July 2022
Volume 18 No. 8
Un Periódico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper
ART PROJECTS
NAUTILUS II
Un Periódico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper
Celebrating
20 Years Un Periódico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper
Nautilus II
II Un Periódico Diferente / A Different Kind ofNautilus Newspaper VOLUME 15
VOLUME 15
SPRING 2017
SPRING 2017
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Aracelis Diaz Vargas, Angiebelis Gonzales, Lorimar Rosado-Soto, Shakira Torres, and Liza Birnbaum. Not pictured: Lukiki Akola, Lakeisha Hall, Geryxsa Rosario, Aida Liz Ramos Resto, Yesmari Roman-Soto
These young women’s voices sing and shout at me and touch and startle my heart. They celebrate small moments of tenderness as well as shout out for selflove and resilience. They color this difficult world with momentary beauty and justice. I feel nourished by these remarkable poems. Marilyn Chin, author of Hard Love Province and many other collections of poetry and fiction
247 Cabot Street Holyoke, MA 01040 (413) 532-2900 ISSN 1938-5994 $10.00
www.carecenterholyoke.org
Nautilus II
VOLUME 15, SPRING 2017
Nautilus II
Nautilus II
VOLUME 18
Poetry and Art by Young Mothers Studying at The Care Center
VOLUME 15, 2017
The poems in Nautilus II are reminders that the best poetry is made, always, of love. And it is made of the inquiries, curiosities, wanderings, and musics made by that love. And love, as you know, makes space. Love pries open the world, it makes the world better for all of us. And so imagine our good fortune to be holding all this love in our hands! We are so lucky for this book, this brilliant book of love, in the world! Ross Gay, author of Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude, Bringing the Shovel Down and Against Which
Since 1986 The Care Center has worked with thousands of teens creating environments where they can succeed in a city where success eludes many young people. We strive to create in teens a sense of ownership of their education and future, as well as a sense of hope and possibility. We provide young people handson experiences and the tools of success that can make dreams real.
Nautilus II VOLUME 20
SPRING 2020
SPRING 2022
“Charting the fluctuating self, the poems in Nautilus II reveal who we can be from day-to-day. Women brimming with attitude, women birthing new loves who will love them back, women stepping into futures shaped by their own imaginations and sheer will. And women showcasing the softness of the human heart. Welcome to the poems in Nautilus II!” Ivelisse Rodriguez, author of Love War Stories
“The Poets of The Care Center are fierce, determined, and intelligent young women who have a lot of important things to say. I urge you to read their poetry; doing so will enrich your life. It certainly enriched mine.” Leslea Newman, Poet Laureate, 2008-2010
“The writing in Nautilus II is such an extraordinary balm — tender, vulnerable, and ferocious all at once. I love these stories and poems with my whole entire heart.” Carmen Maria Machado, author of Her Body and Other Parties
“The poems in this issue are full of urgency and emotion. They sing with truth and power. The voices behind them, in conversation with literary greats like Lucille Clifton, Lydia Davis, George Ella Lyon, and Marie Howe, tell the kinds of stories — intelligent and compelling, by young women, in conversation with women — we most need to hear in America today.” Cassie Pruyn, author of Lena
“The poets of The Care Center are fierce, determined, and intelligent young women who have a lot of important things to say. I urge you to read their poetry; doing so will enrich your life. It certainly enriched mine.”
Since 1986 The Care Center has worked with thousands of teens creating environments where they can succeed in a city where success eludes many young people. We strive to create in teens a sense of ownership of their education and future, as well as a sense of hope and possibility. We provide young people handson experiences and the tools of success that can make dreams real.
Marilyn Chin Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets
Poetry and Art by Young Mothers Studying at The Care Center
Nautilus II
VOLUME 18, SPRING 2020
“The Poems in Nautilus II are reminders that the best poetry is made, always of love. And it is made of the inquiries, curiosities, wanderings, and music made by that love. And love, as you know, makes space. Love pries open the world, it makes the world better for all of us. And so imagine our good fortune to be holding all this love in our hands! We are so lucky for this book, this brilliant book of love in the world!” Ross Gay, author of The Book of Delights
www.carecenterholyoke.org
Since 1986 The Care Center has worked with thousands of teens creating environments where they can succeed in a city where success eludes many young people. We strive to create in teens a sense of ownership of their education and future, as well as a sense of hope and possibility. We provide young people hands-on experiences and the tools of success that can make dreams real.
Poetry and Art by Young Mothers Studying at The Care Center
247 Cabot Street Holyoke, MA 01040 (413) 532-2900 ISSN 1938-5994 $10.00
VOLUME 19, 2021
www.carecenterholyoke.org
76 / Nautilus II
“These gorgeous, polyphonic voices cry out with love, compassion, joy and ample, ample pain. We cannot look away from the startling images. We cannot close our ears from the vivid yearning. This is a beautiful collection to behold and cherish!”
VOLUME 18, 2020
247 Cabot Street Holyoke, MA 01040 (413) 532-2900 ISSN 1938-5994 $10.00
Lesléa Newman, author of Wish My Father
Nautilus II
VOLUME 20, SPRING 2022
2
Tinta Caliente / Hot Ink OT TINTNATE H N I K CALIE por MANUEL
FRAU RAMOS
En Holyoke .... Nueva Esperanza pierde su Nueva Directora. Apenas seis meses después de ser nombrada Directora Ejecutiva de Nueva Espezanza Inc., Cynthia Espinosa Marrero anunció, en junio,
contents
sorpresivamente su renuncia. La organización, localizada en medio de la comunidad puertorriqueña de Holyoke, ve partir a su segundo Director en menos de cuatro años.
In Holyoke ... Nueva Esperanza loses its New Director. Merely 6 months after being named Executive Director of Nueva Esperanza Inc., Cynthia Espinosa Marrero unexpectedly, in June, announced her resignation. The organization, located in the middle of the Puerto Rican community of Holyoke, sees the departure of its second Director in less than four years.
Foto del Mes/Photo of the Month
Nautilus II: Poetry and Art by Young Mothers Studying at The Care Center Celebrating 20 Years
June 17, 2022 - Odyssey Bookshop in South Hadley
2 Tinta Caliente / Hot Ink In Holyoke ... Nueva Esperanza loses its New Director 3 Portada / Front Page 20th Anniversary of Nautilus II 4 Celebrating 20 Years of Nautilus II 5 Episodios de El Sol Latino Podcast 413 6 Coastal Gentrification in Puerto Rico is Displacing People and Damaging Mangroves and Wetlands 7 Educación / Education STCC Class of 2022 Thrilled to Celebrate in-Person Commencement 8 RUM organizó la Primera Cumbre de Servicios Climáticos de Puerto Rico 9 Elizabeth Gonzalez to help lead UCLA efforts to become Hispanic-Serving Institution 10 Héctor R. Cordero-Guzmán New President of the Research Foundation of the City University of New York New Latino Education Institute’s Executive Director: María Juncos Gautier 11 Largest Hispanic Serving Research Universities Form Alliance to Increase Hispanic Opportunity 12 Medios / Media Latino Media Network (LMN) Launches to Build Content Creation and Distribution Company to Reach Latino Market 13 Mundo Hispanico Becomes MundoNow in Move to Reach New Generation of U.S. Latinos Finanzas / Finances Rent Increase Pandemonium 14 Libros / Books America’s Last Fortress: Puerto Rico’s Sovereignty, China’s Caribbean Belt and Road, and America’s National Security Arribada 15 Deportes / Sports Holyoke Old Times Softball League
Founded in 2004
Some members of the editorial team. Left to right: Lisbeth Aquino, Jaeleiny Alberto, Ana Rodríguez, Rajine Bridgbasie, Sheynatais Rivera and Marjory Zaik
n
Volume 18, No. 8 n July 2022
Editor Manuel Frau Ramos manuelfrau@gmail.com 413-320-3826 Assistant Editor Ingrid Estrany-Frau 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.
at https://www.facebook.com/ El-Sol-Latino-280862535259910
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 20th Anniversary of Nautilus II por MANUEL FRAU-RAMOS On June 17th, The Care Center in Holyoke released its 20th edition of Nautilus II: Poetry and Art by Young Mothers Studying at The Care Center. The event was held at its tradicional venue, Odyssey Bookshop in South Hadley.
El Sol Latino July 2022
Year 2013
The launching of this publication has become a yearly event that attracts a large number of friends of The Care Center to Odyssey Bookshop. This year’s event had a special significance as it was the first celebration open to the public after 2 years of restrictions imposed by the pandemic. In addition, this edition celebrated the 20th anniversary of the iconic publication. Nautilus II is one of the outstanding arts and educational initiatives of The Care Center.
