El Sol Latino | September 2019 | 15.10

September 2019

Volume 15 No. 10

Un Periódico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper

Remembering the Victims of the El Paso Mass Shooting Un Periódico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper

Jordan Anchondo Andre Anchondo Arturo Benavides Angie Englisbee Javier Amir Rodríguez Maria Flores Un Periódico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper Paul Flores Juan de Dios Velázquez Chairez Ivan Filiberto Manzano María Eugenia Legarreta Rothe Gloria Irma Márquez Juárez Elsa Mendoza de la Mora Jorge Calvillo García Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper Un Periódico Adolfo Cerros Hernández Sara Esther Regalado Alexander Gerhard Hoffman David Alvah Johnson Maribel Loya Margie Reckard Theresa Sánchez Angelina Silvis-Elisbe

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Editorial / Editorial

contents

Note of the editor – Given the recent tragic events at El Paso, Texas, we have decided to share the following statement in our editorial section, and the open letter of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists since we share their views about the surge in verbal and physical intimidation and harm against Latinos in the USA.

2 Editorial / Editorial Statement Condemning the Shooting in El Paso and the Hateful Rhetoric that Led to The Attack

Statement Condemning the Shooting in El Paso and the Hateful Rhetoric that Led to The Attack

August 3, 2019 | A statement from our President and General Counsel Juan Cartagena, in light to today’s shooting in El Paso: “We send our heartfelt condolences to the families of the people killed in El Paso, Texas in what is another act of domestic terrorism in America. Right now we are with the families of those who died and those who are wounded – innocent people from both the U.S. and Mexico.

All preliminary signs indicate that this is another hate-filled reaction by a white supremacist that believes our country is being invaded by a population that has been living in that part of the planet for centuries.

We are also devastated to learn of early reporting that some of the victims allegedly did not request help, out of fear of being doubly victimized by being referred to ICE. This speaks to the total disregard for our community’s humanity.

Gun violence is a serious issue in America – the land of guns, rifles and automatic weaponry. It happens every day in our barrios. Texas is an open-carry state where the Texas legislature also allows concealed carry on college campuses. But when it happens from the evil of hate it must be stopped. And that must start with leadership from the White House and Congress.

3 Portada / Front Page A Letter from the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) President

4 Jennifer Matos (MHC) and the Groundbreaking STEM Program in Puerto Rico 5 Tinta Caliente 6 Centro Hosts National Encuentro for Puerto Rican Student Leaders LatinoJustice awaits an official response from the President, one that shows no equivocation that accompanied Charlottesville. But one that denounces white supremacy and hate against Latinx communities, people of color, and all immigrants.

This rhetoric takes form as official policy carried out by the CBP and ICE; is fueled by the dehumanizing, hate-filled speeches and tweets of President Trump. It is given further impetus by the enabling cowardice of GOP leadership; and used by the white nationalists who take the words of the president and the failure to condemn that speech as a green light. And it must STOP.” LatinoJustice PRLDEF works to create a more just society by using and challenging the rule of law to secure transformative, equitable and accessible justice, by empowering our community and by fostering leadership through advocacy and education.

Cita del Mes/ Quote of the Month “This attack is a response to the Hispanic invasion of Texas.

They are the instigators, not me. I am simply defending my country from cultural and ethnic replacement brought on by an invasion.”

Introduction of the manifesto titled The Inconvenient Truth, attributed to the suspected shooter at a Walmart store in El Paso, Texas, on the morning of August 3, 2019

Foto del Mes/Photo of the Month

Romantic Spanish Guitars Concert • Holyoke Public Library – August 31, 2019

7 Recap: 2019 Summit on Latinos in New York City 8 O pinión / Opinion A community development leader to celebrate during Hispanic Heritage Month 9 No se trata solamente de reclutar a maestros de color, se trata también de retenerlos 10 L ibros / Books Largo Pétalo de Mar 1 M 1 edios / Media Estudio revela realidades de los medios de comunicación en Puerto Rico 13 Educación / Education Internship at Springfield Armory inspires STCC engineering graduate 14 Ciencias / Sceince ¿Cómo afecta la marihuana a tu cerebro?

15 L et the Countdown Begin Highlights of El Sol Latino 2013 - 2015 16 El Sol Latino Memorable Front Pages 2013- 2015

Founded in 2004

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Volume 15, No. 10 n September 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.

Orlando Zayas (Guitar & Cuban Tres), Javi Cruz (Bongos), Noemi Arguinzoni Jiménez (Singer) and Eliezer Torres (Guitar & Requinto).

El Sol Latino is published monthly by Coquí Media Group.

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

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El Sol Latino September 2019

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A Letter from the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) President Dear NAHJ Members, Today (August 22, 2019) I am announcing the decision to rescind the invitation of Fox News as a sponsor for NAHJ at the upcoming Excellence In Journalism (EIJ19) conference in San Antonio next month.

Major news outlets have always held value in simply reporting the facts, without bias, in order for the public to then take those facts and form their own opinions and perspectives.

If the news is given to the public with an underlying opinion, it can influence the viewership to think in the same way. Bias, or unfair prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group, can influence a news story in subtle ways, such as in the language used.

The line between commentary and journalism was crossed long ago by Fox News and is no longer even in sight.

To accept financial support from an entity that perpetuates the spread of disinformation to the public about the Hispanic and Latino community risks the integrity and credibility of NAHJ’s 35 year mission.

To sit silently by is, in essence to be complicit in the act itself.

Due to the passive action and insincerity to ongoing conversations, NAHJ will return the $16,666 to the Fox News organization.

I asked our co-conference partners the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) and the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) to join NAHJ in returning their $16,666 share of the $50K sponsorship dollars, but they refused opting instead to give Fox News a larger platform to discuss what they label as a “teachable moment.”

The decision by NAHJ is directed to Fox News management and in no way towards NAHJ members employed by the media company. Our association will continue to support our members in development, training and career opportunities.

It is important that news organizations do not use or give a platform to slanted jargon disguised as opinion that misconstrues the facts.

Language that instills a certain feeling, such as fear or distaste, can give the debate, discussion, and story a negative underlying tone that persuades the audience to experience a feeling of fear or hate.

My decision comes following the remarks of Fox News Radio Host, Todd Starnes. Starnes, justifies his prejudiced language directed against Latino immigrants as opinionated commentary. Starnes unapologetically states that America has “suffered” from the “invasion of a rampaging hoard of illegal aliens”, claiming that most “illegal immigrants” are violent criminals as well as casually using a reference for their immigration to the United States with the Nazis invading France and Western Europe in World War II. Starnes comments came less than two weeks after the mass shooting in El Paso, not only used the words of the suspected gunman such as “invasion”, tired slurs illegal aliens, illegals…but likened immigrants to Nazis.

Starnes brazen language is symptomatic of a culture that provides a megaphone for disinformation by those in power with agendas, including the Trump administration at the cost of the most vulnerable – immigrant communities.

While alarming, the situation with Starnes is not an isolated incident and follows years of ongoing NAHJ conversations with Fox News and recent meetings with management.

The latest “regret” by Fox News is one of many where the immigrant community and by association, all Hispanics and Latinos, have been demonized by voices with high visibility due to there being little to no consequences by management.

As a journalism organization, championing the fair and accurate treatment of Hispanics, Latinos in newsrooms and news coverage – we cannot allow others to “shelf” lies under the pretext of exercising their First Amendment right.

It is the irresponsible use of words that we’ve seen this past year like army and invasion, that quickly turn from biased opinion into policy that criminalizes a community and broadens the national divide incited by the President’s incessant negative rhetoric.

As we approach a year until the 2020 presidential election, journalism is more important than ever and providing the public with information that informs and empowers them is crucial.

I will continue to engage Fox News management in the hope of improving conditions, which afforded Starnes the license to use his program to sustain and cultivate fear. When they demonstrate real change and a true sincerity for their partnership with our association, we will revisit discussions of future financial support and sponsorship.

Soon after the mass shooting in El Paso, like so many families and parents, I had a conversation with my wife and children about the tragedy. My 16year old daughter and 13-year old son asked me if we should stop speaking Spanish in public for fear of being a target. I lied to them.

I am the proud son of Immigrant parents from Peru, loving husband to a naturalized U.S. Citizen from Colombia. We chose to raise our children to be bilingual, bicultural. But, I am not always going to be with them to protect them.

