Author name: Buffalo Latino Village

THE EYES OF MARCH, FROM THE LATINA KIND MAKING HERSTORY

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In 1980, President Jimmy Carter issued the first presidential proclamation declaring the month of March 8th as National Women’s History Week.  1987, Congress passed Public Law 100-9 designating March as “Women’s History Month.” Since 1995, each president has issued an annual proclamation making March as “Women’s History Month”. In 1979, the Hispanic Women’s league also took its place in “Herstory”, established as the first official Latin women’s organization created in Buffalo, N.Y.  and still exist today after over 40 years. The organization started as a reaction to an article in one of Buffalo’s local newspapers, which wrote that there were no “Latino professionals in Buffalo, NY.” This falsehood crystalized how the Latin population was viewed by the larger Buffalo community. The rest was Herstory! It was the Latin women of Buffalo who took the reins on this matter and held meetings for months deciding on how to respond to this outrageousness. At the time, no other organization in Buffalo or Western New York had a strong reaction to this discrediting, belittling, and irresponsible journalism. It took this article in 1979 to make the professional women of Buffalo fed up with the sexism, belittlement and constant ridicule of their contribution to “herstory.”  This ignorance also comes from Latin people refusing to be identified as Latin, ashamed of their culture, they allow themselves to go along and be defined by the status quo. Like all injustices in society, change was not easy. With several professional women relocating to other areas of the state, it was time for Buffalo’s Latin women, especially those with strong leadership skills, and who would not sell out to the “status quo” to speak out on behalf of their Latin community. In September 1979, the formation of the Hispanic Women’s League became official. The first officers were unanimously elected: Lillian G. Orsini, first president, Carmen Del Valle, vice president, Sarah Norat, treasurer, and Maria Rosa, secretary. That day “Herstory” was made in Buffalo. They came from all walks of life but not one hesitated to carry this torch. While these officers were the leaders, it was a reflection of the many who counted on them. There are many who ask what has the Latin population contributed to society as well as younger women questioning what the women’s league has done: we proudly stood up while many others stayed seated, we courageously faced the unknown social consequences, and marked a place and time in a hostile society that can never be erased. It took an United States president in 1980, to publicly acknowledge women’s social contribution, the Hispanic Women’s League started in 1979, in Buffalo. While the legacy belongs to a few, its continuation belongs to many. May we in the local Puerto Rican /Latin community recognize and acknowledge the past and present contributions of the Hispanic Women’s League and what is to come in the coming years. Enjoy the month of March! Read More From This Writer All Post Art Books & Poems Business Community Education Entertainment español Food & Culture Health Interviews Military & Veterans Peace People Politics Sports SPORTS IN PUERTO RICO: PUERTO RICAN WOMEN AT THE OLYMPICS 2021 September 17, 2021/No Comments SPORTS IN PUERTO RICO: PUERTO RICAN WOMEN AT THE OLYMPICS 2021 (Puerto Rico first partcipated at the Olympics Games in Read More SPORTS IN PUERTO RICO August 17, 2021/No Comments It has long been known that women have taken a historic back seat in all fields.  The  lack of exposure Read More BRIEF HISTORY OF SPORTS IN PUERTO RICO July 17, 2021/No Comments BRIEF HISTORY OF SPORTS IN PUERTO RICO The Taínos who inhabited Puerto Rico before the arrival of Christopher Columbus in Read More Load More End of Content.