Xiomara Cruz designed the Cover Art.
The Holyoke-based communty organization was honored by the White House in 2011 with a National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award, issued by The President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities. This award is the the nation’s highest honor recognizing community-based arts and humanities youth programs in the United States. The Care Center is also a recipient of the Massachusetts Cultural Council’s 2019 Commonwealth Award, honoring its long, outstanding and exceptional achievement in the sciences, arts, and humanities.
The Care Center and its humanities programming have been featured in an hour-long piece that aired on National Public Radio stations. In every class, a group of young mothers from The Care Center is selected to be the editors of the arts and literature book. In the process, they learn editing, graphic design, public speaking and leadership skills necessary in the production of Nautilus II. The book is a collection of poems, photos, and art. The Student Editorial Board of the class of 2022 consisted of the following group of Senior Editors: Jaeleiny Alberto, Laisha Correa, and Aaliyah Pereira, and Editiors: Lizbeth Aquino, Rajine Bridgbasie, Shadamen Egea, Dayana Fuentes, and Sheynatais Rivera. Craig Malone was in charge of Design and Production, and Staff Editors were Ana Rodríguez (Managing Editor), Marjory Zaik (Assintant Managing Edtitor), Julie Lichtenberg (Art Editor), Tara Bernier (Contributing Poetry Editor), and Charlene Choi (Contributing Poetry Editor). Xiomara Cruz designed the Cover Art for this year’s edition. Tzivia Gover, Founding Editor and Poetry Editor for a period of 16 years who retired in 2016 from The Care Center, was the main speaker at the event. The Care Center, established in 1986, has become an oasis of hope and opportunity for success for thousands of young people in the region, mostly residents of Holyoke, by creating an environment where success is possible. It has worked with thousands of teen mothers and their families as the women continue their education and move toward greater self-awareness and economic stability. Other programs offered by The Care Center are HiSET/GED, a high school equivalency program, the College Support program that offers a wide range of supports needed to get to and through college, and Bard Microcollege Holyoke that provides students with a high quality, liberal arts associate degree. For more information about the poetry journal contact THE CARE CENTER | 247 Cabot Street, Holyoke, MA 01040 | Phone: (413) 532-2900 or visit THE ODYSSEY BOOKSHOP: College St., South Hadley, MA 01075 / Phone:(413) 534-7307.
Year 2022
3
4
Portada / Front Page
El Sol Latino July 2022
Celebrating 20 Years of Nautilus II by TZIVIA GOVER This article was originally published in Nautilus II | Volume 20, Spring 2022. Reprinted by permission from The Care Center. Nautilus II is 20 years old! That’s a big number! Think of it: If Nautilus II were a person, she’d likely have graduated from The Care Center (TCC), and maybe she would have earned her Associate’s Degree by now. She might well have a toddler or a preschooler of her own. Thinking about this makes me, as the founder of Nautilus II, feel as though I am becoming a literary grandmother!
form and many more successes. Nautilus II has proven her independence and strength as she has endured through changes of faculty and student editors—and thanks to Ana’s belief in it and the expertise of our designer Craig Malone, the journal has never failed to be published through it all—even in the face of a worldwide pandemic! Mrs. Towne, who published her Nautilus faithfully, even when the build ing burned to the ground in the winter of 1910 and had to be rebuilt in 1911, would be proud!
As soon as I started teaching poetry at TCC, first as a volunteer and then as a faculty member, I knew that the teen mothers whom I worked with had talents that many weren’t yet aware of. I loved the poems the students were writing so much that I felt selfish keeping them to myself. So even before the Nautilus II was formed, I began gather ing student poems into anthologies that we stapled together and gave to other students, faculty, and staff in the school.
I am, too! The young mothers studying at TCC and the faculty who support their efforts have put their hard work into this project once again this year, and in doing so are carrying forward a legacy of resilience and well-earned pride in a job well- done. May the vision of Nautilus II as a project that nurtures creativity, confidence, and talent in young women who are scholars, poets, and artists continue for another twenty years and beyond.
Then, when I discovered I wasn’t the only woman to publish a journal of sorts from the rooms of the building that is now The Care Center, I felt called to up the ante. As readers of Nautilus II now know, Student portrait of Tzivia Gover, Nautilus II Elizabeth Towne, a suffragist, local Founder and Friend (and honorary Literary Grandmother!) politician, and New Thought leader, published the original Nautilus in the building that now houses TCC. But back in 2003, my students and I still had a lot of history to uncover. So, the first task for the journal’s first student editorial board was to do some research at the Holyoke Public Library, where we pored over old editions of Mrs. Towne’s Nautilus that dated from the late 1800s through the mid 1900s. We discovered that the original Nau tilus published a few poems in each issue, but devoted most of the pages to articles about positive thinking, spiritual growth, and good health. We also learned that Mrs. Towne had been a teen mother herself, which is why we named our journal after hers. Mrs. Towne’s positive energy must have blessed our efforts, because our journal grew: from a staple-bound poetry book that we first circulated free within The Care Center and later sold for $3 a copy to members of the public, to a perfect-bound journal (a book with a spine), featuring artwork in black and white, then color. In time, we even began to collect endorsements from re nowned poets such as Martín Espada, Naomi Shihab Nye, and Nikky Finney, who visited The Care Center as part of the poetry program’s literary series. Then in 2011, Nautilus II was among TCC’s standout programs that caught the attention of the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award is- sued by the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities. We received the Youth Program award that year. Also that year, I published Learning in Mrs. Towne’s House: A Teacher, Her Students, and the Woman Who Inspired Them, a book about TCC’s poetry program and the story of how Mrs. Towne’s legacy in- spired our efforts. In 2016, it was time for me to move on to other things. When I left TCC, I passed the leadership of Nautilus II to a new generation of students and faculty who, along with Ana Rodriguez, The Care Center’s Director of Education, continued to shepherd the journal for- ward to reach its current
Saturdays 10 AM Domingo 7 PM WHMP radio 1400 AM
biingüe arte, cultura, media politics Natalia Muñoz
TZIVIA GOVER Nautilus II Founder and Friend (and honorary Literary Grandmother!) www.tziviagover.com hello@tziviagover.com
Portada / Front Page Episodios de El Sol Latino Podcast 413 Episodios grabados durante el meses de abril y mayo de 2022. Los episodios del Podcast 413 están accesibles en la página web de Holyoke Media (holyokemedia.org/programming/public-programming-archive) al igual que en su página de Facebook y en su canal de YouTube. También se pueden ver en la página de Facebook de El Sol Latino. Episodio #76 – 13 de abril de 2022 Invitado – Edwin Velázquez Collazo Tema – El Arte y la Cultura AfroPuertorriqueña Edwin Velázquez Collazo se ha desarrollado como artista plástico y gestor cultural, es fundador y editor Puerto Rico Art News un blog especializado en arte puertorriqueño, fue fundador y ex presidente de la Asociación de Artistas Plásticos de Puerto Rico, junto a Leída Rodríguez Vila fundó y dirigió la Coalición de Artistas de Puerto Rico una red social especializada sobre las artes plásticas que hubo en la isla del 2009 al 2014. Ha realizado exposiciones individuales en Puerto Rico y exhibido su obra colectivamente en galerías, museos e instituciones locales e internacionales de países como Brasil, República Dominicana, Estados Unidos, Italia, España, Portugal, Canadá, Rusia, Francia, Alemania, Bélgica, Rumania entre otros. Ha ganado premios y distinciones del National Endowment for the Arts, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, Fundación Ángel Ramos, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico, Fundación de Puerto Rico y la Fundación Rockefeller. Recientemente estableció Casa Silvana, un espacio rural para el arte emergente contemporáneo y afro-descendiente en Humacao. Es fundador del blog Puerto Rico Art News dirigido a las noticias de las artes plásticas contemporáneas puertorriqueñas y su diáspora. También es fundador y editor del blog Black Art in Puerto Rico / Arte Afropuertorriqueño dedicado a las artes plásticas y visuales afro-puertorriqueñas Para más información sobre su carrera artística favor de visitar: edwinvelazquezcollazo.blogspot.com Episodio #77 – 18 de mayo de 2022 Invitada – Magdalena Gómez Tema – El libro Mi’ja A Memoir Noir MAGDALENA GÓMEZ is Poet Laureate of Springfield, MA, where she cofounded Teatro V!da, a performing arts collective; she is also an Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellow, the author of Shameless Woman (Red Sugarcane Press) and Bullying: Replies, Rebuttals, Confessions, and Catharsis (Skyhorse, 2012), a winner of Fordham University’s 2019 Latinas 50 Plus Literature Award, the 2019 Latinx Excellence on the Hill Award from the Black and Latino Legislative Caucus of MA State House, and other arts awards. Her widely acclaimed musical play Dancing in My Cockroach Killers (2013) is a performing arts piece consisting of a collection of Gómez’s poems and