I lied when I said they shouldn’t be afraid and defiantly told them we are not going to stop conversing with one another in Spanish in public. I lied. I am afraid.

Thank you to the national board, NAHJ staff and our membership community for your ongoing support.

Hugo Hugo Balta President National Association of Hispanic Journalists The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) is the largest organization of Latino journalists in the United States and dedicated to the recognition and professional advancement of Hispanics in the news industry. The mission of NAHJ is to increase the number of Latinos in the newsrooms and to work toward fair and accurate representation of Latinos in news media. Established in April 1984, NAHJ created a national voice and unified vision for all Hispanic journalists. NAHJ has approximately 2,300 members, including working journalists, journalism students, other media-related professionals and journalism educators. For more information please visit NAHJ.org or follow on Twitter @NAHJ.

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Portada / Front Page

El Sol Latino September 2019

Jennifer Matos (MHC) and the Groundbreaking STEM Program in Puerto Rico

by MANUEL FRAU RAMOS Carmen Yulín Cruz Soto, the Mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico spoke at Mount Holyoke College (MHC) on April 27, 2018. Yulín, as she is popularly known in Puerto Rico, addressed a packed crowd and talked not only about the humanitarian side of the aftermath of Hurricane María, but also touched on themes related to social justice, the colonial status of the island, and the role of women as leaders in society. The Mayor revealed a need for summer programs for girls whose lives had been upended in the months following the island’s devastation. She was inspired by the College community and women’s education, and wanted to bring that spirit to her city.

“As part of Mayor Cruz’s visit, some faculty and I had asked her how we could continue to partner with the community of San Juan, and specifically how we could help in relation to education and women’s leadership,” said Amy E. Martin, director of the Weissman Center for Leadership. “The mayor described a particular need to offer STEM opportunities during the summer for girls — and girls in this particular community, the Playita neighborhood.”

This conversation lead to the establishment of the first educational partnership of its kind between MHC and the City of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Photo credit: MHC. Jennifer Matos and some of the STEM program students

Jennifer Matos, visiting lecturer in psychology and education, enthusiastically accepted the challenge of creating and directing the STEM program. She partnered with Jared Schwartzer, assistant professor of psychology and education, to help set up a pilot camp. A certified elementary school teacher with experience teaching science to youth, Schwartzer was a natural choice.

Summer 2018 - that’s when Cruz suggested that they pilot the camp that summer. She offered a science and math school with superb facilities and three teachers to work with the Mount Holyoke team, publicized the program and recruited students. The city also provided a bus and driver, and meals for all campers and staff.

In less than three weeks, Matos and Schwartzer had developed a flexible curriculum to engage 22 registered campers — 21 finished — who ranged in age from 7 to 17. Their program was designed to build community and teach teamwork while simultaneously demonstrating to the students that science is everywhere — and for everyone.

El Sol Latino interviewed Jennifer Matos about her experience with the groundbreaking STEM program in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

1) How do you visualize the future of the STEM partnership between Mount Holyoke College and the City of San Juan?

That’s an interesting question because I could make a few arguments.

I could say that the connection between MHC and San Juan is endless.

We provided a STEM camp (“Científicas Presente!”) for almost 60 girls between the past two summers and we can measure the impact of the experience on the girls and their communities—that’s something that can never be taken away. Additionally, what we have with San Juan transcends that of a partnership and resembles more the warmth and generosity (and sometimes head-butting) of family. Jared Schwartzer, my colleague and science curriculum Director for the program, and I went down to San Juan last summer to set up the pilot program and then returned again three weeks later to launch the pilot. Some of the residents were surprised when we returned because after the hurricane, people made promises to help or come back, and those promises were broken, and here we were—a Puerto Rican scholar in education and a Jewish neuroscientist from MHC. They rewarded our return by trusting us with the safety and well being of their daughters and granddaughters for the week. Every day that our bus left the neighborhood, mothers were blowing kisses at our bus. That’s not a partnership anymore—that’s something deeper.

I will also say that the trajectory of this program is absolutely something that should evolve. And it should evolve in a way that is truly community-focused which means that the direction of the program is placed in the hands of San Juan community. The host-site (Escuela Especializada de Matemáticas, Ciencias, y Tecnología, EMCT) has exceptional teachers. They are truly the best and have informed our teaching pedagogies. There would be a careful transfer of the program to the EMCT Científicas Presente! Directors (Gretchen Torres, Ivangs Rivera, and Alex Tirado) with ancillary support from MHC. There are also other ways that MHC faculty could envision various service-based research projects as well. I very much feel like this relationship is just getting started.

2) Can you talk a little bit about how you handled the language issue in the teaching and learning of the MHC students during their visit to San Juan? Did you use translators?

MHC students enrolled in a course called “Teaching STEM in Puerto Rico”.

About half of the students in the class were bilingual Spanish speakers. Those who were not were expected to take lessons through an online platform.

No one was expected or required to be fluent Spanish speakers as the joy and commitment to teaching and learning surpasses language. Jared and I were able to provide some translation. The faculty at EMCT were also able to translate for the MHC students and MHC students who were not fluent were paired with a Spanish-speaking college peer. In some cases, the campers themselves helped us with Spanish and we helped with English. Everyone had an investment and something to teach no matter their size or status.

Photo credit: MHC. STEM program students in San Juan, Puerto Rico releasing turtles

3) Can you share what you learned about social justice through your participation this program?

I am a doctoral graduate of the Social Justice Education program at UMASS continued on next page

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El Sol Latino September 2019

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Jennifer Matos (MHC) and the Groundbreaking STEM Program in Puerto Rico continued from page 4 Amherst, and social justice is always at the core of what I am trying to do. The program helped me to remember essential elements about social justice and community work. One of the lessons I learned was from Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz (who folks just call Yulín), and that is the importance of providing a voice to the voiceless and using one’s own privilege to amplify those voices. It was something I was taught in theory, but I got to watch Yulín embody those theories and I got to do so as well. The effects of that amplification are amazing. We watched very soft-spoken and timid girls emerge from the program with very strong voices. I’m not saying that the outcome was a direct result of the program, but there was a chemistry of being in that atmosphere that helped to nurture it.

represented in leadership roles, and the same is true for girls. If they see a woman in a position of leadership, they can see themselves in leadership roles and can strive for those roles.

The other thing that I will use my own voice to amplify is the grit and spirit of the Puerto Rican people. My people. At every turn, someone was asking what they could do for us. This summer, a grandmother of one of our participants asked if she could bake us all cupcakes as a thank you. This wasn’t, and was never designed to be a rescue mission. Puerto Ricans don’t need rescuing. They need solidarity.

6) Did any other institution of higher education in Puerto Rico participate in this project or was MHC only involved with San Juan City?

We had contacted Sagrado Corazón University to secure housing for our MHC students. Before we committed to bringing MHC students, we had to consider the potential risks to our students in working on an island that was hit by a historical hurricane. We could see the residual damage from the hurricane and talked to friends in San Juan about what they would need to feel their daughters were safe in post-Maria San Juan. What we were advised was that students would need a place that had a generator and water. When we contacted Sagrado Corazón, they were warm and receptive and adept at reassuring us in their ability to ensure the safety of our students. It’s like what you’re advised to do on an airplane—put your own oxygen mask on first. We knew that we needed to take care of the safety of the MHC students so that they could support the scientists. We also had the support of a UPR faculty member who recruited four recent female UPR graduates to lead arts programing for our girls. The UPR graduates provided bomba and plena, percussion, and theater and puppetry workshops.

Additionally, while they were not college-affiliated, mothers were hired to assist with chaperoning and got to take part in activities.

4) What would you do differently if you were to start this project again?

In a sense, this past summer was the second phase of our pilot, so of course we learned a lot and came to understand that there are changes to be made. Among those is that we need to hold two separate camps in that, developmentally, we need to meet the needs of younger campers and older campers. As educators, we need to scaffold and support the learning of both age groups and meet the important developmental markers. We are also at the point where our roles and responsibilities can be more clearly defined and utilized and we are looking forward to seeing what will happen in roles that are strengths and skills based and not based on human resources.

5) The STEM teaching model that you used is very different from the one used in the majority of the schools in Puerto Rico, especially in the public schools. How did the students react to this new approach to teaching and learning?

