El Sol Latino | March 2019 | 15.4

March 2019

Volume 15 No. 4

Un Periódico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper

Un Periódico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper

Un Periódico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper

Un Periódico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper

Celebran Día de la Independencia de la República Dominicana Springfield 2019

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3 Portada / Front Page Celebran Aniversario de la Independencia de la República Dominicana

Fotos del Mes/Photos of the Month

Mateo brothers bring home wrestling titles Darian Mateo, who wrestles for Krazy Monkeys Wrestling Club, battled his way to a state championship this past weekend at the Massachusetts Youth Wrestling Association (MYWA) state tournament, in Salem, MA. The six year old is the youngest wrestler from Holyoke to bring home a state title. His older brother Devon Mateo, age 10, took 3rd place and is continuing to train for the New England Youth Wrestling Tournament that will be held at the Sullivan Arena in Manchester, NH, on March 9. Marcos Mateo is their coach.

4 The NNCC Children and Family Center has partnered with the Hispanic American Library 5 Félix V. Matos Rodríguez Named Chancellor of City University Of New York 8 Opinión / Opinion Talking about Race and Anti-Black Racism from the Diaspora 9 Presidential Candidates in 2020 Position on Poverty 10 Libros / Books El cielo a tiros 11 CENTRO Recommends Books for Young Puerto Rican Readers 12 Seven Full Days: From Western Massachusetts to Ghana, Africa

Cuban Music and Jazz

A Listening Party with Jane Bunnett and Maqueque

Teatro/ Theater HCC ‘In the Heights’ Wins Two Kennedy Center Awards

13 E ducación / Education Foreign in a Domestic Sense: Puerto Rico’s College Admissions Process 14 Workforce Development Center at STCC exposes high school students to career pathways 15 S alud / Health ¿Te sientes triste o desanimado durante los meses de invierno? La vitamina D puede ser una solución

An interactive conversation moderated by Raquel Obregon of NEPR Radio. Followed by a public jam session led by Bomba de Aqui!

Wednesday, March 27, 2019

7:30-9:30 pm, Gateway City Arts, 92 Race Street, Holyoke, MA

Five-time Juno Award winner and two-time Grammy nominee Jane Bunnett has turned her bands and recordings into showcases for the finest musical talent from Canada, the US, and Cuba. With Maqueque, Bunnett has created something new and phenomenal in the world of jazz. Her exploration of Afro-Cuban melodies expresses the universality of music, and her ability to embrace and showcase the rhythms and culture of Cuba has been ground-breaking. Two documentaries have been made about Bunnett’s work: Spirits of Havana by the National Film Board was presented at numerous film festivals internationally, on television (CBC, PBS), and in Europe. A more recent film, Embracing Voices, has been shown at film festivals and is awaiting commercial release. th

Maqueque will perform in Bowker Auditorium on March 28 at 8 pm as a part of the FAC Magic Triangle Series. See fineartscenter.com for details. Maqueque are: Jane Bunnett, soprano saxophone & flute; Melvis Santa, vocals & percussion; Mary Paz, congas & vocals; Dánae Olano, piano; Tailin Marrero, acoustic & electric bass; Yissy García, drums.

Suggested donation: $15. Refreshments available for sale with full menu and bar onsite at Gateway City Arts. For menu info call 413-650-0786. Please RSVP for this event to yvonne@umass.edu or call 413.545.4161.

Presented by UMass Fine Arts Center’s Valley Jazz Network, Magic Triangle Series and Gateway City Arts with support from The Valley Advocate.

For info email yvonne@umass.edu or call 413.545.4161

Founded in 2004

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Volume 15, No. 4 n March 2019

Editor Manuel Frau Ramos manuelfrau@gmail.com 413-320-3826 Assistant Editor Ingrid Estrany-Frau Managing Editor Diosdado López

Art Director Tennessee Media Design Business Address El Sol Latino P.O Box 572 Amherst, MA 01004-0572

Editorial Policy El Sol Latino acepta colaboraciones tanto en español como en inglés.

Nos comprometemos a examinarlas, pero no necesariamente a publicarlas. Nos reservamos el derecho de editar los textos y hacer correcciones por razones de espacio y/o estilo. Las colaboraciones pueden ser enviadas a nuestra dirección postal o a través de correo electrónico a: info@elsollatino.net.

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 March 2019

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Celebran Aniversario de la Independencia de la República Dominicana by MANUEL FRAU RAMOS El Centro Cultural y Deportivo de la República Dominicana (CCDD) celebró el 19no aniversario del izamiento de la bandera dominicana el 23 de febrero en la alcaldía de la ciudad de Springfield. El evento conmemoró el Día de la Independencia de la República Dominicana ocurrido el 27 de febrero de 1844.

El izamiento de la bandera fue el evento final del programa conmemorativo que comenzó con un evento en la alcaldía de Springfield. Durante el acto se reconocieron a funcionarios electos y a invitados especiales además de la coronación de la entrante Reina Dominicana 2019, Sufreimy MotaMercedes. Elisandro Cuevas-Sánchez fue reconocido como el Comerciante Dominicano del Año 2019

Su misión es la de enriquecer la vida de los emigrantes dominicanos a través de la educación y la recreación y diseminando la historia y la cultura dominicana. Entre los miembros fundadores del CCDD se encuentran Ady Nelson Rosario, María Rosario, Pedro M. González, José M. González, Francisco Moisés Rosario, Gustavo Bautista, Luz Lazala, José Puello, Julio Rodríguez, Nelson Almonte, José Cruz, Pedro Cruz y Milagros Cruz.

Sufreimy Mota-Mercedes es estudiante de honor en Baystate Academy Charter Public School. Mota-Mercedes ha demostrado interés en estudiar Ingeniería una vez termine la escuela superior. El año pasado fue reconocida con el premio 2018 Youth of the Year del Springfield Boys & Girls Club.

Cuevas-Sánchez estudió Ingeniería Civil en la prestigiosa Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo (UASD) y fue profesor de física y matemática en la misma institución universitaria. También trabajó como ingeniero en la Compañía Dominicana de Teléfono, popularmente conocida como Codetel.

Estableció residencia en Springfield en el 2001 después de haber residido en la ciudad Lawrence, MA por varios años. En Springfield, Cuevas-Sánchez establece dos exitosos negocios, Three Sisters Beauty and Supply y Three Brothers Auto Sales. Ha estado casado con Ana Terrero por 31 años y tiene dos hijos - Eliz Luis y Philip Alexander.

Ente los funcionarios electos presentes durante el evento se encontraba el alcalde de Springfield, Dominic Sarno, el alcalde de Holyoke, Alex Morse, y el representante estatal por el Distrito 10 de Hampden, Carlos González.

Además estuvieron presente los concejales de la ciudad de Springfield Kateri Walsh y Jesse Lederman, junto a María Pérez del Comité Escolar de Springfield. Judy Matt, Pesidenta y Fundadora del Spirit of Springfield fue una de las asistentes al evento.

I-D- Francisco Mercedes (CCDD), Domenic Sarno – alcalde de Springfield, María Rosario (CCDD), John Pérez, y Ady Rosario (CCDD)

I-D – Jesse Lederman (Concejal de Springfield), Alex Morse (Alcalde de Holyoke), Francisco Mercedes (CCDD), María Pérez (Comité Escolar de Springfield), Ady N. Rosario (CCDD), Carlos González (Representante Estatal), Elisandro Cuevas-Sánchez (Comerciante del Año), Ana Terrero, María Rosario (CCDD), Judy Matt (Presidenta de Spirit of Springfield), Domenic Sarno (Alcalde de Springfield) y John Pérez (Maestro de Ceremonias) I-D - Representante Estatal Carlos González, la reina 2019 del DDCC Sufreimy Mota-Mercedes, la reina 2018 del DDCC Ambar Durán y el Maestro de Ceremonias John Pérez

El representante González y alcalde Sarno ofrecieron palabras de reconocimiento a los homenajeados y destacaron la aportación de la comunidad dominicana y de la organización CCDD al desarrollo económico y diversidad cultural de la región, especialmente en la ciudad de Springfield.

El Maestro de Ceremonias lo fue John D. Pérez.

El Centro Cultural y Deportivo Dominicano (CCDD) es una entidad sin fines de lucro dedicada a promover y destacar los valores culturales dominicanos.

Cita del Mes/ Quote of the Month “Puerto Rico isn’t defined by its problems but by its solutions.

The culture is vibrant and optimistic, and the people have worked very hard and made tremendous sacrifices to put things back together. They are resilient and strong.”

