El Sol Latino | June 2022 | 18.7

June 2022

Volume 18 No. 7

Un Periódico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper

Honoring the Lives and Memories of Mass Shooting Victims: Un Periódico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper

Buffalo, New York May 14, 2022

Uvalde, Texas May 24, 2022

Roberta A. Drury, 32 Eliana “Ellie” García, 9 Margus D. Morrison, 52 Uziyah García, 10 Andre Mackneil, 53 José Flores Jr., 10 Un Periódico / A Different Kind Amerie of Newspaper Aaron Salter Jr.,Diferente 55 Jo Garza, 10 Geraldine Talley, 62 Xavier James López, 10 Celestine Chaney, 65 Nevaeh Bravo, 10 Heyward Patterson, 67 Alithia Ramírez, 10 Katherine Massey, 72 Tess Marie Mata, 10 Pearl Young, 77 Alexandria Aniyah “Lexi” Rubio, 10 Ruth Whitfield, 86 Layla Salazar, 10 Un Periódico Diferente / A Different Kind Makenna of Newspaper Lee Elrod, 10 Jayce Carmelo Luevanos, 10 Eliahana Cruz Torres, 10 Annabell Guadalupe Rodríguez, 10 Jacklyn Jaylen Cazares, 10 Maite Rodríguez, 10 Rogelio Torres, 10 Jailah Nicole Silguero, 11 Miranda Mathis, 11 Eva Mireles, 44 Irma García, 48

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Editorial / Editorial

contents

2 Editorial / Editorial USHLI Statement on Uvalde Shooting

USHLI Statement on Uvalde Shooting United States Hispanic Leadership Institute (USHLI) Statement published on May 25, 2022 The shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas was heartless and totally preventable. On his 18th birthday, the shooter bought the weapons he would need to carry out this atrocity. He most likely knew what he wanted to do and who he wanted to kill – Hispanics.

Robb Elementary has a little less than 600 students, 90% of whom are Hispanic. Almost 9% are white, and all the rest, 1.5%, are a combination of Black, multiracial, Asian, and Pacific Islander students.

Eighty-four percent of the students receive a free or reduced lunch, 25% are reading proficient, and 29% are math proficient. Their test scores last year were well below the state average, as well as their progress.

While the student-teacher ratio is 17-1, 35% of the teachers have two or fewer years of experience.

Americans are obsessed with guns. We have a population of 330 million people. Not all of them own guns, but those who do own 400 million guns.

We are 4% of the world’s population and own 42% of all weapons, ranging from AK-47 assault rifles to 22 pistols.

In Texas, which has suffered two mass shootings involving Mexican victims in the past two years, 22 were shot and killed in El Paso and, at last count, there were 21 killed including 19 children and two teachers who were killed while trying to shield the children.

3 Portada / Front Page Mass Shootings Leave Behind Collective Despair, Anguish and Trauma at many Societal Levels

Over 240 children have been shot and killed in our schools this year. Our leaders only utter useless and meaningless words about their “thoughts and prayers” and sweep these attacks under the mental health rug. Look at Texas, for example, the state legislature recently passed a bill making it unnecessary to undergo a background check, get any training, or even get a license to buy a weapon. If you can prove you own a gun, you can register to vote, but if all you have is a student ID from an educational institution but don’t own a gun, you can’t register to vote!

6 Carlos Vega Fund for Social Justice Mini-Grants

No one wants to blame anyone for our obsession with guns, which might in itself be a form of mental illness, but spineless elected officials, on both sides of the aisle, with no cojones are the ones passing senseless bills weaponizing society and state executives can’t wait to sign the inevitable reign of terror into law. There’s your problem. If we arm ourselves with ballots, we can and should throw these cowards out in the next election.

Foto del Mes/Photo of the Month

4 Bipartisan Group of Members of Congress Announce Consensus Bill on Puerto Rico Political Status 5 Century-old racist US Supreme Court cases still rule over millions of Americans 7 Educación / Education Incoming STCC Student Trustee Ready to Make an Impact 8 STCC Early College Program Would Give High-School Students Credits and a Chance to Earn a Degree 9 HCC Student Awarded Prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Transfer Scholarship 10 Cultura / Culture Centro de Economía Creativa and Mellon Foundation Announce “Maniobra” in Puerto Rico 11 Música / Music NEPM, MIFA and GBH Music now present El Puerto Rico 4: The Rich Port Medios / Media Connecting Point Host Zydalis Bauer named to BusinessWest’s ‘40 Under Forty’ Class of 2022 12 Libros / Books Historia del Béisbol en Mayagüez, Puerto Rico Los Young Lords y las Panteras Negras: Divergencias en la lucha por la liberación 13 Salud / Health Gándara Center Launches Behavioral Health Urgent Care Services 14 Política / Politics Rep. Torres Introduces New Bipartisan Legislation to Disband Puerto Rico’s Financial Oversight & Management Board

Edgardo Miranda-Rodríguez La Borinqueña Book Signing

May 6, 2022 - War Memorial, Holyoke, MA Edgardo Miranda-Rodríguez, author of the graphic novel La Borinqueña, at a book signing event organized by Nuestras Raíces. Left to right - Sylvia Robello, Edgardo Miranda-Rodríguez, Israel Rivera, José Maldonado Vélez, Cynthia Espinosa Marrero (Executive Director at Nueva Esperanza Inc.) In front Jeffery Anderson-Burgos La Borinqueña is an original character and patriotic symbol presented in a classic superhero story created and written by graphic novelist Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez.

Her powers are drawn from history and mysticism found on the island of Puerto Rico.

Founded in 2004

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Volume 18, No. 7 n June 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.

El Sol Latino welcomes submissions in either English or Spanish.

We consider and review all submissions but reserve the right to not publish them. We reserve the right to edit texts and make corrections for reasons of space and/or style. Submissions may be sent to our postal address or via electronic mail to: info@elsollatino.net.

El Sol Latino is published monthly by Coquí Media Group.

El Sol Latino es publicado mensualmente por Coquí Media Group, P.O Box 572, Amherst, MA 01004-0572.

Portada / Front Page

El Sol Latino June 2022

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Mass Shootings Leave Behind Collective Despair, Anguish and Trauma at many Societal Levels by ARASH JAVANBAKHT | Wayne State University This article was originally published in The Conversation | May 26, 2022. This is an updated version of an article originally published on March 26, 2021.

The deadly shooting of at least 19 children and two adults in Texas on May 24, 2022, is the latest in an ever-growing list of national tragedies, leaving families and friends of the victims gripped with grief, anguish and despair.

People in the vicinity of a mass shooting may see exposed, disfigured, burned or dead bodies. They may also see injured people in agony, hear extremely loud noises and experience chaos and terror in the post-shooting environment. They must also face the unknown, or a sense of lack of control over the situation. The fear of the unknown plays an important role in making people feel insecure, terrified and traumatized.

In addition to those who experience direct loss, such events also take a toll on others, including those who witnessed the shooting, first responders, people who were nearby and those who hear about it – yet again – through the media.

A group whose chronic exposure to such trauma is usually overlooked is the first responders. While victims and potential victims try to run away from an active shooter, the police, firefighters and paramedics rush into the danger zone.

I am a trauma and anxiety researcher and clinician, and I know that the effects of such violence reach millions. While the immediate survivors are most affected, the rest of society suffers, too.