Their reaction was extremely positive because we never treated it like school. The program was presented as a STEM camp where girls were scientists performing hands-on science activities. We teach them that they can do science at home and in their everyday lives and teach science to others. There were several things that are removed from what they might be accustomed to. First, it’s a camp just for girls, and in the absence of male students who have an advantage in STEM instruction and careers, they get to be messy and curious and daring without the developmental and socialized pressure to monitor behaviors to cater to boys. Girls worked in groups to design and execute their ideas and projects and it was amazing to witness.

Second, they got to be in a program where women were leading and men were following our lead. Gretchen Torres is a teacher at EMCT and the Director of Científicas Presente! on the San Juan side (equivalent to my role on the MHC side). We know it’s important for people of color to see themselves

OT TINTNAT E H INK CALIE

7) Puerto Rico has a long history of every four years dismantling or marginalizing partnership projects between higher education institutions in the USA and local community, state and municipal organizations. The reason for this is the constant change in political power between the two principal political parties on the island. Once in power, both political parties tend to discard projects, initiatives and programs started by their rival party. Do you have any strategies to address any changes in the administration that might occur in the San Juan municipality?

This is a very real and palpable concern that our partner community members and we share. To address this concern, the plan is to provide the Científicas Presente! Directors at EMCT with the equipment and human resources they would need to continue. And in setting up a transfer of the program in that way, the brilliant EMCT teachers can continue what they are doing and have support of LYNK-funded MHC students to support our young female scientists.

In Holyoke-Springfield En Holyoke-Springfield...Hispanos son la mayoría!

Según City-data.com, un website de información demográfica, el porciento ... Hispanics are the de residentes Hispanos actualmente supera a los otro grupos raciales/ majority! étnicos en las ciudades de Holyoke y Springfield. Los datos que publica

S

According to City-data. com, a website for demographic information, the percentage of Hispanic residents outnumber other racial / ethnic groups in the cities of Holyoke and Springfield.

The data published by City-data.com indicates that in 2016, 52.7% of the residents of the city of Holyoke identified themselves as Hispanic, compared to 42.3% who identified themselves as white. por MANUEL

Additionally, the men we work with are phenomenal and are invested in the advancement of women, so girls get to have male teachers cheering them on and listening to their ideas and the men we work with get to occupy roles they might not otherwise be able to. Also, while girls were engaged in science in the morning, in the afternoon they got to take swim lessons at the Natatorium or go on excursions. For example, they got to have a basketball clinic with the Puerto Rico women’s basketball team and they got to go to Arecibo to see the world’s most powerful telescope.

FRAU RAMO

In Springfield, in 2006, 43.7% of the city’s residents identified themselves as Hispanic while 33.1% identified themselves as white.

City-data.com señalan que en el 2016, el 52.7% de los residentes de la ciudad de Holyoke se identificaban como Hispanos, comparado con el 42.3% que se identificaba como blancos.

En Springfield, en el 2006, el 43.7% de los residentes de la ciudad se identificaban como Hispanos mientras el 33.1% se identificaban como blancos.

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El Sol Latino September 2019

Centro Hosts National Encuentro for Puerto Rican Student Leaders by CENTRO Staff Reprinted with permission from Centro Voices - Center for Puerto Rican Studies | August 2019 The National Puerto Rican Student Encuentro was an inaugural four-day conference that took place in New York City during the first week of June.

“The Encuentro was a huge success thanks to Centro staff and the students who helped with the organizing,” said Centro Director Edwin Melendez.

“This is the kind of collaboration that will help build for a very bright future.

These students now have the skills to uplift their communities and create meaningful change in the diaspora and in Puerto Rico.”

“When you fight for something, you love it even more,” said Rosa CruzCordero, manager of outreach and partnerships at the Center for Puerto Rican Studies. In a room full of Puerto Rican student leaders from around the United States and Puerto Rico, she urged this next generation to carry on the struggle, beginning with each of their college campuses.

The students had just received their certificates from Centro’s Cultural Ambassadors Program, which had been a prerequisite of the inaugural National Youth Leadership Encuentro, a collaboration between the Center for Puerto Rican Studies, Mentes Puertorriqueñas en Acción, and the National Puerto Rican Student Alliance.

“We have to start thinking about 9 million people because you cannot talk about Puerto Rican people without talking about transnationalism.” Later, the members of Bomba Yo treated students to a plena workshop.

Much of the conference program focused on the curriculum of the Cultural Ambassadors program, which was launched by the Center for Puerto Rican Studies in December of 2016. As such, students attended a screening of the 2011 film Pura Belpré, A Storyteller from the Centro Pioneros series of documentaries. Students also participated in a discussion of the life and work of Belpré, who is known as the first Puerto Rican librarian to work within the New York City public library system. “This was a great opportunity to spread the Cultural Ambassador program to more campuses and communities,” said Melinda Gonzalez, coordinator of the program.

Participants spent Day 2 at the Brookdale campus discussing their roles as Puerto Rican student leaders within the context of a national student movement, one of the principal goals outlined during the conference, along with a National Puerto Rican Student agenda. Day 2 also included an extensive historical overview of the many factors that have contributed to the fiscal, humanitarian, and political crisis that continue to affect Puerto Rico.

Much of the presentation was derived from the Centro report, Puerto Rico Post-Hurricane Maria: Origins and Consequences of a Crisis.

Students also reflected on themes of intellectual development, strengthening community ties, and converting their presence on campus into collective actions of solidarity with Puerto Rico. Social entrepreneurship was another key concept introduced during the day, with students encouraged to take advantage of the model proposed by IDEA Comun, a collaborative initiative that brings together community and civic organizations, the private sector, academics, and other stakeholders for the purpose of promoting sustainable and comprehensive economic development projects with a social purpose.

Lastly, students learned about Geographic Information Systems (GIS), an invaluable tool that Centro has incorporated into its Rebuild Puerto Rico initiative, specifically with the goal of providing data that will have an impact on the decisions of policymakers and all those who are working toward a better future for Puerto Rico.

“The Encuentro was a historic gathering of the Puento Rican youth leadership from across the nation. It was a unique opportunity for these young leaders to connect with other leaders, learn about the issues of Puerto Ricans and develop plans of action,” said Jose Rivera, National Puerto Rican Student Coalition Executive Director.

“We are very energized and excited by this new group of young leaders who are joining us in helping to educate and celebrate our community,” added Raquel Ortiz, Cultural Ambassadors curriculum director.

The four-day experience included group activities, leadership training, and cultural workshops derived from the Cultural Ambassadors program.

Thirty-seven students from nine states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico arrived to the Hunter College Brookdale Campus on Tuesday, June 4, for an orientation led by student leaders Jose Israel Cruz, Jose Luis Rivera, and Alejandro Chardon. Centro Director Edwin Melendez also addressed the students. “This has been in the making for a long time,” said Dr. Melendez.

The cohort then traveled to the 68th Street Hunter College campus for Day 3 of the Encuentro. There, they listened to a panel discussion featuring Nicholas Kanellos, founder of Arte Públic Press, and Dr. Virginia SánchezKorrol, author, historian, and Professor Emerita in the Department of Puerto Rican and Latino Studies at Brooklyn College. The final day of the Encuentro included a trip to the Centro Library & Archives located in the Hunter College Silberman School of Social Work in East Harlem, where students were presented with their certificates of completion of the Cultural Ambassadors program. Afterwards, the student leaders were divided into two groups, with one group visiting the 2019 Whitney Museum Biennial and the other going on a walking tour of El Barrio.

“Everyone here brought something to the table, we connected because we’re here for a greater cause and I’m happy to be a part of that,” said Orosmar Cueva of Queens College. “[As we were leaving] It felt like we knew each other for so long—it was that Puerto Rican bond we had.”

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Recap: 2019 Summit on Latinos in New York City by CENTRO Staff Reprinted with permission from Centro Voices - Center for Puerto Rican Studies | August 2019 On Tuesday, June 10, the 2019 Summit on Latin@s in New York City was held. The third annual event, which aims to create a working agenda to drive policy change for the 2.5 million Latinos living in the city, took place at Lehman College this year. Panelists and attendees included a diverse array of Latino community stakeholders, including elected officials such as Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, and Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez, who is also co-chair of the Black, Latino/a, and Asian Caucus.