El Sol Latino July 2022
5
monologues set to music by composer Desmar Guevara. It has been performed in Los Angeles, DC, Massachusetts, and Off-Broadway in New York City. Ms. Gómez is also a New England Public Radio commentator, national speaker and columnist with the Point of View Newspaper. She is the co-editor of Bullying: Replies, Rebuttals, Confessions and Catharsis, the first multicultural, intergenerational and multi- genre anthology on bullying. A book of her poetry, Shameless Woman, was recently released by Red Sugarcane Press, NYC. Her role in the Nuyorican Literary movement was recently cited in In Visible Movement: Nuyorican Poetry from the Sixties to Slam, by scholar and poet Urayoán Noel. The University of Connecticut Storrs invited Ms. Gomez for the coveted honor of housing her literary archives at the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center. Born to a Puerto Rican mother and Spanish Roma father, Gómez has been writing, performing and telling stories since early childhood. A devotee of Lorca, Emerson and Chinese women poets since the third grade, this eclectic thinker is at once fierce and tender, one who creates a mystical bond with every audience. For more information about the Magdalena Gómez or her new book visit www.magdalenagomez.com, www.latinapoet.com and www.mijamemoir.com
HAZ DE VERANO TU OPORTUNIDAD MATRÍCULA AÚN ABIERTA PARA GRADOS 9-12
CUBRE HISTORIAS LOCALES EN LA COMUNIDAD CON
“THE PANTHERS NEWS TEAM” ENTREVISTA A FIGURAS PÚBLICAS Y DISCUTE TEMAS DE JUSTICIA SOCIAL EN
“THE PANTHERS PODCAST” APRENDE SOBRE EL SISTEMA JUDICIAL Y PROCEDIMIENTOS LEGALES EN NUESTRO
“MOCK COURTOOM”
OBTÉN CRÉDITO UNIVERSITARIOS MIENTRAS ASISTES A LA ESCUELA SUPERIOR EN EL
“DUAL ENROLLMENT PROGRAM”
134 SPRINGFIELD STREET, CHICOPEE, MA 01013
¡ESCANEA PARA SOLICITAR AHORA
( 413 ) 536 -3201
ADMISSIONS@PAULOFREIRECHARTERSCHOOL.ORG
@paulofreiresjcharterschool
@paulofreirecharterschool
Paulo Freire Social Justice Charter School
6
Portada / Front Page
El Sol Latino July 2022
Coastal Gentrification in Puerto Rico is Displacing People and Damaging Mangroves and Wetlands by CARLOS G. GARCÍA-QUIJANO and HILDA LLORÉNS This article was originally published in The Conversation | June 16, 2022 As world travel rebounds after two years of COVID-19 shutdowns and restrictions, marketers and the media are promoting Puerto Rico as an accessible hot spot destination for continental U.S. travelers. The commonwealth set a visitor record in 2021, and it is expanding tourismrelated development to continue wooing travelers away from more exotic destinations.
Juan, followed in 1949 by the massive Caribe Hilton resort – the first Hilton hotel outside the continental U.S., built in partnership with the Puerto Rican government. Many more hotels followed, along with casinos and golf courses. Today, Puerto Rico’s rural coastal communities have to compete for space and resources against tourism development, gentrification, urbanization, industry and conservation. Often these uses are not compatible with local lifestyles. For example, people from communities near mangrove forests, like Las Mareas in southern Puerto Rico, are no longer permitted to harvest small amounts of mangrove wood to build traditional fishing boats. At the same time, they see wealthy residents and developers destroying entire tracts of mangrove forest with impunity. Some coastal communities are starting to push back.
Beaches are for the people
In March 2022, Eliezer Molina, an environmental activist, engineer and 2020 gubernatorial candidate, posted an exposé on YouTube of the illegal cutting and filling of a mangrove shoreline in the Las Mareas neighborhood in Salinas’ Jobos Bay. As Puerto Rico’s second-largest estuary and only Federal Estuarine Reserve, the bay is an important and sensitive habitat for birds, turtles and manatees, and a nursery for many types of fish.
Tourism-driven development is threatening one of Puerto Rico’s greatest draws: its rural coastlines. R9 Studios FL/Flickr, CC BY
Tourism income is central to Puerto Rico’s economy, especially in the wake of heavy damage from Hurricane Maria in 2017. But it comes at a cost: destruction of mangroves, wetlands and other coastal areas. Puerto Rico is no stranger to resort construction, but now widespread small-scale projects to meet demand for rentals on platforms like Airbnb are adding to concerns about coastal gentrification and touristification. As scholars who study anthropology and coastal communities, we believe it is important to understand what Puerto Rico is losing in the quest for ever-increasing tourist business. For the rural coastal communities where we do our research, habitat is tied to residents’ cultural identity and economic well-being. For the last two decades, we have documented how many rural Puerto Ricans’ lives are inextricably linked to coastal forests and wetland habitats. These communities often are poor, neglected by the state and disproportionately affected by pollution and noxious industries. Decisions about the future of the coast too often are made without accounting for human impacts.
Once-scorned areas are now in demand
Estuaries and coastal forests are some of Earth’s most biodiverse and productive ecosystems. Millions of people rely on mangroves and coastal wetlands to make a living. Around the world, these areas are under stress from climate change, tourism and luxury residential development. But these zones weren’t always prized so highly. In Puerto Rico and elsewhere in the Americas, wetlands historically were seen as undesirable and even dangerous places to live and work. They often were settled by the poor and dispossessed, most notably Afro-descendant people and Indigenous communities, who made livings fishing, foraging, harvesting coconuts, cutting wood and making charcoal. In the early 20th century, however, tropical coasts started attracting attention from the global leisure class. In 1919, the Vanderbilt Hotel opened in San
Wealthy Puerto Ricans clandestinely developed this waterfront site for weekend homes. Residents of Las Mareas had been alerting local authorities for well over a decade about destruction of the mangroves, to no avail. Federal authorities and Puerto Rico’s Justice Department are now conducting a criminal investigation of the illegal construction. This case led to widespread public outrage about similar instances around the archipelago. Puerto Ricans are condemning local government agencies online and in person for what they describe as incompetence, corruption and a lack of monitoring and oversight. One hot-button issue is privatization and destruction of the Zona Marítimo Terrestre, or Terrestrial Maritime Zone. This area is legally defined as “Puerto Rico’s coastal space that is bordered by the sea’s ebb and flow” – that is, between the low and high tide or up to the highest point of the surf zone. It includes beaches, mangroves and other coastal wetlands, and is publicly owned. Activists are urging Gov. Pedro Pierluisi to declare a comprehensive moratorium on all coastal construction, a demand the governor calls “excessive.” A popular protest slogan, “Las playas son del pueblo!” (“Beaches belong to the people”), aptly summarizes popular feeling.
Overlooked value
Coastal development generates a lot of money in Puerto Rico, but what is gained by conserving these areas for use by local communities? In research that we carried out in 2010-2013 and 2016-2021, we found that coastal resources provide many benefits for local residents that are not easily replaced. Our results show that about one-third of households in these communities rely on coastal goods for at least part of their income, while more than two-thirds rely on them as food sources. Local harvesters supply familyowned seafood restaurants with foods such as land crabs, helping to attract economic activity to the coast. We also found that residents rely more heavily on local coastal foods during times of severe economic stress, such as recessions and natural disasters. In the aftermath of Hurricanes Irma and María, for example, many residents in the southern towns of Salinas and Santa Isabel harvested unusually abundant land crabs when it was hard to find other foods. Some even saw this abundance as divine restitution for the suffering the storm inflicted on them.
continued on page 8
Educación / Education
El Sol Latino July 2022
7
STCC Class of 2022 Thrilled to Celebrate in-Person Commencement SPRINGFIELD, MA | SPRINGFIELD TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE | June 6, 2022 – In a festive evening at the MassMutual Center, Springfield Technical Community College’s Commencement held its 55th Commencement Ceremony on June 2 where approximately 795 students in the Class of 2022 received diplomas or certificates. Graduates and their proud families frequently let out cheers in the arena, which was bristling with excitement and energy. The ceremony was the first in-person commencement since 2019, before the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. “It feels like a dream,” said Gary Lindsay, of Springfield, who received a degree in mechanical engineering technology. “I’m technically the first person in my family to graduate. I did fight hard. It’s a good feeling to know that I made it through. I’m definitely happy and excited for what comes next.” Welcoming the graduates and their friends and families, STCC President John B. Cook remarked on how special it was to gather together to celebrate after a three-year gap.