Many of these first responders might have their own children in that school or nearby. They frequently face uncertainty; threats to themselves, their colleagues and others; and terrible bloody post-shooting scenes. This exposure happens to them too frequently. PTSD has been reported in up to 20% of first responders to mass violence.

First, the immediate survivors

It is important to understand that no two people experience such horrific exposure in the same way. The extent of the trauma, stress or fear can vary.

Survivors of a shooting may want to avoid the neighborhood where the shooting occurred or the context related to shooting, such as grocery stores, if the shooting happened at one. In the worst case, a survivor may develop post-traumatic stress disorder.

PTSD is a debilitating condition that develops after exposure to serious traumatic experiences such as war, natural disasters, rape, assault, robbery, car accidents – and, of course, gun violence. Nearly 8% of the U.S. population deals with PTSD. Symptoms include high anxiety, avoidance of reminders of the trauma, emotional numbness, hypervigilance, frequent intrusive memories of trauma, nightmares and flashbacks. The brain switches to fight-or-flight mode, or survival mode, and the person is always waiting for something terrible to happen.

When the trauma is caused by people, as in a mass shooting, the impact can be profound. The rate of PTSD in mass shootings may be as high as 36% among survivors. Depression, another debilitating psychiatric condition, occurs in as many as 80% of people with PTSD. Survivors of shootings may also experience survivor’s guilt, the feeling that they failed others who died or did not do enough to help them, or just guilt at having survived.

PTSD can improve by itself, but many people need treatment. There are effective treatments available in the form of psychotherapy and medications.

The more chronic it gets, the more negative the impact on the brain, and the harder to treat.

Children and adolescents, who are developing their worldview and deciding how safe it is to live in this society, may suffer even more. Exposure to horrific experiences such as school shootings or related news can fundamentally affect the way people perceive the world as a safe or unsafe place, and how much they can rely on the adults and society in general to protect them.

They can carry such a worldview for the rest of their lives, and even transfer it to their children. Research is also abundant on the long-term detrimental impact of such childhood trauma on a person’s mental and physical health and their ability to function through their adult life.

The effect on those close by, or arriving later

PTSD can develop not only through personal exposure to trauma, but also via exposure to others’ severe trauma. Humans have survived as a species particularly because of the ability to fear as a group. That means we learn fear and experience terror through exposure to the trauma and fear of others.

Even seeing a frightened face in black and white on a computer will make our amygdala, the fear area of our brain, light up in brain imaging studies.

Widespread panic and pain

People who were not directly exposed to a disaster but who were exposed to the news also experience distress, anxiety or even PTSD. This happened after 9/11. Fear, the coming unknown – is there another strike? are other co-conspirators involved? – and reduced faith in perceived safety may all play a role in this.

Every time there is a mass shooting in a new place, people learn that kind of place is now on the not-very-safe list. People worry not only about themselves but also about the safety of their children and other loved ones.

Is there any good to come of such tragedy?

We can channel the collective agony and frustration to encourage meaningful changes, such as making gun laws safer, opening constructive discussions, informing the public about the risks and calling on lawmakers to take real action. In times of hardship, humans often can raise the sense of community, support one another and fight for their rights, including the right to be safe at schools, concerts, restaurants and movie theaters.

One beautiful outcome of the tragic shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in October 2018 was the solidarity of the Muslim community with the Jewish.

This is especially productive in the current political environment, with fear and division being so common.

Sadness, anxiety, anger and frustration can be channeled into actions such as becoming involved in activism and volunteering to help the victims. It is also important not to spend too much time watching television coverage; turn it off when it stresses you too much.

Finally, studies have shown that exposure to media coverage for several hours daily following a collective trauma can lead to high stress. So check the news a couple of times a day to be informed, but don’t continue seeking out coverage and exposure to graphic images and news. The news cycle tends to report the same stories without much additional information.

ARASH JAVANBAKHT, M.D., is the director of the Stress, Trauma, and Anxiety Research Clinic (STARC; https://www.starclab.org) at Wayne State University. Dr Javanbakht and his work have been featured on the National Geographic, The Atlantic, CNN, Aljazeera, NPR, Washington Post, Smithsonian, PBS, American Psychiatric Association, Anxiety and Depression Association of America, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and tens of other media.

His clinical and research work is mainly focused on anxiety and trauma related disorders, and PTSD. He often helps civilians and first responders with PTSD. His clinic utilizes pharmacotherapy (medication), psychotherapy, exercise, and lifestyle modification to help patients achieve their full capacity for a fulfilling life.

Several research studies at the STARC examine the impact of exposure to war trauma in adults and children Syrian and Iraqi refugees, and biological and psychological factors of risk and resilience, and use of art, dance and movement therapies in helping refugee families.

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Portada / Front Page

El Sol Latino June 2022

Bipartisan Group of Members of Congress Announce Consensus Bill on Puerto Rico Political Status WASHINGTON, DC | Naturalresources.House.Gov | May 19, 2022 -At a press conference, U.S. House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05), Natural Resources Committee Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-03), Small Business Committee Chair Rep. Nydia Velázquez (NY-07), Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González-Colón (PR-AL), Rep. Darren Soto (FL-09), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), and Governor of Puerto Rico Pedro R. Pierluisi announced consensus among key members of Congress on the Puerto Rico Status Act, which lays out a process for the people of Puerto Rico to determine the future of their political status:

“The people of Puerto Rico have voted for Statehood on multiple occasions and Congress has never expressed itself to resolve the status. This is the first time that we have a binding plebiscite with only non-territorial options: Statehood, Independence and Sovereignty in Free Association with the United States and in this way honors the mandate of the people in favor of statehood, providing a mechanism to achieve it,” said Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González-Colón (PR-AL).

“Our brothers and sisters in Puerto Rico will finally have the opportunity to make a federally binding choice on their future. They deserve the chance to have their voices heard, have a clear path to vote for statehood or other options, and mark an end to their second-class citizenship. We aim to continue this discussion and look forward to hearing from those on the island in the near future,” said Rep. Darren Soto (FL-09).

“It is truly historic in having a process of self-determination and decolonization of the island and that we’re really talking about ending the colonial status. Puerto Ricans will be able to choose from three set statuses that are that are actually quite defined .The first is statehood. The second is an actual a truly free associated state in treaty with the United States. And then the third is full independence with no treaty with the United States,” said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14).

“This draft legislation represents a consensus among Members to find a path forward for the people of Puerto Rico to choose their own future. I believe in self-determination for the people in Puerto Rico, and all people.

These decisions are not up to me, or to Congress, or other elected officials in Washington – and our agreement will allow our fellow Americans in Puerto Rico to determine their own future. I’m proud to have worked closely with so many who care deeply about Puerto Rico and ensuring that its people can pursue the status of their choosing, and I appreciate all the hard work put in by Chairman Grijalva, Resident Commissioner Gonzalez-Colon, Chairwoman Velazquez, Rep. Soto, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, and Gov. Pierluisi. I also want to thank Rep. Ritchie Torres, who was unable to attend our press conference today, for continuing to be engaged on this issue and for being a strong advocate for the people of Puerto Rico. I look forward to working with them to move this process forward toward eventual consideration of the Puerto Rico Status Act by the House as soon as final legislation is ready,” said House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05).