The Hon. Corey Johnson, Speaker of the New York City Council, was the first to offer his remarks. “We would not be the greatest city in the world if it was not for the Latino community, if it was not for the diaspora that exists here in New York City,” he remarked.

Leaders from the three sponsoring CUNY research institutions (Center for Puerto Rican Studies, Dominican Studies Institute, and Jaime Lucero (Mexican Studies Institute) spoke on the purpose of the annual conference.

“We seek to strengthen the ties of our communities and alliances with other New Yorkers,” said Centro Director Edwin Melendez, echoing the words of his colleagues. “Today, Latino unity is more important than ever.”

furthered this sentiment, stating, “NYC is home to 2.5 million Latinos and counting, they are a part of our DNA...”

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. then joined the summit and addressed attendees during the lunch break. His message was clear: while Latinos must develop strategies to meet the needs of our communities, those strategies do not have to be exclusively for the benefit of Latinos.

Afterwards, a panel on immigration was held. Cira Angeles, spokesperson and representative of Livery Base Owners, emphasized changes to the transportation industry in recent years and the consequences for taxi drivers---many of them immigrants---and the communities they serve. One solution to the advent of ride share apps has been to obtain small business contracts from the city for non-medical transport (e.g. Access-A-Ride). She went on to advocate for legislation that would specifically help taxi drivers, rather than broader legislative packages. Just this week, following the release of a bombshell New York Times investigation into predatory loan practices within the taxi cab industry, drivers will receive some kind of debt relief---in addition to loan safeguards. The recent passage of the Green Light bill by the New York State Assembly offered another glimpse into the role legislation can play in alleviating the burden of Latino/immigrant communities. The proposal would grant undocumented immigrants the ability to obtain driver’s licenses.

Maria Lizardo, Executive Director of the Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation, spoke on issues of gentrification and displacement around the city. She proposed, among other things, making sure the city funds right to counsel for tenants sooner rather than later in communities where the policy would be most effective. Tenant organizing, holistic solutions to rampant homelessness, and the continuation of social services such as social program referrals, adult literacy education, and domestic violence prevention were some of the other proposals Lizardo outlined.

The debate over a potential citizenship question to be added to the 2020 U.S. Census was also briefly discussed, given the impact this would have on undocumented immigrants and Latino communities. “New York State stands to lose billions of dollars and representation,” said Lizardo.

Dr. Edwin Meléndez

Economic development was the first panel of the day, with much of the discussion centering on how to support Latino small businesses As Accion NY CEO Paul Quintero shared during his presentation, the vast majority of businesses in New York City have less than 20 employees. These small businesses, in turn, can foment job creation in Latino/immigrant communities. Yet many Latino small businesses, according to Quintero, face challenges such as limited access to credit, poor record keeping, non-bank friendly industries, and lack of collateral, among others.

Baruch College professor Hector Cordero-Guzman outlined local job creation, local job hiring, funding, and investment in workforce development and workers’ rights, as some of the priorities for policymakers going forward.

“We’re seeing a lot of economic development in New York City, but not a lot of community development,” said Cordero-Guzman. Henry Garrido added that economic empowerment for the Latino community must also provide workers with a voice to help find collective solutions.

The second panel featured a group of Latino elected officials. “What kind of fingerprint are we leaving behind in the city?” asked New York City council member Ydanis Rodriguez. New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer

Centro education researcher and at-large member of the New York State Board of Regents Luis O. Reyes kicked off the education panel with a presentation on the history of the struggle for bilingual education, beginning with the story of visionary Boricua leader and founder of ASPIRA, Antonia Pantoja. Dr. Reyes then outlined some of the obstacles that have arisen since the 1970s, when the movement first took off. There is still much work to do, but today, there are hundreds of language programs, with evidence that bilingual students perform favorably when compared to their peers.

Dr. Edwin Melendez ended the program with an overview of some of the proposals that have come out of prior Summits. They include a directory of organizations and elected officials, a calendar of events, a blog, a newsletter, employment and grant opportunities, academic exchange, and a Data Hub of New York City by neighborhood, which Dr. Melendez previewed during his presentation. According to Dr. Melendez, a webinar and the launch of the data hub should be available by December of this year.

“We’re going to continue to build off the momentum of this summit, just as we have done in years past,” Dr. Melendez said. “The goal is still the same, to help unite Latinos in this city, but I’m proud to move forward with my colleagues to reach this goal.”

As always, a full report of the proposals and recommendations discussed by panelists and attendees alike will be released in the coming weeks.

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8

Portada / Front Page

El Sol Latino September 2019

“A community development leader to celebrate during Hispanic Heritage Month” de Familias coordinated an effort of supporting people who came to western Massachusetts; helping them find housing, basic living supplies and enrolling children in schools. It was a heroic effort.

A true visionary does not sit still and this is the case with Betty. Numerous examples can be given about the ways Betty has confronted social injustices in the community. One way she approached the need for social change was to run for the Holyoke School Committee. Betty knew that without a formal education, there is little chance for people to land a good job at a decent salary. She won. She was the first Puerto Rican woman to be elected to a public position in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. She stood up against systems that interfered with the success of Latino children. The school committee was a good fit for Betty and the community of Holyoke.

DR. WALTER MULLIN, Professor of Social Work and MIGUEL ARCE, Associate Professor of Social Work at Springfield College.

Hispanic Heritage Month, occurring every year between September 15 and October 14, is a time to celebrate the cultural heritage of American Latinos and to acknowledge the numerous contributions that Latino citizens have made to the country. Citizens from Puerto Rico, Mexico and other Spanish speaking countries have influenced every aspect of American life, including politics, sports, theater, and music. Hispanic culture is woven into the fabric of American life at every corner in the United States.

Although it is easy to name accomplished politicians, movie stars and sports figures, it is essential to also notice local Latinos who have made a difference here in Western Massachusetts. Betty Medina Lichtenstein, with her Puerto Rican identity and role as Director of Enlace de Familias, Inc. in Holyoke, is one of these people. Betty has made a long, important and extensive impact on Holyoke, Hampden County, and Massachusetts.

Since 1994, Betty has been the driving force behind a small but impactful grass roots, Holyoke, Massachusetts, Main Street storefront that provides multiple social services. When first opened in 1994, Enlace de Familias, was staffed by only one person- Betty. It takes courage to stand on the street, know you want to make a difference in the lives of others and set about doing it. It takes a belief in the “possible” - that is the belief that something can be better and that a single person can make a difference in the lives of others.

Over the last 25 years, Enlace de Familias has provided multiple services to thousands of people. It has offered programs for parents and children that include the Holyoke Family Network, the Holyoke Family Center, and Nurturing Fathers. When it became obvious that accessing good child care was difficult for parents who wanted to work or had important appointments, Enlace de Familias began offering it. When parents and families experience a crisis of any type, they can simply walk in the door and assistance is there for them.

In September 2017, Hurricane María, a storm with massive strength hit the island of Puerto Rico. It devastated Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Virgin Islands. It was regarded as the worst natural disaster in recorded history to affect those islands and was one of the deadliest Atlantic hurricanes. People living on these islands were left without food, water, electricity, homes and essential medical services. Relief was slow to arrive.

Timely recovery is still not happening. For many, there was no choice except to leave their homes and relocate to the mainland. CNN estimates that 130,000 left Puerto Rico at that time, moving to cities and towns on the mainland. A wave of desperate people came to Holyoke. Betty and Enlace

Betty’s work is her life. From her storefront human services agency, she can see the first building where she knocked on doors to begin more than forty years of work. She was and is committed to actively seeking to create a more vibrant and equitable community. She has consistently focused on activities to ameliorate the noxious results of poverty, exclusion, and oppression experienced by the marginalized of society. She is an enlightened leader.

Ambrose Redmoon, a writer beatnik said: “Courage isn’t the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear”. This is true about Betty. There is good reason to celebrate Betty Medina Lichtenstein during Hispanic Heritage Month.