Soledad O’Brien • Orlando Sentinel • March 1, 2019

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Portada / Front Page

El Sol Latino March 2019

The NNCC Children and Family Center has partnered with the Hispanic American Library por MANUEL FRAU RAMOS* Desde el mes de noviembre de 2018 los estudiantes del programa de educación pre-escolar del Day Care del New North Citizens Council’s Children and Family Center (NNCC) han estado participando en un innovador proyecto educativo y cultural. El proyecto, una colaboración entre el Hispanic-American Library Inc., (HAL) y el Centro Familiar del NNCC, consiste de un programa pedagógico que incorpora y promueve la diversidad cultural en el currículo del centro que sirve a cerca de 20 estudiantes entre las edades de 4-5 años.

Bajo la dirección de Marilyn Gallo, veterana maestra de las Escuelas Públicas de Springfield, se han incorporado en el currículo del Day Care una gama de actividades enfocadas en la cultura e historia puertorriqueña.

Estas incluyen historia, arte, manualidades y proyectos DYI los cuales las niñas y niños pueden llevarse a sus hogares.

Con una población de más del 50% de los participantes inscritos al programa del New North Citizens’ Council’s Children & Family Center de origen Hispano/ Latino, el proyecto de literacia cultural ofrece otros beneficios educativos. Además de aprender sobre su herencia hispana/ latina, especialmente afro-puertorriqueña, los estudiantes tienen la oportunidad de aprender o enriquecer su español a través de las actividades que implementa la Sra. Gallo.

El proyecto, junto al proyecto arte cultural realizado en Nueva Esperanza – Chestnut Academy School, fue financiado con fondos del Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education a través de HAL. Juan Falcón es el director ejecutivo de HAL. Carlos González, representante estatal, ayudó a conseguir estos fondos.

La visión del New North Citizens Council’s Children and Family Center es ayudar a los niños apoyando y respetando a las familias a la misma vez que se establece una base sólida en un entorno de aprendizaje que promueve el crecimiento del desarrollo social, emocional y educativo en un entorno culturalmente diverso. Somos un centro bilingüe (inglés / español) de aprendizaje para niños. Somos un entorno de aprendizaje para bebés, niños pequeños y niños de edad preescolar cuyos los padres que trabajan o van a la escuela.

La misión del Hispanic-American Library (HAL) es establecer, mantener y operar una biblioteca comunitaria para una de las poblaciones más desfavorecidas de la región. En adición, el Hispanic American Library, Inc. busca llevar a cabo actividades educativas relacionadas con la promoción positiva de la comunidad hispana. La biblioteca interesa promover y apoyar la investigación relacionada con la comunidad hispana además de participar en actividades diseñadas para promover la vitalidad de la comunidad.

Segunda fila de izquierda a derecha - Ms. Irene Adolphus, Nathaniel, Darielyz, Ms.Vania Benavides, Isabelle, Sophia, José, Rose, Eva, Layla, Kayden y Ms. Nancy Lorenzano. Sentados - Ava, Emma Taraji, Ms. Marilyn Gallo, Sophia, Javion, Oliver y Jovonni

Ms Gallo junto con estudiantes.

* Nota – El autor de esta reseña es miembro de la Junta de Directores de HAL.

Adam Gómez, concejal de Springfield y miembro de la Junta de Directores de HAL junto a Ms. Nancy Lorenzano y algunos de los estudiantes.

Portada / Front Page

El Sol Latino March 2019

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Félix V. Matos Rodríguez Named Chancellor of City University Of New York NEW YORK, NY | CUNY Communications | February 13, 2013 - The Board of Trustees of The City University of New York unanimously voted today to appoint Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, an accomplished scholar, teacher, administrator and public servant who has been president of Queens College since 2014, as the eighth Chancellor of CUNY. He will be both the first Latino and minority educator to head the University. He will assume the post May 1.

An innovative leader, Chancellordesignate Matos Rodríguez, 56, has drawn national recognition as a trailblazer in higher education.

He enhanced Queens College’s reputation for excellence and propelled the school to the highest echelon in college socialmobility rankings. As president of CUNY’s Eugenio María de Hostos Community College, the post he held immediately prior to his appointment at Queens College, he gained acclaim for engineering a double-digit increase in the school’s retention rate, leading Hostos to become a finalist for the prestigious Aspen Best Community College prize in 2015. He is one of a select few U.S. educators who has served as president of both a baccalaureate and community college.

“The appointment of Felix Matos Rodríguez as Chancellor marks the onset of a historic chapter in the narrative of this vital institution, one in which every member of the CUNY community should rejoice,” said William C. Thompson Jr., Chair of the CUNY Board of Trustees and leader of the Chancellor Search Committee. “In word and deed, Chancellor-designate Matos Rodríguez embodies CUNY’s mission-driven spirit. Felo’s deep roots in CUNY, combined with his rich experience as a scholar and as leader of both senior and community colleges, make him uniquely suited to lead the University forward, keeping it positioned as the standard-bearer for quality and access in public higher education. Over the course of our thorough search for a Chancellor, we came to consider several serious candidates among a stellar field of accomplished leaders, but we kept coming back to Felo. His sterling credentials, his unparalleled depth of perspective and his demonstrated commitment to CUNY made him the inarguable standout and the obvious choice. It fills me with great pride to have been a part of this pivotal decision and to be able to announce that the nation’s greatest urban university is making history with one of its own.”

“This would be an extraordinary opportunity for anyone who is passionate about the role CUNY plays in the lifeblood of the world’s greatest and most important city,” said Matos Rodríguez. “For me, this appointment is particularly special because CUNY is home. I am immensely proud to have risen through the University’s ranks and am deeply honored to now have the opportunity to lead an institution I love and treasure. I will strive every day that I am Chancellor to fulfill the promise of our noble mission to afford academic excellence and economic opportunity to all. And I will endeavor to elevate to new heights CUNY’s legacy as the paradigm of a people’s University.”

As a college president, Matos Rodríguez has compiled a distinguished record of success, thriving in a field that has been slow to diversify.

According to the American Council on Education, the portion of Hispanic college presidents barely changed between 2011 and 2016, inching up to 3.9 percent from 3.8 percent. The overall portion of minority college presidents increased only slightly over the same period, to 16.8 percent from 12.6 percent.

Matos Rodríguez holds a B.A. from Yale University, where he was a cum laude graduate, and a doctorate in history from Columbia University. A scholar and authority on the history of women in the Caribbean, he is a recipient of the Albert J. Beveridge Award of the American Historical Association and the author of Women and Urban Life in Nineteenth-Century San Juan, Puerto Rico, 1820–1862; and editor of several books, including A Nation of Women: An Early Feminist Speaks Out. Currently the board chair of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), Matos Rodríguez has used his extensive regional and national networks and board memberships to advance Queens College’s visibility and recognition. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and an Aspen Institute Ascend Fellow. He currently serves on the boards of Phipps Houses, the United Way of New York City, the TIAA Hispanic Advisory Council and the Research Alliance for New York City Schools.

Since Matos Rodríguez took office as the 10th president of Queens College, in August 2014, the school has been recognized for its success at propelling students into the middle class. A 2016 study by the Equality of Opportunity Project ranked Queens College in the top 1 percent of all colleges in moving students from the bottom fifth to the top fifth of the country’s income distribution, and The Chronicle of Higher Education in August 2018 ranked the school 11th of all U.S. colleges for upward social and economic mobility.

Matos Rodríguez has been an aggressive fundraiser; during his tenure, the Queens College Foundation has nearly doubled in value. He spurred the college’s first systematic review of all graduate programs, and the development of an accelerated B.A./M.A. program to encourage more undergraduates to pursue graduate studies.

As he led Queens College, Matos Rodríguez also pushed to increase diversity college-wide. Nearly half of the current members of the college’s Cabinet are people of color, a marked change from its composition when he was appointed. Under his Presidential Hiring Initiative, 48 percent of faculty hires have been from underrepresented groups.

At Hostos, where he served as president from 2009 to 2014, Matos Rodríguez achieved dramatic improvements in student performance, and doubled the college’s fundraising intake. The fall-to-fall retention rate increased to 68 percent from 57 percent during his tenure, the first time in the college’s history that it recorded five consecutive years of increased retention, and the school’s graduation rate increased to 28 percent from 22 percent. His efforts made Hostos a finalist for the prestigious Aspen Best Community College prize in 2015.

Matos Rodríguez left CUNY for several years in 2005, returning to his native Puerto Rico where he worked one year as head adviser on Health and Social Welfare to the governor of Puerto Rico. In 2006, he was named Secretary of the Department of Family Services, a post he held for nearly two years in which he managed an annual budget of $2.3 billion and oversaw nearly 11,000 employees across 104 regional offices.

From 2000 to 2005, Matos Rodríguez was director of the Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College (El Centro), and he was also a tenured professor of Black and Puerto Rican/Latino Studies. He previously taught at Northeastern University, Boston College and the Universidad Interamericana-Recinto Metropolitano, Puerto Rico.