“The people of Puerto Rico have weighed in on their political future numerous times with no resolution or action from Congress. Addressing Puerto Rico’s political status is one of my top priorities as Chair of the House Natural Resources Committee and I am proud that we now have an agreement with the potential to pass the House. But to be clear, no vote on the House floor should occur before receiving input from the people of Puerto Rico, so that is the process we are embarking on now. I take Puerto Rico’s decolonization very seriously, and I will continue to push for this goal until it is realized,” said Natural Resources Committee Chair Raúl M. Grijalva (AZ-03).

“After decades of gridlock, we have come to recognize that there will be no decolonization for Puerto Rico so long as we fail to find common ground,” said Committee on Small Business Chair Nydia Velázquez (NY-07). “Doing right by Puerto Rico requires that the crossfire comes to an end. And that is precisely what we have done. After continued discussions with Leader Hoyer, Chairman Grijalva, Representatives Soto, Ocasio-Cortez, and González-Colón, with whom I held several one-on-one meetings, sometimes hours long, we found common ground. We are sharing the Discussion Draft today to get input from the people of Puerto Rico – elected government officials, groups, and organizations, and the public – before conducting a markup or moving legislation to the House floor.”

“Today, thanks in large part to the leadership of our loyal ally and friend of Puerto Rico, the Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, we have a compromise status bill, that seeks to put an end to the century-old status problem in Puerto Rico. With all non-territorial options on the table, Independence, Free Association, and Statehood, Puerto Ricans will be able to choose their permanent political future. I am sure that my fellow Puerto Ricans will again choose statehood, they will choose the equality that is enjoyed here “from sea to shining sea,” said Governor Pedro R. Pierluisi.

The Puerto Rico Status Act is the product of a collaborative effort spanning several months between the sponsors of the Puerto Rico Statehood Admission Act (H.R. 1522) introduced by Rep. Soto and the Puerto Rico Self-Determination Act (H.R. 2070) introduced by Rep. Velázquez.

Key provisions of the Puerto Rico Status Act Discussion Draft: • Authorizes a federally sponsored plebiscite to resolve Puerto Rico’s political status.

• Specifies and defines Puerto Rico’s non-territorial status options: Independence, Sovereignty in Free Association with the United States, and Statehood.

• Provides for an objective, nonpartisan, federally funded voter education campaign leading up to the vote.

• Establishes a process and timeline for the U.S. Department of Justice to review the plebiscite voter education materials and plebiscite ballot design.

• Authorizes necessary funds to carry out an initial plebiscite and, if necessary, a runoff plebiscite.

• Describes the transition to and implementation of each status option in sufficient detail for eligible voters in Puerto Rico to make an informed choice about Puerto Rico’s future political status.

• Ensures the result of the plebiscite is binding, and implements the option that is chosen by a majority of eligible voters in Puerto Rico.

Following release of the legislation, the Committee is launching an innovative online feedback process using a submission tool called POPVOX to allow any member of the public to review the draft text and provide input. Anyone interested in reviewing and commenting on the Puerto Rico Status Act should visit: https://naturalresources.house.gov/puerto-rico-political-status

Portada / Front Page

El Sol Latino June 2022

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Century-old racist US Supreme Court cases still rule over millions of Americans

by ERIC BELLONE | Suffolk University • This article was originally published in The Conversation | October 5, 2021 - Updated: May 2, 2022 The 4 million inhabitants of five U.S. territories – Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Northern Marianas Islands, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands – do not have the full protection of the Constitution, because of a series of Supreme Court cases dating back to 1901 that are based on archaic, often racist language and reasoning.

A call from Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch to overturn more than a century of precedent has been joined by ERIC BELLONE / Suffolk University advocates for equal citizenship for everyone born in those U.S. territories. If the court decides to take up the question, it would review a long-standing status quo.

Now, no U.S. citizen living in any of those places can vote for president.

They don’t have a voting representative in Congress, either.

But this inferiority is inconsistent. Puerto Ricans are American citizens and can vote in federal elections if they reside in a U.S. state, but not if they live in Puerto Rico or one of the other territories.

However, American Samoans are not U.S. citizens, so they can’t vote for president even if they live in the 50 states. That is being challenged in federal courts.

It’s all a result of a political and legal mindset that is more than 100 years old, but is still in force.

Superiority complex

Up until the end of the 19th century, everyone assumed that all U.S. territories would, eventually, become full-fledged states, whose residents would become U.S. citizens with rights fully protected by the Constitution.

The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 outlined the process: As new lands opened to Americans, Congress would initially appoint a governor and judges for the territory and establish a rule of law. When the territorial population exceeded 5,000 adult men, voters would elect a legislature and send a nonvoting delegate to Congress. When the territory reached a population of 60,000, the territory would petition for statehood and be admitted to the union.

That process assumed the territories would be in North America, and that most of the territorial population would be people of European descent.

Those assumptions changed when the United States claimed Puerto Rico, the Philippines and Guam in 1898, as spoils of war at the end of the Spanish-American War. Puerto Rico and Guam are still U.S. territories.

That expansion gave Americans a clear sense of the nation’s purpose and power in the world, summarized effectively by U.S. Sen. Albert Beveridge of Indiana in a congressional speech on Jan. 9, 1900: “[God] has made us the master organizers of the world to establish system where chaos reigns. He has made us adept in government that we may administer government among the savage and servile peoples.”

A new type of territory

Starting in 1901, a set of court cases, collectively called the “Insular Cases,” created new constitutional law regarding the United States’ relation with its territories. They began when import companies challenged tariffs imposed on goods transported from the newly acquired territories into the U.S. The companies claimed there should not be tariffs, because the goods were moving from one part of the U.S. to another.

The Supreme Court ultimately ruled that the companies were correct that transport within the U.S. was not subject to tariffs, but created an exception, in which the new lands were neither foreign countries nor part of the U.S.

Those territories, the Supreme Court would rule in the first of the Insular Cases, Downes v. Bidwell in 1901, were “foreign in a domestic sense,” “inhabited by alien races,” and therefore governing them “according to Anglo-Saxon principles may for a time be impossible.”

The ruling included other prejudice-revealing statements, too, such as, “It is obvious that in the annexation of outlying and distant possessions grave questions will arise from differences of race, habits, laws, and customs of the people, and from differences of soil, climate, and production, which may require action on the part of Congress that would be quite unnecessary in the annexation of contiguous territory inhabited only by people of the same race, or by scattered bodies of native Indians.”

As a result, the court created a new distinction: “Incorporated” territories of the U.S. were expected to one day become states. “Unincorporated” territories, by contrast, were not – and, therefore, their inhabitants were, and still are, denied some of their constitutional rights.

A 2020 referendum vote in Puerto Rico favored statehood; Guam officials have called for statehood; and Stacey Plaskett, who represents the people of the U.S. Virgin Islands in Congress, says her constituents deserve the full rights of citizenship, including the right to vote.

The cases and context

Both at the time and since, the Downes decision has been described as meaning “the Constitution does not follow the flag.” The territories might be ruled by Congress, but not necessarily by the Constitution.

What that meant for the people of those territories was unclear. And despite five other cases in 1901, and others in the subsequent 20 years, the Supreme Court has never truly clarified which constitutional protections were available to whom and which weren’t. It left open questions about whether key elements of the Constitution, like trial by jury, or even the Bill of Rights, were available in the unincorporated territories.

Hawaii was also acquired in 1898, but was treated differently and ultimately became a state. The differences were probably for reasons to do with partisan politics and a Republican-Democratic balance in Congress.

Supreme Court interpretation over the years

Since the mid-20th century, the court has made small incremental changes to the Insular Cases’ effects, tweaking technical definitions concerning taxes, trade and governmental benefits such as Social Security, Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. But the court has not addressed the overall inferior constitutional status of the territories and the people who live there.