Lydia Martinez-Alvarez, featured speaker, addresses graduates at the commencement ceremony. (Photo by Leon Nguyen)
“Tonight we celebrate our 55th commencement, and we do it in person. What a wonderful evening for Springfield Technical Community College,” he said. “To the Class of 2022, please know that I – that we – are very proud of you, proud of your determination, your will, and the hard work you have invested to arrive here tonight.”
Trustees. She holds a Bachelor of Science in business management and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies from Westfield State, a Master of Arts in Teaching from Elms College, and is a doctoral candidate at American International College. She began her teaching career as a substitute and worked her way up in roles throughout the district. “This certificate or degree that you are receiving tonight cannot be an ending,” Martinez-Alvarez said. “Yes, you will continue to encounter bumps in the road, and you may not know what comes next. But you are fighters, and you have prevailed hardships that very few in 21st century could have imagined. You are surviving a pandemic, and a pandemic so big that it not only shut down of our lives, but a pandemic that shut down the world for a time.” STCC student speaker Kalia A. Roberson, graduating with highest honors with a degree in criminal justice, noted that she and her classmates overcame obstacles and challenges, including the pandemic and obligations to work and families. “What a gift that we can all gather today, in person, to celebrate our achievements and success. Each of us has made a remarkable commitment to achieving our goals and now, we have finally arrived at this pivotal moment in our lives,” Roberson said. Roberson served as a Student Ambassador at STCC. “I was able to make connections with the faculty here at STCC and help plan student activities and volunteer for campus events. Through this experience, I was able to grow as a person and contribute to the safe, fun, and diverse environment we have at STCC,” she said. President Cook presented Outstanding Faculty Member of 2021-2022 to John LaFrancis, a professor in the mechanical engineering technology program. LaFrancis, a STCC alumnus, has taught at the college since 1990. Dr. Shai Butler, Vice President of Advancement and External Affairs, recognized the vast number of STCC alumni throughout the community. She told the Class of 2022: “You are joining a network of almost 42,000 alumni. While today is the end of one journey, it is the beginning of a new one. Now you get to proudly call yourself STCC alumni, and call STCC your alma mater.” The evening included poetry and music to mark the occasion. Student trustee Monique Selden-Riley offered an invocation. She read the poem “I Dream a World” by James Langston Hughes. The graduates heard a beautiful rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” performed by Vanessa Ford. After the presentation of the Colors by the High School of Commerce JROTC and the playing of the National Anthem by Coffee House Brass, Vice President of Student Affairs Darcey Kemp asked the audience to recognize the 33 graduates who are veterans.
STCC graduates celebrate at the commencement ceremony. (Photo by Leon Nguyen)
Gladys Franco, assistant vice president of Workforce Development, gave welcoming remarks in English and Spanish. She noted that the event was to celebrate graduates and recognize the support and love of their families and friends. Retired Springfield Public Schools Assistant Superintendent Lydia MartinezAlvarez offered a warm and inspirational message to the graduates. As the first Latina assistant superintendent of the Springfield Public Schools and a graduate of the school system, Martinez-Alvarez’s words resonated at the MassMutual Center. STCC is a federally designated Hispanic Serving Institution, with about 30 percent of the students identifying as Hispanic.
The Class of 2022 at STCC included graduates ranging in age from 18 years old to 64 years old. About one-half of the students graduating are older than 25. Of those graduating, 60 percent of the graduates are female; 40 percent of the graduates are male; 43 percent identify as white; 27 percent identify as Hispanic; 11 percent identify as black; 19 percent identify as “other.” Graduates hail from 86 cities and towns. Residents of Springfield represent 39 percent of the graduating class, followed by residents of Chicopee (9 percent), West Springfield (5 percent) and Westfield (5 percent). Visit www.stcc.edu/commencement-ceremony/ to watch a video of the complete Commencement ceremony. STCC’s 55th Commencement Ceremony aired live on Focus Springfield community television, online on STCC.edu, and on STCC’s Facebook page. The video will be archived on STCC’s YouTube channel.
“Though I did not graduate from STCC, I have been a true partner and believer in everything that this fine Institution stands for,” Martinez-Alvarez said.
To watch video messages from graduating students, visit notes.stcc.edu/ class-of-2022-says-stcc-with-it/.
Growing up as one of four children in a single-parent household, MartinezAlvarez she was taught the value of an education at a young age. She earned a degree from Westfield State University, where she now serves on the Board of
Interested in applying to STCC? Visit stcc.edu/apply or call Admissions at (413) 755-3333.
8
Educación / Education
El Sol Latino July 2022
RUM organizó la Primera Cumbre de Servicios Climáticos de Puerto Rico MAYAGÜEZ, PR | UPR - RECINTO UNIVERSIRARIO DE MAYAGÜEZ | 22 de junio de 2022 - La Oficina de Climatología de Puerto Rico (OCPR), adscrita al Decanato de Artes y Ciencias del Recinto Universitario de Mayagüez (RUM), será la anfitriona de la Primera Cumbre de Servicios Climáticos de Puerto Rico. El evento educativo, auspiciado por la Asociación Americana de Climatólogos del Estado, de Estados Unidos (AASC), en colaboración con la Asociación de Manejadores de Emergencia y Profesionales de Seguridad (AMEPS), se llevo a cabo el martes, 21 de junio de 2022 en el auditorio Haydeé Piñero Buck, del recinto de Carolina de la Universidad Ana G. Méndez (UAGM). La actividad agrupó a representantes de las agencias locales e internacionales que están relacionados con el clima. Durante la mañana participarón, el Servicio Nacional de Meteorología (SNM), el Servicio Geológico de los Estados Unidos (USGS), el Negociado para el Manejo de Emergencias y Administración de Desastres (NMEAD), la Agencia de Protección Ambiental (EPA), el Departamento de Agricultura Federal (USDA), la Oficina Nacional de Administración Oceánica y Atmosférica (NOAA) y la Junta de Planificación, entre otras agencias y organizaciones que reflexionarán sobre el tema climático desde su perspectiva. Del mismo modo, se unirán otras entidades del recinto mayagüezano de la Universidad de Puerto Rico (UPR), como el Sistema Caribeño de Observación Costera Oceánica (CARICOOS), el programa Sea Grant y el Programa de Alerta de Tsunamis de la Red Sísmica de Puerto Rico, adscrita del Departamento de Geología del RUM. «Uno de los propósitos de esta Cumbre es dar a conocer la OCPR, ya que reactivamos la Oficina hace un año con la acreditación de la AASC y estamos lanzando nuevas herramientas de recopilación de información climatológica que son muy pertinentes. Del mismo modo, este evento nos brinda la oportunidad de reunir a una gran mayoría de las entidades que atienden este tema. Esto nos va a ayudar a crear mayor interacción y comunicación para un mejor flujo de recursos que sea de beneficio para toda la isla», sostuvo el doctor Héctor J. Jiménez González, director de la mencionada oficina.
Precisamente, la Oficina de Climatología tiene como misión compilar y tener disponibles datos climatológicos sobre la región de Puerto Rico para los académicos, científicos, la industria y para el público general. Uno de sus propósitos es permitir auscultar y analizar el pasado y el futuro de las condiciones del clima en el país y cómo están evolucionando de cara al cambio climático. Igualmente, su componente educativo promueve la investigación en climatología en los estudiantes del RUM. «Esta Cumbre representa una plataforma de colaboración interagencial e interuniversitaria en un tema tan pertinente como lo es el clima. Nos honra ser la institución sede de la OCPR y poder aportar, desde la Universidad, con la pericia de nuestros recursos. Estamos agradecidos que la Universidad Ana G. Méndez nos abra las puertas para este evento y con su apoyo, como uno de los colaboradores de la Cumbre, fomente esta colaboración entre dos centros educativos», indicó el doctor Agustín Rullán Toro, rector del RUM. “Nos enorgullece que el Recinto de Carolina de la UAGM sea la sede del Puerto Rico Climate Services Summit, un evento que une a dos grandes universidades y el servicio público para presentar los avances sobre el tema de la climatología desde diferentes perspectivas. Es muy importante conocer todo lo concerniente al clima y su evolución, lo cual afecta al país, la región y el mundo. Asimismo, avanzar en la educación y la investigación necesarias para cuidar a nuestro único hogar: nuestro planeta. Nos honra que estas discusiones se presenten desde nuestro Recinto”, expresó, por su parte, el doctor Anthony Rivera, vicerrector y principal oficial ejecutivo (CEO) del Recinto de Carolina de UAGM. «Nos llena de gran entusiasmo esta importante conexión entre agencias en pos de que podamos establecer planes de acción, colaborar e intercambiar conocimientos y experiencias acerca de cuál es la mejor manera de comunicar la climatología y de obtener datos que sean correctos y fidedignos», concluyó el doctor Jiménez, quien es el Climatólogo de Estado y catedrático de Física del RUM.