The appointment follows the recommendation of a 14-member search committee of CUNY trustees, college presidents, faculty, students and civic leaders led by Chairman Thompson. The committee was assisted in its search by Isaacson Miller, a leading executive search firm.

The City University of New York is the nation’s leading urban public university. Founded in 1847, CUNY counts 13 Nobel Prize and 24 MacArthur (“Genius”) grant winners among its alumni. CUNY students, alumni and faculty have garnered scores of other prestigious honors over the years in recognition of historic contributions to the advancement of the sciences, business, the arts and myriad other fields.

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El Sol Latino March 2019

El Sol Latino March 2019

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Fine Arts Center ¡Eventos de Marzo!

UMass Fine Art Center’s Valley Jazz Network presenta

FIESTA MUSICAL CON JANE BUNNETT AND MAQUEQUE

Miércoles, Marzo 27, 7:30-9:30 pm Gateway City Arts, 92-114 Race Street, HOLYOKE. Raquel Obregón, anfitriona de NEPR, facilitará una conversación con Jane y los miembros de la banda, seguida de un jam session con Bomba de Aquí. Traiga su shekere, clave, u otro instrumento e improvise con ellos. Donativo sugerido: $15 en la puerta. Menú de cena disponible en Gateway City Arts antes del evento. Habrá un cash bar. 413-650-0786 para detalles.

LES BALLETS TROCKADERO DE MONTE CARLO

Martes, Abril 2, 7:30 pm | Fine Arts Center Concert Hall Parte parodia y parte tributo, The Trocks simultáneamente honran las tradiciones del ballet con una excelente presentación a la vez que se burlan de los convencionalismos que definen el ballet.

Magic Triangle’s 30th Anniversary Celebration

JANE BUNNETT & MAQUEQUE

Jueves, Marzo 28, 8 pm | Bowker Auditorium Jane Bunnett ha dedicado gran parte de su vida profesional a la música de Cuba. Su proyecto más reciente, Maqueque, “el espíritu de una jovencita”, combina a la talentosa soprano, saxofonista y flautista con jóvenes que son de las mas talentosas en la música cubana. “Si se presentan cerca de su pueblo, vaya a verlas,” escribe Jon Garelick.

WYCLIFFE GORDON AND HIS INTERNATIONAL ALL STARS

Sábado, Abril 6, 8 pm | Fine Arts Center Concert Hall Gordon fue miembro del Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra y del Wynton Marsalis Septet, y ha creado una impresionante carrera artística viajando por todo el mundo. Ganó el Best Trombone in Downbeat’s Critics’ Poll y el Trombonist of the Year de la Jazz Journalists Association en el 2016.

Esta presentación ha recibido apoyo del programa Expeditions of the New England Foundation for the Arts, del National Endowment for the Arts, y ha apoyo adicional de seis agencias estatales de arte de Nueva Inglaterra.

Para boletos llamar al: 413-545-2511 ó al 800-999-UMAS ó en línea fineartscenter.com

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Opinión / Opinion

El Sol Latino March 2019

Talking about Race and Anti-Black Racism from the Diaspora by MARISOL LEBRÓN

Originally posted on 80grados.net | February 8, 2019

I recently found myself part of a short but heated exchange on social media around questions of racism and anti-Black cultural practices in Puerto Rico. A colleague of mine, Mario Mercado Díaz, a Puerto Rican now living in the United States for graduate school, tweeted the now familiar photo from La Novilla in San Sebastian that showed a woman standing with five children who were all donning blackface.

Mario challenged viewers to look at this photo and recite the familiar refrain that “there is no racism in Puerto Rico” or that such obviously racist displays were merely part of Puerto Rican cultural traditions. Of course, it’s social media so someone soon stepped up to meet his challenge. A commenter, who identified himself as having a Black mother and white father, suggested that Mario’s tweet mischaracterized the state of race relations in Puerto Rico as the archipiélago does not suffer from the kinds of racism that one sees in the United States. The commenter added that he had never witnessed any racism in Puerto Rico. Mario responded that while that comparison is evergreen, it does not explain or justify the material and symbolic violence or systematic discrimination that Black and dark-skinned Puerto Ricans regularly experience.

Festival de La Novilla in San Sebastian.

Although I had only commented a simple, “what the actual fuck” on the photo earlier on in the thread, I had been following the comments. I decided to join the fray, when the commenter responded to Mario that slavery in Puerto Rico was different (read: less severe) than the United States, which allowed for racial mixing —mestizaje— which makes racism less of an issue for Puerto Ricans. These are perhaps the most common and insidious myths that promote white supremacy and colorblind racism in the archipiélago as well as the diaspora. Because the quality of my written Spanish “is not very good looking,” I responded in English to the thread noting, that there is no such thing as a gentler or more benevolent version of slavery, and that this is just something that Latin Americans and Caribbean folks tell themselves to project racism onto the United States while ignoring it at home. It could have been my decision to respond in English, my decision to situate Puerto Rico within a larger geographical and structural context, or simply my insistence that racism was and remains a structuring element of everyday life in Puerto Rican communities, but my remarks seemed to set off the commenter.

The commenter responded, by asking me what the hell I was talking about, telling me that I know nothing about Puerto Rico, and accusing me of trying to foist U.S. racial analytics onto Puerto Rico. After Mario and I challenged the commenter’s insistence that racism was not a serious issue in Puerto Rico, he challenged us to actually come to Puerto Rico so that we could stop being so ignorant and stop seeing reality through our American(ized) eyes. “No es lo mismo estudiar de un país que vivir en él. Yo vivo en Puerto Rico,” the commenter told us followed by a winking emoji. Every rejoinder that Mario or I offered was met by the same response: you are American/Americanized and obsessed with race, you don’t live here, talk to actual Puerto Ricans, please kindly shut the fuck up.

As someone who has been researching and writing about race and anti-Black racism in Puerto Rico from the perspective of the diaspora, I was used to this response and figured it was only a matter of time before the commenter went there to discredit what I was saying. What surprised me, however, was that Mario was also subjected to a similar dismissal of his attempts to point to the racial hierarchies that have always structured, and continue to structure, Puerto Rican society. Although born and raised in Puerto Rico, Mario through proximity to me in this particular exchange,

through his recent migration to the U.S. for school, and though his insistence on highlighting racism had become “Americanized.” In a message shortly after, Mario joked that he had his Boricua Visa revoked.

Writing for El Nuevo Día, the Afro-Puerto Rican feminist scholar Bárbara Idalissee Abadía Rexach, dedicated her Buscapié column on January 24, 2019 to discussing the practice of blackface in Puerto Rico’s cultural traditions. In her column, she suggested that it is worthwhile to rethink the way that Blackness is represented in folkloric displays. She asked readers to consider how cultural traditions might highlight the history Black people’s struggles against oppression rather than making a spectacle and mockery out of Blackness. Despite the fact that Abadía Rexach is based in Puerto Rico, deeply involved in a number of local struggles for social justice, and writing in one of the archipelago’s daily newspapers, many of the comments from detractors on her column insisted that she was “americanizando demasiado.” Whether it was her choice to use the English term “blackface” or simply her insistence that racial inequality is a reality in contemporary Puerto Rico and that cultural traditions can reflect that, Abadía Rexach was accused of having an American-style obsession with race and racism.

I bring up these examples because they show how attempts to discuss race and racism in Puerto Rico are often dismissed as attempts to import U.S. racial problems and apply U.S. racial analytics to the Puerto Rican context. This has long been the case and a number of scholars in Puerto Rico and the diaspora have worked to show how this critique is used to silence discussions of race and reinforce antiBlack and white supremacist structures in Puerto Rican society. As historian Ileana Rodríguez-Silva notes in her book Silencing Race, there is no more effective strategy to shut down conversations about historical and contemporary expressions of racialized marginalization than to “deem race, racialization, and racism as foreign matters, specifically as U.S. phenomena” or to question the speaker’s “commitment and love to the Puerto Rican nation.” The work of scholars like Zaire Dinzey-Flores, Carlos Alamo-Pastrana, Isar P. Godreau, Hilda Lloréns, Arlene Torres, Miriam Jimenez, Yeidy M. Rivero, and Petra R. Rivera-Rideau, just to name a few, demonstrate how discourses of racial mixing have functioned to distance Puerto Rico from the U.S. racial regime and silence discussions of anti-Black racism within Puerto Rican society more generally. Not to mention the crucial work of Afro-Puerto Rican artists and activists to unmask the racial hierarchies and oppressions, which have been widely normalized within Puerto Rican communities (such as the sight of children and adults in blackface at cultural events).

