El Sol Latino | June 2021 | 17.7

June 2021

Volume 17 No. 7

Un Periódico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper

Un Periódico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper

Un Periódico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper

Manuel Frau Ramos y Natalia Muñoz

Un Periódico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper

Carmen V. Rivera

Gladys Natalia Franco Rodríguez

Dr. Alexis Oscar Tirado Rivera

Graysen Martínez Ocasio

Ysabel García

José E. Velázquez

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Editorial / Editorial

contents

An Urgent Rescue Plan for Puerto Rico On April 28 the independent nonpartisan policy institute Center for American Progress (CAP) released a document calling the federal government to assist Puerto Rico’s recovery.

Some of the key recommendations presented by Federico de Jesús and Laura Rodríguez to the Biden administration in the document An Urgent Rescue Plan for Puerto Rico include: • Reestablish the President’s Task Force on Puerto Rico. The administration should provide this working group with more resources and authority than before. It should also mandate higher-level participation—at the deputy secretary level at a minimum.

• Waive the Jones Act for Puerto Rico. This protectionist law dating back to the 1920s has made essential goods such as food less affordable for Puerto Rico’s residents.

• Extend relief to Vieques and Culebra.

Residents of these two municipalities continue to suffer due to long-existing abysmal health care access resulting from decades of military exercises, which has also been exacerbated by natural disasters. Federal funding could be directed toward building hospitals to withstand climate change effects, improving ferry

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systems, and continuing decontamination and cleanup efforts.

• Address ongoing public safety issues. The Biden administration needs to play a key role in addressing ongoing public safety issues such as narcotrafficking and civil rights protections within the Puerto Rico Police Department.

• Targeted programs for Puerto Ricans with mental health disabilities post-disaster should be a priority for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and other agencies. Mental health disabilities are common after traumatizing events, which include natural disasters such as hurricanes Irma and Maria as well as continuous seismic activity. By making this a priority for HHS and other agencies, the Biden administration can ensure that this vulnerable population receives the proper services it needs.

• Work with Congress to deliver aid to Puerto Rico. The Biden administration and Congress can work together in areas such as reducing Puerto Rico’s debt; reexamining the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA); and fostering congressional dialogue on the island’s status, to name a few.

Lista de Episodios de El Sol Latino Podcast 413 - enero a mayo 2021 El Sol Latino Podcast 413 nació el 14 de enero de 2020 y hasta el momento hemos grabado un total de 56 episodios. Este proyecto colaborativo entre Holyoke Public Media y El Sol Latino ha juntado a dos periodistas boricuas, Natalia Muñoz y Manuel Frau Ramos.

Ambos periodistas representan dos medios de comunicación locales e independientes que han abierto puertas para una nueva era en los medios de comunicación en la región.

Estamos orgullosos de la importancia de este proyecto que ofrece un espacio donde conversamos con una amplia gama de invitados que representan diversas voces y experiencias dentro de la comunidad Latinx/Puertorriqueña, tanto de aquí como de allá, a los dos lados del charco.

En esta edición de junio 2021, la lista de los episodios que hemos presentado entre enero y abril del corriente. En futuras ediciones del periódico presentaremos la lista de los restantes episodios del año.

Todos 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 los pueden accesar en la página de Facebook de El Sol Latino.

Episodio #39 - Enero 13, 2021

Graysen Martínez Ocasio, fundador y editor de The Rainbow Times. Fundado en 2006, The Rainbow Times se ha convertido en el periódico LGBTQ más grande de Nueva Inglaterra. Es la única publicación de propietarios minoritarios que está dedicada a la comunidad LGBTQ y sus aliados.

Episodio #40 - Enero 20, 2021

Dr. Joel Blanco Rivera, profesor de la Escuela Nacional de Conservación, Restauración y Museografía en la Ciudad de México. Su trabajo se enfoca en temas sobre

continued on page 2

2 Editorial / Editorial An Urgent Rescue Plan for Puerto Rico Portada / Front Page Lista de Episodios de El Sol Latino Podcast 413 enero a mayo 2021 3 Tinta Caliente / Hot Ink 4 Portada / Front Page New Research by Excelencia in Education Provides Context for Institutional Resilience in Puerto Rico 5 The Center for Puerto Rican Studies awarded Centro’s, “Cucarachita Martina’s Musical Adventure,” to play at the 2021 Tribeca Festival Special Delivery from Tampa to Puerto Rico in a Race to Save a Species from Extinction 6 Libros / Books Folk Stories from the Hills of Puerto Rico / Cuentos folklóricos de las montañas de Puerto Rico 7 Cultura / Culture Nueva Sede del Museo de los Santos en Puerto Rico 8 Educación / Education STCC offers free ‘Out of School Time’ class in June 9 One-day HCC campaign raises $122K for student support programs STCC announces registration for summer, fall classes 10 Finanzas / Finances Post-Pandemic Travel Scams Política / Politics Gloria Caballero y la importancia de la educación 11 Will the United States finally decolonize Puerto Rico?

13 Medios /Media President of New England Public Media to Step Down 14 Verónica García presenta su nuevo programa Viviendo Sin Limites Salud / Health Poorer and minority older adults are suspicious of the US health care system – a new study shows why 16 Deportes / Sports Springfield Old Timers Softball League

Founded in 2004

n

Volume 17, No. 7 n June 2021

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.

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.

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El Sol Latino June 2021

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Lista de Episodios de El Sol Latino Podcast 413 continued from page 2 conservación y administración de archivos, con particular atención a temas de digitalización y preservación digital. Sus áreas de investigación son: formación archivística en Latinoamérica y el Caribe, el rol de los archivos en los procesos de justicia de transición, archivos web, y archivos de redes sociales.

Episodio #45 – Marzo 3, 2021

Gabriella Candelario, Gerente Asociada de Programación de la organización sin fines de lucro EparaTodos (Entrepreneurship for All - EforAll). Establecida en 2013, EforAll es una organización comprometida a apoyar a personas sub-representadas con recursos y herramientas necesarias para iniciar un negocio de manera exitosa.

Episodio #46 – Marzo 10, 2021

Dr. Aldo Lauria Santiago, profesor del Department of Latino and Caribbean Studies y del Department of History en Rutgers University en New Brunswick, NJ. Conversación sobre la petición Save the Integrity, Mission and Resources of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies (CENTRO) circulada en los medios sociales.

Episodio #47 – Marzo 17, 2021

Episodio #41 - Febrero 3, 2021

Ysabel García, fundadora de la iniciativa comunitaria Estoy Aquí.

Esta iniciativa fundada en 2020 brinda capacitación en justicia racial y diálogo intergrupal para abordar los factores sociales y culturales del suicidio en la comunidad latina y afroamericana.

Mariana Mcdonald, co-autora y editora (junto a Randall, Margaret) del libro Dominga Rescues the Flag / Dominga rescata la bandera (Two Wings Press/Editorial Dos Alas). Dominga de la Cruz es la heroína puertorriqueña que levantó la bandera en Ponce en medio del sangriento asalto ordenado por Estados Unidos a una manifestación pacífica en el 1937 (La Masacre de Ponce). Mariana Mcdonald también fue la principal editora y coodinadora del proyecto Cartas a Karina. sobre las memorias de Oscar López Rivera y publicado en el 2017.

Episodio #42 - Febrero 10, 2021

Episodio #48 – Marzo 24, 2021

Dr. Joel Blanco Rivera

Gladys Natalia Franco Rodríguez, directora de campaña del candidato a senador estatal Adam Gómez en el 2019. Gladys es organizadora comunitaria y líder educativa. Actualmente se desempeña como Presidenta de la Junta Directiva de The Resistance Center for Peace and Justice.

Episodio #43 - Febrero 17, 2021

José E. Velázquez y Carmen V. Rivera, co-editores junto con el Dr. Andrés Torres, del libro Revolution Around the Corner - Voices from the Puerto Rican Socialist Party in the United States (Temple University Press 2020).

Episodio #44 - Febrero 24, 2021

Dr. Harry Franqui Rivera, profesor de historia en Bloomfield College.

Es autor de dos artículos sobre el status político de Puerto Rico en su blog in cOHERENT Thoughts y en la página de Latino Rebels Radio: (1) The Prospect of Statehood for Puerto Rico? Light Years Away (2) The Prospects of Independence for Puerto Rico? Don’t Get Your Hopes Up

Dr. Alexis Oscar Tirado Rivera, profesor de Historia de la Universidad de Puerto Rico – Recinto de Cayey. Conversación sobre el artículo El Guayama de Luis Palés Matos y Luis Muñoz Marín: un encuentro en el año 1917, publicado en la Revista Cayey. Trabajo sobre la figura de Luis Muñoz Marín y su vinculación a la ciudad de Guayama, en especial, su amistad con el escritor, poeta, y periodista Luis Palés Matos.