It wasn’t until 1957, for instance, in Reid v. Covert, that the Supreme Court ruled that defendants in the territories had a right to trial by jury – a right citizens have because of Article III of the Constitution. Several justices made clear that “neither the cases nor their reasoning should be given any further expansion.” That statement was widely viewed as a signal that the influence of the Insular Cases was declining.

In Torres v. Puerto Rico (1979), the court further weakened the Insular Cases. Although narrowly applied to the territory at hand, the Supreme Court made clear that the Bill of Rights actually did apply in a U.S. territory.

In its 2008 ruling in Boumediene v. Bush, the court held that detainees at the U.S. naval base in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, had the constitutional right of habeas corpus to challenge the validity of their detention. Justice Anthony Kennedy’s opinion said, “It may well be that over time the ties between the United States and any of its territories strengthen in ways that are of constitutional significance,” and said the federal government did not “have the power to switch the Constitution on or off at will.”

continued on page 6

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Portada / Front Page

El Sol Latino June 2022

Century-old racist US Supreme Court cases still rule over millions of Americans continued from page 5 But in its 2020 ruling in Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico v. Aurelius Investment, the court pulled back from its trend of extending constitutional protections to the unincorporated territories. It ruled that President Barack Obama’s appointments to the board, a government body focused on helping Puerto Rico return to financial stability, were local officials, not “officers of the United States,” and therefore did not require Senate confirmation.

Into the future

Many legal scholars view the court’s mention of U.S. territorial connections strengthening “over time” as a possible key to overturning the Insular Cases.

The original distinctions assumed that the U.S. would “govern temporarily territories with wholly dissimilar traditions and institutions.” Most acknowledge those perceived distinctions clearly no longer exist.

These territories have established institutions and principles grounded in American traditions. The internal governments of these territories have

established laws, governmental institutions and legal traditions that are indistinguishable from any state in the union. They hold elections, have residents serving in the U.S. military, and play a role in building the nation.

But without equal voting rights and congressional representation, the Americans living in these territories cannot remedy their status at the ballot box.

ERIC BELLONE is an Associate Professor of Government and Public Policy at Suffolk University. Eric has written a book chapter in The New Technology of Crime, Law, and Social Control and his publications have appeared in The Journal of International Commercial Law and Technology and The Encyclopedia of Criminology and Criminal Justice. He received a B.S. in Economics and a B.A. in History, a J.D. the University of New Hampshire School of Law, an M.A. in Criminal Justice from the University of Massachusetts - Lowell, and a Ph.D. in Law and Public Policy from Northeastern University.

Carlos Vega Fund for Social Justice Mini-Grants HOLYOKE, MA | May 20, 2022 - The Carlos Vega Fund for Social Justice awarded five mini-grants in their 11th year of awarding grants to organizations in the Holyoke area who are fighting injustice, oppression and poverty.

and to continue his forty-year legacy by awarding small grants to nonprofit organizations through an annual competitive process.

The awardees were:

The mini-grants are awarded to initiatives that foster change and promote empowerment, self-help, and economic, political and social justice. The purpose of the mini-grants is to support efforts to address injustice, oppression, and poverty in the greater Holyoke area, particularly for those who are marginalized by our society.

COVID Film Distribution - $1,000 Distribution and archive of film about the pandemic in Hampshire County to Western Massachusetts Libraries

In addition to our grant cycle, the Carlos Vega Fund advisory board is looking to the fall of 2022 to name our 7th Carlos Vega Social Justice Award and to honor founding member Mary Birks who passed away in 2021.

WestMass ElderCare - $1,000 towards the Rainbow Supper Club programming - WestMass ElderCare in collaboration with the Holyoke Council on Aging

For more information contact: Aaron Vega - aaron@vegaforholyoke.com 413-650.2550 • carlosvegafund413@gmail.com • www.carlosvegafund.org

The awards, totaling $4,300, were presented on last May 20th at El Mercado on Main Street in Holyoke. El Mercado is part of Nueva Esperanza, and the venue of our first grant announcement back in 2012.

Granby To-Go - Feeding Families proposal - $1,000 Students and families in the Granby Public Schools The Gray House, Inc. Adult Education Health & Wellness - $1,000 Eagle Eye Institute - Holyoke Nature Access & Equity Convening - $300

Saturdays 10 AM Domingo 7 PM WHMP radio 1400 AM

biingüe arte, cultura, media politics Board members of The Carlos Vega Fund for Social Justice and awardees

Nueva Esperanza is an organization that Carlos helped establish to support the South Holyoke neighborhoods. He was their Executive Director for nearly a decade.

Carlos Vega was an ardent activist for civil rights, community-building, education, healthcare, and social justice in Holyoke. The donor designated fund, which is managed by the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, was started in 2010 to honor Carlos on his 60th birthday

Natalia Muñoz

Educación / Education

El Sol Latino June 2022

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Incoming STCC Student Trustee Ready to Make an Impact SPRINGFIELD, MA | SPRINGFIELD TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE | May 11, 2022 – Glerisbed García Figueroa considers herself naturally reserved but says she’s ready to speak out boldly on behalf of Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) students in her new leadership role.

In May, STCC students elected Figueroa as the student representative to the Board of Trustees. In that role, she will have an opportunity to vote with other trustees who were appointed by the governor and weigh in on long-range planning and fiscal oversight at STCC. Her one-year term starts in July.

“I’m nervous, but excited about this new position,” said Figueroa, 19, of Springfield. “I’m kind of a shy person, but it’s not about me anymore. Now I have to represent the student body. I want to make sure I get it right for them.”

Figueroa graduated from the Springfield High School of Science and Technology in 2020. She took a year off after graduation before enrolling at STCC in the fall of 2021.

“In high school, I thought I would one day get my doctorate in physical therapy, but I changed my mind. I decided it wasn’t what I really wanted to do. I was interested in business,” she said. “My mom said, why don’t you try STCC?” Figueroa works with her mother, Stephanie Figueroa, who has a baking business, Bsweet Desserts. On the weekends, Glerisbed helps decorate and make deliveries. She also runs social media and marketing for the baking business.

She might join her mother full time after graduating from STCC. But she is also considering transferring to a four-year college or university to pursue a bachelor’s degree. Her goal is to graduate with a degree from STCC in the spring of 2023.

Burgos Toribio told Figueroa she will discover the trustees are supportive and accommodating and will help her succeed in her position. “I think she’s going to do great,” she said.

Over this past academic year, Figueroa also has worked with Vonetta Lightfoot in the Office of Multicultural Affairs to help organize events.

“Glerisbed is a very focused, dedicated and driven young person,” said Lightfoot, the office’s operations manager. “She is motivated to create positive change at STCC and in her community. I know she will be amazing as our student trustee and lend a powerful voice to the conversation of equity and student success on our campus.”

Figueroa was raised in New England and Puerto Rico, where she was born.

She lives in Springfield with her mother, grandmother and her 3-year-old sister. She enjoys the diversity of STCC, a federally designated Hispanic Serving Institution.

“I like how open everybody is,” she said. “I have been able to meet a lot of good people here. They take the time. They want me to prosper and do good things.”

She looks forward to the fall semester and taking on her new leadership role.

“I’m looking forward to meeting more people,” she said. “I’m excited to serve as trustee where I will have an opportunity to be out in the community.