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COMMON SENSE

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COMMON SENSE When neighbors accept that “It takes a village to fully raise a child” STUFF HAPPENS! I grew up on such a block, a village within a village. I got punished because of neighbors ratting me out whenever caught doing or saying something out of line. Neighbors shared resources as simple as cups of sugar or milk. I did not like or understood it at the time, but remember: the name of the neighborhood cop that walked the beat and would take us to our parents instead of jail for trivial stuff, the mailman that delivered the mail with a smile, sprinkler caps put on fire hydrants for kids to cool off in the summer, and trees getting planted to beautify the blocks. That is what united block associations can do to hold community boards accountable to use available resources (city, state, and federal projects and funds) for the betterment of the whole community. Sure, there will always be a few bad apples in the barrel; a drunk, a junkie, and/or a thief here and there, but the barrel was still full of good ones to savor and get things done. That is the way we, the little people, can still be. We are all feeling neglected and left behind, but the world is too small for saying “mind your own business” or “everybody looks out for self.” onsider February and March as preparation to celebrate Easter, a day for resurrecting new attitudes and direction. Year after year we celebrate the birth, fall, and rise of Jesus on the scene without considering a practical, deeper meaning. He cried “I am the truth, the way, and the light”. Confronting political, economic, and religious corruption he cried “what you have seen me do you can do also”. As God’s creations, we are all called to be ambassadors for the cause: Love, Justice and Equality for all. We still face those same issues. Do not government officials need transparency (the truth) new direction (the way) and wisdom (the light)? Can’t our neighborhoods be a tightly bonded village committed to raising our children, the next generation destined to be our future leaders in government, business, church and so on? That is our job! As vanguards, government and institutions are appointees meant to support and assure our efforts to achieve a healthy society. They were not meant to pigeonhole communities to pursue individual fame, power, and economic royalties. While there may be little we can directly do on their level, communities are still the backbone for a healthy society. We are a melting pot of different colors, races, religions, and economic standings meant to be promoted and protected. Is that so difficult? Do not continue to be deceived into feeling hopelessly helpless. In his 1776 publication “Common Sense”, Thomas Pain sought a true democratic republic and sparked a united peoples revolution by urging the common, not the affluent, persons of the existing colonies (communities) to dispose (get rid of) tyrants (the powers that be) and demand independence (from political rhetoric and institutionalized inequalities). They pursued and manifested a new destiny with an evolving vision to continue fighting for. Do not be blinded by the smoke of current bipartisan battles for power while forgetting our daily needs. This is a perfect time for local communities to flex the muscles of people power. A more peaceful and harmonious future relies heavily on the next generation needing local role models to follow. It is not rocket science. It is Common Sense! Read More From This Writer All Post Food Government Health Interviews Lower West Side Business & Economic Development Peace People COMMON SENSE March 16, 2021/No Comments POST TITLE (CAPITAL) Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus Read More TURNING THE PAGE February 16, 2021/No Comments TURNING THE PAGE Valentine’s Day! Make it an everyday event and collectively “Love Thy Neighbor as thy self.” Along with Read More NEW YEAR, NEW DEAL? January 16, 2021/No Comments NEW YEAR, NEW DEAL? Happy New Year! It’s done! The ballots have been tallied, verified, and announced. On January 20th Read More Load More End of Content.

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NOTHING TO LOSE

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NOTHING TO LOSE  I was watching a video from Jim Sterling that discussed what happened on Wall Street this past month. He talked about how wealth begets wealth and that there are more ways to get wealthier, especially when you are wealthy, to begin with. We see that the difference here, from the 1920s to the 2020s, is that common people seem to have nothing left to lose, and they just gamble it away. While the economic situation for the lower and middle class is worse than it used to be, it can be a worse experience in other countries. In this issue, I want readers to understand why millions of people still want to come to the “good USA” and make a living. Let me try to paint you a picture: You live in a third-world country, you learned to prepare a budget, not because you wanted to save, but because if you do not, you will not make ends meet; and even then, you might not be able to. You are probably living on loans, living with your parents in a one-bedroom or small apartment. Sure, it may be illegal technically, but your other choice is living on the streets; shelters are full or do not exist, so that is out of the question. Charities? You thought the charities in the United States were corrupt, and only a dime out of a dollar donated to the “March of Dimes” goes to the needy? Well, here they do not have to hide it, almost no resources go to the poor. At most, stale bread and groceries would be thrown away anyway. That is the reality of poverty in developing countries. Oh, find a job, you say? The best part, all those people are employed, but the salary is not enough to make ends meet. Few are lucky to get government housing. The concept of savings is something that exists among the luckiest of the few. That is indeed the picture of a dysfunctional economy. That is exactly why even with all our problems, people still come to America in droves – with a wish to live, establish, and contribute to a country with a future. That is the direction that a declining nation, where the welfare of the low and middle class is abandoned, where they are no longer seen as people, but as assets to be leveraged. We can see that with the discussions around economic stimulus and how the money is distributed. Unfortunately, that is the future we are heading towards, especially if we do not get our economic perspectives back on track. Even with the highest GDP in the world, if not leveraged right, then you only have an economy that is utilizing a fraction of its potential, and only fueling public unrest. The stock market is not the economy. Read More From This Writer All Post Art Books Business Culture Education Entertainment Food Government Health Interviews Lower West Side Business & Economic Development Medical Military & Veterans Our Community Peace People Sports Who We Are NOTHING TO LOSE March 13, 2021/No Comments POST TITLE (CAPITAL) Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus Read More  CAPITOL RIOTS: ON THE SUBJECT OF NOISE February 13, 2021/No Comments CAPITOL RIOTS: ON THE SUBJECT OF NOISE In Electrical Engineering there is a fascinating term for noise that can be Read More TOTALITARIANISM NEW POLITICAL PARADIGM SHIFT? December 13, 2020/No Comments TOTALITARIANISM NEW POLITICAL PARADIGM SHIFT? In modern history, every breakthrough and change in the international balance of power came first Read More Load More End of Content.

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