Episodio #49 – Marzo 31, 2021

Dr. Federico Subervi-Vélez, coautor (con Sandra Rodríguez Cotto y Jairo Lugo Ocando) del libro The News Media in Puerto Rico: Journalism in Colonial Settings and Times of Crises (Editorial Routledge). Ha sido profesor e investigador de comunicación en las universidades de California-Santa Bárbara; Texas-Austin; Texas StateSan Marcos; y Kent State. Editor del libro The Mass Media and Latino Politics: Studies of U.S Media Content, Campaign Strategies and Survey Research: 1984-2004 (Editorial Routledge, 2008).

OT TINTNAT E H INK CALIE

por MANUEL

FRAU RAMOS

In Holyoke …

Only one of the two Latinxs candidates running for mayor has been certified.

In the city’s mayoral race, so far seven candidates have pulled papers to run for office. However, only Latina candidate Gloria Caballero Roca, and non-Latino candidate Michael J. Sullivan have met all requirements and have been certified.Amherst.

Dr. Harry Franqui Rivera

If one of them is elected, she or he would become the first Latinx mayor of the City of Holyoke.

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El Sol Latino June 2021

New Research by Excelencia in Education Provides Context for Institutional Resilience in Puerto Rico WASHINGTON, D.C. | Excelencia in Education | May 19, 2021 – Excelencia in Education on May 19, 2021 released its newest research brief, “Higher Education in Puerto Rico: Conditions and Context Influencing Institutional Resilience.” Excelencia conducted an environmental scan as the first of a two-part study on transformation by colleges and universities in Puerto Rico to better serve their Latino, and all, students.

• Over the last 10 years, the share of the population 25 years and older that has earned an associate’s degree or higher has increased.

HIG HER EDUC ATION IN PU ERTO R ICO:

• Despite increasing educational attainment, over 40% of the population lives below the poverty level, and median household income has hovered between $18,000 and $21,000 over that last 10 years.

HIGHER EDUCATION IN Puerto Rico experienced several CONDITIONS AND CONTEXT INFLUENCING natural, economic, demographic, and PUERTO RICO POPULATION INSTITUTIONAL RESILIENCE governance challenges in recent years • The majority of colleges and that have impacted day-to-day life for universities are 4-year institutions. students, communities, and institutions of higher education. And yet, some • Public 4-year universities are more selective than private not-for-profit, institutions and community leaders have met these challenges in innovative 4-year universities. and proactive ways. Resilience has been an important characteristic for • In Fall 2018, the top 5 institutions in Puerto Rico enrolling Latino both students and institutions on the island. Excelencia’s leaders have said undergraduate students were all 4-years, including two Ana G. Mendez on numerous occasions that the issues in Puerto Rico can be a bellwether campuses and two University of Puerto Rico campuses. of what mainland institutions may also experience and need to address if they are to more intentionally serve Latino and rural learners.

• Full-time retention rates in Puerto Rico have increased in the last 15 The brief includes a demographic and socio-economic profile, summary of the educational pathway, and the context of institutions of higher education over the past several years. We believe understanding efforts during times of crises for institutional resilience to support students on the island can inform efforts by institutions on the U.S. mainland to better serve their Latino, and all, students during times of economic, demographic, and natural challenges.

For this project, Excelencia is working in partnership with the Puerto Rico Endowment for the Humanities La Fundación Puertorriqueña de las Humanidades (https://www.fphpr.org/en/), led by Executive Director Margarita Benitez. Their efforts to engage and support colleges and universities on the island are core to our partnership and the next phase of work developing case studies on institutional resilience efforts in Puerto Rico. This publication was developed with the generous support of Ascendium Education Group.

years, despite drops in enrollment, and are higher than the national retention rate for Latinos.

• The majority of grant aid that students receive are federal Pell Grants and the amount of the Pell Grant award students receive has increased in the last 10 years.

• The cost of attendance across all sectors has been increasing over the last 20 years and there is a significant gap between students’ cost of attendance and the grant aid they receive.

• Private institutions have relied on tuition and fees as their main source of revenue, while public institutions have mainly relied on state and local funding. Public institutions’ expenditures are significantly higher than expenditures at private institutions.

Major findings:

• In the last 20 years, there has been a 40% increase in total certificates and degrees awarded (from 31,469 to 44,137).

POPULATION DEMOGRAPHICS & K-12 PIPELINE IN PUERTO RICO

• Graduation rates have been on the rise at private 4-year institutions but have remained relatively stagnant at public 4-year institutions.

• The total population and K-12 educational pipeline has declined, potentially affecting the future college- going pool of applicants.

WORKFORCE IN PUERTO RICO

• Despite an increasing share of the population attaining a postsecondary degree, Puerto Rico’s unemployment rate is high.

• The top 10 occupations by share of the population employed are lowpaying jobs, with annual wages ranging between $19,000 and $40,000 that do not necessarily require a postsecondary degree.

• In contrast, the top 10 highest paying occupations represent less than 1% of the working age population in Puerto Rico with annual salaries higher than $90,000.

• While there has been a decline in the younger population, Puerto Rico’s population is aging—the only group of the population that has increased are those 65 years and older.

Excelencia in Education accelerates Latino student success in higher education by promoting Latino student achievement, conducting analysis to inform educational policies, and advancing institutional practices while collaborating with those committed and ready to meet the mission.

Launched in 2004 in the nation’s capital, Excelencia has established a network of results-oriented educators and policymakers to address the U.S. economy’s needs for a highly educated workforce and engaged civic leaders. For more information, visit: https://www.edexcelencia.org/

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El Sol Latino June 2021

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Centro’s, “Cucarachita Martina’s Musical Adventure,” to play at the 2021 Tribeca Festival NEW YORK, NY | CENTRO: THE CENTER FOR PUERTO RICAN STUDIES | May 18, 2021 — The Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College is proud to announce that its animated short, “Cucarachita Martina’s Musical Adventure,” will be screened at the 2021 Tribeca Festival. It is an out-ofcompetition short selection made in collaboration with the National Puerto Rican Day Parade. The short will be shown on Sunday, June 13 at 4:00 PM in Soundview Park and on Monday, June 14, 2021 at 6:00 PM, on the Streaming Tribeca at Home website. View trailer here: https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBKRnrINKRc This new animated short is inspired by Pura Belpré’s first picture book, “Pérez and Martina: A Portorican Tale,” which tells the story of beautiful Martina who is wooed by sneaky Señor Gato, whiney Señor Pato, proud Señor Gallo, sad Señor Grillo, chatty Señor Sapo, and gallant Señor Pérez, the mouse.

Pura Belpré was the first Puerto Rican librarian in New York City and author of one of the first Latino children’s picture books. Pura was also a cultural activist who studied, re-interpreted and celebrated Puerto Rican folktales and culture. Pura was a talented storyteller and celebrated puppeteer. As the first Puerto Rican librarian in the New York Public Library system, she pioneered the library’s work with the Puerto Rican community. She became an advocate for the Spanish-speaking community by instituting bilingual story hours, buying Spanish language books, and implementing programs based on traditional holidays such as the celebration of Three Kings Day. She used this story in puppet shows, pantomimes, and plays. It was shown on television and broadcasted over the radio. In 1996, the American Library Association (www.ala.org) established The Pura Belpré Award recognizing Latino/Latina writers and illustrators whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth.

The film is part of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies’ Puerto Rican

Heritage Cultural Ambassador Program’s curriculum. The program is a free online course on Puerto Rican history, culture, and traditions with a focus on the experience of Puerto Ricans in the United States. Learn more here: https://centropr.hunter.cuny.edu/ education/puerto-rican-heritage-culturalambassadors-program The script for Cucarachita Martina’s Musical Adventure was written by the award-winning children’s book author, Raquel M. Ortiz. The film was animated and directed by two-time Emmy nominee, Waldo Cabrera. Illustrated by Tere Marichal, the recipient of two Emmys and the Premio René Marqués. Musical Director Desmar Guevara has created dozens of original scores, songs, and arrangements and has recorded with greats that include Celia Cruz and Tito Puente. The film also features the voices of award-winning actors Alejandra Ramos, Mario Mattei and vocalist, Elizabeth Pérez.