I am ready to help students as I grow professionally.”

Interested in applying to STCC? Visit stcc.edu/apply or call Admissions at (413) 755-3333.

s u T n e C C T S a e ¡Incluy ! o n a r e V e d s e n a Pl Tenemos disponibles en-línea docenas de cursos de educación general y electivas.

Figueroa ran for the trustee position after seeing an email from Andrea Tarpey, coordinator of student activities at STCC. She was looking for more ways to get involved.

“I see potential in Glerisbed and encouraged her to run for student trustee,” Tarpey said. “She will have an opportunity to grow in this important leadership position, and I am confident she will shine.”

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

Figueroa also participates in STCC’s LEAD Leadership and Mentoring Program, which provides female students with the opportunity to take an active role in their leadership development and educational journey.

Figueroa meets frequently with Karolyn Burgos Toribio, Student Success Navigator for LEAD. Burgos Toribio is impressed with Figueroa’s participation in LEAD. She’s always willing to offer ideas to help her peers.

As a former student trustee at STCC, Burgos Toribio can relate to Figueroa.

She has shared her experience and offered advice to help Figueroa get prepared for the leadership role.

“It’s a bit intimidating at first,” Burgos Toribio said. “I told her, ‘You may feel intimidated but remember that you are one of the most important people in that room. You are the student representative. You’re here every day. You’re on campus. You see what’s going on, so your voice really matters. It’s important to speak up and voice your opinions.’”

!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

8

Educación / Education

El Sol Latino June 2022

STCC Early College Program Would Give High-School Students Credits and a Chance to Earn a Degree SPRINGFIELD, MA | SPRINGFIELD TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE | May 10, 2022 – An early college program under development would put students at Veritas Prep Charter School on track to earn 30 to 60 credits – and even an associate degree – by the time they graduate from high school.

While the program is still in the design phase, eighth-graders from Veritas Prep went on a field trip to Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) on April 28 to visit classrooms and labs and hear STCC students and staff describe the college experience.

Once the planning is complete and approved, the Veritas Prep students would be part of a unique local program unlike any other in the region in its design and one of few in the state.

Veritas is now designing components of a “wall-to-wall” college program, which means all students participate. Veritas, STCC and Worcester State University will subsequently apply for Early College designation from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for the 2023-2024 school year.

Meantime, STCC will begin implementing some early college activities this fall for Veritas’ inaugural ninth-grade class.

Early college programs in Springfield and Holyoke were among those to receive state grants in an effort to substantially increase the number of high school students who take college courses and earn college credits at no cost before they graduate high school. Veritas Prep Springfield in partnership with STCC and Worcester State University received $150,000, the BakerPolito Administration announced on March 28.

This new “immersive early college” model would provide students with an opportunity to earn a minimum of 30 college credits prior to graduating high school, according to the Baker-Polito Administration, which announced new early college programs and several grants totaling more than $1.3 million.

Pamela Westmoreland, Director of Early College Initiatives at STCC, said Veritas would be part of an ambitious wall-to-wall early college plan. While still enrolled in high school classes, students will take some classes from STCC and Worcester State. College faculty will teach at Veritas Prep, but students also will take some classes on the STCC campus. Students who don’t receive degrees will have free college credits and a significant head start on their college education.

STCC’s other early college program with the High School of Commerce generally allows students in 10th through 12th grade who choose to participate to take up to 20 credits, which is about one or two classes per semester.

The Veritas program includes all its students in 9th through 12th grade.

STCC President John B. Cook said early college programs provide a lasting benefit for students and the Greater Springfield community.

“We are excited to be working on this partnership with Veritas Prep and Worcester State,” Cook said. “Like our other early college program, this gives students an opportunity to learn from professors in college classrooms and earn credits without paying anything out of pocket. What’s particularly exciting about our partnership with Veritas Prep and Worcester State is that students can earn at least 30 credits and possibly an associate degree.”

experience, but they will have developed habits that will set them up for continued college and career success. Too few Springfield students complete college degrees, and this innovative model will enable students to earn a set of STCC professor Brian Candido stands with Veritas Prep students strategic credits that build toward a Shanyll Mary Colón, left, and Angelysmari “Angie” Mateo. degree and are transferable to public universities.”

The goal is for half the students to receive a two-year associate degree while others will have a substantial number of college credits.

In a visit to STCC, Veritas Prep eighth-grader Shanyll Mary Colon said she was excited about the possibility of pursuing free college credits – and possibly a degree – at the same time she’s working toward her high school diploma.

“It’s a great opportunity, because instead of getting to go to college later on, you get to go early,” 14-year-old Shanyll said. “It’s better to start off early in life.”

Classmate Angelysmari “Angie” Mateo, also 14, said, “This gives us a chance to do things that people haven’t been able to do before.”

Three STCC students shared their experience with the Veritas students in an assembly in the auditorium at Scibelli Hall. Two STCC students, Giovanni White and Sebastian Vega, are part of STCC’s Early College program with The High School of Commerce.

Giovanni White, who is studying mechanical engineering technology, said the college offers the opportunity to choose from a wide variety of academic disciplines.

STCC, the only technical community college in Massachusetts, offers unique programs in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and healthcare as well as transfer opportunities in business, social services, liberal arts and more.

“For anybody who’s planning to go to STCC, it has a wide variety of classes, and if you want something that is low cost and close to home, this is the place to go,” said White of Springfield.

STCC student Sebastian Vega, who is studying heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), said he came to STCC excited about finding a pathway to a trade.

“For anyone looking for a trade-oriented career path, STCC is the answer for you,” he said. “It’s very well-rounded, so you have a very good chance of finding anything you’re thinking of.”

Indra Darjee, who is not a native English speaker, said the college supports all students, including those who don’t speak English as a first language.

Rachel Romano, Executive Director of Veritas Prep, said the program will inspire students’ interest and position them to leave high school with accrued college knowledge and credits.

“There is a lot of opportunity,” Darjee said. “If you are struggling with an assignment, don’t give up. If you have questions, ask a professor. Once you dig in, you will find a lot of opportunities.”

“Veritas Prep is thrilled to partner with STCC and Worcester State,” Romano said. “Not only will our students leave high school with college credits and

Interested in applying to STCC? Visit stcc.edu/apply or call Admissions at (413) 755-3333.

Publish your bilingual ad in El Sol Latino! Call us today at (413) 320-3826.

Educación / Education

El Sol Latino June 2022

9

HCC Student Awarded Prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Transfer Scholarship HOLYOKE, MA | HOLYOKE COMMUNITY COLLEGE | May 17, 2022 —As a student at Holyoke Community College, Miren Neyra Alcántara has already amassed more honors, awards, and accolades for her academic achievements, campus leadership, and community engagement than most post-grads working on their PhDs. The recognitions have only picked up momentum as the 24-year-old Latinx Studies major careers toward Commencement on June 4, when she will graduate as a valedictorian with the class of 2022.

2020, she won the HCC Library’s annual BUILD research competition for an academic paper about immigrant women farmworkers. In 2021, she was named to the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society’s All-Massachusetts Academic Team, was a finalist for Business West magazine’s Young Woman of Impact Award, and received a year-long Newman Civic Fellowship from Campus Compact for community engagement.

While fielding acceptance letters to some of the top private colleges in the U.S., including Smith, Mount Holyoke, Williams, Pomona, and Princeton – so far – Alcántara learned she will represent HCC next month as one of the state Dept. of Higher Education’s “29 Who Shine,” an annual award presented to one graduating student from each of the 29 public colleges and universities in Massachusetts.