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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Opinión / Opinion

El Sol Latino September 2019

9

No se trata solamente de reclutar a maestros de color, se trata también de retenerlos por JOEL ARIEL ARCE Artículo se publicó originalmente en inglés en The Republican | 22 de julio 2019 Desde que en el 2015 el distrito fue puesto bajo custodia estatal, las Escuelas Públicas de Holyoke (HPS) se han tenido que acoger a muchas discusiones de reformas en la educación en la región. Si bien los lectores y los residentes del área pueden sentirse optimistas por los informes de los avances en la tasa de graduados de la escuela superior (ver informes en inglés: Reports of Gains en HPS High School Graduation Rates), también existe otro asunto que nos aqueja y que no recibe ni atención significativa a nivel nacional ni compromiso concreto por parte de las escuelas a nivel local: el reclutamiento y la retención de los maestros de color.

En Holyoke High School (HHS), donde aproximadamente el 72% de los docentes a tiempo completo son blancos, la administración ha decidido no renovar el contrato de trabajo a Alicia Thomas para el año académico 2019-2020. Como una de las pocas maestras negras en la escuela con experiencia en la enseñanza y credenciales en la educación por la justicia social, Alicia merece ser invitada para un segundo año al Campus Norte de Holyoke High School (HHSN).

La decisión de la escuela de no renovarle el contrato me hace cuestionar cómo el distrito, que reconoce su falta de diversidad en su personal y la necesidad en todas sus escuelas de incorporar prácticas culturalmente sensibles y competentes, puede dejar pasar la oportunidad de retener a una maestra que contribuye a que el distrito cumpla con su visión a largo plazo después de solamente un año de haber enseñado en HHS. Aunque los detalles acerca de la no renovación del contrato de trabajo de Alicia merecen una atención particular, esta decisión funciona como un microcosmos de un patrón mucho mayor de racismo institucional en el sistema de las escuelas públicas de los Estados Unidos. De acuerdo a los informes preparados bajo la Oficina de Planificación, Evaluación y Desarrollo de Políticas del Departamento de Educación de los Estados Unidos, a pesar de la drástica disminución en las matrículas de estudiantes blancos y escuelas con alta concentración de estudiantes de color, los maestros de color conforman solamente un 20% de la fuerza laboral y estos porcentajes han estado estancados durante las últimas tres décadas. Otra preocupación es que los maestros de color tienen menos probabilidad que sus homólogos blancos de enseñar en la misma escuela donde habían enseñado el año anterior y son 24% más propensos a dejar su profesión.

El informe del 2016 del Departamento de Educación de los Estados Unidos también reconoce la evidencia destacada en una larga lista de trabajos de investigación donde se reconoce el impacto positivo que los maestros de color pueden tener en las escuelas y particularmente en los estudiantes de color. Si bien las maestras y maestros de color no son un grupo homogéneo, debido a sus diferentes posiciones sociales y sus experiencias personales, muchos pueden ofrecer a los estudiantes un vasto conocimiento que es diferente del que por lo general se brinda en las escuelas. A partir de este vasto conocimiento, los estudiantes pueden desarrollar las habilidades necesarias—tales como pensamiento crítico, análisis racial, capacidad de abogar por una causa o por sí mismos, así como la participación en la comunidad local—para explorar el mundo que les rodea.

Como estudiante graduado que apoya el Programa de Estudios Étnicos de Holyoke, he tenido la oportunidad de escuchar innumerables testimonios de los estudiantes que expresan su gratitud y su profundo cariño por Ms. Thomas. Crear y fomentar relaciones sinceras con los estudiantes no es una tarea fácil mas aún en comunidades donde históricamente se les ha negado acceso y oportunidades y han tenido que enfrentar numerosas formas de injusticia. En cambio, este tipo de relaciones positivas fomenta bases que favorecen la equidad en la educación. En mi interacción con los estudiantes de este programa, era evidente que a muchos de los estudiantes de Alicia

les importaba el entorno educativo y de respeto que la maestra fomentaba en sus clases. A estos estudiantes les importaba tanto, que muchos de ellos comprometieron su propio tiempo después de la escuela y durante la semana de los exámenes finales para marchar, organizarse y canalizar sus voces para exigir que la administración reconsiderara su decisión. Sus esfuerzos continuaron hasta el final del año académico y el último día de las clases cuando el último timbre sonó. Una mayor masa de estudiantes y simpatizantes comunitarios se concentraron para abogar para que Alicia fuera contratada nuevamente, de esta forma poniendo a prueba el compromiso y responsabilidad que tiene el distrito para favorecer la diversidad racial de sus maestros.

Sí, el año académico 2018-2019 llegó y concluyó, pero las Escuelas Públicas de Holyoke (HPS) deberían dedicar tiempo este verano para reconsiderar su decisión de no renovar el contrato de Alicia. Aunque HPS y la región metropolitana del Oeste de Massachusetts han dado grandes pasos en el reclutamiento y la canalización de las carreras de los docentes de color, las escuelas también tienen que reconocer e intervenir en prácticas que están enraizadas y que en última instancia causan la salida del sistema de muchos docentes de color.

Para que realmente exista un serio compromiso de retención, las Escuelas Públicas de Holyoke tienen que invertir en la presencia y el desarrollo profesional de los educadores de color en las escuelas, así como también realinear sus valores y estándares que tengan en consideración una comprensión holística de una educación en la medida en que sea relevante desde un punto de vista cultural. El patrón decepcionante del constante reemplazo de profesores, y especialmente el bajo número de educadores de color, es ciertamente un asunto el cual los miembros de la comunidad pueden reconocer y enfrentar.

JOEL ARIEL ARCE (jarce@umass.edu) es educador e investigador. En la actualidad se encuentra realizando estudios doctorales en Justicia Social en la Escuela de Educación de la Universidad de Massachusetts-Amherst.

Conmemoración del 151 Aniversario de El Grito de Lares En reconocimiento al 151 aniversario de El Grito de Lares, ocurrido el 23 de septiembre de 1868, estaremos presentando el largometraje documental 1950: La Insurrección Nacionalista. Finalizada la presentación, José Manuel Dávila Marichal, productor, director y escritor del documental, estará disponible para un conversatorio con el público presente.

SINOPSIS DEL DOCUMENTAL: 1950: La Insurrección Nacionalista nos transporta a una época tumultuosa de Puerto Rico, la Insurrección Nacionalista de 1950, a través de archivos audiovisuales, fotografías, animaciones y testimonios de los sobrevivientes de la gesta revolucionaría.

Cinco puertorriqueños miembros del Partido Nacionalista de Puerto Rico nos hablan de lo acontecido durante la insurrección que intentó liberar a Puerto Rico de los Estados Unidos de América y las consecuencias que esto tuvo en sus vidas personales.

El documental incluye entrevistas con Ricardo Díaz Díaz, Edmidio Marín, Heriberto Marín y Carlos Padilla, miembros del partido que vivieron dicho movimiento.

Sábado, 21 de septiembre de 2019 Saturday, September 21, 2019 5:00 - 7:00 pm FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC GRATIS Y ABIERTO AL PÚBLICO

Holyoke Public Library

250 Chestnut Street, Holyoke, MA 01040

For more information call 413-320-382

10

Libros / Books

El Sol Latino September 2019

Largo Pétalo de Mar de ISABEL ALLENDE • New York: Vintage Español 2019 | 383 páginas ¡Ay! ¡Qué triste! ¡Qué triste es la guerra!

Todas las guerras, por supuesto, pero la guerra civil española (el 17 de julio de 1936 hasta el 1 de abril de 1939) era de veras una guerra tristísima en que murieron tantos soldados adultos y… ¡niños soldados! Ésta es la guerra a la que se dirige la autora chilena Isabel Allende en su más reciente novela, Largo Pétalo de Mar, título que se refiere a la forma geográfica de su país natal, Chile. ¿Y cómo se relaciona la guerra en España con Chile? Muchos refugiados de la guerra civil española huyeron de su país natal para empezar de nuevo en Chile.

El personaje principal de la novela es el médico español Víctor Dalmau a quien encontramos trabajando en la estación de ferrocarril en Barcelona. El tren acaba de llegar. Es el tren de “la Quinta del Biberón” que llevaba los heridos de “la leva de niños reclutados cuando ya no quedaban hombres jóvenes ni viejos para la guerra.” Eran los heridos de otra batalla de la sangrienta guerra civil. Dalmau fija su atención en un paciente especial: “aquel niño de quince o dieciséis años, todavía imberbe, sucio de batalla y de sangre seca, tendido en una esterilla con el corazón al aire.”