The Center for Puerto Rican Studies, Hunter College, CUNY (Centro) is the nation’s leading university-based institution devoted to the interdisciplinary study of the Puerto Rican experience in the United States. Centro is dedicated to understanding, preserving and sharing the Puerto Rican experience in the United States. Centro also collects, preserves and provides access to library resources documenting Puerto Rican history and culture.

Centro seeks to link scholarship to social action and policy debates, and to contribute to the betterment of our community and the enrichment of Puerto Rican studies.

The Centro Library and Archives holds The Pura Belpré Papers (Collection) an important source for the study of Puerto Rican children’s literature and Puerto Rican folk tales and legends. They are valuable for examining relationships between the Puerto Rican community and a major institution such as the New York Public Library. The materials include personal documents, financial statements from publishers, correspondence, manuscripts, flyers, clippings, photographs, and illustrations. The original Cucarachita Martina and Ratoncito Perez puppets are available for viewing.

Special Delivery from Tampa to Puerto Rico in a Race to Save a Species from Extinction TAMPA, FL | PRESS RELEASE – ZooTampa | MAY 20, 2021- Thousands of Puerto Rican crested toad tadpoles were sent from ZooTampa to Puerto Rico yesterday, with the goal of restoring the critically endangered amphibian on their native island. The Puerto Rican crested toad, the island’s only native toad species, once flourished on the island but until 1967 was thought to be extinct. ZooTampa is one of only a few zoos across the world who participate in the Association of Zoos and Aquarium’s Species Survival Plan with the goal of re-populating this species by breeding and sending tadpoles back to Puerto Rico.

The Zoo’s herpetology and veterinary teams oversaw the delicate reproduction process for the pairs of crested toads. From careful habitat temperature control that simulates the island’s rainy season to playing toad mating calls, several necessary steps were taken to ensure that toads’ success in releasing fertilized eggs.

“These tadpoles represent hope for this critically endangered species,” said Dan Costell, associate curator of herps and aquatics. “Many amphibian species, such as the Puerto Rican crested toad, are threatened with extinction due to habitat loss, climate change, pollution, infectious diseases, and other factors. Bolstering the population of these toads in their natural environment is a real win for conservation and at the core of our mission at ZooTampa.”

ZooTampa’s herpetology team spent several hours counting and packing the tadpoles into protected shipping boxes for their journey. Shipping bags were

used, doubled up, and filled with oxygen to keep the tadpoles healthy and safe on their journey to their homeland where biologists will release them into protected managed ponds.

The Puerto Rican crested toad is an essential part of Puerto Rican crested toad tadpoles / the island ecosystem, eating Credit – Cleveland Zoological Society insects that are pests to humans.

Scientists estimate that fewer than 3,000 adult toads remain in the wild.

ZooTampa at Lowry Park is operated by the Lowry Park Zoological Society, an independent 501(c)(3) charitable organization committed to excellence in conservation, education, recreation and research.

The Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and is recognized as central Florida’s leading and most attended zoological cultural institution. ZooTampa is an eight-time winner of the Certificate of Excellence award by TripAdvisor (2010-2018) and is a leader in the rehabilitation and care of Florida species.

For more information, visit www.zootampa.org

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Libros / Books

El Sol Latino June 2021

Folk Stories from the Hills of Puerto Rico / Cuentos folklóricos de las montañas de Puerto Rico Edited by RAFAEL OCASIO • New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press | May 17, 2021 | 262 pages About This Book / English and Español This exciting new anthology gathers together Puerto Rican folktales that were passed down orally for generations before finally being transcribed beginning in 1914 by the team of famous anthropologist Franz Boas. These charming tales give readers a window into the imaginations and aspirations of Puerto Rico’s peasants, the Jíbaro.

Some stories provide a distinctive Caribbean twist on classic tales including “Snow White” and “Cinderella.” Others fictionalize the lives of local historical figures, such as infamous pirate Roberto Cofresí, rendered here as a Robin Hood figure who subverts the colonial social order. The collection also introduces such beloved local characters as Cucarachita Martina, the kind cockroach who falls in love with Ratoncito Pérez, her devoted mouse husband who brings her delicious food.

Including a fresh English translation of each folktale as well as the original Spanish version, the collection also contains an introduction from literary historian Rafael Ocasio that highlights the historical importance of these tales and the Jíbaro cultural values they impart. These vibrant, funny, and poignant stories will give readers unique insights into Puerto Rico’s rich cultural heritage.

Esta nueva y emocionante antología reúne cuentos populares puertorriqueños que fueron transmitidos oralmente durante generaciones antes de ser finalmente transcritos comenzando en 1914 por el equipo del famoso antropólogo Franz Boas. Estos encantadores cuentos ofrecen a los lectores un vistazo a la imaginación y las aspiraciones de los jíbaros, los campesinos de Puerto Rico.

Algunas historias brindan un distintivo toque caribeño a cuentos clásicos como “Blanca Nieves” y “Cenicienta”. Otros ficcionalizan la vida de personajes históricos locales, como el famoso pirata Roberto Cofresí, representado como una figura al estilo de Robin Hood, quien subvierte el orden social colonial. La colección también presenta personajes locales tan queridos como Cucarachita Martina, la amable cucaracha que se enamora de Ratoncito Pérez, su devoto esposo ratón que le trae deliciosa comida.

Incluyendo una nueva traducción al inglés de estos cuentos populares, así como las versiones originales en español, la colección también contiene una introducción del historiador literario Rafael Ocasio, quien destaca la importancia histórica de estos cuentos y los valores culturales del jíbaro que éstos imparten en los relatos. Estas historias vibrantes, divertidas y conmovedoras brindarán a los lectores una visión única de la rica herencia cultural de Puerto Rico.

Reviews / English and Español “Rafael Ocasio’s unique bilingual anthology, Folk Stories from the Hills of Puerto Rico, is a treasure of delectable and profound tales collected at the beginning of the twentieth century. Moreover, Ocasio’s comprehensive introduction and notes about the history of these tales fills a gap in our understanding of the unusual contribution made by Puerto Rican peasants to the island’s cultural tradition. In short, this is a significant and remarkable book that will bring joy to readers.”

“Esta excepcional antología bilingüe por Rafael Ocasio, Cuentos folklóricos de las montañas de Puerto Rico, es un tesoro de sabrosos e intensos cuentos

recopilados a principios del siglo XX. Además, la amplia introducción de Ocasio y sus notas sobre la historia de estos cuentos llenan un vacío sobre nuestra comprensión de la inusual contribución realizada por los campesinos puertorriqueños a la tradición cultural de la isla. En resumen, este es un libro significativo y extraordinario que llenará de alegría a sus lectores.”

--Jack Zipes, traductor y editor (translator and editor), The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm: The Complete First Edition “The tales collected in this volume highlight Jibaro ingenuity, courage, and resilience while illuminating Puerto Rican traditions and values that contextualize the time in which they were collected. Like the jewels excavated by the legendary pirate Contreras, these folk stories are still ‘very pretty and very valuable,’ and they demand to be shared.”

“Los cuentos recogidos en este volumen resaltan el ingenio, el coraje y la resiliencia del jíbaro, al tiempo que iluminan las tradiciones y valores puertorriqueños que contextualizan el tiempo en que fueron recogidos. Al igual que las joyas excavadas por el legendario pirata Contreras, estas historias populares siguen siendo ‘muy bonitas y muy valiosas,’ y exigen ser compartidas.”

--Lorraine M. López, autora de (author of) Rituals of Movement in the Writing of Judith Ortiz Cofer About the Editor RAFAEL OCASIO is the Charles A. Dana Professor of Spanish at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia. His many books include Reinaldo Arenas: Cuba’s Political and Sexual Outlaw, A Gay Cuban in Exile, Afro-Cuban Costumbrismo: From Plantations to the Slums, and A Bristol, Rhode Island, and Matanzas, Cuba, Slavery Connection: The Diary of George Howe.

Saturdays 10 AM Domingo 7 PM WHMP radio 1400 AM

biingüe arte, cultura, media politics Natalia Muñoz

Cultura / Culture

El Sol Latino June 2021

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Nueva Sede del Museo de los Santos en Puerto Rico por MANUEL FRAU RAMOS patrimonio cultural intangible a través de nuestra colección permanente, programas educativos, proyectos de divulgación, exposiciones especiales y actividades culturales.” La organización resalta que, “Más que un museo tradicional, MUSAN es un centro cultural comunitario que celebra el rico patrimonio artístico de Puerto Rico como inspiración para la expresión artística contemporánea y su relevancia para la sociedad moderna.”