Perhaps even more impressive: The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation awarded Alcántara a transfer scholarship worth up to $55,000 a year to complete her bachelor’s degree. The Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship is the largest private scholarship in the nation for community college students transferring to four-year schools. She was one of just three students in Massachusetts selected for the Cooke transfer scholarship this year and one of 100 in the U.S. “It feels unreal. I can’t believe it,” said Alcántara, an international student from Mexico who now lives in Northampton. “It’s been such a long process, such a hard process.”

She is the sixth HCC student to receive the Jack Kent Cooke Transfer Scholarship since 2008.

“This is a very prestigious recognition from a national organization known to award large scholarships to exceptional, talented community college students who demonstrate high academic achievement and financial need,” said Irma Medina, coordinator of HCC’s Pathways program and Alcántara’s transfer adviser. “The process is more competitive than most of the schools they apply to. I’m absolutely in awe of this young lady and her personal journey.”

That journey began in Mexico City, where Alcántara grew up. After her parents divorced, she was forced out of middle school because of an unpaid bill. She could not attend high school because her academic records were withheld.

Instead, she taught herself and at 17 earned the Mexican equivalent of a GED. For the next few years, she worked, crocheting and sewing cat and dog beds and reusable produce bags that she sold to raise money to attend college in the United States.

Initially accepted to Emerson College, she soon realized she could not afford private school costs without taking out huge loans. In Boston, by chance, she met an HCC Admissions counselor who deals with international students.

“It was so easy to get started at HCC,” Alcántara said. “The amount of support I’ve received has been incredible. I’ve loved my time at HCC.” Since arriving at HCC in the fall of 2019, Alcántara has maintained a perfect GPA of 4.0, along the way earning academic awards for Honors, Spanish, Latinx Studies, Service Learning, Citizenship, Outstanding Character and Service to Others, and more, as well as multiple scholarships from the HCC Foundation. In

Miren Neyra Alcántara holds a certificate announcing her award from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation alongside Irma Medina, HCC Pathways Program coordinator, and Mark Broadbent, HCC Transfer Affairs coordinator. (photo HCC)

Her academic work and extracurricular activities tend to focus on issues related to cultural and identity representation, reproductive justice, body autonomy, food insecurity, and immigration.

Outside the classroom, Alcántara distinguished herself as president of HCC’s Latinx Empowerment Association (the HCC LEA Club) and co-founder and president of the Mujeres and Non-Binary Student Alliance, which focuses on issues such as menstrual equity and reproductive rights. She is a research volunteer at the Women of Color Healthy Equity Collective, an advocacy group for mothers of color in Springfield; a volunteer with the Planting Literacy Program, where she teaches Spanish and English to migrant farmworkers; and an organizer in training with the Pioneer Valley Workers Center in Northampton, which advocates for workers rights. She also works a peer tutor in the HCC Writing Center.

“I think that I’m able to do so much because I’m able to find the connections in everything,” she said. “I think my studies and my academics are strengthened by the community work that I do.”

Wherever she goes for her bachelor’s degree, Alcántara plans to double major in Latinx Studies and Women and Gender Studies, and follow that with a master’s degree in immigrant advocacy. Ultimately, she wants to be a college professor while remaining engaged in social justice work and community advocacy.

“I don’t think I would be able to do any job if I lost that component,” she said. “I may be international. I was not born here. I didn’t grow up here, but I’m part of this community, so I play an active part in it.”

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Cultura / Culture

El Sol Latino June 2022

Centro de Economía Creativa and Mellon Foundation Announce “Maniobra” in Puerto Rico SAN JUAN, PR | CENTRO DE ECONOMÍA CREATIVA | MAY 2, 2022 – The Mellon Foundation and the Centro de Economía Creativa (CEC) announced Maniobra – a newly launched $8 million cultural employment initiative created to facilitate stable employment opportunities for artists while strengthening the administrative bandwidth of community-based cultural organizations across Puerto Rico. In its inaugural stage, Maniobra – named in reference to “the work of one’s hands” – is providing support including salary, training, health and other benefits, and more to 37 artists and 25 artist-centric organizations across 12 municipalities.

Puerto Rican artists play critical leadership roles within their communities, yet often live in a state of financial precarity, earning a median annual income of approximately $16,000 for their work, with 46% generating less than $12,000 annually. Through Maniobra, CEC and the Mellon Foundation underscore the labor of artists as valued work, while modeling remuneration that reflects artists’ formal education, experience, and contributions to society.

“This initiative shines an important light on the economic state and personal well-being of the artistic community and centers both as priorities for philanthropy and cultural policy,” said Javier Hernández Acosta, Founder of the Center and Dean of the School of Arts, Design and Creative Industries at the Universidad del Sagrado Corazón. “Equity and salary justice within the arts had previously been relegated to a secondary agenda item, but we are now thrilled to work with the Mellon Foundation to advance this important work through real action.”

Maniobra provides participating organizations with the financial support needed to hire at least one full-time artist and $20,000 yearly budget to support the organization’s programming and creative projects over the entirety of the three-year initiative. The funding will not only strengthen organizations’ artistic programming and financial stability, but will also serve as a pilot that could be expanded in the future and has the potential of driving philanthropic support to a more holistic approach.

“Lifting up and celebrating the creativity of Puerto Rican artists, writers, and performers means granting them the resources they need to pursue their callings, supporting the archipelago’s artistic and cultural organizations, and broadly fostering the work and preservation of Puerto Rican culture at a time when stable employment and funding for these efforts has been imperiled,” said Elizabeth Alexander, President of the Mellon Foundation. “We are honored to support Maniobra, and excited to see the work that comes from this remarkable initiative.”

Prior to the launch of Maniobra, CEC and the Mellon Foundation collaborated on artists-centered initiatives including the development of Nido Cultural – a platform created to support management services for artistic and cultural production in Puerto Rico, as well as on an initiative aimed at Mapping of Cultural Work in Puerto Rico. Maniobra was inspired

by Creatives Rebuild New York (CRNY) – the $125 million Mellon Foundation-backed initiative created to help reactivate the creative economy of New York State and secure the future of its artists.

The artists selected for Maniobra, which commenced in early April, were selected by an advisory team of key stakeholders from the local artistic community. Considering the diversity of practices and approaches across the islands, collectives and organizations were selected based on their rich experience in artistic and cultural work.

“In addition to supporting these artists, we also expect to strengthen the work of the collectives and organizations by providing technical and managerial support as well as operational budgets for the execution of the initiatives,” said Sonia Méndez, Program Manager of the Centro de

Economía Creativa, Inc. “It also represents a unique project that not only offers the artist a salary, but also fringe benefits and health care coverage.”

To learn more about the projects and initiatives of the Centro de Economía Creativa, you can visit its social media accounts or Centro de Economía Creativa Website.

