Isabella Cámara Torres
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Política / Politics
El Sol Latino January 2020
SPLC: Emails Expose Key White House Aide Stephen Miller’s Affinity for White Nationalism ATLANTA, GA | SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER | November 12, 2019 – A series of previously unreleased emails obtained by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) reveal that in the runup to the 2016 election, current White House Senior Adviser Stephen Miller regularly promoted white nationalist literature and racist propaganda to editors at Breitbart News as he shaped the far-right website’s coverage of issues related to immigrants. On its Hatewatch blog, the SPLC released the first in a series of reports analyzing the content of some 900 emails exchanged between Miller and Breitbart editors from March 4, 2015, to June 27, 2016. Miller is known as the architect of President Trump’s most extreme immigration policies, including the family separation policy and the executive order that essentially bans immigration from some majorityMuslim countries. The emails – provided to the SPLC by former Breitbart editor Katie McHugh – illustrate the degree to which white nationalist ideology and Miller’s apparent fixation with eliminating immigration by people of color has shaped policy in Trump’s White House. Most of the emails were sent in 2015 while Miller worked as a close aide to Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions. He continued sending them after he joined the Trump campaign in January 2016. “Americans should be terrified by the casual way that Stephen Miller, who has enormous influence in the White House, shares racist content and speaks the language of white nationalists in emails to people he apparently considered fellow travelers,” said Michael Edison Hayden, senior investigative reporter for Hatewatch. “It’s clear that he believes people of color are a danger to our country and should not be allowed in.” Among the revelations in the emails: • Miller shared articles from the white nationalist website VDARE, which traffics in the “white genocide” or “great replacement” myth that people of color are systematically replacing white people. It’s a racist doctrine that has incited numerous white supremacist terror attacks, including the mass murder of 51 people in Christchurch, New Zealand, and the attack that killed 22 people in El Paso in August. • Miller recommended that Breitbart write about The Camp of the Saints, an apocalyptic, violent and intensely racist novel popular among white nationalists and neo-Nazis in the United States. The book, written by a French author, depicts a Europe overrun by millions of brown-skinned migrants. Following the email, Breitbart published an article called ‘Camp of the Saints’ Seen Mirrored in Pope’s Message. • Miller sought to create a counternarrative after Amazon.com and other retailers began halting the sales of Confederate-themed merchandise
following the Charleston church massacre in 2015. In one email, Miller appears to reference a previous phone conversation with McHugh, writing: “That’s a really, really, really good point. Have you thought about going to Amazon and finding the commie flags and then doing a story on that? I think you’ve hit on something potentially profound.” • Miller repeatedly referred to President Calvin Coolidge, who signed the Immigration Act of 1924, a law based on eugenics that limited entry into the United States mostly to migrants from Northern Europe, barred immigrants from Asia and targeted “dysgenic” Italians and Eastern European Jews. The law was praised by Adolf Hitler as a potential model for Nazi Germany. Coolidge is lionized by white nationalists, in part for his comments condemning race mixing. More than 80 percent of the emails reviewed by Hatewatch relate to or appear on threads discussing race or immigration. “The hundreds of emails Stephen Miller sent to just one member of the media – and there are more – clearly illustrate his beliefs, which until now have not been made explicit and known to the American people,” McHugh said. McHugh was a Breitbart editor from April 2014 to June 2017. She was active in the anti-immigrant movement and was fired from Breitbart in 2017 for anti-Muslim tweets. Since then, she has renounced the far right and told Hatewatch that she believes the movement to be “evil.” The first installment of the Hatewatch series can be read at: https://www. splcenter.org/hatewatch/2019/11/12/stephen-millers-affinity-whitenationalism-revealed-leaked-emails. The SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER (SPLC) is an American nonprofit legal advocacy organization specializing in civil rights and public interest litigation. Based in Montgomery, Alabama, it is known for its legal cases against white supremacist groups, its classification of hate groups and other extremist organizations, and for promoting tolerance education programs.