Coastal Gentrification in Puerto Rico continued from page 6 Local economies in these communities consist mainly of small-scale, community-based transactions that include gifting, bartering and selling. Their social and economic impacts often go unnoticed and are underestimated in official economic accounts, so they aren’t reflected in decisions about coastal development. But as our work shows, coastal ecosystems are ecologically, economically and socially productive places. In 2010, we asked people living along Puerto Rico’s southern coast: “What would your community look like without access to the mangrove and its bounties?” The owner of a family restaurant, replied: “The answer is easy. Without access to coastal resources, this community would be dead and sad.” CARLOS G. GARCÍA-QUIJANO is a Professor of Anthropology and Marine Affairs, University of Rhode Island. His principal line of research has focused on understanding the relationship between local/traditional ecological knowledge (LEK/TEK), coastal resource use and human wellbeing in the Caribbean, especially Puerto Rico. I have investigated how small-scale coastal resource users, such as fishers and land crab hunters,
use their knowledge of social-ecological systems to succeed in their enterprises. Specifically, what constitutes success for Puerto Rican smallscale fishers and the relationship between their knowledge of local ecosystems and their success in fishing. Another of my closely related research interest is the development of conceptual frameworks to account for the goods and services provided by small-scale resource users’ local ecological knowledge to greater society, and the contribution of social/ cultural diversity to sustainability. HILDA LLORÉNS is an Associate Professor, Anthropology & Marine Affairs, University of Rhode Island. Hilda Lloréns is a cultural anthropologist whose regional specialization is the Hispanic Caribbean and Latinx US. She is currently investigating environmental racism, injustice, and women’s activism in Puerto Rico. Dr. Lloréns is the author of “Imaging the Great Puerto Rican Family: Framing Nation, Race, and Gender during the American Century” (2014) and “Making Livable Worlds: Afro-Puerto Rican Women Building Environmental Justice” (2021).
Educación / Education
El Sol Latino July 2022
9
Elizabeth Gonzalez to help lead UCLA efforts to become Hispanic-Serving Institution by RICARDO VAZQUEZ | UCLA Newsroom
Gonzalez, we have someone who knows how to make it happen.”
LOS ANGELES, CA | UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES | June 8, 2022 - UCLA has tapped alumna Elizabeth Gonzalez, a longtime expert on equity and student success in higher education, as its inaugural Hispanic-Serving Institution director in the Chancellor’s Office as the campus ramps up its efforts to apply for and receive recognition as an HSI from the U.S. Department of Education.
Hurtado said, “I see the report and our recommendations as a roadmap for Dr. Gonzalez. It is informed by and builds on what other UC campuses are doing while providing a unique blueprint for the mobilization of UCLA campus wide efforts.”
Elizabeth Gonzalez (photo by Alberto Moreno)
As an HSI, UCLA would be eligible for a range of federal grants to bolster educational programs, research training and academic attainment for Latino, low-income and other underrepresented students. These would include, for example, research opportunities through the National Science Foundation specifically designed for HSI students, and programs designed to encourage postgraduate study.
Becoming an HSI is one of Chancellor Gene Block’s priorities. As he has expressed in several messages to the Bruin community, UCLA, as a public university, has a responsibility to ensure that it reflects the diversity of California and welcomes members of the state’s Latino communities, honors their intellectual and cultural contributions, and empowers them to flourish at UCLA and well past graduation.
Gonzalez, who has spent more than a decade helping institutions of higher learning close equity gaps, has designed and implemented federal Hispanic-Serving Institution programs at UC Santa Cruz, San Jose City College and San Diego City College. She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology and education studies from UCLA and holds a master’s and doctorate in psychology from UC Santa Cruz. Her appointment comes just as UCLA’s Hispanic-Serving Institution Task Force has published its final report setting out seven key recommendations for achieving federal HSI designation. “I’m an action-oriented person, and what excites me is that there’s a lot of creativity and innovation at the time we design and begin to implement these initiatives,” Gonzalez said. “Things aren’t yet set in stone, and there’s an opportunity to craft something that’s unique to UCLA’s identity.” For UCLA to be designated an HSI, 25% of its students must identify as Latino and 35% of all undergraduates must be Pell Grant recipients. Currently, approximately 21% of UCLA undergraduates are Latino. The UCLA report emphasizes that HSI certification is not just about reaching enrollment goals — it requires sustained efforts to ensure that students are successful from the start of their UCLA careers through graduation and beyond. To that end, the task force’s recommendations include directing staff efforts and resources toward improving admission, yield and retention rates for Latino students and making UCLA a more affordable option for Latinos and those from low-income backgrounds. The university has also committed to adding more faculty members and postdoctoral scholars whose work has ties to Latino experiences.
Task force co-chairs Alfred Herrera (far left), Vilma Ortiz (fourth from left) and Silvia Hurtado (fifth from left) pose with colleagues in front of Judith Baca’s mural “La Memoria de la Tierra: UCLA” on the UCLA campus. (photo by Alberto Moreno)
s u T n e C C T S a e y u ¡Incl ! o n a r e V e d s e n a l P Tenemos disponibles en-línea docenas de cursos de educación general y electivas.
While UCLA currently has one of the highest completion rates in the UC system, task force members say an HSI designation will help further improve equity by fostering student-centered initiatives that provide support for Latino, low-income and first-generation students, enabling them to earn their degrees in a timely fashion and opening up new pathways to graduate and professional schools.
¡Garantizamos que los cursos de educación general se pueden transferir a UMass, Westfield State (y otros más) para que así puedas ahorrar dinero!
The report represents the collective work of nearly 40 UCLA faculty and professional staff members, led by the task force’s three co-chairs, sociology professor Vilma Ortiz, education professor Sylvia Hurtado and Alfred Herrera, assistant vice provost for academic partnerships and director of UCLA’s Center for Community College Partnerships The co-chairs said they look forward to working with Gonzalez to realize the report’s recommendations and develop initiatives that will lead to an HSI designation. “The task force worked together to build community and provide the foundation to build on,” Herrera said. “We need to reinvigorate activity in more units to become student-centered and equity-minded. In Elizabeth
!Matricúlate Ahora!
stcc.edu/summer 4/8/22 El Sol Latino 1/4 page: 4.75” x 5.75” Manuel Frau Ramos: manuelfrau@gmail.com Due: 5 days prior to the run month Runs: May
Educación / Education
10
Héctor R. Cordero-Guzmán New President of the Research Foundation of the City University of New York NEW YORK, NY | CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK | June 1, 2022. Dear CUNY faculty and staff,
Héctor R. Cordero-Gúzman, Ph.D.
I am pleased to announce that Héctor R. Cordero-Guzmán has been appointed president of the Research Foundation of the City University of New York (RFCUNY). Dr. Cordero-Guzmán, a long-time member of the CUNY community with more than three decades of experience as a scholar and leader, has successfully led RFCUNY as interim president since January. His permanent appointment was approved by the RFCUNY Board in May, at its most recent meeting.