Recientemente se anunció que el Museo de los Santos y Arte Nacional (MUSAN) está remodelando una nueva sede con un espacio mas grande en el Distrito Cultural de Santurce de la ciudad capital de San Juan.

Conjuntamente con la mudanza a la nueva sede, el Museo de los Santos fue rebautizado como Museo de los Santos y Arte Nacional (MUSAN). El nuevo nombre fue adoptado porque el nuevo museo también albergará la Colección Ellie Pruess de pinturas modernas de mediados de siglo y el proyecto de Investigación de Historia Oral del Dr. Torres Meléndez.

El Museo de los Santos comenzó como una iniciativa conjunta de Richard Holm y el Dr. José Torres Meléndez en el año 1999. Holm, quien había establecido residencia en Puerto Rico y tenía un negocio dedicado al mercadeo del turismo cultural (Caribbean Consulting), se sorprendió del rico patrimonio que no estaba disponible a los turistas y de que muchos de los santos pertenecían a colecciones privadas.

En el 2005 se crea el museo virtual (www.museodelossantos.com) con la misión de promover la historia, apreciación, y preservación de la tradición de la elaboración de Santos de madera tallados a mano. Información sobre este tipo de artesanía no era de fácil acceso tanto a los turistas como a los residentes de la isla.

Actualmente, MUSAN posee tres colecciones permanentes. (1) El Museo de Los Santos de Palo de Puerto Rico con una colección de 400 tallas antiguas que datan del siglo XVIII hasta la época contemporánea. (2) La Colección Ellie Pruess la cual tiene obras de Julio Rosado del Valle, Manuel Hernández Acevedo, Epifanio Irizarry, Santos Rene Irizarry y Rodríguez Senerez. (3) El Proyecto de Historia Oral es la tercera colección busca documentar las narrativas personales de los pioneros y pioneras del arte del tallado de santos de madera.

Para conocer más sobre MUSAN, su exhibiciones, visitas grupales, eventos especiales, donaciones o venta de santos, pueden acceder su página web https://museodelossantos.org o llamar al 787-455-4217 (español) o 787455-4216 (inglés). La dirección postal es 456 Calle Saldaña, San Juan, PR 00909 y el correo electrónico es info@musan.org.

s u T n e C C T S a e y u l ¡Inc Planes de Verano!

Tenemos disponibles en-línea docenas de cursos de educación general y electivas.

El éxito del proyecto virtual fue abrumador. El museo virtual logró que turistas, residentes locales y miembros de la diáspora encontraran información y recursos sobre este arte popular. Como resultado del éxito virtual, parte de la colección de José Torres Meléndez se puso en exhibición en la sede de Caribbean Consulting. La misma estaba disponible por cita previa.

¡Garantizamos que los cursos de educación general se pueden transferir a UMass, Westfield State (y otros más) para que así puedas ahorrar dinero!

En el 2017, José mostro interés en establecer un museo, tras obtener un Doctorado en el Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Puerto Rico y el Caribe.

El tema de su tesis doctoral fue Celestino Avilés, patriarca de una familia de artesanos y destacado tallador de santos de madera. Avilés fue el organizador del primer Encuentro Nacional de Santeros en el 1983.

!Matricúlate Ahora!

La necesidad de tener un espacio permanente, la creciente colección de Santos, y la demanda para las visitas presenciales de la colección con sede en las oficinas de Caribbean Consulting los llevo a establecer el Museo de los Santos, Inc. Esta es una corporación sin fines de lucro con exención contributiva 501 (c) (3), IRS, 2108. En el 2019, el Departamento de Hacienda le otorgó una autorización para operar como una corporación sin fines de lucro en Puerto Rico.

En el 2020 se establece MUSAN con el objetivo de expandir sus colecciones a la vez que buscan crear un centro cultural comunitario para apoyar a los artistas emergentes y además reconocer y celebrar la aportación histórica que han hecho los artistas del pasado.

MUSAN esboza su misión como una organización cultural dedicada a la “preservación, investigación y exhibición del arte puertorriqueño y el

stcc.edu/summer

Community College #4 en América 2021* *Influencia Académica

Mejor Colegio o Universidad 2020 y 2021

Mejor Colegio de 2 Años 2020 y 2021

5/6/21 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: June

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Educación / Education

STCC offers free ‘Out of School Time’ class in June SPRINGFIELD, MA | SPRINGFIELD TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE | May18, 2021 – Springfield Technical Community College this summer will offer a free class to people working in after-school programs, summer camps, community centers and other places that provide education and care outside of regular school time.

The online class, called Out of School Time, addresses a growing need: how to educate and care for children when they’re not in school. Conor J. Bevan, the director of program development for the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Holyoke, teaches the class, which serves as an entry to an STCC certificate in Early Education.

STCC will offer 20 free seats in the class, which runs during Summer Session 1 between June 7 and July 9. The class, which is designed for people working in the field, serves as an entry point to the certificate in early childhood education called Child Development Associate Plus. (Learn more about CDA+ by visiting stcc.edu/info/child-development-associate).

The certificate is only 26 credits and is completed in less than a year, said Richard Greco, dean of the School of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies at STCC. “This is a fantastic way for after school programs, summer camps, and community centers to add professionalism to their programs,” he said. “Our students, upon completion of their certificate, are trained in the most modern educational theories and provided the real life skills needed to elevate any Out of School Time program.”

The class covers areas such as curriculum design, behavior management, child and family interaction, and childhood development.

“As this summer course is online, it is a great way to encourage staff to increase their knowledge base without requiring them to miss any hours during the summer season,” Greco said.

Bevan, the instructor, said organizations such as the Boys & Girls Club offer “out of school time” childcare services and programs and face a growing demand for trained educators. Designed to meet the demand, the STCC course is an elective that is part of the Early Childhood Education Transfer degree program, but is open to anyone.

“We’re trying to teach students to become youth development professionals, and give them an understanding that this is a critical time in a child’s life,” Bevan said. “We serve as a primary link between academic support, enrichment activities, physical health and nutrition.”

To enroll in the class or apply to be a student in the CDA+ program, visit stcc.edu/info/child-development-associate or call Admissions at (413) 755-4812. For questions about the Out of School Time class, email Aimee Dalenta: adalenta@stcc.edu, or Jennifer Wallace Johnson: jwjohnson@stcc.edu.

Springfield Technical Community College, the Commonwealth’s only technical community college, continues the pioneering legacy of the Springfield Armory with comprehensive and technical education in manufacturing, STEM, healthcare, business, social services, and the liberal arts. STCC’s highly regarded workforce, certificate, degree, and transfer programs are the most affordable in Springfield and provide unequalled opportunity for the vitality of Western Massachusetts.

Founded in 1967, the college – a designated Hispanic Serving Institution – seeks to close achievement gaps among students who traditionally face societal barriers. STCC supports students as they transform their lives through intellectual, cultural, and economic engagement while becoming thoughtful, committed and socially responsible graduates.

El Sol Latino June 2021

Educación / Education

El Sol Latino June 2021

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One-day HCC campaign raises $122K for student support programs HOLYOKE, MA | HOLYOKE COMMUNITY COLLEGE | May 18, 2021 –– Led by auto dealer Gary Rome, trustees, dedicated alumni, and friends, Holyoke Community College raised $122,000 for student support programs last month during its one-day “Together HCC: Drive to Change Lives” campaign.

Organizers had set a goal of 150 donors for the 24-hour, April 27 fund drive.

The final tally was 295.

“The reason we got involved in this campaign is because we wanted to shine a spotlight on this wonderful institution right here in our backyard, dispel the misconception that community colleges receive all their funding from the state, and highlight how important it is to raise funds to help support our community college.”

One of the donors was HCC alumna Ruby Maddox ’03, co-founder of the Springfield nonprofit Gardening in the Community.

“As a first-generation college student, HCC made it possible for me to get my first undergraduate degree, which led me to getting my graduate degree,” said Maddox, now the study abroad advisor and international internship coordinator at Mount Holyoke College. “My HCC education was accessible, affordable and transformational. I started Gardening in the Community while at HCC, and I learned what it was like to truly make things happen.”