Sí, niños lucharon en esta guerra.

Y sí, también murieron.

Al lado de Dalmau, ayudándole en lo que podía, va la pianista Roser Bruguera, “una estudiante de música que los Dalmau habían acogido.”

Y ¿por qué luchaban los españoles contra sus compatriotas? El Frente Popular--“una coalición de partidos de izquierda,” “formado por liberales, socialistas, comunistas, sindicalistas y el apoyo eufórico de obreros, campesinos, trabajadores y la mayoría de los estudiantes e intelectuales”-este frente iba ganando en las elecciones y se encontró en la mira de los derechistas: “la derecha comenzó de inmediato a conspirar con los militares encabezados por el Generalísimo Francisco Franco para derrocar al gobierno legítimo.”

Franco era un esfuerzo formidable. Con su “temperamento frío, vengativo y brutal,” el Generalísimo se comprometió a realizar “su sueño más ambicioso,” que “era devolver a España las glorias imperiales del pasado y su propósito inmediato acabar definitivamente con el desorden de la democracia y gobernar con mano de hierro mediante las Fuerzas Armadas y la iglesia católica.”

Franco, a pesar de que contaba con las Fuerzas Armadas del país, se sorprendió “con la resistencia inesperada de los trabajadores, organizados en milicias y decididos a defender los derechos ganados con la República.”

Como escribe Allende, “Don Santiago Guzmán [El nombre es un símbolo representando a la clase acomodada] instalado en su piso lujoso de Madrid…no se enteró de cómo afloraba el más terrible rencor en su país, un rencor que llevaba siglos alimentándose de la miseria de unos y la prepotencia de otros.”

Madrid se hizo símbolo de las esperanzas de la República porque a pesar de que “Los militares rebeldes habían ocupado la mayor parte de España… no habían logrado tomar Madrid, cuya defensa desesperada calle a calle, casa a casa, la había convertido en el símbolo de la guerra.”

Además de los esfuerzos de Dalmau y Roser en rescatar a los heridos, la novela se enfoca en el viaje de escape por las montañas Pirineos hasta Francia de tantos españoles desesperados buscando una nueva vida, porque en España sólo encontraban la muerte. Y empezaron a ver claramente quién ganaría la batalla española: el Generalísimo Francisco Franco y su ejército. El mandato “entre los soldados de Franco…era…: dominar y castigar a fuego y sangre”.

La lucha contra el ejército del General Franco y el valor del Frente Popular inspiraron a muchos.

El hermano de Víctor, Guillem Dalmau, herido en la guerra, le contaba a Roser “de los voluntarios llegados de más de cincuenta países a pelear y morir en una guerra que no era de ellos, de los brigadistas americanos, los de la Lincoln, que siempre estaban en la vanguardia y eran los primeros en caer.” Le dijo que “han venido a dar batalla por España contra el fascismo.”

La guerra era horrorosa. Mientras Guillem se recuperaba bajo el cuidado de Víctor y Roser, no les contaba nada “de las ratas y los piojos, la orina y la sangre, [ni] de los camaradas heridos que aguardaban horas y horas desangrándose antes de que pudieran llegar los camilleros…Y mucho menos admitía frente a Roser las ejecuciones en masa perpetradas por sus propios compañeros.”

La novela se enfoca también en el efecto de la guerra civil en cada casa, sobre todo en el hambre que sufría la gente: “ya no quedaban gatos para el estofado ni palomas para el cocido, el pan de Roser era un ladrillo oscuro y denso con sabor a aserrín, el aceite se había convertido en un lujo, lo mezclaban con aceite de motor para cundirlo.” Además, por ser guerra civil, se describe la época así: “en ese tiempo de vivir con racionamiento, en estado de alerta permanente, sospechando de vecinos y amigos, con el ángel de la muerte siempre presente.”

En las tapas de la novela han puesto varias fotos de la guerra civil española y el refugio que encontraban en Chile: los refugiados en el barco Winnepeg que los llevó a Valparaíso de Chile, una manifestación a favor del chileno Salvador Allende, militares durante el golpe de Estado en Santiago de Chile, y fotos de Pablo Neruda, Salvador Allende y Augusto Pinochet.

Hay mucha historia en Largo Pétalo de Mar, tanta que a veces se pierde un poco el hilo de la trama con respecto a los personajes principales. Sin embargo, al terminar la novela, el lector queda abrumado por el horror de aquella guerra pero inspirado por el valor de mucha gente española de la época. Los personajes, familiares de Dalmau y Roser, son ficticios pero representan a muchos los españoles y lo que sufrieron durante la guerra civil.

Reseña de Cathleen C. Robinson, profesora jubilada del español y de la historia de la América Latina que se dedica ahora a escribir.

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Medios / Media

El Sol Latino September 2019

11

Estudio revela realidades de los medios de comunicación en Puerto Rico por CENTRO DE PERIODISMO INVESTIGATIVO Este artículo apareció originalmente en periodismoinvestigativo.com | 6 de agosto 2019

parte, sufrió un recorte presupuestario que lo dejó inoperante.

El informe, liderado por la directora del programa de Periodismo en español de CUNY, Graciela Mochkofsky, arrojó también que, aunque la mayoría de los medios producen noticias en español por ser este el idioma de los puertorriqueños, luego del paso del huracán María, muchos comenzaron a traducir sus historias al inglés; más aún las relacionadas a temas políticos y económicos. Esto se debió a la necesidad de unirse a la conversación sobre la isla en la diáspora.

Las salas de redacción pequeñas y medianas no contaron con energía eléctrica luego del huracán María, por lo cual muchas tuvieron que ser reubicadas para poder operar.

Algunos periodistas entrevistados dijeron que acamparon, junto a sus familiares, en la sala de redacción de El Nuevo Día, porque el edificio que alberga el periódico tenía electricidad, agua y alimentos.

Foto por Bank Phrom vía Unsplash

La depresión económica de Puerto Rico, sumada a una infraestructura de comunicaciones y eléctrica frágil, y la poca independencia editorial en algunos medios, son elementos que afectan la información publicada en los medios de comunicación en la isla, revela el Estudio sobre el estado de los medios latinos publicado por la Escuela Graduada de Periodismo de la City University of New York (CUNY).

El informe contiene una sección exclusivamente sobre Puerto Rico, en la cual se destacó el impacto en los medios locales que tuvo el huracán María en septiembre de 2017, como fue el despido de empleados, la reducción de sueldos o el que se dejaran de imprimir algunas publicaciones. La crisis económica, revela el estudio, ocasionó además, que algunos medios hayan cerrado o estén en vías de cerrar operaciones o ser privatizados, como es el caso de la estación pública de televisión, WIPR. La reducción de presupuestos no solo dificultó la jornada periodística y la profundidad de las historias, también sufrió la independencia editorial. La situación económica ocasionó que las fuentes de ingresos restringieran la libertad para cubrir de forma crítica. El estudio concluyó, a base de las entrevistas con los periodistas, que los propietarios de medios fueron “cautelosos” al momento de fiscalizar poderes económicos y políticos en la isla.

“Esto ya era un problema y ha empeorado”, dijeron algunos periodistas entrevistados, según el informe.

Al menos tres, de 20 periodistas, se quejaron de la falta de independencia editorial en sus distintas salas de redacción.

Para la investigación, el estudio identificó en Puerto Rico 66 medios de comunicación: 20 periódicos, 18 sitios web, 10 estaciones de radio, ocho podcasts, siete estaciones de televisión, dos servicios de noticias (newswires) y una revista.

Tras el huracán, la mayoría de los medios tuvieron problemas con las ventas de anuncios y publicidad. Según las entrevistas a los periodistas, aunque en algunos casos se reanudó la contratación de empleados, los sueldos eran más bajos, tanto así como $10.00 por hora.

A Caribbean Business, por ejemplo, se le hizo difícil pagar los salarios de sus empleados durante el período de emergencia y dejó de publicar durante unas semanas. Omar Alfonso, editor del periódico regional La Perla del Sur admitió que, por primera vez en 35 años, consideraron dejar de publicar. La empresa de medios líder, GFR Media, despidió a 59 empleados, de 245, poco después del paso del ciclón. El periódico universitario Diálogo, por su

Otros como el Centro de Periodismo Investigativo (CPI), se trasladaron al Centro de Operaciones de Emergencia (COE) en San Juan. El Centro de Convenciones de Puerto Rico fue durante varios meses el centro de operaciones del Gobierno estatal y federal, desde donde fluyó toda la información gubernamental a la ciudadanía y hacia dónde se dirigieron los alcaldes afectados por el ciclón.