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Opinión / Opinion
El Sol Latino January 2020
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How the legal system cripples people who live in poverty by MIGUEL ARCE and WALTER MULLIN Two young men start out with the same problem. They are both stopped on the highway for having a broken taillight. The first man is employed at a 40-hour a week job and is late for work. The second man is unemployed and driving to pick up diapers for his baby. They both get a ticket. The employed man is irritated and feels he has been treated unfairly. He knows he could contest the ticket, but also knows he cannot take the time off from work, so he pays the fine. If it is a more serious charge, he will take a vacation day, hire a lawyer and work out an expensive solution with the court. The second man has the same irritated feelings but does not have the resources to pay the ticket, so he ignores it. Eventually, he loses his driver’s license. Still, he does not have the means to pay to get the license back. For him, now with this more serious charge and since he will not be able to hire a lawyer, he might plead guilty, might spend time in jail and might face enormous consequences when he is released. Now released, without a driver’s license, he cannot take a job that requires him to drive to work. As his personal situation worsens, the legal costs are rising, and consequences continue to worsen.
Instead of building a legal system based on social justice and understanding the economic crisis of over 40 million Americans who live in poverty, a modern-day debtor prison mentality has emerged. To manage their own finances, some governments have chosen to outsource the criminal justice public sector to “for-profit” probation businesses that need to make money for their survival. It is to their benefit to employ aggressive tactics to collect criminal debt. According to The Guardian (November 6, 2017), 10 million people, representing two-thirds of all current and former offenders in the United States, owe governments a total of $50 billion in accumulated fines, fees and other impositions. National Public Radio estimated between 80-85 percent of inmates now leave prison owing debt for court-imposed costs, restitution, fines and fees. If they breach their probation requirements, it can result in jail time and may impact a range of federal benefits including Social Security Income, Temporary Aid to Needy Families, food stamps, and others.
A driving violation, such as having a broken taillight, is considered a misdemeanor or minor legal violation as compared to felony. Other types of misdemeanors include driving without a seatbelt, trespassing, public intoxication, and speeding. Although not considered serious crimes, misdemeanors can lead to being arrested, spending time in jail and having a criminal record. A broken taillight, an unpaid parking ticket, sleeping in public (even in one’s own car) can result in jail time and loss of a driver’s license.
The Huffington Post (09/16/2018) reports that in 49 states, inmates are charged for the costs of their own incarceration. These debts can make it even harder for a returning citizen to rebuild their life after incarceration. In 46 states, failure to repay these “financial obligations” is an offense punishable by yet more incarceration. A law clerk in Chicago wrote, in 1994, “Prisoners who have no assets should earn their room and board through mandatory prison work. Alternatively, and less desirably, authorities could attach future earnings and recoup the costs of incarceration over several years following an inmate’s release.”
An article in The Washington Post (May 27, 2018) states that, “more than seven million people nationwide may have had their driver’s license suspended for failure to pay court or administrative debt.” Once again, these are charges that can be resolved by paying fees. Resolving these types of charges without a record is crucial. Hiring a lawyer to help with this is beneficial. Without a lawyer and without resources, a person may opt to plead guilty believing that they will work hard to find a way to pay the fines. The legal system can turn a guy who is humble, down-to-earth, open and honest, easy to get along with into a criminal.
Driving with a broken taillight is not safe. It is reasonable that traffic police should stop a car when its taillight is broken. It is not reasonable, however, that people who live without resources will carry a much heavier burden as they try to resolve the problem. It is not socially just. The social justice problem becomes worse when the legal system needs to collect fines and fees paid by people living in poverty so that it can survive. Then it is not about resolving a legal issue, but about earning money. When this happens, the legal system has lost its way and poor people become criminals because they are poor.
The opportunities to manage this traffic problem highlight the two-tier system that exists based on the availability of resources. It has nothing to do with the legal offence. One tier is for people who have the means to purchase their way out of consequences. These people can step away from the criminal justice system. There is another place in the tier for those who do not have the financial resources and are forced to stay involved with the legal system. It can be said that this two-tier system “criminalizes” people without resources because they are poor. This system can disable every aspect of a poor person’s life. A small initial fine can turn into massive debt and time away from the job. Getting stopped, getting a $100 ticket, not paying it on time can lead to $350 in additional fees. Without the money to pay the lower fine, the likelihood of paying the higher fine is very low. According to Bryan Stevenson, Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative “…it’s better to be rich and guilty than it is to be poor and innocent.” By not being able to pay, the fines and fees multiply and increase. While all this is going on for this unemployed man, at the same time, the legal system is strained by lack of funding needed to respond to the everincreasing people being charged with misdemeanors. Alexandra Natapoff, in Punishment Without Crime, highlights that 80% of the United States government court work is connected to misdemeanor charges. With the United States locking up more people per capita than any other nation (698 per 100,000 residents), the costs of the criminal justice system have ballooned. One way to make up some of these costs is to shift them from taxpayers to the “users”.