In addition to Gary Rome, Peg Wendlandt ‘58 and Gary Wendlandt, Jim Izatt ‘59, Dylan Pilon ‘12, trustees Robert Gilbert and Charlie Epstein, HCC Foundation board member Mike Roundy, and the HCC Alumni Council all posed match and challenge gifts for the campaign.

HCC Foundation board member Corey Murphy, left, auto dealer Gary Rome, HCC Student Senate president Carolina Peña, and HCC president Christina Royal hold a donation check from Gary Rome at his Hyundai dealership in Holyoke on May 4.

“It was really inspiring to see all the community support that came together for the ‘Together HCC’ campaign to invest in our students,” said Amanda Sbriscia, HCC vice president of Institutional Advancement and executive director of the HCC Foundation. “Our goal for the one-day campaign was 150 donors, and by noon we had already exceeded that. By the end of the day, we had almost doubled our goal, and that was in large part thanks to the support of Gary Rome Hyundai.”

Rome, an HCC Foundation board member, had issued a donation challenge of $10,000 if the campaign met its goals of securing 150 new donors and 1,000 social media posts using the hashtag #TogetherHCC.” He presented a check to HCC officials at his Holyoke dealership on May 4.

Myke Connolly ’04, of Springfield, owner of StandOutTruck.com, donated the use of his mobile billboard, “Myke literally drove to change lives from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. on April 27 displaying ads promoting our giving day throughout the region and documented his day on social media, creating even more energy and buzz,” said campaign organizer Julie Phillips, HCCs coordinator of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving.

In addition to his #TogetherHCC donation, Connolly created the StandOutTruck. com Celeste Berger Annual Scholarship at HCC to be awarded this spring to a current HCC student of marketing, business, or entrepreneurship.

“The reason I had to get involved with this is because HCC has done a lot for me,” Connolly said. “Through HCC I was introduced to Mike Kittredge, who started Yankee Candle. He taught me all about business. That’s the beauty of this place. It’s a genuine place where people want to see you succeed. If someone is looking to get a start or start over, this is where you begin.”

STCC announces registration for summer, fall classes SPRINGFIELD, MA | SPRINGFIELD TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE | May 4, 2021– Registration is open for summer and fall classes at Springfield Technical Community College, a flexible and affordable opportunity for students enrolled at STCC or another college or university.

Student Financial Services to discuss if they qualify. Email sfs@stcc.edu or call (413) 755-4214 and leave a voicemail.

For more information, including how to register, visit stcc.edu/summer.

STCC offers morning and evening on campus classes as well as online instruction. The courses include general education classes that are guaranteed to transfer to the University of Massachusetts, Westfield State University and other institutions and offer a cost savings. Electives also are available.

Registration for fall classes also is open at STCC, which was ranked as the fourth best community college in the United States by Academic Influence, a college ranking system. STCC also was named best local college in the MassLive and Republican Reader Raves polls for 2020 and 2021, and best two-year college in 2020 and 2021 (Valley Advocate).

Summer sessions are divided into three blocks for students’ convenience: · Summer Session 1: June 7-July 9 · Summer Session 1E (extended): June 7-Aug. 12 · Summer Session 2: July 12-Aug. 12

STCC offers a variety of instructional methods allowing students to choose the course delivery option that best suits their needs, from on campus to online or hybrid.

“Summer session offers a chance for any student to catch up or get ahead,” said Richard Greco, dean of the School of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies. “Summer classes are available not just for STCC students. We also welcome students from other colleges and universities who find that taking a class at STCC is a great experience and a fraction of the cost of a class at their own school.”

General ed classes available for summer include English, history, math, among other subjects. Federal financial aid is available for students who qualify. Additionally, students who receive a federal Pell Grant often qualify for additionally Pell funding during the summer.

Because the Pell grant money does not need to be paid back, students who qualify can effectively take the courses for free. Students should contact

The college provides a pathway to certificates and associate degrees as well as transfer opportunities to four-year colleges and universities.

“Some students have decided to start their college career at STCC instead of a four-year institution when they consider the cost,” Greco said. “STCC is the most affordable college in Springfield and is a fraction of the cost of a private college.”

STCC student Christopher Goossens of Hampden enrolled at STCC after spending a semester at Amherst College. He said the cost of attending STCC was a major factor in his decision.

“The teachers are all amazing people. They’re kind, they care and they’re actually involved. They show genuine concern,” Goossens said.

To apply for fall, visit stcc.edu/apply. For questions, call Admissions at (413) 755-3333.

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Finanzas / Finances

Post-Pandemic Travel Scams

by MILAGROS S. JOHNSON

Last year this time, most of us “staycationed” due to the pandemic.

Fast forward one year, we are ready to begin planning our trips just as fast as travel restrictions are being lifted. But before you make another move, you need to know that scams are just as ready for us.

Scammers had plenty of time to strategically plan ways to rob us of our vacation plans, and their online travel scams are flooding the internet for those looking to book their next vacation. Their advertisements promise, “cheap airline tickets and destination packages” that are appealing to us at first glance, which tells me they had plenty of time on their hands. Their websites entice us with photos of picturesque rental properties with upscale amenities, all at great low prices.

But, what we don’t immediately know is that the photos on their websites are “copied and pasted” from other websites. This is their clever but ruthless technique to draw us in. Once we contact them, the scammers put pressure on us to pay them right away so that we don’t have time to do research or verify the legitimacy of their website. They go as far as claim there are other individuals interested in booking for the same dates. All along, their sole intent is to steal our money, credit card or personal information, which also puts us at risk for identity theft.

El Sol Latino June 2021 Política / Politics

Gloria Caballero y la importancia de la educación Para Gloria Caballero como para toda comunidad cultural la educación de la juventud es un reto por ser una disyuntiva de continuo planteamiento.

Por una parte, es de una fundamental incumbencia que la generación de los adultos pase su cosmovisión y su acervo lingüístico, cultural a la Gloria Caballero próxima generación. Ésta es una responsabilidad ineludible cuanto más que corresponde al quehacer más sagrado de toda sociedad. Y por otra parte, esta imposición educadora, que de por sí siempre será puesta hasta cierto punto en tela de juicio por las mentes en fase de crecimiento y descubrimiento, tiene que dosificarse con la humildad y la capacidad dialéctica necesarias para su propia aventura de vida. Es decir que escuchar vale tanto como hablar en un contexto educativo donde ambas partes puedan entusiasmarse y maravillarse, aunque bien es verdad que el fiel de la balanza se decanta necesariamente por el lado del docente cuya misión es llevar adelante una enseñanza.

To make matters worse, scammers are well aware of the shortage of rental cars, and are using it to their advantage. Fake websites have a sneaky way to get money from us by offering a “membership discount” on the rental car, if we pay in advance for their so-called fake “membership,” which they claim guarantees us a car upon arrival at our destination. This particular scam requires us to pay the scammer upfront with a gift card or prepaid debit card.

El grado de iniciativa y participación tanto individual como de grupos es de suma importancia para brindar una sensación de agencia en el estudiante en su propio desarrollo intelectual y emocional. Para eso el *hands on* en las ciencias como en las artes gráficas, musicales y teatrales debería incluirse indefectiblemente como parte integral del programa educativo. Y al mismo tiempo, para los pasos iniciáticos de rigor para la adolescencia, tienen que existir los desafíos de prueba de éxitos y posibles fracasos, estos últimos nunca como humillación sino como punto de partida para nuevos intentos y un mayor conocimiento de uno mismo.

Follow these steps to protect yourself from any of the post-pandemic travel scams:

La tarea educativa para una sociedad nunca es fácil, pero puede ser su más importante quehacer.

• Book your vacation through a reputable company that offers travel incentives. You may already have a membership to anyone of them.

English version

• Always verify the legitimacy of a website before contacting them. You can do this through the Better Business Bureau, or by doing an online engine search of the business name followed by the word “complaints or customer reviews.”

• Look up information on the website domain. Ask yourself, “Is the business transparent?”

• Do an online photo search of the rental property, or better yet, do an engine search of the rental property address. You might discover that the address they’re using does not correspond to them or may be that of a vacant property, or even a mail room.

• When using a popular, well-known rental property or travel website host, pay for your reservations through the host, and not directly to the alleged property owner offering the rental.

• As a reminder, only pay with a major credit card, and never with a debit card, prepaid card or gift card.

• Avoid caving into pressure by not rushing with your decision.

I invite you to listen to our podcast, “The Consumer Toolbox” available to you on multiple platforms to learn more about the topic.

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.