These recent exchanges in response to blackface at La Novilla, leave me wondering about the role of the diaspora in discussing and addressing racial inequality in Puerto Rico, particularly at a time when colonial and capitalist crises force more and more Puerto Ricans to migrate to the United States. If being or having been a diasporic subject seemingly throws one’s ability to speak about issues in the archipelago into question, then as the current crisis deepens more and more Puerto Ricans will find themselves with their “Boricua Visas” revoked. Of course, this is a reality that those of us born and raised in diaspora have always recognized and felt. While the boundary between Puerto Rico and the diaspora has always been a porous one, this current crisis makes it even more so. In this moment, then, we have an opportunity to strengthen the connections between Puerto Rican scholars, activists, and artists dedicated to uncovering and eradicating racial injustice in the archipiélago to those in the diaspora.

The Dominican scholar Silvio Torres-Saillant in his essay “Racism in the Americas and the Latino Scholar,” argues that it is the responsibility of those living in the diaspora to contribute to the theorization of their ancestral homelands particularly around questions of anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism. Torres-Saillant suggests that rather than attempting to impose an Americanized understanding of race on Latin American and Caribbean contexts, diasporic subjects living in the United States and experiencing the effects of systemic racism and daily microaggressions are attuned to identifying racial structures and can help to pierce the myths of racial democracy and mestizaje that facilitate pernicious forms of colorblind racism.

According to Torres-Saillant, “As U.S.-based scholars with a connection to the societies that perpetrate the atrocities in question, we have compelling reasons to care. White supremacy has been the conceptual glue that holds together the cultural

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Opinión / Opinion

El Sol Latino March 2019

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Presidential Candidates in 2020 Position on Poverty by MIGUEL ARCE and WALTER MULLIN The election for the next President of the United States will occur in 2020. So far, there are at least eleven Democrats who announced their candidacy for the job.

Currently, there is one Republican candidate who will challenge Donald Trump for that party’s nomination. It is expected that there could be another ten potential candidates including those from the Green Party and Libertarian Party.

How will you determine if the political candidates running for President fairly represent those who live in poverty or near poverty? Do the mainstream statistics on the living wages, income, employment, housing, education and education capture the needs of the thirteen percent of the United States population who live in poverty?

Politicians, social activists and regular citizens all rely on the government reports that monitor indicators of the quality of life in the United States. Recently, the government has released statistics that note that unemployment is low, wages are rising, fewer people are relying on food assistance programs and the economy has added new jobs. It is possible to assume there is no need to focus the nation’s political agenda on the lives of those in poverty. The current president is claiming that he has made major changes in the lives of those people who live in poverty When considering the lives of those in poverty, however, statistics cannot be ignored. For this reason, it is essential to still note that the official poverty rate reported by the Census Bureau in 2017 was 12.3 percent, down only 0.4 percentage points from 12.7 percent in 2016. In 2017, there were 39.7 million people in poverty, and this number was not statisti¬cally different from the number in poverty in 2016. There are a disproportionate number being children. These numbers are significant.

Whenever a politician speaks about poverty it is important to note that they are referring to those who live below the income that defines poverty for the federal government. That number is $24,600 per year for a family of four. It is a level of income that most Americans would claim is unacceptable. It is not a living wage.

It is unjust to assume that people can live on that income without community assistance.

Presidential campaigns provide opportunity to discuss specific proposals on how to reduce poverty. The Bookings Institute addresses the failure of government programs to reduce the nation’s poverty rate. The odds that a child reared in the bottom fifth of the income distribution will stay in the bottom fifth for his or her entire life is 43 percent. The chance of “escaping” from poverty is limited without a governmental commitment to solve the nation’s domestic difficulties.

In the political realm, when considering the best ways to solve poverty, Republicans tend to favor lower taxes and more personal accountability, while Democrats tend to favor high taxes and greater government obligation. Presidential campaigns usually neglect issues related to reducing poverty. The Center on Poverty and Social Policy at Columbia University has, however, identified several bills that might reduce poverty. Proposals to improve the lives of low-income families include expanded direct cash to low income households, rental assistance, and child care allowance. The three proposals below are examples designed by political candidates to address the needs of those in poverty.

First, the Livable Incomes for Families Today (LIFT) helps all American families.

This proposal, proposed by Senator Kamala Harris of California, would expand the earned income tax credit that seeks to help poor and middle class alike. LIFT is tied to work. Individual recipients would have to earn at least $3,000 a year; couples $6,000. Single people would get $250 per month or $3,000 a year, married couples would get $500 per month or $6,000 a year. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that it would lift nine million people out of poverty.

Second, Senator Corey Booker of New Jersey is proposing Housing, Opportunity, Mobility and Equity (HOME) Act. The bill would provide a refundable tax credit to households who spend more than 30% of their income on rent. The credit amount would be based on a calculation that takes into consideration annual rent and annual income. The bill would also create a statutory framework to encourage municipalities to have a “strategy to increase the affordable housing stock.”

Citizen’s Housing and Planning Association of Massachusetts indicates that the HOME Act would “reestablish as a condition to receiving funds that communities take meaningful actions to overcome patterns of segregation and foster inclusive communities, free from barriers that restrict access to opportunity”.

monthly payment would be available to individuals earning under $75,000 and/ or $110,000 for couples. According to Congress.gov, the American Family Act of 2017 amends the child tax credit (Internal Revenue Code) to: (1) make the credit fully refundable, (2) increase the amount of the credit and allow an additional credit for children who are under six years of age, (3) require the amount of the credit to be adjusted annually for inflation and (4) require the Department of the Treasury to establish a program for making advance payments of the credit on a monthly basis. This proposal would cut child poverty deeply.

While these are only three examples of proposals, there are numerous critical issues impacting those living in poverty: national health care, enacting a Green New Deal, and cutting the cost of military expenses connected to never ending wars. Legislation is urgently needed to deal with these issues while simultaneously taking action with the proposals to ensure a guaranteed annual income, rental assistance and child care.

The 2020 elections provide an opportunity for an effective anti-poverty platform.

The political system advantages those who have wealth. In the 2016 federal election, more than $6.5 billion dollars were spent by the Democrats and Republicans in getting people to turn out and vote for their political position.

The Washington Post estimates that the $6.5 billion dollars could fix the lead problem in Flint, Michigan 30 times over. As few as 150 families provided the preponderance of the support candidates for the elections in the two major parties.

As the new political season begins and the political candidates will define their platforms, people who are concerned with how to live in poverty will benefit from paying attention to those programs that will help. Will the candidates understand the lives of those who live in poverty? It will be clear when a candidate understands life in poverty and that person will deserve attention.

This guest opinion is one in a series on living in poverty. DR. WALTER MULLIN (wmullin@springfieldcollege.edu), Professor of Social Work and MIGUEL ARCE (marce@ springfieldcollege.edu), Associate Professor of Social Work at Springfield College.

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The third, the American Family Act would provide $3,000 a year for children from six to 18 and $3,600 per year for children from newborn to age five. The

2/11/19 El Sol Latino 1/4 page: 4.75” x 5.75”

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Libros / Books

El Sol Latino March 2019

El cielo a tiros de JORGE FRANCO • Alfaguara: Septiembre 2018 | 400 páginas “He disparado muchos fierros: Colt, Long Colt, Smith & Wesson y hasta fusiles de asalto, y todo antes de cumplir quince años,” admite Larry, el yo-narrador de El cielo a tiros de Jorge Franco, una mirada espeluznante a una familia de narcotraficantes que jugó un papel importante en el mundo del rey de las drogas de Colombia, Pablo Escobar. Larry sigue hablando de la influencia que tuvo su padre en su crianza, diciendo, “desde que nací, Libardo insistió en que teníamos que aprender a defendernos y montó un polígono en la finca. En las vacaciones nos obligaba a disparar.”

Larry no sabía por qué había tanta necesidad de defenderse. No sabía lo que hacía su papá de ‘trabajo’ durante su niñez. Años después, Fernanda, su madre, le pregunta a Larry, “¿Cuándo tuviste consciencia de lo que hacía tu papá?” Larry le contesta, “En la Primera Comunión de Julio [su hermano mayor].” Sigue explicando que, “Me aburrí muchísimo y me puse a mirar a la gente, lo que hacían, la manera como se reían, lo que hablaban, y vi que todo se parecía a lo que decían de ellos: los mafiosos…” Añadió que, “Y bueno, ver a papá siempre armado y la violencia con que se expresaba.”

Al desarrollar la trama de su novela, Franco salta del presente al pasado, —o sea, de cuando Larry, ya adulto, se encuentra en un bar de Medellín, acabado de llegar de Inglaterra porque, por fin, después de la desaparición de su padre Libardo hace doce años, han encontrado sus restos. Y de ahí, se desarrolla la novela durante varias épocas del pasado, recreando momentos claves en la crianza y la educación de Larry y de su hermano mayor Julio.