This guest opinion is one in a series on living in poverty. DR. WALTER MULLIN (wmullin@ springfieldcollege.edu), Professor of Social Work and MIGUEL ARCE (marce@ springfieldcollege.edu), Associate Professor of Social Work at Springfield College.
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Libros / Books
El Sol Latino January 2020
Boricua Jazz: La Historia del Jazz Boricua Desde Rafael Hernández a Miguel Zenón por WILBERT SOSTRE MALDONADO San Juan, PR: publicación independiente | Abril 28, 2019 | 503 páginas Boricua Jazz documenta los aportes de los puertorriqueños a la música Jazz, desde los pioneros que estuvieron presente en la infancia de ese género musical hasta las nuevas generaciones de virtuosos. La información en las biografías es tan solo una muestra de los puntos más relevantes en la trayectoria de cada músico. La cantidad de los datos biográficos y discográficos incluidos en el libro dependió de varios factores; disponibilidad de información en los medios, respuesta del artista a requerimiento de información y pertinencia de la información.
Isaac Lausell, Antonio Luis Orta, Gabriel Rodríguez, Raúl Maldonado, Brenda Hopkins, Carmen Noemi. Otros músicos enviaron información y biografías a través de medios electrónicos. El primer capítulo presenta un breve resumen de los inicios del Jazz en Nueva Orleans como trasfondo histórico para aquellas personas no aficionadas al Jazz o quiénes recién descubren este género musical. En el segundo capítulo esta dedicada a las formas musicales que se desarrollaron en Puerto Rico durante el siglo 19 y comienzos del siglo 20. Además se incluye información sobre los primeros encuentros entre la música estadounidense y puertorriqueña. En el tercer y cuarto capítulo se reseña los aportes de los pioneros del Jazz Boricua. Parte de la información en estos capítulos fue obtenida del libro Puerto Rican Pioneers in Jazz, 1900 – 1939: Bomba Beats to Latin Jazz del autor Basilio Serrano. El capítulo cinco esta dedicado a una de las figuras puertorriqueñas más importantes en el Jazz; el trombonista y compositor Juan Tizol. El vegajabeño fue miembro de la mundialmente reconocida banda de Duke Ellington y coautor de canciones clásicas de jazz tales como “Caravan”, “Pyramid” y “Perdido”. Como compositor se le reconoce uno de los pioneros que re-introdujeron el elemento latino al jazz años antes del nacimiento del llamado Latin Jazz. En el capitulo seis nos movemos entre el jazz y la salsa, destacando las trayectorias de músicos boricuas que aportaron en ambas vertientes musicales y en el jazz latino. Debemos establecer que debido a las migraciones de puertorriqueños a los Estados Unidos durante todo el siglo 20 hasta la actualidad, en Boricua Jazz incluimos las biografías dé músicos nacidos en Puerto Rico y de aquellos con descendencia boricua nacidos en los Estados Unidos. El capítulo siete reseña la historia de dos importantísimas organizaciones que durante las décadas de 1960 y 1970 promovieron el desarrollo del gusto por el Jazz en Puerto Rico; el San Juan Jazz Workshop y el Taller de Jazz Don Pedro. Estas organizaciones son la base para el desarrollo de otros eventos musicales de los cuales se describen en el capítulo ocho, ‘Festivales y Conciertos en Puerto Rico’. El capítulo nueve, ‘Bomba Jazz’, propone el surgimiento de un Jazz Latino genuinamente Boricua. Una nueva generación de virtuosos puertorriqueños comienzan a fusionar de forma más balanceada los sonidos folclóricos de Puerto Rico con el Jazz. El capítulo diez, esta dedicado a la nueva generación de jóvenes jazziztas en el Siglo 21.
Se realizaron entrevistas a músicos y otras personalidades los cuales suministraron información y datos valiosos para la redacción de Boricua Jazz. Entre ellos encontramos; Gonchi Sifre, Jimmy Rivera, Julio César Rivera, Freddie Gumbs, Mark Monts de Oca, José Furito Ríos, Wito Morales, Héctor Matos, Chiro Álvarez, Jerry González, Chembo Corniel, Charlie Sepulveda, Tiko Ortiz, Janice Maisonet, Pete Rodríguez, Ruben Cabán,
WILBERT SOSTRE, documenta la historia del Jazz Puertorriqueño en el libro Boricua Jazz. El libro es el resultado de más de 10 años de investigación y entrevistas a músicos, conocedores y productores que han sido parte de la historia del Jazz en Puerto Rico. WILBERT SOSTRE es también productor y conductor del programa Puerto Rico Jazz en Radio Vieques 90.1FM, www.radiovieques.net. Por los pasados 15 años ha escrito reseñas de grabaciones y eventos de jazz para publicaciones como Jazz Times, Jazz Inside Magazine, Latin Jazz Network, All About Jazz, y Diálogo, entre otras. También ha sido invitado a las emisoras Radio Universidad, Radio Oro, Yunque Radio, Vid 90.3 y el canal de televisión ABC Puerto Rico para compartir sus conocimientos sobre el Jazz.