For Gloria Caballero as for every cultural community, the education of the youth is a challenge because it is a dilemma of continuous presence. On the one hand, it is a fundamental incumbency that the adult generation pass their worldview and their linguistic, cultural tradition to the next generation. This is an inescapable responsibility and it corresponds to the most sacred task in every society. On the other hand, this educational imposition, which in itself will always be called into question by minds in the growth and discovery phase, has to be given with the humility and the dialectical capacity necessary for its own adventure in life. In other words, listening is worth as much as speaking in an educational context where both sides can become enthusiastic and experience wonder, although it is true that the balance necessarily tends toward the side of the teacher whose mission it is to carry out his or her teaching project.

The degree of taking the initiative and of participation by both the individual student and by groups, is of paramount importance to provide a sense of agency to the student in his or her own intellectual and emotional development. For this purpose, hands on experience in the sciences as well a in the graphic, musical and theatrical arts should be unfailingly included as an integral part of the educational program. And at the same time, for the necessary initiatory steps for adolescence, there must be the challenges of proof of successes and of possible failures, the latter never as humiliation, but as a starting point for new attempts and a greater knowledge of oneself.

The educational challenge for a society is never easy, but it can well be said to constitute its most important and transcendental task.

Política / Politics

El Sol Latino June 2021

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Will the United States finally decolonize Puerto Rico? by PEDRO CABÁN Originally posted on MRonline.org – May 11, 2021 On April 14, 2021 the House Committee on Natural Resources held hearings on two competing bills to end Puerto Rico’s colonial status. The different bills reflect the changing political dynamics in the archipelago, as well as the Puerto Rican diaspora’s growing political clout.

H.R.1522, the Puerto Rican State Admission Act, binds Congress to admit Puerto Rico into the Union if a majority vote in favor of doing so in a special referendum. H.R. 2070, the Puerto Rico Pedro Cabán Self-Determination Act, authorizes the insular legislature to convene a semi-permanent status convention where elected delegates decide on alternative self-determination options that are “outside the territorial clause of the constitution.” The bill creates a bilateral negotiating commission of U.S. government officials and the convention delegates. In a referendum, voters will select a territorial option, which may include statehood, independence and sovereign free association. The bill requires that Congress “approve a joint resolution to ratify the preferred self-determination option” approved in a referendum. Commonwealth (or Estado Libre Asociado–ELA in Spanish) is not included as an option in this status bill.

These bills were introduced as Puerto Rico copes with a vexing political and economic landscape in the aftermath of natural disasters, economic collapse, persistent public protests, a crisis of governability and a pandemic.

Puerto Rico is at a crossroads. The political class is beleaguered, and lacks the skills and legitimacy to manage the colony. A financial control board imposed by the federal government and unaccountable to the people rides roughshod over the economy. The Statehood Admission Act is not a solution to the crisis since it wants to perpetuate the rule of those who are responsible for the crisis in the first place. In contrast, the Self Determination Act creates the possibility for a new political leadership to oversee Puerto Rico’s decolonization.

H.R. 2070 has generated a lot of political attention, grass roots activity and media coverage. This is the first time since 2009 that a self-determination bill has been introduced in both houses of congress. H.R. 1522, on the other hand, has received little attention. It is merely the latest in a stream of statehood bills. This statehood bill, as the others before it, will languish in committee. The Partido Nuevo Progresista (PNP) and its stateside supporters have introduced six “Puerto Rico Statehood Admissions Acts since the 114th Congress in 2015-2016. None of them has made it out of the Senate committee of jurisdiction. The PPN is urgently pushing for statehood, but it can’t convince Congress that Puerto Ricans are clamoring for it. Even before H.R. 1522 was introduced, prominent senators on both sides of the aisle announced that Puerto Rico’s admission into the Union was doubtful at best. In January 2021 Senator Cory Booker said there were not enough votes in the Senate to support statehood. Republican Senator Rick Scott agreed the Senate would not admit Puerto Rico into the Union.

Senator Charles Schumer said that he “is not going to support the statehood bill,” noting that the referendums “did not reflect the strong consensus required to advance” a statehood bill. Although the statehood bill is dead on arrival, Governor Pedro Pierluisi is determined to pursue this lost cause.

In 2020 the PNP held a status referendum in an effort to drum up support for the statehood party candidates. Voters were asked “Should Puerto Rico be admitted immediately into the Union as a State?” Fifty two percent of the voters answered yes. PNP declared this a significant victory and called on Congress to accept the referendum results. A Columbia University law

professor called the results historic, and claimed that with this vote the “people stake their claim to statehood.” But since only 53% of the electorate voted, and of those 38,000 cast blank ballots, some argue that only 26% supported statehood.” The PNP has regularly been criticized for designing referendum ballots that are intentionally confusing in order to steer voters to the statehood option. Governor Garcia Padilla, of the pro-Commonwealth Partido Popular Democrático (PPD), told a Senate Committee in 2013 that the purported growth in statehood support was due to changes in the electoral law ordered by the PNP-controlled electoral commission. “There has not been a surge in statehood support, just a change in how votes are counted or should I say excluded.” Senator Richard Wicker said that statehood had “not changed significantly over the last 20 years,” and there is no “impetus for Congress to entertain yet another” bill to admit Puerto Rico into the Union.

Since 2004 electoral participation has declined rapidly from 82% in 2004 to 53% in 2020. Governors are being elected with ever smaller pluralities.

Pedro Pierluisi, the unpopular and polarizing statehood gubernatorial candidate, claimed victory in the 2020 elections with only 33% of the votes cast. A well-known sociologist calculated that electoral support for the PNP has been declining steadily. In the 2012 elections the PNP got 834,191 votes, but in 2020 the number dropped to 623, 053. The PNP is barely hanging onto to power. After the ouster of Governor Rosselló in 2019 and the ill-fated administration of his successor, Wanda Vásquez, the PNP’s credibility is in shreds. One prominent journalist and commentary is convinced that the state in Puerto Rico has failed.

The PPD the architect of now discredited ELA is struggling for political survival as well. In the 2012 status referendum 54% of the voters said no to the statement “Puerto Rico should continue to have its present form of territorial status.” When Puerto Ricans voted against ELA, they voted to end colonialism. After the vote the PPD seems to have lost its way. For decades the PPD pushed to “enhance” the Commonwealth by getting Congress to grant it autonomy over key policy areas. But Congress rejected the proposals as “constitutionally impermissible.” After the 2012 referendum Senator Ron Wyden, Chairman of the Natural Resources Committee, said that “the new commonwealth option continues to be advocated as a viable option by some. It is not.” He noted that “the current relationship undermines our country’s moral standing in the world.” Nonetheless, PPD president and senator José Luis Dalmau warned Congress that excluding ELA as a territorial option in the Self Determination Act of 2021 would be “invalid.” It seems that neither the PNP nor the PPD are willing to accept that Congress has decided to permanently reject their territorial ambitions.

Puerto Rico has struggled through five turbulent and traumatic years. By 2015, after being mired in an economic recession for a decade, Puerto Rico had amassed an insurmountable debt. President Obama responded to the fiscal crisis by rescinding Puerto Rico’s fiscal autonomy. He imposed a Financial Oversight Management Board (FOMB) that usurped the legislature’s control of the budget. The FOMB imposed a neoliberal regime with catastrophic consequences for the population. In 2017 Hurricanes Irma and María laid waste to Puerto Rico and a swarm of earthquakes in 2019 further devastated the archipelago, forcing a record number of Puerto Ricans to migrate to the United States. Government ineptitude in responding to the emergency magnified the catastrophic effects of the natural disasters which left over 4000 dead. The pandemic hit Puerto Rico as it was digging continued on page 12

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Política / Politics

El Sol Latino June 2021

Will the United States finally decolonize Puerto Rico? continued from page 11 itself out of the earthquake’s rubble. By mid-April 2021 over 2,200 had died from the coronavirus.

hearing on H.R. 2070 and sent send the proceedings to the Committee on Natural Resources.

In summer 2019 hundreds of thousands of indignant Puerto Ricans finally had had enough. After two weeks of protests, they forced the resignation of Governor Rosselló, a reviled figure widely blamed for Puerto Rico’s interminable crises. The extraordinary protests set the stage for an unexpected political party realignment the following year. In the 2020 elections the still aggrieved population voted in record numbers for political parties that support independence and self-determination. The venerable Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP), and upstart Movimiento Victoria Ciudadana (MVC), obtained 28 percent of the gubernatorial vote, and their candidates were elected to the legislature. Their victory was a stunning rejection of the political class. Both the MVC and PIP testified in support of H.R. 2070, and are actively advancing a progressive agenda in the legislature.