Su papá Libardo se había criado en la pobreza: “Él sí venía de abajo, de muy abajo.” Lo que le motiva es darles a sus hijos una vida cómoda con todas las ventajas que él nunca tuvo. Abrazando a sus hijos, les dijo que, “Somos tres hombres…Hombres berracos. No nos vamos a aculillar por nada…Somos tres guerreros.” Practica la auto-disciplina. “Sin embargo, su optimismo era traicionado por una actitud irritable, con insultos a diestra y siniestra, por las amenazas que soltaba cuando hablaba por teléfono, pero sobre todo porque se le notaba el miedo en la cara.” Cuando Libardo oye las noticias sobre el asesinato de su jefe Escobar, dice que “Yo no soy de los que corren, ni mucho menos de los que tuercen.”

Julio, el hijo mayor, “tan Libardo” y “el más sensato de la familia,” es “un hombre de finca” y “su pasión eran las fincas de la familia…quería salir del colegio directo a administrarlas, a lidiar con el ganado y las cosechas.” No quiere huir a otro país para protegerse a pesar de que los enemigos de su padre pueden amenazarlo de muerte. Dice que, “pues me mate una bala y no la tristeza.”

Dado el legado de violencia que le deja Libardo a Julio y a Larry, éstos saben que no les puede asegurar un futuro seguro: Nos miramos y lo que vimos fue a dos mocosos hablando de la muerte y de la vida, rodeados de escoltas y criadas. Nuestra poca tranquilidad se amparaba en la fortuna de Libardo. En un mundo donde todo se arreglaba con plata, también creíamos que con plata lograríamos la absolución. Lo que no calculamos es que esa plata se iba a acabar más temprano que tarde.

Larry sí trata de escaparse de la vida de su padre. De joven, le grita a Libardo, “¡Nos van a matar por tu culpa, nosotros no te importamos, solamente te interesa la plata y te importa un culo lo que nos pase!...Aunque no volvamos, aunque nos escondamos, nos van a matar…” Enfurecido, su padre le contesta que, “para tus motos, tu ropa, tus viajes, tus relojes, para eso sí te quedas callado, pero cuando se nos vienen encima, ahí sí corres.”

Larry le dice, “no voy a dejar que me maten por tu culpa”. En este momento, un puño a la cara lo hace caer al suelo. Se da cuenta de que “había sido Julio el que me había pegado” por faltarle el respeto a su padre.

Julio siempre se pone de lado de su padre pero Larry piensa de otra manera: “creí siempre, que sin Escobar nuestras vidas cambiarían para bien.

Guardaba la esperanza de que Libardo reconsiderara su camino, que no tuviera otra opción que volver a la normalidad, que era como vivían los demás.”

Larry se muda a Inglaterra donde estudia “Banking and International Finance.” Resuelve olvidar todo lo que Libardo le había enseñado: “Después lo olvidé todo, cada instrucción de Libardo, [sobre todo] cada recomendación sobre cómo apuntar [una pistola], cómo respirar y contener el aire al momento del disparar.” Pero a pesar de los pasos que toma Larry, o tal vez precisamente por ésos, sigue sufriendo: “Desde que tuve memoria sentí que estaba condenado a la soledad…me quedaba el sabor de que todo era un montaje para encubrir la soledad...a quien habitara ese mundo mafioso donde todo era una mentira.”

Uno de los personajes más tristes es Fernanda, esposa de Libardo y madre de Larry y de Julio. Les dice que, “Me casé con Libardo sabiendo quién era y qué hacía. Y los tuve a ustedes sabiendo que no solo él seguía siendo el mismo sino que incluso era peor, se había vuelto más poderoso.” Les confiesa que, “Yo estaba enterada de todo lo que hizo para lograr el dinero y el poder.” Fernanda se refugia en los casinos para “despejar su mente” y busca un escape en la bebida, “bebió hasta el fondo.” Y de lo que más sufre es saber que Libardo tiene una amante con quien había tenido una hija.

Después de morir Escobar, varias facciones dentro de su imperio, igual que otras enemigas de él, empiezan a pelear entre sí. Libardo va perdiendo. Larry rechaza la vida de droga-adicción, no quiere venderlas ni abusar de ellas.

Un punto curioso de la trama ocurre al principio de la novela cuando Larry vuela de Londres a Colombia para el entierro de su padre. Tiene un asiento en clase turista—señal que ya han hecho sentir los efectos económicos de la disminución de fondos como resultado de las luchas entre los que quieren asumir el liderazgo después del asesinato de Escobar. Una joven, Charlie, se sienta cerca de él pero en primera clase y los dos entablan una conversación. Puesto que no hay nadie en el asiento junto a ella, Larry cambia de asiento y se sienta a su lado. Charlie está muy triste porque acaba de recibir noticia de la muerte de su padre. Larry no puede más que pensar en la coincidencia. Los dos han perdido a sus padres y van al entierro. Pero la pérdida de ella ocurre justo cuando está para abordar el avión con la esperanza de llegar a tiempo para ver vivo a su padre, mientras que la pérdida de Larry ocurrió más o menos hace doce años, o, hablando figurativamente, había perdido a su padre mucho antes en vida. Además de subrayar el tema de la pérdida, esta coincidencia juega con la imaginación del lector: ¿se relacionará Charlie y su historia con la de la familia de Larry?

La manera de desarrollar la novela—con unas partes informándose sobre otras, con cambios de varios momentos del pasado con el presente, y con dirigirse de un personaje a otro—tal vez ofrezcan un desafío al lector para saber qué pasa, cuándo y a quién. Sin embargo, esta técnica aumenta la tensión de la trama porque en algunos casos el lector sabe de antemano lo que los protagonistas no saben.

Franco maneja sus personajes, tramas y temas magistralmente, enredándolos sólo para después desenredarlos, sin nunca dejar de mostrar que el mundo de las drogas es sumamente peligroso y dañino. Al presentar personajes íntimamente envueltos en este mundo, Franco nos hace entender y sentir lo complejo, violento y peligroso que es la situación de las drogas en Colombia y como destruye a familias.

Reseña por CATHLEEN C. ROBINSON, profesora jubilada de español e historia de América Latina.

Libros / Books

El Sol Latino March 2019

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CENTRO Recommends Books for Young Puerto Rican Readers

by CENTRO Staff Reprinted with permission from © Center for Puerto Rican Studies. Published in Centro Voices 4 February 2019 From a picture book biography of legendary Puerto Rican librarian Pura Belpré to the next adventure for young Sofi, children and young adult readers have more than a few new books to look forward to in 2019. In the following list, we share a list of some upcoming titles that will hopefully encourage future generations to learn about and cherish their Puerto Rican heritage.

3. Five Midnights by Ann Dávila Cardinal (Tor Teen, June 4, 2019).

Young Adult.

Similar to the bogeyman, the story of El Cuco is told to young children to discourage bad behavior. In this young adult novel by Ann Dávila Cardinal, the two main characters must survive as Puerto Rico becomes the site of a series of violent murders.

4. Across the Bay by Carlos Aponte (Penguin, September 17, 2019).

Picture Book.

In this picture written and illustrated by Carlos Aponte, the story takes place in Viejo San Juan, as young Carlitos searches for father. Having left a home that includes his mother, his grandmother, and their cat, Carlitos goes on a colorful adventure where he comes across a range of characters and experiences.

5. Rafi and Rosa Music! | ¡Rafi y Rosi Música! by Lulu Delacre (Lee & Low, March 2019). Picture Book.

This is the fourth title in the Rafi and Rosi series. In this latest book, the two protagonists, a pair of tree frogs, learn about the Afro-Puerto Rican musical traditions of bomba and plena, as well as the flora and fauna of Puerto Rico.

1. Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré

by Anika Aldamuy Denise, illustrated by Paola Escobar (HarperCollins, January 15, 2019). Picture Book.

Pura Belpré is known as a pioneering figure in New York, the first Puerto Rican librarian to work in the city’s public library system. In this picture book, readers are introduced to the stories and accomplishments that have made Belpré such an enduring figure for the Puerto Rican community in New York City.

6. Dealing in Dreams by Lilliam Rivera (Simon & Schuster, March 5, 2019).

Young Adult.

It was just last year that Bronx-born author Lilliam Rivera published her debut novel The Education of Margot Sanchez, which tells the story of the titular character, a Puerto Rican girl from the Bronx. Now, Rivera is set to publish her sophomore effort. Dealing in Dreams is a dystopian novel in which girl gangs rule the streets and sisterhood is a means of survival as the characters must make difficult choices.

2. Silver Meadows Summer by Emma Otheguy (Knopf Books for Young Readers, April 30, 2019). Middle Grade.

After her father loses his job, 11-year-old Carolina moves with her parents and younger brother, Daniel, from their home in Puerto Rico to upstate New York. As she adjusts to her new life, Carolina also tries to hold onto her Puerto Rican identity. Meanwhile, she spends the summer at a camp where she meets a fellow artist and strikes up an important friendship.