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Medios / Media
El Sol Latino January 2020
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Multicultural Media Revenues to Grow in 2020, as Expanding Hispanic, African & Asian American Markets Fuel Growth STAMFORD, CT | PRNewswire-PRWeb | December 18, 2019 - U.S. multicultural media revenues generated from advertising and marketing aimed at Hispanic, African and Asian Americans are projected to grow at an accelerated 6.3% to $28.72 billion in 2020, representing the fastest growth of this burgeoning market in eight years, according to new research from PQ Media. Key growth drivers are expected to be incremental shifts of ad and marketing dollars to multicultural media by savvy brands, as well as record media spending related to the U.S. presidential election and the Summer Olympics in Japan, according to PQ Media’s U.S. Multicultural Media Forecast 2019. U.S. multicultural media revenues will increase at an estimated 4.5% to $27.01 billion in 2019, which is a deceleration in growth from that of last year due to the lack of even-year inflows from global sporting events and major U.S. political campaigns. Multicultural media revenues grew 5.6% to $25.86 billion in 2018, with the ad sector growing 5.5% to $13.05 billion and the marketing segment up 5.6% to $12.81 billion. Ad and marketing investments related to mid-term election campaigns in the U.S., as well as media spending associated with the Winter Olympics in South Korea and the World Cup in Russia were all key factors in the accelerated growth of multicultural revenues last year.
The new PQ Media research, which was sponsored by the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) and the Alliance for Inclusive and Multicultural Marketing (AIMM), marks the first in-depth examination of the growing multicultural media markets in the U.S. The primary objective of the U.S. Multicultural Media Forecast 2019 was to provide ANA and AIMM members with comprehensive strategic intelligence on the domestic multicultural media landscape segmented by key demographics, media platforms and media buying strategies. PQ Media researchers divided the multicultural media market into two broad sectors – advertising and marketing – then segmented them into multiple media platforms. The ad sector included television, radio, print media, pure-play digital media, out-of-home, and “other media” advertising, which consisted of several smaller channels like entertainment media and business magazines. Marketing platforms included were experiential, promotions,
retailer, relationship, influencer, and branded content & content marketing. The ad sector accounted for 50.5% of total multicultural media revenues in 2018, slightly larger than that of the marketing segment at 49.5%. The close split in multiethnic media revenues contrasts sharply with the growing gap between the advertising and marketing shares of overall U.S. media revenues, as marketing commands 60% and advertising accounts for only 40%. Total U.S. media revenues grew 5.9% to $502.01 billion in 2018, with marketing up 6.4% and advertising up 5.0%, according to PQ Media’s Global Advertising & Marketing Revenue Forecast 2019-23. “The multicultural media market is fast becoming a critical consumer segment for brand marketers that want to accelerate growth and increase overall U.S. market share, as multiethnic consumers, including Hispanic, African and Asian Americans, constitute the fastest growing demographic in the country. Nevertheless, multicultural media growth has slightly underperformed the broader U.S. media industry and it still accounts for a mere sliver of the American pie,” said PQ Media President & CEO Patrick Quinn. “To put this into context, consider that multicultural consumers comprise nearly 40% of the total U.S. population, yet multicultural media investments draw only 5.2% of overall U.S. media spending.” Of the nearly $26 billion spent on multicultural media in 2018, the Hispanic media segment commanded the largest share, with revenues growing 5.3% to $17.94 billion; followed by the African American category, which ranked second in both size and growth ($7.20 billion, up 6.1%), and the Asian American demographic, which was the smallest but grew the fastest ($722 million, up 7.0%). By comparison, Hispanics comprised 18.1 percent of the total U.S. population in 2017, while African Americans represented 13.4%, and Asian Americans made up 5.8%, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Television advertising was the largest of the 12 multicultural media platforms tracked by PQ Media, generating $7.67 billion in revenues in 2018, followed by relationship, promotional, and experiential marketing. Influencer marketing and branded/content marketing both grew 11.6% in 2018, making them the two fastest growing media platforms, trailed by pure-play digital advertising and experiential marketing. National media buying accounted for 62.5% of multiethnic revenues, but local grew faster, up 6.2%. English language content was larger and grew faster (53.9% share and 6% growth) than native language content in 2018. SOURCE PQ Media