María obligó a los medios a preparar planes de contingencia ante el azote de futuros huracanes, tales como planificar reservas de diésel, capacitar a empleados, así como adoptar sistemas de comunicación alternos en caso de que las telecomunicaciones fallen nuevamente.

Medios como modelos de innovación El CPI de Puerto Rico es reconocido en el informe como un “modelo de innovación”, junto con la división digital de Univisión, el podcast Radio Ambulante, el sitio de noticias bilingüe Neta y el sitio de noticias de la comunidad de inmigrantes de habla hispana en Oakland, California, El Tímpano.

Entre lo que destaca el informe, se mencionaron las investigaciones del CPI sobre la crisis fiscal, la deuda pública de la isla y las consecuencias del huracán María, escritos que han sido reconocidos a nivel local e internacional. El CPI, aunque produce sus historias en español, ha aumentado las traducciones al inglés a un 85%, dijo su directora ejecutiva, Carla Minet.

Asimismo, destacó que el CPI, con un equipo de aproximadamente 10 periodistas y un presupuesto anual de casi $1 millón, se ha asociado y realizado investigaciones con The Associated Press, Quartz, Univision, CNN, The Miami Herald, New York Magazine, entre otros, a la vez que ofrece becas y talleres de entrenamiento para periodistas y estudiantes de periodismo.

El estudio señaló que “en una industria que hace poco reporteo de investigación y rendición de cuentas (debido a la falta de recursos), el CPI se destaca como un modelo sólido y replicable”.

“Una avalancha de fondos federales de recuperación está llegando a la isla, y con ellos, una necesidad clara y urgente de periodismo de investigación y de rendición de cuentas. El trabajo del CPI, al exponer el uso indebido de tales fondos, demuestra la importancia de dicha cobertura”, añadió el capítulo sobre los medios en Puerto Rico.

El informe exhorta a una mayor colaboración entre los medios para maximizar los recursos y, de esta manera, cubrir historias que, de lo contrario, no podrían hacerse. Resultados de estas alianzas, que además han sido premiadas, son las hechas entre Radio Ambulante y Univision y Latino continued on next page

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Música / Music

El Sol Latino September 2019

Estudio revela realidades de los medios de comunicación en Puerto Rico

continued from page 11

USA y el CPI. Estas colaboraciones, además, promueven la investigación sobre temas que inciden en las comunidades latinas, según el informe.

participación de periodistas latinos en posiciones administrativas, estos podrían aportar nuevas agendas y contenido más pertinente.

Faltan más narrativas complejas e inclusión en los medios nacionales estadounidenses Dentro de los hallazgos principales, se reveló que la industria de noticias para latinos en Estados Unidos está constituida por 624 medios que atienden a una audiencia potencial de aproximadamente 59 millones de personas. Los medios corporativos más grandes son Univision y Telemundo, los cuales dominan el mercado.

Cuando el informe menciona las complejidades culturales, también se incluye la sensibilidad de los medios de comunicación ante temas de género, las preferencias sexuales y la diversidad étnica. Las entrevistas revelan que existe una preocupación respecto a la representación que tienen estos temas en las salas de redacción.

Para realizar el estudio, se definió qué es un medio de noticias latino: un medio de comunicación con sede en Estados Unidos o sus territorios, que sirve a una comunidad o población latina, y que ofrece información sobre eventos actuales o narrativas de no ficción, en español, inglés o ambos idiomas.

El informe reveló que hay comunidades latinas desatendidas, lo cual representa una oportunidad para nuevos medios de comunicación. De igual forma, arrojó que se requiere una “narrativa más compleja” sobre las vivencias de los latinos, una que sea más abarcadora y profunda que la que se ha dado hasta ahora, que presenta a la comunidad latina comúnmente como víctimas.

Atado a la falta de entendimiento de los temas políticos, culturales y económicos de estas comunidades, está el factor de que las empresas periodísticas latinas más grandes de Estados Unidos no son administradas por latinos. El estudio lanza la hipótesis de que, de lograrse una mayor

“Todavía hay machismo, racismo y homofobia, tanto en algunas redacciones como en la cobertura. Abordar estas actitudes, no necesariamente requeriría una nueva propiedad o formatos, sino una nueva conciencia y sensibilidad”, expresó Mochkofsky.

“El periodismo latino se enfrenta a una realidad aún más complicada: los latinos más jóvenes no solo se están alejando de los medios tradicionales como la prensa y la televisión (emigrando) a otras plataformas, sino que también se están alejando del español, el idioma de sus padres y abuelos, hacia un estilo de vida bilingüe”, agregó.

El estudio también arrojó que el idioma predominante de los medios latinos encuestados es el español debido a que la mayoría de su audiencia es inmigrante, aunque hay un grupo de latinos que nace en Estados Unidos y prefieren recibir las noticias en inglés porque dominan más ese idioma.

La facultad comenzó el estudio en el otoño de 2017, como parte de una clase con estudiantes bilingües de su programa de Periodismo en español, que se enfoca en las comunidades latinas.

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Educación / Education

El Sol Latino September 2019

13

Internship at Springfield Armory inspires STCC engineering graduate SPRINGFIELD, MA | SPRINGFIELD TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE | August 20, 2019 – When she saw an opening for an internship at the Springfield Armory National Historic Site, Maeliz Colón was intrigued but didn’t think she had the right background.

“The description was that you have to be a history major or archaeology major,” said Colon, a 2019 Springfield Technical Community College graduate who is transferring to the University of Massachusetts in Amherst this fall.

“I’m an engineering major,” she said.

But encouraged by Professor Beth McGinnisCavanaugh, her faculty advisor at STCC, Colón applied, interviewed for the position and was offered the summer internship.

And, it turned out, she learned more about science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) than she ever imagined.

Colon learned about chemical reactions Amy Glowacki, of the Springfield involving black powder, which was used in the Armory, stands with Maeliz Colón inside the museum. early firearms on display at the Springfield Armory Museum. She also learned about the process of manufacturing guns, which involved some of the same principles she was exposed to at STCC. Gunmakers used interchangeable parts and strove to find efficient manufacturing methods, which are concepts taught in engineering classes.

As she pored through historical reports at the Armory, Colon began to see more and more connections to her days learning about engineering at STCC. “I noticed the story of the Armory is very relevant to engineering,” Colon said, speaking from the Armory Museum one summer day. “A lot of engineering took place here, but they don’t call it that. They call it machining.”

Colon joined the Armory as an intern on June 10 as part of the American Conservation Experience’s Cultural Resources Diversity Internship Program offered through the National Park Service. The program provides career exploration opportunities for diverse current college students and recent graduates ages 18-35 in historic preservation and cultural resources work.

The Springfield Armory is one of 21 national parks to receive an intern through the program. Colon worked 30 hours per week.

at STCC and remembered Colon being quite active with the organization.

“Maeliz made a great decision by pursuing the internship at the Springfield Armory Museum,” McGinnis-Cavanaugh said. “The legacy of the City of Springfield and the Springfield Armory in particular is one of innovation.

Engineers design innovations that impact and benefit every sector of society.

Thus, this internship is a perfect match for an engineering student and a meaningful opportunity for interdisciplinary learning and collaboration.”

McGinnis-Cavanaugh said she has no doubt about Colon’s ability and drive to succeed.

“I’m proud of Maeliz for taking what was in her mind a risk,” McGinnisCavanaugh said. “I am thrilled at how she has pushed her engineering education beyond the classroom. Maeliz will benefit from this experience on many levels as she continues her engineering education at UMass and will be a better engineer because of it.”

Raised in Holyoke, Colon, 21, graduated from STCC in May, earning an associate degree in Engineering and Science Transfer. She now lives in Springfield.

She received a National Science Foundation Scholarship in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (S-STEM) from UMass College of Engineering. The scholarship program provides support for low-income academically talented students.

Colon hopes to one day work as a professional engineer, but will no doubt carry the lessons she learned as an intern at the Springfield Armory.