Progressive organizations including LatinoJustice, the Center for Popular Democracy, Democratic Socialists of America, and Open Society Policy Center support H.R. 2070. The Center for American Progress applauded the bill, noting that the “landmark legislation would facilitate, not impose, a status resolution mechanism to resolve 123 years of colonialism on the island.” Pierluisi and the PNP were caught off guard by the scope of activism for H.R. 2070.

Puerto Ricans are tired of politics as usual. Protests are now a way of life, and Puerto Ricans openly challenge the authority of an ailing colonial state whose legitimacy is in shreds. The young reject the PNP and PPD which are both obsessed with territorial status. They are resisting sweeping austerity measures and resolutely face the ensuing police brutality. Women feminists were a vital force in the summer 2019 uprising and established la Colectiva Feminista en Construcción. In the early days of May 2021 la Colectiva held fervent and boisterous demonstrations to protest the government’s failure to contain the plague of femicides. Hundreds of others are protesting the government’s continued failure respond to the transportation and health crisis that victimize the residents of Vieques. Labor unions are challenging Governor Pierluisi’s decision to sell the public electric utility to the LUMA corporation. Puerto Ricans in all walks of life have turned to a new politics of solidarity, resilience and resistance. They have broken with a culture of dependency on the government, or “assistenlialism.”

Puerto Ricans have built a multitude of mutual aid associations that provide vital services the government has essentially forsaken. An array of other issue-specific organizations are challenging destructive environmental policies, are fighting gentrification driven by Americans attracted by generous tax incentives. Other organizations are fighting privatization of the publicly owned assets and resources, and others are working toward energy and food self-sufficiency. Indeed, one of the most remarkable developments of the last few years has been the politicization of the population and the emergence of a political consciousness that demands government accountability. One well known activist described the emergence of “an unforeseen duality between the self-management movement and the protests that were organized to defend the people” (author’s translation).

The colonial state is floundering in this hyper-politicized environment.

Many, if not most, of the 5.8 million Puerto Ricans who reside in the United States consider themselves members of the Puerto Rican nation. The Puerto Rican diaspora is actively promoting the Self Determination Act, while combating the PNP’s statehood campaign. H.R. 2070 has captured the attention of virtually all Puerto Rican diaspora organizations. Ninety organizations wrote to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer urging them “to support and prioritize the passage of the Puerto Rico Self-Determination Act.” Boricuas Unidos en la Diaspora Puerto Rico (BUDPR), Diaspora en Resistencia, Power4PuertoRico and Our Revolution Puerto Rico have scores of thousands of followers on their social media platforms. These organizations joined forces with Vamos a Puerto Rico, a prominent Puerto Rican based social justice grass roots organization, to lobby for H.R. 2070. Diaspora organizations placed ads in the New York Times, convened webinars on decolonization and selfdetermination, organized zoom panels with representatives from the PIP and MVC, have held rallies, lobbied congress, and set up a tweeter account to contact key legislators. On April 20 diaspora organizations held a public

The political realignment that is taking place in Puerto Rico creates a propitious moment for the self-determination act to become law. The federal government knows that the once reliable political class can no longer manage the colony. If H.R. 2070 becomes law, years may pass before Congress and the convention delegates agree on self-determination options.

In the interim the anti-colonial forces can consolidate and expand their political base. With the Commonwealth excluded as a territorial option, and the PNP unable to generate support in Congress, independence or a sovereign free-associated state emerge as real possibilities for the world’s oldest colony.

PEDRO CABÁN was the Vice Provost for Diversity and Educational Equity at the State University of New York (2007-2011) and is professor of Latin American, Caribbean and U.S. Latino Studies at the University at Albany.

Cabán is the author of Constructing a Colonial People: Puerto Rico and the United States, 1898-1932. He has published dozens of articles, book chapters and review essays on the political economy of Puerto Rico, Latinos in the United States, and race and ethnic studies. He is the recipient of Ford Foundation and Dorothy Danforth Foundation grants. He is the former president of the Puerto Rican Studies Association.

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Medios /Media

El Sol Latino June 2021

13

President of New England Public Media to Step Down SPRINGFIELD. MA | NEW ENGLAND PUBLIC MEDIA | May 12, 2021After a career spanning more than three decades in public broadcasting, Martin Miller is stepping down from his position as President of New England Public Media (NEPM). He will continue in his role until a successor is named, and then will move into a senior counsel role focused on new fundraising efforts for NEPM’s music endowment, journalism and engagement priorities.

Miller led WFCR radio for over two decades, expanding it into the 13-station New England Public Radio network and relocating its main broadcast facility from the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus to state-of-the-art studios in Springfield. The Five College Studios, rebuilt in 2016, remain at UMass in Hampshire House. In 2019 Miller became President of NEPM after helping to orchestrate an alliance with public television station WGBY to create New England Public Media, thus expanding journalism, community engagement, cultural, and educational programs through multi-platform services. The successful merger of NEPR with WGBY brought together the resources of public radio and TV, creating a robust public media organization positioned to continue its public service mission well into the future.

“Martin leaves an outstanding legacy of service to public media in western New England,” said NEPM Board Chair Robert Feldman. “From his dedicated leadership at WFCR to his vision for uniting with WGBY TV, he has led with principle, insight and wisdom, building and strengthening public media on behalf of audiences and communities across our region.”

Miller began his public media career in 1979 at WNYC Radio in New York and continued it at WGBH Radio in Boston beginning in 1985. He served in a variety of capacities completing his career there as Program Director.

During his tenure, he was instrumental in helping launch The World, the first international news program for an American audience. He also

produced award-winning programming including “Oy Chanukah! with the Klezmer Conservatory Band.” In 1995 he joined WFCR in Amherst as General Manager. During his nearly 26 years leading WFCR, NEPR, and now NEPM, he helped raise over $11 million for capital improvements and new programming; developed NEPR’s Media Lab; was responsible for significant revenue and audience growth for radio; increased investments in journalism; developed a diverse Board of Directors and created a new Community Advisory Board for NEPM; and most recently oversaw the launch of NEPM’s new local radio program And Another Thing.

“UMass Amherst, the Five College Consortium, and NEPM have provided me with the wonderful opportunity to be part of a talented group of people involved in the important work of education, civic leadership, and joyful engagement for the residents of western New England,” said Miller. “I am very fortunate that my career has allowed me to focus in areas I cherish: journalism, education, and music, and it has afforded me the honor and privilege to work with wonderful colleagues, volunteers, members of our community, and supporters for almost four decades. Together, for our region, we have built a public media organization that will continue to serve our communities for many years to come.

¿Ha sido su pequeño negocio en Springfield afectado por COVID? Su negocio puede ser eligible para un préstamo perdonable.

Comuníquese hoy para obtener más información: 413-233-1680 info@commoncapitalma.org COMMONCAPITALMA.ORG

un fondo de préstamos comunitarios y microlender del SBA

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Medios /Media

El Sol Latino June 2021

Verónica García presenta su nuevo programa Viviendo Sin Limites por MANUEL FRAU-RAMOS Verónica García, productora independiente, anunció en un evento celebrado en Springfield el 21 de mayo de 2021 su nuevo proyecto mediático en español. García, junto a Francis Concepción (Production Manager) de Univisión en Boston, anunciaron el lanzamiento del programa en línea, Viviendo Sin Límites.

El nuevo proyecto será un programa en línea centralizado en temas relacionados a salud mental y emocional. Incluirá entrevistas con psicólogos, terapeutas, coaches, mentores, sicoterapeutas, pastores y otros invitados especiales a nivel local e internacional.

Viviendo Sin Límites ampliará las oportunidades de escuchar una amplia gama de profesionales en el área de salud emocional y mental.

Compartiendo experiencias personales sobre los temas de salud integral, emocional y mental, el nuevo programa tiene como misión motivar, educar, inspirar e informar acerca de estos tópicos en un ambiente dinámico a través de entrevistas, blogs, reportajes y conferencias.

Utilizando este formato, Viviendo Sin Límites, podrá ofrecer las herramientas necesaria para tener una mente abierta, viva, positiva, creativa y alegre utilizando diferentes plataformas sociales tales como Instagram, YouTube y Facebook.

Verónica García ha sido productora independiente de medios de comunicación por más de 15 años. García ha producido contenido para diferentes medios incluyendo radio y televisión.