Veanos@www.issuu.com/elsollatino
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Medios / Media
El Sol Latino January 2020
Por más medios solidarios por DIANA RAMOS GUTIÉRREZ Este artículo fue publicado originalmente en 80grados.net | 27 de diciembre de 2019 Hace poco más de un año, nació como un proyecto periodístico el portal feminista Todas PR (https://www.todaspr.com/), ante la necesidad de ver reflejadas las voces de las mujeres y la ausencia de una discusión de los asuntos que les afectan directamente en la prensa tradicional puertorriqueña. Su lema es «periodismo solidario» “porque nos define el compromiso de denuncia de las injusticias y opresiones, y la relación con los movimientos de reclamos ciudadanos. Queremos hablar de las luchas individuales y colectivas de las mujeres, destacar sus voces en los campos de la cultura, el entretenimiento, la política, la economía y la gestión social, y reseñar de manera crítica la información que afecta sus vidas en todos estos ámbitos, reconociendo las opresiones por razón de género, raza y clase social”. Por su parte, ONCE (https://oncepr.com/) es un medio independiente, puertorriqueño, joven, sin fines de lucro, que busca ofrecer a sus lectores “otro periodismo. Lo que no queremos hacer es responder a la inmediatez, impulsar la agenda política de terceros, hacer propaganda, no cuestionar. Lo que sí: publicar a nuestro tiempo, rescatar historias, contarlas con todos sus matices y complejidades, fiscalizar al gobierno, dar voz a las minorías, lograr un país más informado y más justo”. Su equipo perteneció al periódico Diálogo de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, desaparecido desde abril del 2019, ante promesas de la institución universitaria de cambios en sus operaciones y una total incertidumbre actual respecto a su futuro. Puerto Rico Te Quiero (PRTQ / http:// puertoricotequiero.com/), una iniciativa que surgió en el año 2015, como antídoto a la desesperanza, producto de la solidaridad, por dificultades económicas tomó un receso. “Pero no nos resignamos, porque este periódico digital es necesario y urgente, por lo que hicimos el esfuerzo de publicarlo nuevamente. PRTQ está siendo relanzado”. Se anunció en agosto pasado. “Esperamos completar un proceso de reorganización que nos lleve a que esta plataforma se transforme en un vehículo informativo de todos los proyectos de autogestión, empresas, cooperativas, asociaciones, toda iniciativa inspirada en la economía solidaria. Aspiramos a servir también a todos los movimientos sociales afines con los derechos humanos, la justicia social y el desarrollo en solidaridad, como dicta el lema de PRTQ”. La diversidad de medios y especialmente, los medios sin fines de lucro, hacen posible una pluralidad informativa, elemento sustancial para el ejercicio del derecho a la libertad de expresión, entendido en un marco amplio de derecho a la comunicación. Especialmente, cuando el fin no comercial, permite al periodismo enfocarse en personas, en vez de en clientes. Necesitan, también, nuestra solidaridad. DIANA RAMOS GUTIÉRREZ es egresada de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Río Piedras, y cursa una maestría en Comunicación Social y Derechos Humanos en la Facultad de Periodismo de la Universidad Nacional de la Plata, Argentina.
Educación / Education
El Sol Latino January 2020
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Holyoke native brings casino dealing skills back to the valley SPRINGFIELD, MA | SPRINGFIELD TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE | December 23, 2019 – Born and raised in Holyoke, Angel Rivera moved with his family to the Atlantic City area when he was 18. He needed a job and knew that the casinos in the area employed a lot of people, so he gambled on himself. “I didn’t play cards that often as a kid and I had never been in a casino before, but I had a feeling there was an opportunity for me,” he said.
“We have so many people in our community that want to learn English so they can find their first job or a better job,” said Pesha Black, HCC’s director of English for Speakers of Other Languages programs at the Ludlow Area and Springfield Adult Learning centers. “They know they need English skills to do that. We believe that by overlapping our ESOL lessons with job training, we can help people move quickly into the workforce.”
