El Sol Latino | May 2023 | 19.6

Foto del Mes/Photo of the Month

Estrella Soto

Maestra de Ceremonias del programa de develación oficial del mural La cultura es poder producido por las artistas puertorriqueñas del Colectivo Moriviví. La actividad tuvo lugar el 21 de abril de 2023 en El Mercado, Holyoke.

contents

3 Portada / Front Page

La cultura es poder, nuevo mural de Colectivo Moriviví

4 UCLA Report Paints Complex Picture of Inequality Among Growing Afro-Latino Population in U.S.

Congressional Hispanic Caucus Welcomes New Executive Director

5 Update on the Puerto Rican Studies Initiative for Community Engagement and Public Policy

6 Many Puerto Ricans Leaving US Mainland

8 Educación / Education

Puerto Rican Mechanical Engineering Technology Professor Recalls Days as a STCC student

9 “Tiznando el País” Propone un Acercamiento Antirracista a las Artes

10 College for Kids at STCC this Summer Offers Fun Learning Experiences

11 Finanzas / Finances

The Yo-Yo Effect of Credit Scores

12 Cultura / Culture

Reseña Exposición Trenzando identidades

13 Libros / Books

YO LO QUE QUIERO ES AMOR: Historia Documental De Las Telenovelas De Puerto Rico, 1955-1975

Developing Scholars: Race, Politics, and the Pursuit of Higher Education

14 Salud / Health

Gándara Center Comienza Campaña ‘Rompe el Estigma’ durante el Mes de Concientización sobre la Salud Mental

15 Deportes / Sports

Springfield Old Timers Softball League

Founded in 2004 Volume 19, No. 6 May 2023

Editor Manuel Frau Ramos manuelfrau@gmail.com

413-320-3826

Assistant Editor Ingrid Estrany-Frau

Art Director Tennessee Media Design

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La cultura es poder, nuevo mural de Colectivo Moriviví

El 21 de febrero se develó en la ciudad de Holyoke el mural La cultura es poder producido por el grupo de artistas puertorriqueñas del Colectivo Moriviví. El mural está expuesto en la pared exterior del edifico localizado en el 401 de la Main Street de Holyoke, a pocos pasos de la cede de la organización patrocinadora del proyecto, Nueva Esperanza.

La develación oficial del mural fue precedida por una ceremonia pública en el salón de eventos de Nueva Esperanza, conocido como “El Mercado.” Durante la ceremonia, conducida por Estrella Soto, las artistas fueron reconocidas por los funcionarios electos de la ciudad.

Las artistas, Gabriela Díaz Ortiz, Patricia Rivera Vega, Valeria Méndez Rosado, Raysa Rodríguez García, y Sharon ‘Chachi’ González Colón (ausente), recibieron proclamas de parte del alcalde de Holyoke, Joshua A. García, del Concejal de Holyoke Juan C. Anderson-Burgos, y de la representante estatal Patricia A. Duffy.

Sharon ‘Chachi’ González Colón y Raysa Rodríguez García son las cofundadoras del Colectivo Moriviví. Desde sus orígenes, el colectivo ha estado enfocado en la creación de arte público y activismo político a través de la creación de murales. La participación comunitaria en el diseño, creación y el mensaje de la obra artística son parte integral del proyecto muralista.

Colectivo Moriviví es un colectivo de mujeres que ha estado produciendo arte público y activismo desde el 2013. Su trabajo busca la democratización del arte y el traer las narrativas de las comunidades puertorriqueñas a la esfera pública para crear espacios donde estas sean reconocidas. Buscan crear una comunidad y asegurarse de que su historia no sea negada.

“El muralismo es comprensible y poderoso para el espectador en general. Retratar ideas en colectivo y en colaboración con otros es un desafío, y eso es lo que valida la pintura como proceso.”

Las obras artísticas del Colectivo Moriviví ya son ampliamente reconocidas en la región ya que desde el 2019 han estado realizando proyectos muralistas tanto en Springfield como en Holyoke. Cuatro años atrás, las artistas crearon dos murales en dos edificios ubicados en Hampden Street, Springfield. En Holyoke, crearon dos murales dentro de la Biblioteca Pública de la ciudad.

En 2022, el Colectivo realizó su segunda visita a la región invitado nuevamente por el programa cultural FreshPaint Springfield 2022. Ese año completaron el mural Fragmentación Sensorial el cual está localizado en la fachada principal de la Germán Gerena Elementary School en el corazón de la comunidad puertorriqueña de Springfield.

El mural de abril 2023 en la ciudad de Holyoke es parte de un proyecto colaborativo entre la organización comunitaria Nueva Esperanza, Inc., El Corazón/The Heart of Holyoke Project, el Departamento de Historia del Arte y Arquitectura de la Universidad de Massachusetts Amherst, y Cultura Consulting. El proyecto está subsidiado por

la Fundación Andrew W. Mellon la cual en 2020 aprobó una subvención de $225,000 a las profesoras de Historia del Arte y Arquitectura de UMass, Ximena Gómez y Karen Kurczynski para un Seminario de la Facultad Mellon Sawyer sobre “Raza y cultura visual en las Américas, siglos 20 y 21.”

por MANUEL FRAU RAMOS

Las artistas Gabriela Díaz Ortiz, Patricia Rivera Vega, Raysa Rodríguez García y Valeria Méndez Rosado fueron reconocidas por Joshua A. García, alcalde de Holyoke.

Gabriela Díaz Ortiz, Patricia Rivera Vega, Raysa Rodríguez García y Valeria Méndez Rosado junto a la representante estatal Patricia A. Duffy

El Concejal de Holyoke Juan C. Anderson-Burgos se dirige a las artistas del Colectivo Moriviví.

UCLA Report Paints Complex Picture of Inequality Among Growing Afro-Latino Population in U.S.