7. Sofi Paints Her Dreams | Sofi Pinta Sus Sueños by Raquel Ortiz (Arte Público Press, May 31, 2019). Picture Book.

Sofi Paints Her Dreams… is the sequel to Ortiz’s first book in which young Sofi learns about Puerto Rican culture after coming across a magical mural. In this next adventure, Sofi’s imagination takes her to the Dominican Republic, where she learns about two legendary historical figures.

Talking about Race and Anti-Black Racism from the Diaspora continued from page 9 logic of spoliation, discrimination, compulsory invisibility, and genocide in the region.” Torres-Saillant encourages those of us in the diaspora to create scholarship based in solidarity and a shared struggle against the violence of white supremacist and capitalist systems of value.

I revisit Torre-Saillant’s essay often and it has greatly impacted my own scholarly approaches and commitments as someone located in the U.S. academy at the intersections of Latinx and Puerto Rican Studies. What I take from Torres-Saillant’s essay is not a notion that diasporic or Latinx scholars are more entitled or equipped to discuss issues of racism and inequality. Rather, those of us in the diaspora have a responsibility is to inform ourselves, thoughtfully contribute to scholarly debates and discussions, and, especially for those of us at elite U.S. educational institutions, use the considerable resources at our disposal to amplify the important work already taking place in Puerto Rico, particularly that being done by Afro-Puerto Ricans. As scholars working in the archipelago and the U.S. we indeed do need each other and have much to learn from one another. My hope is that those of us in the archipelago and in the diaspora can work towards an anti-racist praxis rooted in radical openness and solidarity in order to confront the crises before us.

DR. MARISOL LEBRÓN, Assistant Professor in the Department of Mexican American and Latina/o Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. An interdisciplinary scholar, Dr. LeBrón’s research and teaching focus on social inequality, policing, violence, and protest. Her book, Policing Life and Death: Race, Violence, and Resistance in Puerto Rico (University of California Press, 2019), examines the growth of punitive governance in contemporary Puerto Rico.

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Libros / Books

El Sol Latino March 2019

Seven Full Days: From Western Massachusetts to Ghana, Africa

by FERRIS SHELTON • Off the Common Books: August 23, 2018 | 251 pages In 1998, after working for Hasbro/Milton Bradley for nearly 20 years, Ferris Shelton went to Ghana, Africa and visited the historical El Mina Slave Castle in 1998/99. He was inspired to write a novel about the human beings processed through that building circa 1700 CE. After 20 years of creative angst and hard work, “Seven Full Days” has been published.

“A debut novel tells the story of a rising...businessman visited by disturbing dreams of the slavery era... Shelton writes in a descriptive prose that captures his characters’ emotional states in vivid detail:” -Kirkus Review Living the American dream, Jason believes he is playing by the rules. He is blessed with Callie, a loving wife and a successful career; life is good.

However, an ambitious nature has turned to an obsession that is rarely decorated with other aspects of a fulfilling life. Over the years, this desire has become behemoth - ethically based and ruthlessly applied. But this week, something is different.

Unsettling dreams have morphed into traumatic experiences real and restless enough to be felt in the marrow of his bones. Jason’s nights have become a life-threatening thrill-ride that remains an enduring psychological burden by day.

“At night, however, Jason watches from inside the head of his ancient black host—without the ability to comment or control the man’s actions—as the

Teatro / Theater

figure is captured, placed in chains, and marched to a dungeon.”

-Kirkus Review What has brought this on? The empath and the expert call the dreams a paranormal phenomenon - internally triggered by tension between mind and spirit - and warn they cannot go on indefinitely.

There are only Seven Full Days to find answers and now some of them have passed.

As time grows short, Jason must find clues while it’s daytime, because when the night comes…

To see Kirkus Review: Kirkus.com -- search: Seven Full Days To order Seven Full Days: https://levellerspress.com/product/seven-full-days/ Or from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1945473703 Ferris Shelton, long time resident of Western Massachusetts, United States Marine Corps veteran, worked for Smith College as data base manager of the Carol Christ Inauguration Committee and was a baseball coach (Blunt Park Tigers, 1991-1995) and a basketball coach (Martin Luther King Community Center (1990-1995). He is also a former writer for Springfield’s community newspaper, The New Contact.

Contact: email - ewillr777@gmail.com or Cell - (413) 777-4459

HCC ‘In the Heights’ Wins Two Kennedy Center Awards HOLYOKE, MA | HOLYOKE COMMUNITY COLLEGE | FEBRUARY 20, 2019 – The Holyoke Community College Theater Department’s fall 2018 production of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “In the Heights” was recognized earlier this month with two awards at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival.

“The show was a success on many levels – bringing in the community and getting them to recognize the college, the Theater Department, and how the college is holding true to its promise to include the community, which is predominantly Latino. We were the perfect institution to do that.”

The HCC production, co-directed by theater professor Patricia Sandoval and HCC music professor Ellen Cogen, won awards for outstanding ensemble work and choreography.

The HCC Theater Department has had tremendous success in recent years at the Kennedy Center festival, winning eight awards over the last seven years in categories including outstanding ensemble acting, dedication to a script, stage managing and best original music, among others.

The awards were announced at the end of the KCACTF Region I festival, which was held at Cape Cod Community College Jan. 29-Feb. 3. Eleven HCC students and two HCC theater faculty members attended.

KCACTF Region I includes colleges and universities in northern New York and all six New England states. Awards are based on the recommendations of respondents, who travel around the country to view college theater productions and offer critiques.

Receiving the award for outstanding ensemble work was particularly rewarding, Sandoval said.

“It’s an incredible honor because it recognizes the work that the actors, dancers, singers and production staff did together,” Sandoval said. “That is the purpose of theater – creating art together.”

She said credit for the choreography award goes to choreographer Tiffany Joseph, of Amherst, who is now a member of HCC’s adjunct faculty, teaching communication and movement. Joseph also played the role of Graffiti Pete in the production, which included community members and Holyoke High School students, as well as HCC students, alumni and staff.

“I continue to be impressed with the accomplishment of our Theater program in these competitions,” said Monica Perez, vice president of Academic Affairs. “It speaks volumes about the quality of the program and our faculty.”

The HCC Theater Department puts on two full stage productions each academic year, one in the fall and one in the spring. In addition, HCC students take part in the annual alumni-sponsored 24-Hour Theater Festival in September, a festival of one-act plays in the spring, and No Shame Theater, a periodic ad hoc event where students gather to write, rehearse and perform short plays in one evening.

Rehearsals are now underway for the HCC Theater Department’s spring 2019 production – “Ugly Lies the Bone,” by Lindsay Ferrentino, about a female soldier who returns home from war severely disfigured. The show, directed by HCC theater professor Tim Cochran, will be presented in HCC’s Leslie Phillips Theater April 25-27.

HCC presented the show seven times over two weekends in November. All but one performance was sold out. One night there was a snowstorm.

Through a combination of music and dance, “In the Heights” tells the story of a bodega owner and other residents of a mixed Latino community in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan. The performance blends salsa, hip-hop, rap, and traditional Broadway-style ballads.

Sandoval began planning for the show last spring and held auditions over the summer to allow for more rehearsal time.

“It was a lot of work, and the intention of it worked, I believe,” she said.

A scene from the HCC Theater Department’s award-winning production of the musical “In the Heights.”

Educación / Education

El Sol Latino March 2019

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Foreign in a Domestic Sense: Puerto Rico’s College Admissions Process by ROBERTO JIMÉNEZ RIVERA Originally posted on Con Ganas We Can blog | March 20, 2018 During high school, my primary goal was to leave Puerto Rico and go to college in one of the fifty states. Having done well in school, I felt ready to tackle this – the biggest challenge I could think of at the time. My parents encouraged me to pursue this dream but had no idea how to go about it or whether we could afford it. The guidance counselor at my smalltown Catholic school had little experience with the traditional U.S. admissions process, so over many months I scoured the internet trying to determine where and how to apply, and most importantly, how to pay for it.

Somehow, I made it to the University of Michigan, and became the first person in my family to enroll in a university on the mainland right out of high school.

For the average Puerto Rican, applying to out-of-state universities is significantly harder than it is for U.S. citizens elsewhere. One major reason is that most schools on the island do not encourage students to take the SAT or ACT, instead opting to use the Puerto Rico-specific Prueba de Aptitud Académica (PAA)—known locally as “el College Board,” after the company that owns and administers it.

The vast majority of colleges and universities on the mainland do not accept the PAA. By creating a parallel college admissions system, the College Board inadvertently created a status quo that precludes mainland universities as options for Puerto Rican high schoolers.