A leader in numerous fields including sociology and urban policy, Dr. Cordero-Guzmán comes to RFCUNY after serving as a professor in the Austin W. Marxe School of Public and International Affairs at Baruch College and teaching in the Ph.D. programs in sociology and urban education at the Graduate Center. His long and distinguished faculty career, along with his deep background in grant administration and nonprofit program management, make him ideally suited to steer the organization that oversees CUNY’s cutting-edge research endeavors and supports our faculty and staff in obtaining external funding. Dr. Cordero-Guzmán has published academic research on a wide array of social issues including education, employment, poverty, race and inequality, international migration and economic development. Earlier in his CUNY career, Dr. Cordero-Guzmán was associate professor and department chair of Baruch’s Black and Hispanic Studies Department. Drawing on this background, over the past two years he has played a key role in launching CUNY’s ambitious new Black, Race and Ethnic Studies Initiative (BRESI). In March, he was named co-chair of the BRESI Council, a newly established University-wide body. Prior to joining Baruch, Dr. Cordero-Guzmán was a program officer in economic and community development at The Ford Foundation. He also has extensive experience collaborating with government, research and community-based organizations including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans and the U.S. Agency for International Development. Earlier in his career, Dr. Cordero-Guzmán was an assistant professor at The New School’s Milano School of Policy, Management and Environment and worked as research director for political economy at the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College. He earned his Ph.D. and M.A. in Sociology from The University of Chicago. A resident of East Harlem, Dr. CorderoGuzmán has served on the board of directors of a number of nonprofit organizations. Please join me in congratulating Héctor and wishing him much success as he leads the vital work of RFCUNY.
El Sol Latino July 2022
New Latino Education Institute’s Executive Director: María Juncos Gautier WORCESTER, MA | WORCESTER STATE UNIVERSITY News | June 14, 2022 - After a national search, Worcester State University appointed Maria JuncosGautier Executive Director of the Latino Education Institute (LEI) effective July 5, 2022. As an educator, Maria brings extensive expertise and lived experiences to this position. She will greatly contribute to the LEI’s K-16 programs, family and community engagement, health outreach initiatives, and community-engaged research. Maria is bilingual and originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico where she has spent María Juncos-Gautier Executive Director of the majority of her life. Her professional the Latino Education Institute and personal journey align with the mission of the LEI and WSU. Maria received a bachelor’s degree in communications from UMass Amherst. She holds a master of science in environmental management from Ana. G. Mendez University, San Juan, earned a Ph.D. in environmental studies from York University in Toronto. Her work uses a social justice lens in the improvement of life opportunities for marginalized communities. She served 14 years as the director and founder of the Center of Sustainable Development Studies at the School of Environmental Affairs at Universidad Metropolitana/UMET -- renamed the Ana G. Mendez University -- in San Juan. Under her direction, Maria managed a team that conceptualized, planned, and successfully completed outreach educational and research projects, most prominently on urban sustainability and resilience.
Her interest in urban sustainability results from first-hand experience with environmental injustice in Puerto Rico and the negative consequences for communities throughout the island. According to Maria “working with unjust social and environmental issues has taught me to become a pragmatic and community-centered scholar and practitioner. I am eager to bring this perspective to the transformational work of the LEI.” Under Dr. Juncos-Gautier’s leadership, the Latino Educational Institute will broaden and deepen work to improve wellbeing and educational opportunities and outcomes for families and students from cradle through college. Please join me in welcoming Dr. Juncos-Gautier to the LEI and the Worcester State community!
Sincerely, Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, Ph.D. Chancellor
Publish your bilingual ad in El Sol Latino! Call us today at (413) 320-3826.
Educación / Education
El Sol Latino July 2022
11
Largest Hispanic Serving Research Universities Form Alliance to Increase Hispanic Opportunity Washington D.C. | HSRU | June 9, 2022 — Twenty of the nation’s top research universities today announced the formation of the Alliance of Hispanic Serving Research Universities (HSRU) to increase opportunity for those historically underserved by higher education.
The 20 universities represent every university that has been both categorized as R1 (very high research activity) by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education and designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education. “Hispanics are the largest minority group in the United States and are now 17% of the workforce, yet they continue to be underrepresented in higher education. No group is better positioned than we are to expand the pathway to opportunity,” said Dr. Heather Wilson, President of The University of Texas at El Paso and Chair of the Alliance. “We believe we are stronger together than as individual institutions acting alone.” The HSRU Alliance aims to achieve two key goals by 2030: • Double the number of Hispanic doctoral students enrolled at Alliance universities, and • Increase by 20% the Hispanic professoriate in Alliance universities. Representing nine states, the 20 HSRU Alliance universities together enrolled 766,718 students in the Fall of 2020; of those, 33% (254,399) were Hispanic. In 2020, the combined research spending of these universities totaled more than $5.9 billion. The Alliance universities are engaged in thousands of research projects in the arts and humanities, STEM, health sciences, social sciences and other fields with world-changing outcomes. In 2019-20, Alliance universities produced 11,027 doctoral graduates, of which 13% (1,451) were Hispanic. “With Hispanics making up less than 6% of U.S. doctoral students, we must be intentional about creating opportunities for Hispanics,” said Dr. Michael Amiridis, outgoing Chancellor for the University of Illinois Chicago. “We believe this Alliance will make rapid progress in advancing Hispanic student enrollment in doctoral programs and broadening pathways to the
professoriate by building on our strength as Hispanic serving research universities.” Prior to the formal announcement of the HRSU Alliance, the universities began working together on several initiatives. The first project, funded by a $5 million grant from the Mellon Foundation, will conduct cross-regional research and train doctoral students in Latinx humanities. A second initiative, funded by the National Science Foundation, expands opportunities for Hispanic students in computer science. The Alliance began during the pandemic through conversations and distance-enabled meetings among Presidents and Chancellors, as well as faculty and administrators coordinated by the University of Illinois Chicago. The effort took hold and grew into a determination to formalize the relationship announced today. “By improving Hispanic representation in academia, this Alliance will change the face of higher education,” said Dr. Kim Wilcox, Chancellor of the University of California, Riverside. “We can bring diverse perspectives into the research conducted by our exceptional faculty, creating opportunities for purposeful careers both in and outside of academia for Hispanic students.” Universities in the Alliance include: Arizona State University City University of New York Graduate Center Florida International University Texas Tech University The University of Arizona The University of New Mexico The University of Texas at Arlington The University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at El Paso The University of Texas at San Antonio University of California, Irvine University of California, Riverside University of California, Santa Barbara University of California, Santa Cruz University of Central Florida University of Colorado, Denver University of Houston University of Illinois Chicago University of Nevada, Las Vegas University of North Texas Learn more about the Alliance of Hispanic Serving Research Universities at HSRU.org.
Latinx Journalism Matters Support Publishers of Color The impact of COVID-19 has been especially devastating for communities of color. Now, more than ever, independent, local journalism needs your support. El Sol Latino is your local Latinx-owned, independent news source that brings to the front lines diverse Latino voices, perspectives, news and stories.
SUPPORT EL SOL LATINO
12
Medios / Media
El Sol Latino July 2022
Latino Media Network (LMN) Launches to Build Content Creation and Distribution Company to Reach Latino Market SANTA FE, N.M. | LMN | June 3, 2022 - Latino Media Network (LMN), a media company focused on content creation, talent incubation, and distribution across multiple platforms announced its formation. Founded by social entrepreneurs Stephanie Valencia and Jess Morales Rocketto and backed by several Latino luminaries, they also announced their first major deal with Univision to acquire a set of radio assets to reach nearly a third of the US Latino population. In one of the largest capital raises of a Latina owned & operated startup in the U.S with over $80m in capital raised from a diverse set of investors, Latino Media Network will be a media company serving the Latino community, owned by Latinos for Latinos. Its mission is to help Latinos make sense of the world and their place in it by inspiring, informing and celebrating Hispanics through an audio focused multimedia network. The network will embrace cultural pride by telling Latino stories, addressing community concerns and talking about opportunities for a better future. Board members, investors and advisors include: • Maria Elena Salinas: Award winning journalist and author, including co-anchor of Univision’s evening news for more than 30 years. Principal MES Multi-Media LLC. • Eva Longoria: Director, Actor, Activist, Philanthropist and Businesswoman. CEO and Founder, UnbeliEVAble Entertainment and Founder, Casa del Sol Tequila. • Dr. Eduardo Padrón: President Emeritus, Miami Dade College; Strategic Corporate Advisor; Board, Urban Institute. Recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. • Al Cardenas: Board member Coral Gables Trust Co., Investor and Treasurer, American Business Immigration Coalition; former longtime Chair of the Republican Party of Florida, and former Chair of the American Conservative Union. • Maria Contreras Sweet: Co-Founder Pro-America Bank; former US Administrator of the Small Business Administration; former Secretary of Business and Transportation for the State of California. • Monica Lozano: Former publisher and CEO of La Opinión and CEO of its parent company, ImpreMedia, LLC. Currently board of Walt Disney Corporation, Apple, Inc. and Target Corporation. • Henry R. Muñoz III: An American activist, business leader, designer & philanthropist. He has launched national movements including Momento Latino, TheDream.US and Latino Victory to support the Latino community through awareness, college funding and electoral support. • Luis Ubiñas: Investor, advisor, and corporate board member. Former President Ford Foundation, Senior Partner McKinsey and Company. Current corporate director at AT&T, Chairman, Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation. • Tom Castro: Founder and CEO El Dorado Capital: radio entrepreneur, investor, and corporate director. Has bought and sold over 50 radio stations serving the Latino community. Currently on the boards of Nielsen and Cumulus Media. Former Director of Time Warner. • Juleyka Lantigua: Founder/CEO, LWC Studios: Peabody-nominated audio creator, former NPR, Atlantic Media, and Random House. • Tom Chavez: Hi-tech entrepreneur, author and co-founder of super{set}, a startup studio that builds and funds software companies. • Christy Haubegger: Founder, Latina magazine and current Executive Vice President, Chief Enterprise Inclusion Officer and Head of Marketing & Communications, at WarnerMedia. • Alicia Bassuk: Founder of Ubica Leadership Strategies, advising senior executives including public, private and nonprofit sectors, and championship sports franchises globally. Bassuk is a partner and investor in several ventures, including Kinzie Capital Partners and Core Innovation Capital.