List of Artists and Organizations Agitarte, San Juan Deborah Hunt (visual and performing arts) Marian Annette Rodríguez Morales (visual arts) Agua, Sol y Sereno, San Juan Cristina Vives Rodríguez (music and performing arts) Kenneth Salgado Barreto (visual and performing arts) Archivo de Vieques, Vieques Sofía Gallisá Muriente (visual arts) Diana Ramos Gutiérrez (cultural agent) Barrioization, Manatí Rubén Rolando Solla Rosario (visual arts and cultural agent) BEMBA PR/ Taller Lumpen, Mayagüez Cristian J. Laracuente Vázquez (visual arts)

Malcom Ferrer Andino (visual arts) Maricruz Rivera Clemente (cultural agent) El Ancón de Loíza, Loíza Juan Pablo Vizcaino Cortijo (visual arts) El Cuadrado Gris, San Juan Osvaldo Forbes (Ozzie Forbes) (cultural agent) San Juan El Lobi, San Juan Vanessa Hernández Gracia (cultural agent) Hidrante, San Juan, Puerto Rico José López Serra (visual arts and cultural agent) Km 0.2, San Juan Karlo Andrei Ibarra (visual arts) Roberto “Yiyo” Tirado (visual arts) La Casa de los Contrafuertes, Proyecto de Artista, Inc., San Juan Charles Juhász-Alvarado (visual arts)

Beta-Local, San Juan La Impresora, Isabela Michael Linares Vázquez (visual arts) Nibia Pastrana Santiago (performing arts) Amanda Hernández (literature) Nicole Delgado (literature) Pablo Guardiola (visual arts) Casa de Arte y Cultura Playa Ponce, Ponce Diógenes Ballester (visual arts)

LaBoriVogue, San Juan Edrimael Delgado Reyes (performing arts)

Casa Pueblo Adjuntas, Adjuntas Hector Danny Torres (visual arts) Verónica Aponte Sepulveda (visual arts)

Taller Malaquita, Bayamón Rosenda Álvarez Faro (visual arts) Zuania Minier Jiménez (visual arts)

Casa Silvana, Humacao Edwin Velázquez Collazo (visual arts and cultural agent)

Parceleras Afrocaribeñas por la Transformación Barrial (PATBA), Carolina Carla Denise Santiago Quirós (performing arts)

Colectivo Ilé, Caguas Angellie González Jorge (performing arts) Taller Comunidad La Goyco Inc, San Juan Mariana Reyes-Angleró (cultural agent) Colectivo Moriviví, San Juan Taller Libertá / Vuelta Abajo, Mayagüez Raysa Raquel Rodríguez García Ketsia Camacho Ramos (visual arts) (cultural agent and literature) Sharon N. González Colón (visual arts) Noa Dimedetti (visual arts) Corporación Piñones se Integra Taller Salud, Loíza (COPI), Loíza Saudi Morales Rodríguez (performing arts)

THE CENTRO DE ECONOMÍA CREATIVA, INC. is organized as a non-profit civic entity founded in 2020 in order to provide support to the nonprofit sector through educational tools, management services, and identification of resources for their sustainability. The organization focuses its services and support in arts and culture with the belief of the important role these activities have in society and the economy.

THE MELLON FOUNDATION is the nation’s largest supporter of the arts and humanities. Since 1969, the Foundation has been guided by its core belief that the humanities and arts are essential to human understanding.

The Foundation believes that the arts and humanities are where we express our complex humanity, and that everyone deserves the beauty, transcendence, and freedom that can be found there. Through our grants, we seek to build just communities enriched by meaning and empowered by critical thinking, where ideas and imagination can thrive. Learn more at mellon.org.

Música / Music

El Sol Latino June 2022

11

NEPM, MIFA and GBH Music now present El Puerto Rico 4: The Rich Port SPRINGFIELD, MA | NEW ENGLAND PUBLIC MEDIA | May 20, 2022 — NEPM, MIFA and GBH Music now present El Puerto Rico 4: The Rich Port, a series of 10 contemporary classical works inspired by Puerto Rico and performed by The Victory Players. Videos of the performances will be made available for streaming by NEPM and GBH Music.

and tapings, each composer sat down for an interview with Brian McCreath, director of production at GBH Music.

Now, videos of each composition will be released for streaming every week at nepm.org/elpuertorico and classicalwcrb.org. Each weekly release will include a remastered video of one of the compositions played by the Victory Players and conducted by Tianhui Ng, a video of the interview with the composer and GBH Music’s Brian McCreath, English and Spanish language transcriptions of the interview, and a bio of the composer. The first installment, released this week, features “What My Mother Wrote” by Christian Quiñones.

In the coming weeks, classical music enthusiasts will have access to the other thrilling works in the series:

The Victory Players with composer J.J. Peñya Aguayo and members of Bomba de Aqui: dancer Brenda Cepeda and drummers Saul Penaloza and Julian Gerstin at GBH’s Fraser Performance Studio in Boston.

El Puerto Rico, which debuted in 2018, is the brainchild of Tianhui Ng — music director of the Mount Holyoke Symphony Orchestra and the Pioneer Valley Symphony — and Don Sanders, executive artistic director of Massachusetts International Festival of the Arts (MIFA). The project has commissioned new classical music compositions inspired by Puerto Rico for the Victory Players, a MIFA-founded ensemble of highly talented young musicians from throughout the United States that come to Holyoke for an annual residency under the direction of Ng. In June of 2021, NEPM, MIFA and GBH Music collaborated to bring The Victory Players and Music Director Ng to GBH’s Fraser Performance Studio in Boston to perform ten chamber music pieces composed for “El Puerto Rico.” Works by Armando Bayolo, Gabriel Bouche Caro, Johanny Navarro, José J. Peña Aguayo, Christian Quiñones, Iván Enrique Rodriguez, Tony Solitro, Omar Surillo, and Liliya Ugay were recorded. In between rehearsals

• “Nadie puede dar lo que no tiene” by Armando Bayolo • “i. Washy” from Ni Fú, Ni Fa: Los cuentos de siempre by Gabriel Bouche Caro • “Belén: Un canto sagrado a mis ancestros” (A sacred chant to my ancestors) by Johanny Navarro • “Prints of Lost Breath” by José J. Peña-Aguayo, featuring Holyoke’s Bomba de Aqui • “Transmutación Inerte” (Inert Transmutation) by Iván Enrique Rodríguez • “Canción Exaltada” by Tony Solitro • “Pitorro” and “Isla Verde” by Omar Surillo • “Island of Enchantment” by Liliya Ugay The MIFA Victory Players 2022 residency will start May 30 in Holyoke, Massachusetts. “Sí Se Puede” (Yes We Can), co-produced by MIFA and NEPM, will present new works exploring the Puerto Rican and Mexican American experience in a live public concert at Mount Holyoke College on Saturday, June 11.

The Victory Players include Nathan Ben-Yehuda, piano; Clare Monfredo, cello; Giovanni A. Perez, flute; Robert Rocheteau, percussion; Eric Schultz, clarinet; Elly Toyoda, violin; Tianhui Ng, music director “El Puerto Rico” is supported by the Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation, Friends of MIFA Victory Theatre, Mass Cultural Council, and Victory Theatre Catalyst Donors Donald and Michelle D’Amour.

Medios / Media Connecting Point Host Zydalis Bauer named to BusinessWest’s ‘40 Under Forty’ Class of 2022 SPRINGFIELD, M | NEW ENGLAND PUBLIC MEDIA | May 11, 2022 — It’s a list that everyone looks at, and if you’re under 40, you hope to get on.

Zydalis Bauer, host of NEPM’s Connecting Point, was named to the 2022 class of “40 Under Forty” by the editors of BusinessWest. She’s among 40 young professionals in western Massachusetts honored for their career achievements and service to the community.

Zydalis Bauer is a graduate of Westfield State University with a bachelor’s degree in communications.