What is “el College Board” And where did it come from?

In the early 1960s, the College Board explored the possibility of developing a Spanish-language version of the SAT to expand their services to Latin America.

Puerto Rico became the ideal location to serve as College Board’s base of operations given its American-style political, social, and economical infrastructure.

The College Board developed the Spanish SAT in 1964, but its efforts to align it to the English SAT and use it for U.S. admissions failed due to difficulties with validity testing and low numbers of test-takers. Instead, College Board used it to reform admissions programs and policies across Latin America. Puerto Rico adopted the newly-renamed PAA as its national college admissions entrance examination, and shortly thereafter the test came to be popularly known as “el College Board.”

Puerto Rico’s own admissions system Around 30,000 students graduate from high school in Puerto Rico each year, and almost all of them take the PAA. By contrast, about 3,000 Puerto Rican students took the SAT in 2017. That same year, around 43% of graduating seniors in the U.S. took the SAT, and over 50% took the ACT. While the two groups overlap, we can assume a large majority of graduating seniors on the mainland has taken either test, whereas in Puerto Rico only 10% of graduates have.

This has a huge impact on the recruitment of Puerto Ricans to mainland universities.

These institutions, elite universities in particular, use SAT and ACT data to target and recruit top students from rural or poor communities. While colleges can reach these communities in the mainland, they miss out on those who live in Puerto Rico because they have not taken these tests.

Puerto Rico’s admissions process is also different because universities only use a student’s PAA score and high school GPA to evaluate applicants. At the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) system, these two factors are combined into an academic index that determines to which campuses and academic departments a student will be admitted. No recommendation letters or essays are required, and students do not need to submit a list of extracurricular activities or demonstrate leadership qualities.

It is a far cry from the holistic or “whole person” evaluations students in the fifty states have come to expect.

Only 3% of Puerto Ricans study outside Puerto Rico Because the Puerto Rican system is so different, the U.S. admissions process is foreign to students and staff at most Puerto Rican schools. As a result, few get their degrees outside the island—in fact, Puerto Ricans choose out-of-state universities at a much lower rate than students from any other U.S. state or territory.

Each year, about 25% of graduating high school students leave their home state to attend college. Even territories with similar geographic limitations, like the U.S. Virgin Islands and Hawaii, send roughly half of their graduates to institutions beyond their borders. In Puerto Rico, however, that number hovers around just 3%.

Two important factors also deter graduates from leaving, even if they are aware

of opportunities outside of Puerto Rico: the language barrier and the financial commitment.

According to Census data, only about 30% of Puerto Ricans of all ages speak English “very well” or better, which presents a challenge for students looking to attend an Englishspeaking university. There is hope, however, as this number is likely higher for current K-12 students, and test score data shows these numbers are on a slight upward trend in recent years. Puerto Rico Department of Education data shows about 45% of public school students are at a proficient or advanced level in English, which is a sign for optimism.

Income levels in Puerto Rico are also alarmingly low. The median household income for 2016 was roughly $20,000, about half that of the poorest state, Mississippi.

Fortunately, at the UPR, the cost per credit hour is still only $47. The cost of a semester outside the island, let alone a full degree, is impractical for most. For this reason, it is unrealistic to expect most Puerto Ricans to attend universities without strong financial aid programs.

Clearly, something is different about Puerto Rico. Even if the English proficiency data is overly optimistic and not an accurate reflection of reality, and the financial barrier is too steep for many, 3% is still a far lower level of representation than we should expect in campuses across the mainland. While these two factors should not be dismissed, the parallel admissions system that developed in the island is a tremendous barrier that deters many students from even exploring other options.

Who are the native Puerto Ricans in mainland universities?

Each year, fewer than 1,000 high school graduates from Puerto Rico enroll in U.S. universities outside the territory. The vast majority are likely elite private school students.

Private schools such as Baldwin School, TASIS Dorado, and San Ignacio, routinely send their top students to the Ivy League and other top U.S. universities. Baldwin School, famous for being the most expensive on the island, boasts on their school profile that over the last five years, 79% of their graduates went to college in the U.S mainland.

Overall, 17 of the 25 universities that enrolled the most students from Puerto Rico between 2012-2016 are among the top 150 on the latest US News rankings. This means the few who do leave are enrolling in some of the best institutions of higher education in our country.

Why does this matter?

Defining Puerto Rico’s political relationship with the United States in the Supreme Court case Downes v. Bidwell, Justice Edward E. White famously described the island as “foreign in a domestic sense.” The admissions process that developed in Puerto Rico is domestic in nature, but foreign in practice. It has developed into a second-class system that mirrors the second-class status of Puerto Rico within the United States. The system is unequal because the opportunities presented to students across the island are not the same as the ones easily available to high school students across the fifty states.

The UPR system has faced, and continues to face, major problems due to the economic crisis in Puerto Rico. The system’s budget was slashed by 12% ($187 million) in 2017, the latest in a series of cuts, which have resulted in multiple student protests over the past few decades. While their goal is to fight rising tuition levels, these protests are disruptive to student learning and can lead to students being unable to complete their semester courses on time, resulting in delayed graduations. In extreme cases, it can result in revoked job offers because the student doesn’t complete their degree by the job’s expected start date.

Even if these problems did not exist, there are still well-documented benefits to attending an elite university, in particular for Black and Latino students, and for those with one or two parents who are not college-educated. One study shows a substantial boost in lifetime earnings for students with these characteristics. Another points to their increased likelihood of attending graduate school.

Instead, the well-educated, upper-class families of Puerto Rico overwhelmingly reap these benefits by attending elite U.S. universities, thus perpetuating local class divides. A majority of Puerto Rico’s governors, Resident Commissioners (non-voting

14

Educación / Education

members of Congress), and Chief Justices of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico completed their undergraduate studies at mainland colleges. While you do not need a degree from a mainland university to be powerful, it certainly helps.

Lastly, and importantly, this system further alienates Puerto Ricans from the rest of U.S. society. We would never set up a system that created significant hurdles for students in New Hampshire to get an education in Ohio. We can also easily imagine a proud Mississippi resident pursuing college in another state even if her goal is to return home afterward and be a leader in her community. Doesn’t Puerto Rico deserve the same access to these resources?

It is simply a matter of principle that, because Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, they should not have to face extra barriers to access mainland educational opportunities.

It is simply a matter of principle that, because Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, they should not have to face extra barriers to access mainland educational opportunities.

El Sol Latino March 2019 Puerto Rican government must seize this opportunity to encourage students to get a solid education outside the island, then return home and become leaders in their community—allowing them to capitalize on a more global and diverse perspective in order to propel Puerto Rico and its economy into the future.

ROBERTO JIMÉNEZ RIVERA attended the University of Michigan, where he completed Bachelor’s degrees in Business and Informatics, and a Master’s degree in Higher Education.

After finishing his studies, he moved to Massachusetts and currently works at Harvard University. Roberto lives in Cambridge, MA with his wife, Sarah. You can reach him through Twitter (@hashtagRoberto).

Con Ganas We Can is a blog of the Latinos for Education organization dedicated to amplifying the Latino voice in the education sector. The purpose of this blog is to bring attention to the work of Latino leaders at the forefront of education issues.

What should be done?

Stories like mine are rare in Puerto Rico, but they shouldn’t be. I believe the best way to combat this inequality of opportunity is through a combined effort from the College Board, colleges and universities on the mainland, and the Puerto Rican government.

First, College Board must make PAA data available to universities in the mainland.

They should work with admissions offices to share how they can incorporate this data into their recruitment strategies.

With this knowledge, colleges and universities must devise new ways of targeting Puerto Rican students for admission. Students would still need to take the SAT or ACT, and both testing agencies can help ensure their tests remain accessible to all students. This could result in an overall increase of Puerto Ricans attending mainland universities, but more importantly, it would introduce a broader geographic and socioeconomic group of Puerto Ricans to these institutions.

Second, the Puerto Rico Department of Education must develop an initiative to educate guidance counselors and students about mainland U.S. college admissions.

This should include information about standardized tests, the other admissions requirements that come with a “whole person” admissions process, financial aid, and the benefits and drawbacks of going to college outside the island. It must also make high schoolers aware of the difficulty of being away from home, and the challenges of moving to a system in a completely different language.

Instead of helping Puerto Ricans gain access to opportunities available on the U.S. mainland, the College Board used Puerto Rico as a gateway to establish itself in the Latin American market. This had the unfortunate side effect of segregating Puerto Rican higher education from the rest of the country, making it too easy for students not to consider pursuing their undergraduate education off the island.