LOS ANGELES, CA | UCLA LATINO POLICY & POLITICS INSTITUTE | April 20, 2023 – The Afro-Latino population in the U.S. has grown at nearly twice the rate of non-Black Latinos since the beginning of the century, and new UCLA research reveals complex social inequalities faced by Afro-Latinos—people who are both ethnically Latino and racially Black. Despite having higher educational attainment than non-Black Latinos, Afro-Latinos face worse outcomes in key areas including income and homeownership.

The findings are based on a new report by the UCLA Latino Policy & Politics Institute, or LPPI, that looked at how the distinct yet simultaneous systems of oppression and resistance of race, ethnicity and gender lead to disparities in education, income, poverty and homeownership for Black Latinos in the U.S. With Afro-Latino populations growing 121% from 2000 to 2019—a growth rate nearly twice that of non-Black Latinos—the study reveals inequalities that remain hidden when Latinos are not disaggregated by race.

“Despite their high growth rates and unique position in American society, few studies have used Census Bureau data to quantify and center the lived experiences of Afro-Latinxs,” said Misael Galdámez, one of the report’s authors. “The need to understand how Afro-Latinx experiences differ from non-Black Latino experiences will only grow as Afro-Latinxs enter voting age and shape policy outcomes.”

The report underscores the many challenges that Afro-Latinos face in comparison to other groups. While Afro-Latinos have lower homeownership rates compared to other groups, 40.6% for AfroLatinos versus 54% for nonBlack Latinos, those who do own have higher home values than non-Black Latinos and the U.S. population overall —$210,000 versus $200,000. Researchers found that Afro-Latinos have higher poverty rates: In 2019, Afro-Latinos experienced a poverty rate of 23%, three percentage points higher than the poverty rate of nonBlack Latinos and the overall U.S. population.

The report shows that Afro-Latinos education rates exceed their non-Black Latino counterparts: 26% of Afro-Latinas completed a college degree, compared with 18% of non-Black Latinas; 20% of Afro-Latinos completed a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared with 15% of non-Black Latino men.

“Latinos are not a monolith. Yet too often, data ignores race and assumes all Latinos are racialized the same way,” said Nancy López, professor of sociology and director of the Institute for Study of “Race” & Social Justice at the University of New Mexico and one of the report’s authors.

“Our work is part of a movement toward visibility for the AfroLatinx experience through data that is premised on intersectional inquiry and praxis, not just disaggregated ethnicity data, and captures our unique experiences with oppression and resistance. This will help us understand the complexity and diversity of issues facing Latinos today and cultivate implicit solidarity within and across our communities to address existing inequities.”

This report comes out as UCLA LPPI prepares to launch the U.S. Latino Data Hub later this year. This first-of-its-kind online resource will provide the public, community-based organizations, media outlets and policymakers with the ability to generate robust intersectional inquiry and advocacy that acknowledges that disaggregated data by ethnicity alone is not enough for creating policy solutions for those at the margins of Latinidad in the U.S.

“We need reliable, actionable data to make sure no one is overlooked in policy conversations,” said Rodrigo Dominguez-Villegas, UCLA LLPI director of research and director of the U.S. Latino Data Hub. “Our findings and the forthcoming Latino Data Hub aim to help contextualize the lives and lived experiences of Afro-Latinx and other populations so that we are better able to advocate for meaningful policy change that will improve the lives of all Latinos.”

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Portada / Front Page Update on the Puerto Rican Studies Initiative for Community Engagement and Public Policy

Update on the Puerto Rican Studies Initiative for Community Engagement and Public Policy

Originally posted in La Voz Newsletter (El Instituto – UConn Storrs) on February 3, 2023 by CHARLES

STORRS, CT | EL INSTITUTO -UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT

- The Puerto Rican Studies Initiative for Community Engagement and Public Policy (PRSI) is a research initiative seeking to document and support Puerto Ricans’ vital economic, intellectual, and cultural contributions to Connecticut and to provide research-based support for the development of public policies addressing the needs of Puerto Ricans in the State of Connecticut. This initiative is part of a collaboration among various programs, including El Instituto (UConn Storrs, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences), Puerto Rican and Latin@ Studies Project (UConn Hartford, School of Social Work) and the Hispanic Health Council/Mi Casa. This initiative is funded by the Connecticut General Assembly with American Rescue Plan Act funds.

We are currently working on four civic engagement projects. We are assisting El Show de Analeh with the production of civic education television programs and conducting surveys/focus groups of the audience to gauge the impact of the show on its viewers. We are also working with the Hispanic Health Council in Connecticut to explore the possibility of creating a Welcome Center in Hartford that can help migrants better incorporate into the city and state. At a national level we are working with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino to create a series of educational programs in Connecticut. In addition, we are working with the National Puerto Rican Agenda to organize a leadership symposium in Connecticut.

R. VENATOR SANTIAGO

The PRSI is currently running several parallel projects. The data research project seeks to create a demographic profile of Puerto Ricans in Connecticut in three different periods, namely 2021, 2016-2021, and a historical decades long period. This project will also create a public datahub that will enable users to access public data by geographical locations throughout the state of Connecticut. We have two different types of archives projects. This year we remade the Puerto Rico Citizenship Archives Project and are creating two additional public repositories of documents, namely the 1909 Survey of Puerto Rican Elites and the Puerto Rico Status Archives Project. The first collects the most comprehensive collection of a 1909 colonial survey of Puerto Rican elites. The second collects all the status legislation for Puerto Rico debated between 1898 and the present. A second archive will focus on the collection of Oral Histories from Puerto Rican leaders in Connecticut. This is a collaboration with Dr. Fiona Vernal and the Engage, Public, Oral and Community Histories (EPOCH) program in UConn’s Department of History. The goal is to document examples of Puerto Rican community leaders’ work for the civic engagement of Puerto Ricans in Connecticut.

The PRSI is also committed to working with the Caribbean Preparedness and Response, a non-profit focused on disaster communications, to create several satellite-based emergency communications hubs in Connecticut.