• Jess Morales Rocketto: Chief of Moonshot Strategies at Equis. CoFounder of Families Belong Together, Poderistas, and Supermajority. Formerly National Domestic Workers Alliance, Hillary for America, Obama for America. • Stephanie Valencia: Co-Founder and President at Equis. Co-founder of Poderistas, Latino Talent Initiative, The Latina Collective, and Latinos44. Formerly Google, Obama White House, United States Congress. • Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, Sidley Austin LLP, Fletcher Heald, and Herrera Arellano all advised on the deal. To coincide with its launch, LMN also announced that they have signed a definitive agreement with TelevisaUnivision to purchase 18 radio stations in 10 cities from coast to coast in a $60 million all cash deal. This deal is one of the largest single acquisitions of stations by a Latino owned and operated company in history. LMN has secured equity investments from leading Latino investors, and debt financing for the acquisition from Lakestar Finance LLC, an investment entity affiliated with Soros Fund Management LLC. “As Latinos drive population growth in the United States they continue to navigate the ocean of information on what is happening in the world and their place in it. With minority media on the decline, now is the time to be investing in more resources to create content for Latinos by Latinos. Through the unique combination of creative content and new and existing media platforms to serve our community, we can embrace cultural pride and collectively empower Latinos,” said LMN Founder Stephanie Valencia. “I want to thank TelevisaUnivision for the great work they have done building these stations in Latino communities and entrusting us to grow them moving forward.” “Our company, and these stations, are for our community,” said LMN Founder Jess Morales Rocketto. “We believe in the power and reach of radio and it remains a main source of media for a significant number of our community. We hope to create relevant content for radio and other audio platforms with content that our community can trust and rely on. Latino Media Network is going to ensure that the Latino community continues to be served with the news and information that local communities deserve.” “This is such an exciting day for the media landscape,” said Eva Longoria. “My mission is to tell and amplify all of our community’s stories so the world can see the joy, the power, and the heart of our community in ways that are still all too rare. Media can make a difference and real change in our world. I’m so proud to be a part of Latino Media Network as together we will ensure that our media includes narratives that uplift our voices.” “Stephanie and Jess have lined up a truly impressive network of supporters and capital behind their creative vision,” said LMN Board Member Luis Ubiñas. “LMN has the financial resources to not just close the TelevisaUnivision deal, but to build on it to create a nationwide network.” “Latino journalism is essential because it is critical that we tell our own stories and provide a platform for diverse Latino voices,” said Maria Elena Salinas. “I am proud to be involved with Stephanie and Jess on such a unique project dedicated to informing and empowering our community and focusing on issues that matter to them.” “In an era of ever growing media consolidation Latino media ownership is essential,” said Monica Lozano. “It is groundbreaking for a Latina startup to raise this much capital to ensure that these local radio stations continue to serve their communities.” The 18 stations in the deal are a combined set of AM and FM stations in the largest US markets, and 8 of the top 10 Latino markets, reaching 33% of U.S. Latinos: LA, NYC, Miami, Houston, Chicago, Dallas, San Antonio, McAllen, Fresno, and Las Vegas. These stations primarily consist of sports, entertainment and music programming. continued on page 14
Medios / Media
El Sol Latino July 2022
13
Mundo Hispanico Becomes MundoNow in Move to Reach New Generation of U.S. Latinos ATLANTA, GA | PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE | June 15, 2022 - Mundo Hispanico, the largest certified-minority-owned bilingual and bicultural digital media platform in the USA, announced today it is rebranding to MundoNow in a move to reach the newly dominant 55 percent of America’s Latino population that identifies as either bilingual/bicultural or Englishlanguage preferred. The rebrand addresses an evolution among U.S. Latinos that opt for English over Spanish as their primary language but are simultaneously proud of and loyal to their Latino heritage. “It’s no secret that the Latino population in the United States is now one of our nation’s dominant cultural forces, but what most do not realize is that it’s also fundamentally changing,” said MundoNow CEO Rene Alegria. Just 28 percent of Latinos in the U.S. are Spanish-language dominant per the 2020 Census, and that number is shrinking, said Alegria about the official statistic that served as one of the primary drivers for the name change as well as increasing the platform’s already robust English-language content production. “A new generation of Latinos is flexing its impact within our community. Comprised of Latinos who either immigrated to the U.S. as children, or are American-born, this group is now our community’s driving force. They are culturally hungry to connect with their heritage and desire the option to watch and read content in both English and Spanish. MundoNow’s rebrand addresses this need and provides culturally authentic content in two languages,” Alegria said. “Over the past few years, the Hispanic community has expanded and evolved significantly,” said Gonzalo Del Fa, President of GroupM Multicultural and agency partner. “Latinos today are demanding engaging, fresh, and culturally relevant content on trusted channels, like Mundo, that value the unique U.S. Hispanic experience. To create a more vibrant media
Finanzas / Finances Rent Increase Pandemonium by MILAGROS S. JOHNSON In 1995 Massachusetts rent control was decontrolled in private housing (subsidized tenancy is exempt), preventing rent prices from increasing to unaffordable rates, such as what is happening today. Get this, there is no rent increase limit or number of times your landlord can increase you rent, but there are things you can do to hopefully help alleviate the pressure. First, let me explain the two types of tenancy in Massachusetts which determine when a landlord may increase the rent: • A Tenant-at-Will does not have a formal written lease agreement. Because of this, you or your landlord may terminate the agreement, for no reason, so long as it is submitted in writing at least one full rental period in advance. The landlord can also raise your rent at any time but must provide you with proper notice terminating your tenancy, and allowing you to agree to stay for the increased amount. • A Tenant-at-Lease has a written lease for a specific apartment, period of time, and monthly payment amount, during which time the landlord cannot increase your rent or evict you, unless you violate the terms of the agreement. It goes without saying that the cost of nearly everything has increased recently, and that includes real estate property (repairs, supplies, utilities, insurance), leaving many landlords having to pass the expense down to their tenants. This is unfortunate to you, the tenant, who is already feeling the pinch from the increase of gas prices, utilities, food, etc. From a consumer advocate’s perspective, this should not stop you from
marketplace, it is important to enhance the consumer experience with content that reaches across generations and languages. MundoNow offers a space, beyond just the incredible representation, where cultural attributes are abundant for Latino presence, and inclusive for all consumers, because of the breadth of the programming in both English and Spanish languages.” With its roots in print, the company grew to be one of the longest serving and trusted content voices for the Hispanic population in the United States. Now 42 years later and counting, the company is digital-first in its operation, with plans for growth in podcasting and streaming. MundoNow began to publish original content in English during the summer of 2020. The content began to grow organically, and of 10 million total unique users per month, now generates almost 2 million of those and growing. It now accounts for 20 percent of the overall MundoNow user base. “The name and format of our platform will now reflect who we’re producing content for and who is logging on,” Alegria continued. “Today’s audiences expect more than just information. They want to be inspired and engaged, and that’s what MundoNow will provide for them.” The Latino Numbers • According to the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau population estimate, there are 62.1 million Hispanics living in the United States, representing 19 percent of the U.S. total population. • Third generation Latinos who don’t speak Spanish at all now make up 17 percent of the overall Latino community. • The total percentage of Latinos that are bilingual or prefer culturally focused English content is now just slightly over 70 percent. • Total purchasing power of the U.S. Hispanic market has reached $2 Trillion. With its deep roots in the Latino community, MundoNow’s mission is to empower, inform and bring purpose to the online Latino community, visit www.mundonow.com. negotiating the rent increase with your landlord. I would suggest you first do research to be better informed of the lines of current rent prices in your area. On average, rent increases throughout the state are showing to be as high as 30%, with Springfield just over 5%. When speaking with your landlord, remember to stay calm, and be respectful. If you have an open line of communication with your landlord, and are considered to be a long and good tenant, this may work to your advantage (don’t be afraid to remind your landlord of such). Ask the landlord, if he/she can breakdown or spread the rent increase into three or six month increments so that you are not feeling the brunt of it from one month to the next. Another option is to put your request for consideration to your landlord in writing. You may want to explain your financial situation and how the rent increase may place another burden on you. By putting your request in writing, it allows your landlord time to consider your request, rather than reject it on-the-spot, if you chose to meet in person. For more information, or to speak with a Consumer Specialist, call (413) 787-6437 or email us at moci@springfieldcityhall.com. Stay safe, be well…and stay informed. MILAGROS S. JOHNSON is the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Consumer Information in Springfield, a Local Consumer Program funded by the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office.