As Puerto Rico faces a crisis due to the devastation caused by Hurricanes Irma and Maria, more students will consider leaving the island, and their school guidance counselors need additional support in helping them navigate the U.S. system. The

Workforce Development Center at STCC exposes high school students to career pathways SPRINGFIELD, MA | SPRINGFIELD TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE | February 5, 2019 – Students from the High Road School of Hartford immersed themselves in various types of career training at Springfield Technical Community College.

Over the course of three days, the students gained insight into healthcare, digital printing and precision manufacturing.

The Workforce Development Center at STCC is working with area organizations as part of its community outreach to expose potential students to various career paths.

“We thought it was amazing,” said Allena Hall, teacher’s assistant at High Road School. “It’s awesome that the kids got to learn different trades. One of our students is very artistic, so he loved doing the graphic design course. That was new to him.”

The students each morning took a bus to STCC from High Road School, a stateapproved privatized special education day school for individuals with social, emotional and behavioral challenges.

On the first day, they went to Building 20, where the health programs are taught.

The four students got to sample what it’s like to be in an EMT training program.

Within a few minutes, they Students learn CPR and other EMT skills at STCC.

were on their knees and performing chest compressions on CPR manikins, discovering the basics of CPR. On the second day, they sat behind desktop computers and used software to create digital images for T-shirts.

On the final day, the students visited the STCC mechanical engineering technology lab and learned how to design and build fidget spinners using a CNC (computer numeric control) machine.

“It was great,” Hall said. “We were able to get a lot of information over three days.

One of our students is interested in applying to STCC after he graduates. He loves the school and liked the professors who were helping us out.”

The STCC Community Education portfolio acquaints community members with the technical side of the college. It provides students with a “hands on” approach to the many certificate programs available at Springfield Technical Community College, said Elliot Levy, senior director for the Workforce Development Center at STCC. “We want students to work on a project to energize interests in the technical part of our name. For a minimum fee, students can engage in a three-day, three rotation sampling of our technical programs,” Levy said.

“STCC’s Workforce Development Center offers many career pathways,” Levy added.

“These programs are affordable and driven by industry needs. People who get the training will find themselves in demand when they apply for jobs.”

For more information about courses offered through the Workforce Development Center, visit www.stcc.edu/wdc.

Salud / Health

El Sol Latino March 2019

15

¿Te sientes triste o desanimado durante los meses de invierno?

La vitamina D puede ser una solución por JESSICA CABALLERO-FELICIANO Para los países situados lejos del ecuador, los meses de invierno se caracterizan por temperaturas frías y días cortos. El sol amanece mas tarde y oscurece mas temprano. Debido a esto, muchas personas que trabajan en edificios con poca luz natural pueden pasar días sin ver el sol. Esto puede crear una receta perfecta para la depresión estacionaria. Este problema es aún mas pronunciado para personas que llevan años viviendo en lugares soleados para luego mudarse a climas mas oscuros y fríos.

Sin embargo, aunque no hayas tenido un diagnóstico de depresión estacionaria, se recomienda tomar precauciones para mantenerse saludable durante estos meses. Entre ellos se recomienda ejercitarse, preferiblemente de manera social, exponerse al sol, comer sano, escuchar música, hacer yoga o meditar, e incluir suplementos de vitamina D si es posible y si no se adquiere lo suficiente por medio de la comida.

Los síntomas característicos de la depresión estacionaria son: somnolencia, antojos de comer carbohidratos, falta de concentración, estado de ánimo deprimido, ansiedad, irritabilidad, aumento de peso, letargo, y disminución de la libido. Estos síntomas aparecen durante los meses de invierno, y desaparecen con la llegada de la primavera o al inicio del verano, y debe haber dos episodios de esta sintomatología en el lapso de dos años. Solo puede ser diagnosticado por un profesional de la salud. Aproximadamente 9 porciento de la población de New England y Alaska sufren de la depresión estacionaria, en comparación con un 1 porciento de la población que vive en Florida. Para las personas que han sido diagnosticados con depresión estacionaria, es imperativo comenzar el tratamiento temprano. Usualmente octubre es el momento adecuado, ya que los síntomas de la depresión estacionaria comienzan a manifestarse en noviembre o diciembre. Los tratamientos generalmente incluyen medicamentos, psicoterapia, fototerapia, y/o vitamina D. Aunque ha habido investigación científica extensa en el tema de la depresión estacionaria, aún no se sabe cual es la causa específica. Sin embargo, hay muchos factores asociados. La reducción en las horas del sol suele ser lo mas indicativo, debido a que interrumpe el reloj biológico y éste se asocia con depresión. La reducción en el sol también reduce los niveles de serotonina, un neurotransmisor asociado a sentimientos de bienestar, recompensa, memoria, entre otros procesos cognitivos complejos. Mas horas de oscuridad también conllevan a un aumento en melatonina, una hormona que regula el ciclo del sueño y es controlado por la luz. El cuerpo va produciendo melatonina durante el atardecer cuando el sol se va poniendo.

Cuando anochece, los niveles de melatonina aumentan, causando sueño.

Al acostarse a dormir, los niveles de melatonina van disminuyendo. Esto con la ayuda del sol al amanecer causan que los niveles de melatonina bajen por completo y ya no haya mas sensación de sueño durante el día.

El tratamiento más común y eficaz es la fototerapia o “light-box.” Esta terapia utiliza longitudes de onda entre 280-320nm y simula al sol en cuanto a la estimulación a la piel a producir vitamina D. Estas cajas de fototerapia se pueden comprar sin receta y están aprobadas por la FDA. Los mas recomendados usan 10,000 lux de luz fluorescente blanca y debe contener un filtro para la luz ultravioleta.

Sin embargo, si quieres prevenir la depresión estacionaria de manera mas costo-efectiva y conveniente, la vitamina D es una solución viable. Se recomienda verificar los niveles de vitamina D con su médico de cabecera para identificar si están por debajo del rango normal (50 nmol/L). Luego de que la piel produzca vitamina D al exponerse al sol, la vitamina D viaja a diferentes receptores en nuestro cuerpo para entonces así llevar a cabo las funciones necesarias. La vitamina D juega un rol importante en la absorción de calcio en los huesos, modula el crecimiento de células, función neuromuscular e inmune, y reduce inflamación.

Uno de los lugares al que viaja es al cerebro. Nuestro cerebro contiene receptores de vitamina D y en un área del cerebro llamada la “substantia nigra” hay una alta cantidad de receptores de vitamina D. Éste área contiene neuronas que producen el neurotransmisor dopamina, el cual es importante para aprendizaje y recompensa. Para las personas que se mudan a un lugar con menos exposición al sol luego de haber vivido por tiempo extendido en lugares soleados, es más importante aún mantener buenos niveles de vitamina D. La razón para esto es porque las personas que reciben constante sol, y por ende más producción de vitamina D, el cuerpo tiene que generar mas receptores que llevan a cabo sus diferentes funciones. Al mudarse a un lugar oscuro, estos receptores ven una disminución drástica en la cantidad de vitamina D que reciben. Esta disminución de vitamina D conlleva a que se compliquen los diferentes procesos en el que está envuelta esta vitamina, entre ellos, se afecta el estado de ánimo.

En el 1999 en la Universidad de Medicina de Carolina del Sur realizó uno de los primeros estudios en encontrar una asociación entre la vitamina D y el estado de ánimo. Reclutaron quince pacientes con diagnóstico de depresión estacionaria, 8 pacientes recibieron 1000,000 iu de vitamina D, y 7 pacientes fueron tratados con fototerapia. Al comienzo, y una semana después del estudio se administró varias medidas de depresión, al igual que se midió la cantidad de vitamina D en la sangre. En el grupo de pacientes que recibieron vitamina D, se encontró una mejora significativa en la escala de depresión. No hubo cambios en el grupo de fototerapia. Sin embargo, se cree que la fototerapia es la manera mas común en los tratamientos de hoy día gracias a los avances en la tecnología que lo han llevado a ser mas eficaz. Otro estudio pionero realizado en el 1998 en la Universidad de Newcastle reclutó 44 personas sin diagnóstico de depresión estacionaria. A 3 grupos se le administraron suplementos de vitamina D de 400 iu, 800 iu, o nada de vitamina D. Esto por 5 días durante el invierno. Los dos grupos que tomaron vitamina D encontraron una mejora en estados de ánimo y una disminución en sentimientos negativos.

Es importante recordar que todos tenemos días “malos” ya sea en invierno o en cualquier otra temporada del año. Llevar un estilo de vida saludable y encontrar buenos mecanismos para manejar los problemas y el estrés es importante para prevenir un sinnúmero de enfermedades. Pero si sientes síntomas persistentes que te afectan en tu diario vivir es importante buscar ayuda profesional.

JESSICA CABALLERO-FELICIANO (jcaballerof@umass.edu) es estudiante en el Neuroscience & Behavior Graduate Program -UMass Amherst.

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