Other academic projects will focus on the creation of a Puerto Rican Studies research journal and a national Society for the Study of Puerto Rico and Puerto Ricans.

Overall, the goal is to create a premier research initiative that can help document and address the needs of Puerto Ricans in Connecticut.

Congressional Hispanic Caucus Welcomes New Executive Director

WASHINGTON, D.C. | The CONGRESSIONAL HISPANIC CAUCUS | April 19, 2023 – The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) announced that Angel Colón-Rivera will be the new Executive Director of CHC effective May 1, 2023. Dr. Colón-Rivera joins CHC from the U.S. Department of Commerce where he most recently served as Chief of Congressional Affairs for the Census Bureau and Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs in the Office of the Secretary.

“CHC welcomes Angel as its’ new Executive Director. Angel is the right person to support and advance the priorities of our largest caucus in history. His experience in the Senate and with the BidenHarris Administration will be an asset to the CHC and our members,” said CHC Chair Nanette Barragán. “There is a lot of work to do alongside the Biden-Harris Administration and a Democraticcontrolled Senate. I look forward to working with Angel to carry out the work of the Caucus, continue our CHC on the Road stops across the country in growing Latino areas, and engage our Latino community.”

Prior to his service at the Department of Commerce under the Biden-Harris Administration, he served as a senior adviser to CHC member Senator Bob Menendez, where he led the Senator’s work on the Senate Democratic Hispanic Task Force, was his primary CHC

liaison, and his principal adviser on matters relating to Puerto Rico, the census, and corporate diversity, equity, and inclusion. Before joining the Senate, Colón-Rivera worked as a policy adviser to the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe and the U.S. House of Representatives under the sponsorship of the James Marshall Public Policy Postdoctoral Fellowship from the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues. There he translated research into public policy recommendations on immigration, human trafficking, housing, and homelessness.

Dr. Colón-Rivera is a former public policy fellow of the University of Nebraska Public Policy Center. He obtained his doctorate in socialcommunity psychology from the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras.

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), founded in December 1976, is organized as a Congressional Member organization, governed under the Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives. The CHC is dedicated to voicing and advancing, through the legislative process, issues affecting Hispanics in the United States, Puerto Rico and U.S. Territories.

Charles R Venator Santiago (Sean Flynn/UConn Photo)

Many Puerto Ricans Leaving US Mainland

ADJUNTAS, PUERTO RICO — Achieving economic stability is typically the main reason that many Puerto Ricans migrate to the U.S. mainland. At the same time, thousands return to Puerto Rico annually, describing their homecoming as “a dream come true.”

After 22 years abroad, married doctors Sheila Perez Colon and Lionel Lazaro Collazo decided to practice medicine in Puerto Rico.

“We always wanted to return to the island, but we couldn’t find the way,” Lazaro Collazo told VOA. According to the orthopedic surgeon, attending medical school and building a practice led the couple to live in New York, Los Angeles and Miami. “It hurt us a lot when our daughter asked us why she wasn’t born in Puerto Rico, if the whole family was from the island.”

Data from the 2020 Census showed Puerto Rico’s population at 3.2 million, with an estimated 11.8% decrease over the preceding decade. Meanwhile, Puerto Ricans residing on the mainland reached 5.8 million, making them the second largest Hispanic population in the continental U.S.

“We always had Puerto Rico in our hearts, sometimes even with a bit of guilt for not being able to be there,” Perez Colon said.

A pediatric endocrinologist, Perez Colon said the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing isolation led them to return home. The couple arrived in Puerto Rico with their 10-year-old daughter in June 2022. “Knowing there’s a great need for specialties like ours in our home country, while you are providing that expertise elsewhere and not back home, brought us back,” she said.

They say their biggest concern was the salary disparity of medical professionals in Puerto Rico compared with the U.S.

“That’s a reality that no one can deny. But we are prepared. We knew what was in store for us. We knew we were going to have a lower salary, but we would be rewarded to be with family in a place that satisfies us,” Perez Colon said.

For Lazaro Collazo, it was also an opportunity to give back.

“This was my dream, where I wanted to be to be able to offer my services to my people again,” he said. “What better than two wellprepared specialists who are bringing needed services to the island.”

A total of 17,859 Puerto Ricans moved back to the island in 2021, according to the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics. Two years earlier, 24,531 returned, one of the highest numbers in the past decade.

According to the Pew Research Center, 2017 hurricanes Irma and María were determining factors in the exodus of Puerto Ricans, as they sought safety on the mainland. In the year after the hurricanes, Puerto Rico’s population dropped by 3.9%.

“The mid-2000s marked a turning point for the island’s economy when it entered a recession from which it has not recovered,” the Pew study said. “Since then, many Puerto Ricans have left the island for the U.S. mainland, particularly Florida, often citing work and family-related reasons.”

continued on page 7

Portada / Front Page

Many Puerto Ricans Leaving US Mainland

For identity and art

continued from page 6

For more than 30 years, Isaida Ortiz Rosa and Angel Valentin Concepcion lived on the U.S. mainland. Their story began in 1987, when they met on a bus. He was on his way home after a trip to Miami. She was on her way to university. A few years later, they married and decided to start their lives outside of Puerto Rico.

Ortiz Rosa, retired from a government job on the mainland, is dedicated to poetry, a passion she kept alive during her time away from home.

“I have been writing poetry since I was young,” she said. “I used to write on receipts or napkins and put them in a drawer, but in the U.S. I got my voice back. Working in the government, I used to write and go to poetry venues, but it wasn’t until 2006 that I began to recite what I wrote.”

Her love for the written word began at school, when a drama teacher gave her a poem. But she recalls “there were other priorities.”

“My parents were building houses—we were poor and talking about the arts was something very strange.”

Valentin Concepcion, a photojournalist by profession, agreed that “all art is a luxury that the working class, who struggle day by day, cannot afford.”

“In my case with photography, my parents were government workers, lower middle class, and buying a camera was not something that was in the budget,” he said.