He watched and learned and went to a dealer class. He impressed his instructors and later, his employers. He was hired and worked in New Jersey for 15 years before being recruited and moving on to Mohegan Sun casino in Connecticut, where he worked for 11 more. He enjoyed it, but he kept his eye on Western Mass. “Everyone in our industry knew about the possibility of a casino in this area,” Rivera said. “No one knew which company would be selected, when and where it would be built, but I knew I was going to take a close look at it.” When MGM Springfield was becoming a reality, MGM quickly offered Rivera a position and he gladly accepted. In fact, Rivera was working for MGM Springfield well before the casino opened. He was one of the first instructors hired by MCCTI – the Massachusetts Casino Career Training Institute – at a new school designed to teach area residents how to be casino dealers. MCCTI is a partnership between Holyoke Community College (HCC), Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) and MGM. “Western Mass. didn’t have many casino dealers, so we had to grow our own,” said Jeffrey Hayden, HCC vice president of Business & Community Service, who leads the college’s workforce development programs. “Casino dealing is a skill that requires training. MGM worked with us to identify good instructors and then train and then hire our students. They still are. We have classes running regularly.” Rivera started teaching dealer school students several months before the casino’s opening.
Gaming school instructor Angel Rivera
Blackjack-Royal: Angel Rivera give HCC president Christina Royal some tips about dealing blackjack during an MCCTI dealer school preview event in February 2018.
The Spanish-speaking Rivera was quick to support outreach to the ESOL community. “I started as a dealer, came to Springfield as a supervisor and am now a pit manager,” he said. “Being bilingual definitely helps me professionally. I can communicate with guests, not just at the tables, but talk about other things like restaurants, directions, movies – whatever it is.
“I always wanted to teach casino dealing, and I was given a chance here with MGM and MCCTI, and I love it,” Rivera said. “I’m in the classroom with nice people looking to learn a skill to find a job. They are just like I was. In a short time, we become co-workers.”
“I’ve got dealers from everywhere,” he went on to say. “Their ability to speak English is vital, but being able to speak a second language as well is an incredible resource.
MGM is always in the market for qualified dealers, so MCCTI is looking for new students.
Both start Jan. 13 and run through April 15. One session runs 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and the other 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. The ESOL-focused classes start in February.
To expand the search, MCCTI is working with groups that teach people English. Starting in February, classes will be offered that will smooth the transition from ESOL training to dealer training.
“People always ask me about my job at MGM, and I’m happy to tell them that it’s been great,” Rivera said. “People should come as a guest and enjoy themselves. But, if they are thinking about a part-time job or full-time career, casino dealing is excellent. Come here and look around at all the people working. Perhaps you can see yourself working there.” MCCTI has two blackjack / carnival game dealer training sessions coming up.
Scholarships are available for residents of Massachusetts. To make it easier on students with children, classes will not meet during school vacation weeks. For more information on the dealer school, please go to www.mccti.org or contact Paul Sheehan (psheehan@hcc.edu) - Massachusetts Casino Career Training Institute.
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Educación / Education
El Sol Latino January 2020
STCC computer class project to benefit students in need SPRINGFIELD, MA | SPRINGFIELD TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE | December 20, 2019 - A Springfield Technical Community College computer information technology class’s final project transformed unwanted computers into a gift for students in need. Students in Professor Brian Candido’s CIT 131 UNIX 2 class rehabbed nine discarded computers, which will be donated to STCC students facing financial hardship.
themselves,” Hundley said. “There’s a lot of opportunities in IT in general. You never know what people will develop out of this, what they will get out of it, and what it will become in the future.” Interested in applying to STCC? Visit stcc.edu/apply or call Admissions at (413) 755-3333.
Student Mohamed “Mo” Arshad, of Springfield, arranged to bring in nine older computers from Willie Ross School for the Deaf in Longmeadow, where he works in information technology (IT). After the hard drives were wiped clean, Arshad and other students in December installed the UNIX operating system, which is free software that does not require a license. “The main concern is to help people who are financially vulnerable, and help them get support for their education,” Arshad said. Professor Brian Candido, chair of the Computer Information Technologies program, said he has asked his students over the past several years to repurpose computers as a final project in the class. Some of the equipment is not very old and can be of use to students at STCC. “But it’s obsolete for the company that has it. For us, it can have a second life for a lowincome family,” Candido said. “In the past, these re-imagined computers have been invaluable to the recipients and at times have made a difference in their degree completions.” Candido said he plans to deliver the computers to the Center for Access Services (CAS) at STCC, which provides a range of support services for students facing hardships.