Hizo trabajo periodístico en Ecuador y Venezuela. .

contenido educativo, informativo y relevante para toda su audiencia televisiva en esta nueva temporada. Continuarán transmitiendo el noticiero local y otra programación que incluye: HABLEMOS: domingos 11:00 pm. Un programa sobre asuntos de la comunidad tales como: inmigración, educación, salud, finanzas, política. Es también un programa dedicado a exaltar el trabajo de los Hispanos.

PACHANGA LATINA: sábados 12:00 pm. Por mas de 25 años ha sido el programa de entretenimiento mas importante de Nueva Inglaterra donde sus seguidores se mantienen informados a la vez que se entretienen.

UNIDEPORTES: sábados 6:00 pm. El resumen deportivo mas complete de la TV regional, con entrevistas, reportajes y comentarios del fascinante mundo de los deportes.

VIVIENDO SIN LIMITES se transmitirá los sábados a las11:00 am por Univisión y se podrá ver en vivo por YouTube y Facebook todos los lunes a las 8:00 pm.

Información adicional Instagram - instagram.com/viviendosinlimitesorg Facebook- facebook.com/viviendosinlimitesorg Email - sinlimiteproductions@gmail.com Teléfono - 413-657-6271

Fue productora y presentadora del Programa Presencia de WGBY-PBS, el cual fue ganador de varios premios y reconocimientos. Actualmente es directora ejecutiva de NHCLC-MA, con una experiencia de más de 20 años sirviendo en diferentes organizaciones sin fines de lucro. Es empresaria y madre de dos jóvenes.

Durante el evento también se anunció que, en adición a Viviendo sin Límites, Univisión Springfield trae nuevos programas innovadores de

Salud / Health Poorer and minority older adults are suspicious of the US health care system – a new study shows why by MARC COHEN and JANE TAVARES This article was originally published in The Conversation | April 1, 2021 Just over two weeks before she died of complications from COVID-19 in December 2020, Dr. Susan G. Moore recorded a smartphone video from her bed in an Indiana hospital. In the recording, which went viral, the Black physician accused a white doctor of letting racial bias affect his medical decisions, from evading her requests for a CT scan, to playing down her pain complaints and refusing to prescribe additional narcotic painkillers.

“He made me feel like I was a drug addict,” Moore, a 52-year-old family physician, said into the camera.

“I maintain that if I was white, I wouldn’t have to go through that.”

Moore’s experience and death sparked a national conversation on biases in the U.S. health care system. In a new study that we worked on with a team of fellow researchers, we found that health care providers are often not hearing their patients, especially those who are poorer or minorities. It’s not uncommon for people to feel that their care

preferences aren’t being taken into account, according to our research.

Further, the effect is magnified if the patient is poor or a person of color.

A failing grade We analyzed information collected in a biannual national survey called the Health and Retirement Study. Along with colleagues at the LeadingAge LTSS Center at the University of Massachusetts Boston and the Center for Consumer Engagement in Health Innovation, we found that fully one-third of U.S. respondents age 50 and older reported the health care system “never,” or only “sometimes,” considered their care preferences. The other twothirds reported their preferences were “usually” or “always” taken into account.

One may or may not consider two-thirds a passing grade – in schools, this would be a “D” or “F” – but certainly everyone would agree there’s room for improvement. What troubled us most is that our study reveals significant differences in how health care workers relate to minorities and the nonwealthy, and the fact that many of those respondents believe no one is paying attention to their care preferences. continued on next page

Salud / Health

El Sol Latino June 2021

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Poorer and minority older adults are suspicious of the US health care system continued from page 14 We found that one in five individuals with incomes below the federal poverty line – US$12,880 a year for an individual, or $26,500 for a family of four – reported that health care providers accounted for their preferences “rarely” or “only sometimes.” Only one in 10 individuals living above the poverty line said the same. The wealthy, by comparison, were much more likely to report that health care providers listened to them.

used as a basis for providing financial incentives to health plans that perform well on these measures.

• The Age Friendly Health Systems Initiative, which is rapidly spreading with more than 1,900 health care systems joining the movement, emphasizes putting a focus on what matters most to older adults in all medical interactions and settings.

Regarding race, 16% of non-Hispanic Blacks, nearly one in six, reported that their preferences were “never” taken into account. Among Hispanics, 23% or nearly one in four reported the same. Compare this to non-Hispanic whites, where only 8% – fewer than one in 10 – said their health care providers never listen to them.

• Our findings associate a reliable source of care with the higher likelihood that providers are taking patients’ preferences into account, suggesting that it’s also essential to improve primary care.

Why it matters

Care providers can improve immediately by letting patients and their families share, speak out and genuinely participate in care decisions. Such dialogues can take place beyond the confines of the exam room or the hospital bedside. One popular approach involves hospitals and clinics creating patient and family advisory councils, which then participate in the design of clinical programs.

These disparities have life-and-death implications. We found that when patients feel their health care providers have ignored their preferences, they either engage less or stop seeking medical care altogether. Overall they are less likely to use health care services in the future, even when they report poor health.

Our findings suggest a partial explanation for why coronavirus vaccination is proceeding more slowly in minority communities. Although Black individuals and other people of color tend to have more serious complications with COVID-19, they are still less inclined to get a vaccine. According to a mid-2020 study in the United Kingdom, part of the reason people opt out of getting vaccines is distrust of medical professionals. Our new study suggests that this distrust may stem from the belief they that don’t feel heard by providers.

This problem isn’t just about the COVID-19 pandemic, however: Minority older populations also tend to have higher rates of hypertension and heart disease. So the consequences of any reluctance to use health services can be serious.

Clearly stark wealth and income gaps in the U.S. are big parts of this problem. But Dr. Moore’s testimony suggested that racial bias, even if unconscious, can also play a large role. To assure that all individuals seek and receive good medical care – including treatment and vaccination for COVID-19 – health care providers need to refocus on a core tenet of “person-centered care”: paying attention to the expressed needs and preferences of all patients.

Measuring what matters The good news is that opportunities for change are out there: • Programs that focus on goals that patients set themselves provide a useful model that could be emulated. This approach has mostly been tried in settings like nursing homes and assisted living centers, but it may also provide lessons for the broader health care system.

• We can strengthen reporting tools like the Star rating system, a quality rating system which in part measures patients’ experiences, and is used

by Medicare to help consumers make better-informed choices. It is also

Hearing the consumer’s voice

On-the-ground medical workers can’t do this without institutional support.

Medical schools and employers need to invest in communications training to help care providers learn how to build bonds with patients based on trust and mutual respect. Implicitly, this also means that both care providers and their managers must consistently give patients enough time to express their issues and concerns.

The deadly nature of this pandemic has combined with the existing weaknesses in our health care system to make these initiatives even more urgent. Our study shows that the U.S. desperately needs public policies that end racial disparities and ensure the economic security of older adults.

Fortunately we already know some solutions that only need to be reinforced and scaled.

President Biden campaigned on a promise to “build back better” from the pandemic. Our findings make clear that this needs to include the health care system too. Addressing these issues head on is critical to achieving a more equitable health care system that not only listens to patients, but also hears them.

MARC A. COHEN, Ph.D. is a Professor of Gerontology at UMass Boston. In his role at UMass, Dr. Cohen is the Co-Director of the LeadingAge LTSS Center @UMass Boston and he also serves as a Research Director at the Center for Consumer Engagement in Health Innovation at Community Catalyst. Prior to joining UMass in the fall of 2016, Dr. Cohen served as the Chief Research and Development Officer and former President and co-founder of LifePlans, Inc., a long-term care research and risk management company that works with both the public and private sector on issues related to the financing and delivery of long-term care. JANE TAVARES, Ph.D. is a research fellow and adjunct instructor in the Department of Gerontology at the University of Massachusetts Boston. She has extensive experience working with large-scale representative panel data, such as the Health and Retirement Study. Her primary research explores how social relationships and social participation are associated with various aspects of health. More recently, Tavares conducted demographic research to identify U.S. older adults who are most financially vulnerable and to explore related longitudinal predictors and risk factors for financial vulnerability in later life. She is also the former managing editor of the peer-reviewed journal Research on Aging.

Veanos@www.issuu.com/elsollatino

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Deportes / Sports

Los Potros vs. Los Rebeldes McNally Field, La Flats • Mayo 22, 2021 Liga de los Old Timers Softball League - Holyoke

El Sol Latino June 2021