His plan was to spend two years in the U.S., but said, “When 20 years passed, I realized I had lived half my life abroad and that it was time to go back. I was always looking for the opportunity to return to Puerto Rico.”

The couple returned to Puerto Rico from South Florida in the summer of 2021, motivated by the deaths of close relatives and incidents of workplace harassment and racism experienced in the U.S.

“I noticed that co-workers looked at me with disgust,” said Ortiz Rosa. “When I speak in Spanish, I express myself much better.”

Like his wife, Valentin Concepcion says he felt like “a foreigner” once he left the island.

“I went to the U.S. thinking that I was American, and I didn’t have information about the racial history of the U.S., what it meant to be a Latino with American citizenship,” he added. “I always felt like a visitor, like an immigrant in the U.S., I never assimilated as an American.”

Puerto Ricans have been U.S. citizens by birth since 1917, when President Woodrow Wilson signed the Jones Act into law. The island has been U.S. territory since 1898, when Spain ceded it after the Spanish-American War.

Now, this couple sees a future filled with positivity. They plan to distribute food and supplies in low-income communities as needed. They also intend to spend their time planting fruit and taking photographs.

“I think that I wasted a lot of time in the U.S. without giving Puerto Rico something from me, of what I have learned,” Ortiz Rosa said. That feeling prompted her to start doing community work with youth groups, to teach them through poetry. “Let the youngsters see: ‘She left but she is now here, helping, doing something for the country.’”

“I say goodbye without perfect surrender to oblivion, because my heart already belongs to this my Puerto Rican land,” says one of her poems.

“Although I was pushed north, here on the island I grew up, I lived and now I reside.”

Puerto Rican Mechanical Engineering Technology Professor Recalls Days as a STCC student

SPRINGFIELD, MA | SPRINGFIELD TECHNICAL COMMUNITY

COLLEGE | March 29, 2023 – When she enrolled in the Mechanical Engineering Technology program at Springfield Technical Community College, Lineisha Dominicci-Rosario had no background or experience in manufacturing.

She admitted feeling intimidated when she stepped into the machining lab in Springfield Technology Park and looked around at the state-ofthe-art equipment that she would need to master to graduate.

“I had never worked with CNC machines at all,” she said, referring to Computer Numerical Control machines which make the lathes and mills work so they can create different parts and prototypes in the machining lab.

Having recently moved from Puerto Rico to Western Massachusetts, she also was still learning English while absorbing new engineering concepts as a student in the program.

But Dominicci-Rosario was determined to persist and get her degree. It helped that she found a strong support system at STCC. Her professors reached out to help her succeed whenever she was struggling. She befriended another student, also a young woman, who became a study partner.

Today, in 2023, Dominicci-Rosario not only has her degree from STCC in Mechanical Engineering Technology but she is an assistant professor in the program. She teaches students engineering concepts and how to operate the CNC machines. As a faculty member at STCC, Dominicci-Rosario has come full circle.

“It’s fulfilling,” said Dominicci-Rosario, a 2018 graduate. “It’s nice to come back and see the impact I’m making on students. It’s the same impact that the professors had on me.”

Vice President of Academic Affairs Geraldine de Berly said, “We are gratified that STCC has not only provided opportunities for female students to enter the manufacturing fields but that faculty such as Lineisha Dominicci-Rosario have become educators leading students into excellent career paths.”

In recent years, STCC has received funding to support efforts to recruit and retain more students of color in fields such as manufacturing. In 2021, the college received a federal HSI-STEM grant award, which supports efforts to recruit and retain more students of color in fields like manufacturing.

Through the grant, STCC has created STEM-focused first-year experience courses, among other support services for students of color and low-income students. Proactive STEM advisors will bring services to students first.

STCC, the only technical community college in Massachusetts, is federally designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), with 30 percent of the students identifying as Hispanic.

When she was a student, Dominicci-Rosario was recognized for her academic work at STCC. In 2018, she was named one of the state Department of Higher Education’s “29 Who Shine,” a program that recognizes one outstanding graduating student from each public college and university in Massachusetts.

Her mentor was physics professor Beth McGinnis-Cavanaugh, who serves as faculty advisor to the Society of Women Engineers Chapter at STCC.

Dominicci-Rosario said she’s proud to serve alongside McGinnisCavanaugh and the other STCC faculty. McGinnis-Cavanaugh and Dominicci-Rosario are two of five female engineering faculty at STCC. The School of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) is led by Dean Lara Sharp, a woman who is an engineer. All seven math professors at STCC are women.

“It’s important to be inclusive because men and women both bring important skills and ideas to the table,” Sharp said. “Our faculty serve as mentors and role models for students. When our female students see a faculty member who is a woman, they might be particularly inspired to pursue that engineering or math degree.”

As a native Puerto Rican, Dominicci-Rosario also brings a perspective as a Hispanic woman.

Dominicci-Rosario recalls always being one of only a few women in an engineering class, both at STCC and at Northeastern University, where she pursued a bachelor’s degree in advanced manufacturing systems. Her interest in mechanical engineering and manufacturing began when she was a girl watching her father work on cars in Puerto Rico. She was curious how cars were made and what type of process was needed to fix them.

She encourages more women to get into the field and offers the following advice: “As long as you keep believing in yourself, stay humble and know that if you power through you’re going to make it through regardless of what’s happening around you, success will happen. I think that was the one thing that kept me strong and kept me going.” While a student at STCC, Dominicci-Rosario completed an internship with a software company. In 2020, she was hired as associate postprocessor engineer at the company.

While working as an engineer, she stayed in touch with her professors at STCC, who told her they were looking for a faculty member to teach in the Mechanical Engineering Technology department. She started as an adjunct professor before being offered a full time position at STCC, which is the only technical community college in Massachusetts. Now a colleague, Thomas Minor was one of Dominicci-Rosario’s professors. He also came to the MET program as a student before he was hired to teach. Today, he is an associate professor in the MET program.

continued on page 9

STCC has 5 women engineering faculty. From left: Barbara Washburn, Beth McGinnisCavanaugh, Lineisha Dominicci-Rosario, Cynthia DeSellier and Sharon Sheng.