“This was at the top of the list of internships I applied for,” Colon said. “I saw there were engineering internships in Connecticut, but I really wanted this one because it was different. It gave me a different perspective. It showed me that science is part of history.”

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

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Amy Glowacki, chief of interpretation at the Armory, said Colon’s background in engineering and science made her a strong candidate. As part of her summer internship, Colon is drafting reports for park rangers that combine science and history. The rangers use her research to educate students and share with school teachers.

“At the National Park Service, we’re not all about history,” Glowacki said.

“Science is a key part of the stories that we tell. Maeliz is helping us to create these avenues to tell the stories to our students.”

The STCC campus sits on the Springfield Armory National Historic Site, which was founded in 1777 and is managed by the National Park Service.

SAVE THE DATE

“We were interested in interviewing Maeliz because of our partnership,” Glowacki said. “Opening the doors and welcoming a STCC student was the No. 1 priority.”

SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 21, 2019

STCC President John B. Cook said, “The relationship between the college and National Park Service is long-standing, and we are cheered by this wonderful example. With appreciation to the Armory and Professor McGinnis-Cavanaugh, it is tremendous to see STCC students apply STEM perspectives in such a unique setting.”

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Colon’s faculty advisor at STCC, McGinnis-Cavanaugh, professor of engineering and physics, taught her in several classes. McGinnisCavanaugh also serves as faculty advisor to the Society of Women Engineers

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Ciencias / Science

El Sol Latino September 2019

¿Cómo afecta la marihuana a tu cerebro? por JESSICA CABALLERO-FELICIANO Massachusetts ha sido parte del reciente “boom” en dispensarios donde puedes adquirir productos de marihuana legalmente. Se estima que 1 de cada 5 adultos en Massachusetts ha consumido marihuana. Con este reciente aumento en el uso y disponibilidad de la droga, se abre paso a mas investigación acerca de que es y cómo funciona en nuestro cuerpo. Este artículo no intenta formar parte del debate político, sino solo del punto de vista bio-psicológico y es el primero de una serie de dos partes.

La marihuana, proveniente de la planta cannabis, se cree provino del continente de Asia hace mas de 3,000 años. El cannabis contiene un compuesto químico llamado tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Este componente es lo que causa los efectos psicoactivos, es decir, es lo que altera el estado mental. Para entender como afecta el THC a las neuronas, primero hay que entender como funcionan las neuronas normalmente.

Nuestro cerebro contiene miles de neuronas que se comunican entre sí a través de neurotransmisores. Un neurotransmisor es un químico que se encuentra en el cerebro y que tiene algún efecto en las neuronas. Una neurona le envía un neurotransmisor a otra neurona que lo recibe. Dependiendo de que neurotransmisor fue recibido, la neurona puede activarse o inhibirse para entonces así llevar a cabo su función. Cuando una neurona recibe un neurotransmisor, esta neurona entra en lo que se llama “periodo refractario” lo cual impide que mas neurotransmisor sea recibido hasta que esa neurona termine su función. Esto permite que nuestro cerebro funcione de manera normal y relajada.

A mediados de los 1960’s, se comienza a hacer investigación científica acerca del cannabis y como afecta el cerebro. Es allí que se descubre un proceso natural llamado “el sistema endocannabinoide”, el cual es nombrado en base a la planta del cannabis. Esto es, porque descubren que nuestro cuerpo naturalmente produce un grupo de neurotransmisores llamados cannabinoides que son parecidos a la molécula del THC, y nuestras neuronas tienen receptores para estos neurotransmisores. Los neurotransmisores anandamide y 2-AG (2-arachidonoyl glycerol) son neurotransmisores cannabinoides que se encuentran naturalmente en nuestro cuerpo. Se cree que juegan un rol importante en procesos de anti-inflamación.

Entonces, ¿Qué pasa cuando se consume marihuana?

Hablemos primero de las interacciones de las moléculas del THC con nuestras neuronas. Al inhalar, la sustancia va directamente hacia los pulmones y rápidamente es absorbido al sistema circulatorio y por medio de la sangre llega rápidamente al cerebro. Las moléculas de THC son bien parecidas a los endocannabinoides que tenemos ya en nuestro sistema. Por lo tanto, el THC es recibido fácilmente por las neuronas. Pero lo que distingue al THC de los cannabinoides anandamide y 2-AG, es que el THC de alguna manera interrumpe el periodo refractario. Ahora la neurona sigue recibiendo moléculas de THC de manera constante. Por lo tanto, hace que las neuronas que ya están activas por haber recibido neurotransmisor continúen activas por más tiempo y de manera mas intensa. Se cree que por esto es que al consumir marihuana se aumenta la imaginación, percepción, y los sentidos como el tacto y el gusto. Se cree que el THC también afecta a otros neurotransmisores como la dopamina y la norepinefrina. La dopamina y la norepinefrina son neurotransmisores que se asocian a sensaciones de placer, enfoque mental, motivación, entre otras cosas. Es por esto que se cree que la marihuana causa sensaciones de euforia, relajación, manejo de dolor, y ansiedad.

Nuestro cerebro se divide en diferentes regiones de acuerdo a su función en el cuerpo. Los receptores cannabinoides están presentes en varios lugares alrededor del cerebro, por lo que el efecto o la sensación que se siente puede variar dependiendo de donde se concentre más el THC.

Área del cerebro

Función normal

Como afecta el THC

Amígdala

Emociones, miedo, ansiedad

Pánico/paranoia

Ganglios basales

Planificar y/o llevar a cabo un movimiento

Reaccionar lentamente

Tallo cerebral

Lleva información entre Efectos anti náusea el cerebro y la espina dorsal

Cerebelo

Coordinación motora y balance

Perjudica la coordinación

Hipocampo

Aprender información nueva

Perjudica la memoria

Hipotálamo

Comer, Aumenta el apetito comportamiento sexual

Neo corteza

Pensamientos complejos, sensaciones, y movimientos

Altera el pensamiento, el juicio, y las sensaciones

Núcleo accumbens

Motivación y recompensa

Sentimientos de euforia o sentirse bien

Espina dorsal

Lleva información entre Altera la sensibilidad al el cerebro y el cuerpo dolor

Adaptado del: Scholastics and the scientists of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Hemos escuchado de los posibles beneficios y peligros del uso de la marihuana y los estudios que se han realizado han demostrado diferentes resultados. Sin embargo, con la reciente legalización en varios estados, se espera aprender mucho más acerca de los efectos del THC en nuestro cuerpo.

Ya se ha visto un aumento en las aplicaciones de productos con marihuana.

Tanto profesionales de la salud, como industrias de comercio, han comenzado a recetar y crear productos para beneficios de diversos pacientes.

Pero, aunque a nivel estatal, se ha aprobado la marihuana como uso medicinal y recreacional, aún está en debate el aprobarlo a nivel federal. En Estados Unidos, la marihuana sigue siendo clasificada como droga “schedule 1”. Esto significa que está clasificado como una sustancia que no tiene uso médico aceptable y que tiene un alto potencial de abuso, y es la misma categoría que la heroína y el ecstasy. Sin embargo, estas clasificaciones cambian de acuerdo a las aplicaciones que se les dé, y se espera que se si se llega a legalizar a nivel federal. Sin embargo, aún no existen regulaciones para estos productos, por lo que no se esta completamente seguro de que los productos que se comercialicen sean completamente naturales.

En la segunda parte de este escrito, indagaremos mas en lo que son las diferentes cepas de marihuana, beneficios y peligros de la marihuana, y como la investigación científica reciente ha avanzado la ciencia de la marihuana.

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

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Let the countdown begin to our 15th Anniversary!

November 2019

Highlights of El Sol Latino 2013-2015

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El Sol Latino September 2019

El Sol Latino Memorable Front Pages 2013- 2015

November 2013

Volume 9 No. 12

Un Periódico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper

Un Periódico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper

A Celebration of Hispanic Heritage in Western New England

Un Periódico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper

Art by Gaddier Rosario

Un Periódico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper

December 2014

Volume 11 No. 12

Un Periódico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper

Un Periódico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper

Un Periódico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper

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April 2015

Volume 11 No. 5

Un Periódico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper

Partnership between HOlyOke Public Library and CENTRO Un Periódico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper

Un Periódico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper

Un Periódico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper

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