Her journey in public media began in 2008 when, straight out of high school, she interned with WGBY’s Latino Youth Media Institute. She was hooked and never left. She has been a part of several local productions and

community engagement projects with the station, working both in front of and behind the camera. She then advanced to become a host of Presencia, joined the Connecting Point team in 2019, and became its host in 2021.

“I can’t think of anyone more deserving of this recognition than Zydalis,” said Connecting Point Executive Producer Tony Dunne. “The person that you see on your television screen is the same one that you get in real life: her warmth and compassion for others is genuine and honest. Her work in showcasing the stories and people of the region as host/producer for Connecting Point may be the most prominent display of her dedication to public service, but there are many other things that don’t get as much attention — from her work as a member of the board of Girls, Inc. to the mentorship that she provides to young people coming up in the field of media, she continually gives back at every opportunity. Zydalis cares deeply about her community, and it shows in both her professional and personal endeavors.”

The BusinessWest “Forty Under 40” class of 2022 will be celebrated on Thursday, June 16 at the Log Cabin Banquet & Meeting House in Holyoke.

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Libros / Books

Historia del Béisbol en Mayagüez, Puerto Rico por HÉCTOR MARRERO MATÍAS MAYAGÜEZ , PR | Publicado de forma independiente | Abril 29, 2022 | 173 páginas

El Sol Latino June 2022

Los Young Lords y las Panteras Negras: Divergencias en la lucha por la liberación por FRANCISCO J. CONCEPCIÓN MÁRQUEZ SAN JUAN, PR | Publicado de forma independiente | Mayo 2, 2022 | 384 páginas Los Young Lords, al ser un movimiento de la diáspora puertorriqueña, no pueden reducirse a una mera copia del proyecto de las Panteras Negras. Esto, porque ambas organizaciones tuvieron objetivos distintos, a pesar de sus obvias coincidencias.

Era necesario un libro como este. El autor, establece un precedente de información novedosa y, evidencia que cambia la historia, inicio y desarrollo del béisbol en Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

Luego de varios años de investigación, acumulación de información, comparación y análisis; el periodista deportivo e investigador de la historia, Héctor Marrero Matías, nos presenta en este libro el resultado final con pruebas y, las fuentes de sus descubrimientos.

Nuestra hipótesis es que el Partido de los Young Lords elaboró una versión radical del nacionalismo negro a través de una interpretación diaspórica, latinoamericanista y tercermundista del conflicto racial en los Estados Unidos. Este análisis implica la confluencia de perspectivas fundamentadas en las teorías de la liberación latinoamericana y la radicalización de la herencia de Malcolm X, gracias a la influencia del nacionalismo puertorriqueño heredado de Pedro Albizu Campos.

El libro, La Historia del Béisbol en Mayagüez, Puerto Rico incluye fotos, jamás vistas, biografías, estadísticas, marcas establecidas, entrevistas, datos históricos, entre otras informaciones desconocidas hasta ahora. Es un libro fácil de leer dividido por capítulos y subtítulos. Cada una de sus páginas están llenas de información nueva que, aclara, descubre y fortalece la historia del Béisbol en Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. Excelente libro para los amantes de la historia del béisbol.

El Dr. Francisco J. Concepción Márquez obtuvo un doctorado en Teología Pastoral en la Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico y un doctorado en Historia de Puerto Rico y el Caribe del Centro de Estudios Avazandos. Estudió Derecho en la Universidad de Puerto Rico y obtuvo una Maestría en Estudios Legales Internacionales del Washington College of Law en Washington D.C. Actualmente es profesor de Justicia Criminal del recinto de Barranquitas de la Universidad Interamericana y dicta un curso en Derecho Internacional en el Centro de Estudios Avanzados. Ha trabajado como abogado de inmigración desde el 2002. Sus intereses académicos rondan los temas de la religión, teología, derecho internacional, inmigración y teoría decolonial.

Desde nuestra perspectiva, los Young Lords se definen como parte de un proyecto internacional de liberación que heredó, interpretó y reconstruyó el nacionalismo negro de Malcolm X para, así, brindar respuestas efectivas a los problemas de una diáspora que no es parte de, pero que pertenece al país donde vive. De este modo, el Partido de los Young Lords se presenta como un proyecto decolonial de liberación.

Paulo Freire Social Justice Charter School (PFSJCS) continúa en proceso de matrícula abierta para estudiantes de escuela superior para el año académico 2022-2023. Contacte la escuela llamando al (413) 536-3201 para reservar una cita con la Consejera Escolar o para un recorrido por la escuela.

Primera graduación de padres y guardianes de la academia familiar en la Paulo Freire Social Justice Charter School (PFSJCS) dada el 18 de mayo de 2022. ¡Felicidades a los padres graduados y a los que no comparecen en fotografía, pero cumplieron con los requisitos de graduación en esta academia!

La Paulo Freire Social Justice Charter School (PFSJCS) agardece a los Representantes de Estado Carlos Gonzales y Michael Finn por su visita el 3 de mayo de 2022. Los Representantes de Estado Carlos Gonzales y Michael Finn acompañaron a los estudiantes de PFSJCS en el debate sobre las “Ventajas y desventajas del uso de tecnología y de las redes masivas tecnológicas utilizadas por los adolescentes” en la biblioteca y en la discusión de elementos relacionados a un caso legal en el salón de simulacro de juicio (Mock Trial Room) de la de PFSJCS.

Salud / Health

El Sol Latino June 2022

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Gándara Center Launches Behavioral Health Urgent Care Services In addition to introducing this new service to the community, the agency is taking this opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of discussing mental health. May is Mental Health Awareness month. It’s a time to bring attention to the millions of Americans who live with a mental illness every day.

SPRINGFIELD, MA | GÁNDARA CENTER | May 25, 2022 - The Gándara Center has launched its Behavioral Health Urgent Care services at its clinic at 2155 Main Street in Springfield.

This includes faster access to mental health services with a same or next day appointment as well as expanded night and weekend hours at the clinic.

Throughout the month, the Gándara Center will join the national movement to raise awareness about mental health, in hopes of fighting the stigma, providing support and educating the public. It will also use this platform to continue the work of advocating for policies that support people with mental illness and their families.

“We are thrilled to be able to offer Behavioral Health urgent care to the community,” said Lois Nesci, Chief Executive Officer. “Our hope is that by offering these services it will help those dealing with urgent mental health concerns before they become crisis situations.”

“These services are vital to the community especially the communities that we serve”, said Chelsea Bryant, Vice President of Behavioral Health and Recovery Services. “We have seen a real need for these services since the start of the pandemic. We are currently working to expand these services to our other clinics in Springfield and Brockton to be able to meet this need”.

The Gándara Center specializes in culturally competent, bilingual mental health and substance use services in the African American, Hispanic and other underserved communities. Since the start of the pandemic, the agency has seen an increased need for these services. Many of those served have struggled with anxiety, depression and substance use disorder due to COVID-19 and the impact it has had on the community.

Speak to the Gándara Center about our new behavioral health urgent care services and the importance of raising awareness about mental health.

GÁNDARA CENTER, has been providing bilingual, culturally sensitive behavioral health, substance use, prevention and educational services to the region since 1977. The agency was founded to ensure access and services to Hispanic, African American and other underserved populations and communities. Today, the Gándara Center serves a diverse multicultural clientele in more than 100 locations across Massachusetts and its familycentered and community-based approach reaches more than 15,000 children, families, and adults every year. Portada 4

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