Educación / Education

“Tiznando el País” Propone un Acercamiento Antirracista a las Artes

RÍO PIEDRAS, PR | UNIVERSIDAD DE PUERTO RICO – RÍO

PIEDRAS | 19 de abril de 2023 – En una conferencia de prensa que comenzó bajo un sol candente y que finalizó bajo un pertinaz aguacero, este martes 18 de abril el Instituto Interdisciplinario y Multicultural de la Universidad de Puerto Rico (INIM) del Recinto de Río Piedras de la Universidad de Puerto Rico y la Alianza de Museos de Puerto Rico (AMPR), anunciaron oficialmente el lanzamiento del proyecto colaborativo “Tiznando el país: visualidades y representaciones”, ambiciosa iniciativa financiada por la Mellon Foundation que tiene como objetivo principal el fomentar nuevas perspectivas sobre la historia de la producción artística realizada por personas negras y afrodescendientes, así como la enseñanza — desde un marco antirracista— de las artes visuales en Puerto Rico y en la diáspora.

estudiantes y personal administrativo del Departamento de Educación (DEPR) y el programa de Afro Cine para estudiantes del DEPR, la UPR y centros culturales comunitarios en Puerto Rico y Estados Unidos. El INIM facilitará, además, el intercambio entre la Universidad de Puerto Rico y la diáspora puertorriqueña con especialistas de arte y museología afro en Chicago, Nueva York y Filadelfia, así como el diálogo internacional mediante una serie de conferencias magistrales con especialistas invitados. Asimismo, otorgará becas a estudiantes de historia del arte para que formen parte de un equipo curatorial antirracista.

Por su parte, Marianne Ramírez Aponte, presidenta de la Alianza de Museos de Puerto Rico y codirectora de Tiznando el País, expresó: “la participación de la Alianza en este proyecto persigue cambios sostenibles dentro de la comunidad de museos y la gestión cultural en lo que respecta a hacer justicia racial a nuestros artistas, gestores culturales y a las comunidades a las cuales pertenecen, así como a la manera en que los museos se relacionan con las comunidades negras y afrodescendientes que sirven y cómo implementan prácticas de reflexión crítica en todos sus procesos y en la creación de colecciones, exhibiciones y programas públicos.”

“Tiznando el país” se basa en alianzas estratégicas, un programa de exhibiciones, recursos pedagógicos y programas educativos dirigidos a artistas, gestores culturales, docentes, estudiantes y la comunidad en general. Este proyecto se desarrollará entre los años 2023 y 2025, en la coincidencia del cierre del Decenio Internacional de los Afrodescendientes promulgado por las Naciones Unidas (20152024). Un total de 25 entidades en Puerto Rico y diversas ciudades de Estados Unidos con una nutrida población puertorriqueña formarán parte de este proyecto. Este grupo de instituciones incluye museos, organizaciones comunitarias y espacios artísticos que respondieron a la convocatoria hecha por el INIM y la AMPR en marzo de 2022 para conceptualizar exhibiciones que aludieran a la experiencia de la negritud y la afrodescendencia vista desde la realidad y la condición colonial puertorriqueña y que guarden los valores del Decenio: Reconocimiento, Justicia y Desarrollo.

La Dra. María Elba Torres, directora del INIM y codirectora de “Tiznando el País”, destacó que la ejecución del proyecto “reafirma el compromiso del INIM y la Universidad de Puerto Rico con una educación liberadora que, a través de las artes y visualidades, contribuya a la justicia social”.

A tal efecto, el Instituto desarrollará un componente educativo que comprende iniciativas como talleres antirracistas para maestros,

Para “Tiznando el País” la Alianza de Museos operacionalizará el trabajo colaborativo entre las entidades participantes y canalizará las subvenciones que harán concretas las exhibiciones y proyectos artísticos que conforman el proyecto. Éstos últimos fueron seleccionados por un comité asesor de la AMPR integrado por Humberto Figueroa, Hilda Llorens, Ángel Quintero Rivera, Brenda Torres, María Elba Torres y Marianne Ramírez Aponte. La AMPR igualmente desarrollará un componente educativo del proyecto que incluye talleres de sensibilización para profesionales de museos y gestores culturales sobre raza e interseccionalidad como requisito de participación en el proyecto. Además, desarrollará seminarios anuales para la formación de curadores e historiadores del arte que puedan realizar nuevas investigaciones sobre la estética afro y las experiencias de la negritud como componente integral de la historia del arte puertorriqueño.

“Tiznando el País” contará con una página web que documentará la gestión que comprende el proyecto en cuanto a exhibiciones, actividades complementarias, recursos pedagógicos y todo el contenido intelectual que comunique el conocimiento generado durante el proyecto. Para información sobre el calendario de actividades y programas educativos de este proyecto, comunicarse al (787)250-0000, ext. 6550 y 6560, registrarse en https://tiznandoelpais.org y seguir el proyecto en redes sociales como@tiznandoelpais.

Puerto Rican Mechanical Engineering Technology Professor Recalls Days as a STCC student

“We’re excited to have Lineisha as a colleague,” Minor said. “I remember having her in classes a few years ago. She was a hardworking student, and is bringing that same work ethic to her role as a professor.”

Added Dominicci-Rosario: “I’m happy to be back at STCC, which is the best option for so many people.”

continued from page 8

“I came here because it was affordable after moving from Puerto Rico,” she said. “They have great funding for people who just moved here. They have a great Hispanic community. It’s a great place to start and get your certificate or degree, which prepares you for the workforce or to transfer to continue with your education.”