14
Libros / Books
America’s Last Fortress: Puerto Rico’s Sovereignty, China’s Caribbean Belt and Road, and America’s National Security by ALEXANDER ODISHELIDZE MOUNT PLEASANT, SC | BUBLISH, INCORPORATED | January 31, 2022 | 246 pages
El Sol Latino July 2022
Arribada by ESTELA GONZÁLEZ MALVERN, PA | CENNAN BOOKS OF CYNREN PRESS | May 10 2022 | 236 pages Mariana Sánchez Celis has traveled the world as a pianist trained at the Juilliard School of Music. But when her mother has a stroke and her beloved uncle suddenly disappears, Mariana must put her life on hold to return to her home in Ayotlan, Mexico.
China’s Belt and Road initiative is on the way. Premier Xi’s agenda? For China to have unrestricted access to the rest of the world. At the focus is America’s last fortress, Puerto Rico, which sits primely at the southern entrance of the Caribbean from the Atlantic Ocean. The only way that China can exercise influence in Puerto Rico-and move freely around the globe-is if Puerto Rico becomes an independent nation.
She soon discovers her town is no longer the place she remembers. Ayotlan’s beaches, sea turtle colonies, and historic center are decimated under decades of neglect and abuse. What part did her late father have in this? And could it be related to her uncle’s disappearance?
Puerto Rico’s political process is in shambles and the island is now slipping toward independence. Author Alexander Odishelidze spent 30 years on decolonization with a preference for statehood. This is his firsthand account of the mistakes made during that process, and of the vested interests-both on the mainland US and in Puerto Rico-that fought to maintain the status quo. In the 1970s, independence drew less than 5 percent of the vote in Puerto Rico’s elections. During the last election, independence-leaning candidates received almost 50 percent of the vote.
Arribada is the story of a well-to-do woman pushed to confront her role in environmental and social injustice. It is the saga of a family faced with the realization that their comfortable position rests, beyond a strong work ethic, on crimes against what they hold dearest: the natural world, their town, and their loved ones.
AUTHOR - Born in Belgrade, Serbia, Alexander Odishelidze survived the Nazi occupation of Yugoslavia and the Holocaust. Despite losing his family and being shipped to refugee camps in Europe, Odishelidze grew into a strong, intelligent, and driven man. Immigrating to America with no grasp of the English language, no friends, and only twenty dollars in his pocket, he was drafted into the United States Army, where he trained in Alaska and became an expert skier. But his dreams and ambitions evolved. Upon leaving the Army, Odishelidze began his career in financial services and became the youngest ever general manager of a prestigious MONY financial services operation in Manhattan, New York. In 1971, Odishelidze began insurance and securities operations in Puerto Rico, until Aetna bought them out in 1985. He formed Eba, Inc. in 1979, as a consulting subsidiary, which he continued in Puerto Rico, and formed his financial and political consulting firm, Omanagement, LLC, in 2008 for his U.S. mainland operations. He’s a guru in his field, writing columns, newsletters, and books on finance. Odishelidze and his wife, Odette Bouret, spend their time between their homes in Florida, St. John, and Colorado.
When Fernanda Lucero, a member of the indigenous Concáac people, convinces Mariana to join her sea turtle and architectural conservation projects, the deepening love between Mariana and Fernanda threatens to put them both further in harm’s way. This, together with the web of secrets Mariana unravels, stands to radically transform her and her family’s fate.
From the Back Cover A novel about how even the most pain truths can bring power and freedom. - Eileen Gonzales, Foreword Reviews Arribada is romantic, poetic, elegiac, and fascinating. González has created a world of love and mystery. Word to word, event to event, this novel is beautiful. It begs to be savored. - Sandra Scofield, author of Swim: Stories of the Sixties and The Last Draft This novel will open eyes. - Amy Hoffman, author of Dot & Ralfie and other books Arribada is a wonderful read, and like its title implies, it has the power to make readers arrive where it matters. - Luis Alberto Urrea, author of The House of Broken Angels About the Author ESTELA GONZÁLEZ holds an MFA in creative writing and a PhD in Latin American literature. As a binational and bilingual writer, she tells stories in English and Spanish about race, class, gender, and environmental justice. Growing up in Mexico, Estela regularly visited her family in Mazatlán, where decades-long intensive development has led to the demise of beaches and sea turtle colonies. Her research and support of fishermen protecting sea turtles in the Sea of Cortés deepen her reflections on environmental justice, race relations, and sexuality. Her work is featured in the Barcelona Review, Best of Solstice Literary Magazine, Feminine Rising, Flash Frontier, Flyway Magazine, Latino Book Review, La Colmena, Luvina, and the Revista Mexicana de Literatura Contemporánea, and Under the Volcano. Arribada was a 2019 finalist for Feminist Press’s Louise Meriwether Award. estela345@gmail.com http://www.estelagonzalez.net
Latino Media Network (LMN) Launches continued from page 12 Transition of the stations will happen following FCC approval and a one year transition agreement between TelevisaUnivision and Latino Media Network, which is expected to conclude in Q4 of 2023. LMN is in the process of recruiting outstanding talent and will make an announcement about the senior management team later this year. LMN intends to retain current TelevisaUnivision employees who work at the stations included in this acquisition. More about The Founders/Majority Owners: STEPHANIE VALENCIA is a social entrepreneur, public servant, and author. She is the founder of Equis and has held leadership roles in tech, philanthropy and government. She has successfully founded and grown a number of organizations. A native of the border community of Las Cruces, New Mexico, Stephanie has been serving the Latino community for
decades. Stephanie is a passionate mentor and has worked to increase the Latino talent pipeline in multiple industries, supporting many Latinos in the public and private sectors. JESS MORALES ROCKETTO is a social entrepreneur and civil society leader. She is Chief of Moonshots at Equis and has spent her career fighting for workers and women of color at civil society and political organizations. A native of Norwalk, California, Jess is most proud of her work to reunite children separated from their families at the border.
Publish your bilingual ad in El Sol Latino! Call us today at (413) 320-3826.
Deportes / Sports
El Sol Latino July 2022
Potros vs Jíbaritos McNally Field, La Flats
Holyoke
25 de junio de 2022
15
16
El Sol Latino July 2022
El Museo de Ciencias de Springfield
cautiva, motiva e inspira la imaginación de todos. Hay tantas cosas que ocurren gracias a STEM. Disponemos de todo lo que pueda imaginar bajo un mismo techo: el Laboratorio Spark!, nuestro renovado planetario, la nueva galería de la Estación Espacial. Además, puede jugar mientras aprende los básicos de STEM. STEM está construyendo nuestro futuro. Usted es nuestro futuro. Traiga a su familia y amigos e imaginen juntos miles de posibilidades fantásticas para el futuro. ¡Todos son bienvenidos! Fotografía de Lisa Quiñones
!
!hola! Soy Stemmy
Seré su guía en el maravilloso mundo de STEM donde aprenderemos sobre ciencia, tecnología, ingeniería y matemáticas. Como usted, yo puedo llegar a ser cualquier cosa que imaginemos aquí dentro. Y ¿quién sabe? ¡Su futuro puede formarse aquí también!
ART • HISTORY • SCIENCE • SEUSS IN SPRINGFIELD
SpringfieldMuseums.org/be •