Professor Brian Candido works with students Mohamed “Mo” Arshad, of Springfield, and Syeda Salman, of Indian Orchard.
“It’s a win-win. It’s a win for our students and a win for the companies. We take the computers off their hands. They’d have to pay to get the equipment removed,” Candido said. Bonnie Katusich, director of operations at the Willie Ross School for the Deaf, said the school was thrilled to help the students in need and praised “Mo” Arshad for his efforts in getting the equipment to STCC. “Technology changes quickly, and we as a school try to recycle or repurpose equipment effectively when we can,” said Katusich. “Many times there is a fee for such recycling. This time, it feels like we are able to ‘pay it forward’ thanks to Mo.” One of the students working on the project added Urdu, the official language of Pakistan, to the operating system. Users can choose English or Urdu on the computer. “My grandmother would prefer it in her own language. She would understand it,” said STCC student Syeda Salman, of Indian Orchard. “I thought maybe there were other people like that.” Another student, Sean Hundley, of Brimfield, said the computers might inspire students who receive them to consider careers in IT. “I think it’s great for them not only to have computers, but to give them exposure to an alternative operating system that they can experiment with
Computer information technology students Ivy Acosta, of Springfield, left, and Sean Hundley, of Brimfield.
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Ciencias / Science
El Sol Latino January 2020
¿Por qué las abejas son tan importantes? por ANA PAMELA TORRES OCAMPO
Desde el principio de los tiempos, los humanos se han movido geográficamente para poder tener acceso fácil a recursos, por ejemplo comida y resguardo. Con la revolución industrial, la manera en que nos alimentamos cambió radicalmente ya que esto significó una producción en masa de varios productos, entre ellos muchos alimentos que forman parte de nuestra dieta actual. Dentro de este proceso de producción masiva de comida, las abejas son un componente crucial ya que ayudan a la polinización de plantas y árboles donde crecen frutas y vegetales que después encontramos en nuestros supermercados. Las abejas son pequeños insectos que no son mas grandes que una moneda de 25 centavos y se encargan de polinizar, proceso en el cual polen de la planta masculina pasa a la planta femenina y facilita el proceso de fertilización y produce un producto con semillas, que generalmente es una fruta o vegetal. Las abejas también son responsables de la creación de la miel, la cual es otra industria importante. En los medios noticiosos ha corrido la cobertura sobre la noticia de que la abejas están en peligro lo cual puede ser una amenaza a la producción en masa de varias frutas y vegetales. En realidad no sabemos que es lo que está causando la pérdida de tantas abejas y se tienen varias teorías pero aún no tenemos una respuesta clara. La polinización con abejas es responsable de 80% de los vegetales y fruta que se producen en Estados Unidos, lo cual apoya la idea de que en realidad sí, tener una pérdida de la población de abejas puede afectar significativamente esa industria. Sin embargo, las abejas no son las únicas que son responsables de polinizar las plantas. Entonces, ¿qué es lo que podemos hacer? Como ciudadanos responsables, si te es posible, es cuidar de ellas. Por ejemplo, si tienes acceso a un jardín, una alternativa es usar pesticidas no químicos sino orgánicos. También puedes instalar en tu jardín una casa para abejas que puedan formar una colonia, añadir mas flores a tu jardín y proveer una
fuente de agua para las abejas. A pesar de ser pequeños insectos, tienen un rol importantísimo en nuestro ecosistema. Como mencioné antes, dependemos de ellas para poder producir muchos alimentos dentro de nuestra dieta común. Una de las teorías también es que el cambio climático es unos de los responsables por esta pérdida masiva de abejas. Lamentablemente, las abejas no son las únicas (Credit:miltow.com) que pueden ser afectadas por el cambio climático en el planeta. Lo vemos en muchos otros factores que nos rodean diariamente. Por ejemplo, el clima es un ejemplo claro. Ahora estamos presenciando fenómenos mucho mas severos. Estamos viendo temporadas de frío mas largas y lo opuesto también es cierto, estamos viendo temporadas de calor mas largas. Los fenómenos climáticos también parecen ser mas comunes: temporadas de lluvias que pueden llegar a crear inundaciones y huracanes. Dentro de nuestro planeta, siempre tiene que haber un equilibrio entre nosotros y el resto del planeta. Aparte de poder implementar las opciones presentadas antes, podemos ayudar a no agravar el problema del cambio climático con pequeños cambios. Reusar en la manera que te sea posible, botellas de agua, bolsas, evitar plásticos que solo tienen un uso único. Reciclar productos, principalmente aquellos empaques de comida que lamentablemente también están diseñados para un uso único y desecharlos. Todos podemos contribuir en nuestra propia manera a cuidar el planeta y tratar de disminuir y evitar futuros fenómenos que pueden afectar nuestro bienestar. Al final, ayudar al planeta nos beneficia a nosotros mismos ya que solamente tenemos un planeta. ANA PAMELA TORRES OCAMPO (a.torres.ocampo@gmail.com) is a PhD student at the Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB) Program - UMass Amherst.