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

Education College for Kids at STCC this Summer Offers Fun Learning Experiences

SPRINGFIELD, MA | SPRINGFIELD TECHNICAL COMMUNITY

COLLEGE | April 11, 2023 – College for Kids at Springfield Technical Community College this summer will feature a range of engaging programs that expose young people between 11 and 16 to learning opportunities in STEM fields.

STCC offers eight sessions between June and August. College for Kids at STCC will give tweens and teens the chance to have fun learning about airbrushing, basketball and physics, theater, public speaking and more. As the only technical community college in Massachusetts, STCC will offer participants a chance to explore programs focusing on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

“We’re excited to offer young people an opportunity to get a college student experience through these sessions,” said Lidya Rivera-Early, director of Community Engagement at STCC. “At STCC, we love hosting College for Kids on our campus. It’s an important program for the college. We love connecting with young people to show them early on how STCC can transform their lives.”

Here are the College for Kids at STCC programs planned for June through August:

Basketball and Physics, June 26-30, (ages 11-14): The Springfield Ballers will help players of all abilities develop their athletic skills, and enhance their skill set in all positions

Art Basic Design, June 26-30, (ages 11-14): This studio course is an introduction to the basic language of two-dimensional design, providing the foundation needed to engage students with a variety of visual problems and creative processes. STCC is partnering with the Springfield Museums and the course will be held at their location.

JUS10H University, July 10-14 (ages 13-16): This class educates children about fashion on a new and unique level. Students will

learn the basic fundamentals in sewing, modeling and styling and how to build a career in the fashion industry.

Theater, July 10-14, (ages 11-14): This class is designed to help build self-awareness, cultivate self-confidence, and help students explore their inner creativity. Students will learn teamwork through theatre games, acting exercises, and improvisation.

It’s Your Turn to Take the Mic, July 17-21, (ages 11-14): A workshop in public speaking that seeks to empower girls to have more confidence and self-esteem and develop the poise and communication skills needed to engage in effective public speaking.

Airbrushing, July 24-28 (ages 13-16): Does your child love painting? Using vibrant colors and designs, students will learn how to operate an airbrushing machine to design projects. (This program is offered in partnership with the STEM Starter Academy.)

Create Mobile Apps, July 24-28 (ages 13-16): This session is an introduction to the exciting world of developing apps for mobile and tablet devices. Students will create applications for mobile computing devices that culminate with a student portfolio of Android Apps. (This program is offered in partnership with the STEM Starter Academy.)

“Who done it”? Extreme Science Kid (Forensic Science), July 31Aug. 4 (Ages 11-14): This course is a modern-day twist on crime scene investigation. Children will actively engage in data collection, observation, analysis and problem-solving while performing a fun interactive group-style investigation. Using crime scene activities, books, and investigations children will learn life skills and most of all learn to love STEM education the Extreme Science Way.

Say It Loud!! Extreme Science Kid (Great Debaters), Aug. 7-11 (Ages 13-16): This special course gives children a voice to debate topics of interest while exploring the fundamentals of respectful insightful conversation. Children will learn critical thinking skills, respectful dialog, research techniques, and factchecking tips for making valid thought-provoking points that may help change the world around them.

All programs except for Airbrushing and Create Mobile Apps, which are free, cost $189 to enroll and run from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Space is limited. Parents are responsible for providing lunch.

For more information and to sign up online, visit stcc.edu/ explore/summer-programs

For questions, contact Lidya Rivera-Early, director of Community Engagement, at (413) 755-4787 or email lmearly@stcc.edu.

Finanzas / Finances

The Yo-Yo Effect of Credit Scores by

MILAGROS S. JOHNSON

The most common question asked by consumers is, “Why does my credit score keep going up and down?” My immediate thought is the “Yo-Yo Effect” we don’t always talk about, or perhaps understand. In this month’s column, I will provide you with a simple and clear explanation of what effects your credit score. I hope that once you have a clearer understanding of how the credit score works, you will make better informed, and careful decisions on how far to extend (or not extend) the “yo-yo.”

Your credit score is a three-digit number (300 to 850) that represents your credit worthiness. The higher the number, the better your credit rating, which means you will qualify for the lower interest rates when applying for loans or credit cards. So how do you get there? Let me explain what impacts your credit score to drop, in a way that breaks down the five factors that impact your credit score, good or bad…

1. Payment History (35%): Making a late payment on one of your credit accounts can have the most adverse effect on your credit rating. In fact, 35% of your credit score is based on your payment history. Make two late payments, and your score will drop even more.

2. Amount Owed (30%): Overextending yourself on your credit limit has a 30% effect on your credit score. In other words, lenders consider you to be a higher-risk for defaulting when using more than 30% of your credit limit. Therefore, to avoid that 30% drop, keep your credit utilization below 30% to avoid the significant drop.

3. Length of Credit History (15%): Old credit is good! Why? Because the length of your credit history is 15% of your score. So, before

you close that old inactive credit card account, think again and consider keeping it open (and active) to avoid losing 15% of your credit score.

4. New Credit: (10%): Each time you apply for a loan or credit card, your score drops by 10%. One way to decide on whether or not to take the plunge is by asking yourself, “Is the 10% drop worth it? Should I risk the hard inquiry on my credit?”

5. Credit Mix: (10%): There are two types of credit accounts which make up the mix, revolving accounts (i.e., credit card, retail store) and installment accounts (i.e., mortgage, auto loan). The best practice is to limit the mix to avoid the 10% drop.

For those who have a low credit score, know that your score is constantly evolving based on your credit usage, for instance. By adhering to the five factors, combined with your dedication and discipline, you will reach a healthier financial well-being and credit score, and gain total control of the yo-yo effect

For more information, or to speak with a Consumer Specialist, call (413) 787-6437 or email us at moci@springfieldcityhall.com.

MILAGROS S. JOHNSON is the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Consumer Information in Springfield, a Local Consumer Program funded by the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office.

413.233.1680

Cultura / Culture

Reseña Exposición Trenzando identidades por

Carolina, Puerto Rico: El arte es la expresión humana más importante y trascendental que tenemos. A través de este, los pueblos y culturas expresan su cosmovisión, sentimiento e ideas de su tiempo expresado en la diversidad de lenguajes que cada manifestación del arte tiene. Además, tenemos un acercamiento, desde diversas perspectivas de la historia más allá de la oficial contada por los libros y los estados de gobierno. Contar la vida desde diversas miradas con una consciencia y creatividad hace del arte uno fuera del tiempo y trascendental ya que lleva eco del pasado, la pertinencia del presente y la capacidad de verse, sentirse y tener una posibilidad pedagógica no solo académicamente, sino social, para el futuro.

Es dentro de este contexto que el viernes 10 de octubre de 2023 en la Casa Museo Ecuté de municipio autónomo de Carolina, Puerto Rico se llevó a cabo la apertura de la exposición colectiva “Trenzando identidades”. Esta exposición estuvo compilada y curada por el artista Edwin Velázquez. La misma recoge treinta obras de arte que van desde la pintura a la fotografía de treinta mujeres afrocaribeñas de Puerto Rico. No solo de las radicadas en la Isla sino también en la diáspora no solo en Estados Unidos, sino también en España y Francia.

El evento fue uno muy concurrido no solo por los artistas, sino que por el público. La apertura estuvo amenizada por el grupo de bomba Bulé Marycua el cual, con su cadencioso ritmo, la letra de sus canciones y la excelente interpretación de sus componentes, supieron crear la atmósfera precisa para una exposición diversa, llena de visiones y miradas y de manifestaciones creativas que llaman al disfrute y la reflexión. La apertura estuvo a cargo del Departamento de Cultura de dicho municipio y las palabras del artista curador, confabulador y compilador de la misma.

Durante el recorrido por la exposición, se podía apreciar el buen trabajo de curadoría de esta; La diversidad de medios y técnicas; El lenguaje artístico y filosófico que comunicaba cada obra. El público se detenía a apreciar cada obra y a conectar con la misma. Los artistas presentes estuvieron cerca de sus piezas e intercambiaron palabras con los presentes a parte de los ya comunes selfies. El ambiente fue de mucha hermanda y regocijo. La exposición “Trenzando Identidades” es el resultado de muchos años de investigación, recopilación de obras y de la creación un catálogo de artistas afropuertorriqueños. “Trenzando Identidades” mediante propuesta se ofrecerá para exhibición a entidades públicas y privadas dentro y fuera de Puerto Rico como parte de “Puerto Rico Afro” y dentro del período comprendido del 2023 al 2024, coincidiendo con el cierre del Decenio Internacional de los Afrodescendientes promulgado por la Organización de las Naciones Unidas (2015-2024).

ANGEL L. MATOS

Las artistas participantes son: Gabriela Ajlesha, Angelica Allen, Alvilda Sophia Anaya Alegría, Imna Arroyo, S.Damary Burgos, Ketsia Camacho Ramos, Maribel Canales Rosario, Brenda Cruz, Maritza Dávila Irizarry, Joyce De Jesús Martínez, Jorly Flores, Yasmín Hernández, Juanita Lanzo, Nitzayra Leonor, Deyaneira Lucero Maldonado, Sandra Martínez, Adriana Parrilla, Madeline Pimentel, Amber Robles Gordon, Brendamaris Rodríguez, Raysa Raquel, Alejandra Rosa, Femarie Rosario Disla, Ahisamar Antonia, Rachel Smith Sepúlveda, Brenda Torres Figueroa, Violeta Vani, Gabriela M. Vázquez Santiago, Estefanía Vallejo Santiago y Marcia X.

Para contacto o seguimiento de las actividades de esta exposición, pueden seguir la página de Facebook de Casa Silvana en Humacao: https://www.facebook.com/casasilvanapr

Libros / Books

YO LO QUE QUIERO ES AMOR Historia Documental De Las Telenovelas De Puerto Rico, 1955-1975

por VÍCTOR FEDERICO TORRES PUBLICACIONES GAVIOTA | 2023 | 393 páginas

Lo que más se puede celebrar de un libro académico e histórico es su contacto con lo que el pueblo reconoce. El historiador Víctor Federico Torres sabe esa clave y la ha desarrollado en múltiples libros donde ubica, sociológicamente, el impacto de figuras del mundo del espectáculo, sus efectos sociales, la intrahistoria hasta sus descubrimientos desconocida, el tránsito conflictivo y majestuoso por la vida de artistas y sucesos que nos han marcado como Nación. Y el presente libro es su consagración. Es la sociología del espectáculo en su mejor representación. No solo es acopio de datos, fechas, y nombres que podrían no tener significado para futuras generaciones. pero es precisamente su nueva significación la que la sociedad necesita para reafirmar su constante asediada identidad.

Esta historia de nuestras telenovelas es un vínculo histórico necesario; llena un espacio vacío en nuestra memoria, nuevamente poblado por la

sabia del talento, la creatividad, la pasión de hacer arte y Patria a través de un arte rudimentario pero magnífico como los fueron las telenovelas. Porque estas fueron el cuartucho escondido de muchos sentimientos, el lugar de citas de amores revividos, y la certeza de que aún en los peores momentos de nuestra historia, había una falsa esperanza que podíamos hacer verdadera en los lacrimosos diálogos de aquellas famosas y tristes telenovelas.

Developing Scholars: Race, Politics, and the Pursuit of Higher Education

by DOMINGO MOREL OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS | March 17, 2023 | 242 pages

Description:

Over the past fifty years, debates concerning race and college admissions have focused primarily on the policy of affirmative action at elite institutions of higher education. But a less well-known approach to affirmative action also emerged in the 1960s in response to urban unrest and Black and Latino political mobilization. The programs that emerged in response to community demands offered a more radical view of college access: admitting and supporting students who do not meet regular admissions requirements and come from families who are unable to afford college tuition, fees, and other expenses. While conventional views of affirmative action policies focus on the “identification” of high-achieving students of color to attend elite institutions of higher education, these programs represent a communitycentered approach to affirmative action. This approach is based on a logic of developing scholars who can be supported at their local public institutions of higher education.