Holyoke Public Library ~ A
L I B R A RY
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Back by Popular Demand!
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Holyoke Local Cultural Council
Romantic Spanish Guitar Concert with guitarists
Orlando L. Zayas and Eliezer Torres
Wednesday • February 12, 2020 • 6:30 p.m. Holyoke Public Library 250 Chestnut Street, Holyoke, MA 01040
For more information, call the library at (413) 420-8101. All library programs are open to the public free of charge thanks to our generous donors and supporters. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Holyoke Cultural Council. Parking available along Chestnut Street and in lots adjacent to and immediately across the street from the library.
Eliezer Torres, born in New York City, son of Puerto Rican parents. At age 5 they bought him his first guitar and since then, dedicated his life to this instrument. During his teenage years, he performed alongside a quartet of young ladies; his sisters. His dedication to the instrument has helped him develop a unique style which he teaches to others through different mediums. Eliezer’s versatility in the instrument and love for music moves him to interpret different modes of music; jíbaro, jazz, pop, classical, boleros, gospel, not all inclusive, are all part of his repertoire. Eliezer plays for the love of music and not for recognition which speaks of his humble spirit. With the same dedication, he will interpret music for one individual as well as for the crowds. Throughout his professional musical career, he played with a diverse number of musical groups and made many recordings. Musical groups such as Trio Mizpa, Grupo Siembra, Sol Sin Fronteras, just to mention a few, where influenced by Eliezer musical talent. His fellow guitarist call him “Maestro” for his proficiency, unique style, precise fast fingers, and soft touch on his guitar strings. He has influenced many individuals in the field of music in their recordings, in composing as well as in musical arrangements. Unifying Eliezer’s and Orlando’s guitar has resulted in a duet dedicated to interpreting latin romantic Melodies which the public will enjoy.
Orlando Zayas, born in Ponce Puerto Rico, graduated from the University of Puerto Rico in the mid 70s. While still in High School he showed an interest in music and learned to play the guitar. Participated with several musical groups in his native Ponce while attending the University of Puerto Rico in San Juan. After graduating and working with the State government in the Island he moved to Massachusetts, where he still lives. During the time he lived in Massachusetts he was not involved in musical projects, and it was not until retiring from the Massachusetts state government that began to be more active in music again, playing guitar. In 2013 began to teach himself (with help of online videos) the “Cuban Tres”, an instrument that he had always found to be very versatile to play different types of music. A few years later he teamed up with Eliezer Torres,a masterful guitar player with years of experience, and formed a duet. Their musical interest were very similar, including popular music, semi-classical and Brazilian music. They continue to enjoy playing and developing new ideas in what they do.
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El Sol Latino January 2020
Fine Arts Center
We Shall Overcome:
Temporada 2019 -2020
A Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Featuring Damien Sneed
Martes, Enero 28, 7:30 pm | Fine Arts Center Concert Hall Intercalada con las palabras habladas del Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., la presentación reúne el gospel con jazz y melodías de Broadway. Esta actuación está financiada en parte por el programa Expeditions del New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA), hecho posible con fondos del National Endowment for the Arts, y el apoyo adicional de las seis agencias estatales de arte de Nueva Inglaterra.
PHILADANCO!
THE PHILADELPHIA DANCE COMPANY
Jueves, Febrero 6, 7:30 pm | Fine Arts Center Concert Hall Un espectáculo de los clásicos de la compañía de danza, además de nueva coreografía que resalta los issues sociales más importantes del momento.
Asian Arts & Culture
GUGU DRUM GROUP FROM SHANGHAI Martes, Febrero 11, 7:30 pm | Fine Arts Center Concert Hall
Este premiado grupo teatral incorpora técnicas tradicionales chinas de tambores y movimiento con un toque contemporáneo.
Para boletos llamar al: 413-545-2511 ó al 800-999-UMAS ó en línea fineartscenter.com