In Developing Scholars, Domingo Morel explores the history and political factors that led to the creation of college access programs for students of color in the 1960s. Through a case study of an existing communitycentered affirmative action program, Talent Development, Morel shows how protest, including violent protest, has been instrumental in the maintenance of college access programs. He also reveals that in response to the college expansion efforts of the 1960s, hidden forms of restriction emerged that have significantly impacted students of color. Developing Scholars argues that the origin, history, and purpose of these programs reveal gaps in our understanding of college access expansion in the US that challenge conventional wisdom of American politics.

Reviews and Awards:

“Developing Scholars makes an important intervention in scholarship on college access policies by centering the social movements which produced college access for Black and Brown students, while also shining a light on the many ways these programs have been restrained and stripped of their power through the implementation of secondary admissions criteria and defunding. Importantly, this book illustrates that

for many Black and Brown students, higher education is not an individual pursuit, but rather a collective undertaking made possible by social movements and continually sustained by community members. This book should be read by scholars of higher education and social movements.” -- Amaka Okechukwu, author of To Fulfill These Rights: Political Struggle Over Affirmative Action and Open Admissions

“Higher education has long been considered a trusted pathway to equal opportunity and upward socioeconomic mobility; yet in this extraordinary book, Domingo Morel offers a bold and rigorous intervention demonstrating that this pathway is neither simple nor certain. Morel’s rich analysis of Rhode Island’s Talent Development program and its innovative approach to affirmative action expands our understanding of the complex set of institutional, programmatic, and political forces that can determine the effectiveness and fate of policy interventions. A must-read for anyone interested in the role that race and politics have played in the history of educational opportunity, and those looking to develop clear-eyed strategies for expanding equal opportunity through social policy.” -- Deondra Rose, author of Citizens By Degree: Higher Education Policy and the Changing Gender Dynamics of American Citizenship

About the Author:

DOMINGO MOREL is Associate Professor of Political Science and Public Service at New York University’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. His research program and teaching portfolio focus on racial and ethnic politics, urban politics, education politics, and public policy. He is the author of Takeover: Race, Education, and American Democracy, which won the W.E.B. DuBois Distinguished Book Award from the National Conference of Black Political Scientists. He is also co-editor of Latino Mayors: Political Change in the Postindustrial City.

Gándara Center Comienza Campaña ‘Rompe el Estigma’

SPRINGFIELD, MA | GÁNDARA CENTER | 28 de abril de 2023Mayo es el Mes de la Concientización sobre la Salud Mental y Gándara Center y el Instituto de Salud Pública de Western Massachusetts están trabajando para llamar la atención sobre el estigma asociado con la salud mental y la recuperación del uso de sustancias en las comunidades hispanas y afroamericanas. La campaña Break the Stigma/Rompe el Estigma es una campaña multimedia bilingüe que se inició esta primavera en el condado de Hampden. Gándara Center lanzará oficialmente la campaña en este mes de mayo.

“Break the Stigma es un mensaje importante para los residentes y las familias del condado de Hampden para apoyarnos a nosotros mismos, a nuestras familias y vecinos, así como a revisar y mejorar la organización y las prácticas de atención médica, que brindarán la atención adecuada, la inspiración y la esperanza de que el camino hacia la recuperación sea posible,” dijo Jessica Collins, directora ejecutiva del Instituto de Salud Pública del Oeste de Massachusetts. El objetivo de la campaña es romper el estigma asociado con la salud mental y el uso de sustancias con estos puntos esenciales; La recuperación es posible, la salud mental es salud, Narcan salva vidas y el uso de sustancias es una enfermedad.

“Si bien nosotros hemos visto una caída en la cantidad de muertes por opioides en todo el estado, aquí en el condado de Hampden hemos visto un aumento en los últimos años, especialmente en la comunidad hispana,” dijo Jade Rivera-McFarlin, V.P. de Desarrollo y Relaciones Comunitarias del Gándara Center. “Esta campaña es un esfuerzo por educar a la comunidad y romper el estigma que impide que muchas personas obtengan la ayuda que necesitan,” ella agregó.

Heriberto Rodríguez y Zaida Govan son los rostros de la campaña Rompe el Estigma. Rodríguez y Govan son defensores de la comunidad en lo que respecta a la salud mental y el uso de sustancias. La campaña Break the Stigma se asocia con 413Cares, la plataforma local de recursos comunitarios en línea administrada por el Public Health Institute of Western MA. Visite 413Cares.org/ BreakTheStigma para obtener más información sobre la campaña y conectarse a recursos para ayudar con la adicción y la recuperación. La campaña está financiada por una subvención de la Asociación Nacional de Funcionarios de Salud de Condados y Ciudades (NACCHO). La subvención apoya la implementación de estrategias de prevención de sobredosis en zonas rurales y urbanas del condado de Hampden, a través del trabajo de 5 socios clave: Gándara Center, Mercy Medical Center, Quaboag Hills Substance Use Alliance, Northampton Drug Addiction and Recovery Team y Choice Recovery Coaching, Inc. El Instituto de Salud Pública de Western MA proporciona apoyo administrativo y de convocatoria en esta subvención.

GÁNDARA CENTER, ha brindado servicios bilingües y culturalmente sensibles de salud conductual, uso de sustancias, prevención y educación a la región desde 1977. La agencia fue fundada para garantizar el acceso y los servicios a las poblaciones y comunidades hispanas, afroamericanas y otras poblaciones desatendidas. Hoy, Gándara Center atiende a una diversa clientela multicultural en más de 100 ubicaciones en Massachusetts y su enfoque centrado en la familia y basado en la comunidad llega a más de 15,000 niños, familias y adultos cada año.

Old Timers Softball League 2023