Author name: Buffalo Latino Village

LATINO COLLEGE STUDENTS FACE INEQUALITY AND CULTURAL ISOLATION AT THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK at BUFFALO

Education /

LACK OF COLLEGE SERVICES FOR LATINO STUDENTS: This is in response to a story by UB Spectrum reporter, Kayla Estrada, in the November 2022 issue (UB Student Newspaper). This is what happened: This past year in November, the Spectrum (student) publication, published an article about the numerous problems faced by their Latino students – no Latino faculty, lack of recruitment for more Latino students, no Latino food in the cafeteria, and no support or care by the administration —  AND NOTHING WAS DONE! This reminds me of 1968, the year I and other Puerto Ricans/Latinos came to UB, and after a few months on the campus, we experienced the same reality Spectrum lays out in their article. The one thing I noticed is that today’s students were complaining about the situation, but they have or had any plans of action. The students of 1968 did let the issue go away. They demanded, they organized, and they took over several administration buildings to make their point. Were they successful? Yes, they were, but unfortunately, due to students moving on, and disconnection with Buffalo’s Puerto Rican/Latino leaders, the things accomplished faded away, things like more Latino students on campus, recruitment of Latinos interested in Law, Medicine, Engineering, and other professional areas, Black and Puerto Rican Studies, Radio Spanish programming (WBFO-FM), Office of Minority Student Affairs, thanks to the strong leadership of Roosevelt Rhodes, leader of the Black Student Union. Another vital program was EOP (Educational Opportunity Program), thanks to Assemblyman Arthur O. Eve, the only black and progressive elected official at the time. I’m no longer connected to the social and political fabric of UB, but I know for sure that Latino students need many of these services to ensure a successful education and quality of life on campus. The students must reach out to the local Puerto Rican/Latino leaders and get them involved in their (Latino community) struggle for social, cultural, and educational equality.  Contact the Buffalo Latino Village, we will put you in contact with the local Latino leaders, as it is their responsibility as leaders to care about what’s going on in the educational community in Buffalo, NY. Buffalo is a college town, with many black and Latino students on all the campuses. I’m convinced that UB Latino students are not the only ones facing this disconnect with their institutions.  Perhaps the Latino professors and staff already working on these campuses can get the ball rolling. These students are our sons and daughters. Contact the Buffalo Latino Village — buffalolatinovillage1@gmail.com—646-248-2302. Read More From This Writer All Post Art Books Business Community Education Entertainment Food & Culture Health Interviews Military & Veterans Peace People Politics LATINO COLLEGE STUDENTS FACE INEQUALITY AND CULTURAL ISOLATION AT THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK at BUFFALO March 25, 2023/No CommentsRead More

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MUJER: FELICIDADES EN TU MES

Community, español /

MUJER: FELICIDADES EN TU MES Marzo es el mes dedicado a la mujer y su contribución a la sociedad. Hoy te celebro querida lectora de nuestra publicación. Feliz Mes de la Mujer! Tenemos mucho por celebrar pero también temenos mucho por que luchar, en todos los ámbitos. Empezare por la ola de violencia de género en nuestras comunidades y a través del mundo. Necesitamos y exigimos mas programas para combartir la violencia de género. Necesitamos programas de prevención e intervencion. Mas apoyo a nivel educational, social y legislativo. No es cosa de pocos, sino de todos. La violencia de género nos roba a todos de nuestra humanidad. Su prevención empieza en casa y es intergeneracional: es un compromiso de todos! Abuelas, tios, primos, padres y familiares. Somos uno y parte de la solución. El mes de la mujer, es siempre un buen momento para reanudar nuestro compromiso a abogar por programas de prevención y educación a todos los niveles. Apoyar a nuestros jovenes a manejar el respeto y el dialogo ante conflictos es parte del compromiso.  A cada una de las generaciones representadas en nuestra comunidad a romper patrones de conducta que devaluan el respeto hacia los demás. Celebramos los avances legislativos de la eleccion de mas mujeres a las legislaturas a traves del mundo y en nuestras comunidades. Pero necesitamos mas apoyo y apertura a la vida cívica y a la participación democrática a todos y para todos—incluyendo programas de liderazgo y capacitación intergeneracional. Tenemos mucho que aportar y aprender los unos de las otras. En este marzo de celebración te insto a  contactar a tu legislador/a local, estatal y federal para que indages cuales son las propuestas de leyes que avanzen una agenda justa y equitativa para la mujer en tu distrito. Pregunta cuales son las iniciativas para el apoyo de guarderias infantiles. Programas de capacitación técnica, y la participación de la mujer en tecnología, ciencias y matemáticas, solo para mencionar unos cuantos. Cada aspecto de la vida económica, educacional, social y cívica es tambien parte del desarrollo al avance de la mujer. Cuando nos edificamos y contamos con el apoyo equitativo, no solo nos levantamos como género sino como pueblo. Contacta a tu legisladora/or y averigua cuales son las propuestas de leyes que apoyan este cambio. El mes de la mujer es un momento de reflexión y de impulso! Te invito a tomar el reto del mes, día a día en el cual hagamos un plan de acción, un llamado a reformas legislativas para el avance de la mujer y la comunidad progresista. Cada paso positivo  nos avanza a todos y a todas! 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 Uncategorized Who We Are MUJER: FELICIDADES EN TU MES March 23, 2023/No Comments POST TITLE (CAPITAL) Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus Read More CRISIS MIGRATORIA EN NUESTRAS COMUNIDADES February 23, 2023/No Comments CRISIS MIGRATORIA EN NUESTRAS COMUNIDADES Las imagenes y los testimonios son reveladores! Familias, cientos y miles de personas en busca Read More CARTA A  LOS REYES MAGOS January 23, 2023/No Comments CARTA A LOS REYES MAGOS Ahi vienen Los Reyes Magos! Estoy feliz de saber que ya vienen y que la Read More Load More End of Content.

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Where Are We Going?

Community /

Where Are We Going? A few weeks ago, as I was on my way to jump on the 190 from Virginia Street while waiting at the light at Niagara, I noticed the apartment building at the corner had been boarded up and appeared to have been condemned, with visible notices posted on the doors. At first thought, I felt this was a shame due to how old the building is and the many families who at one time or another called it home. Gentrification is a real thing here in the lower west side and I was sure that the folks who lived in the building were going to be priced out of the available apartments, once the owners of this building sent the money to finally renovate it and turn around and market the apartments to suburbanites who want a taste of city life no matter the high cost of rent, they’ll eventually pay. After posting a picture of the building on social media and asking the question of whether this was a future case of gentrification happening before our eyes, it came to my attention that the building had fallen into disrepair with busted pipes due to the winter weather leading to the discovery of asbestos. Hearing this, I’m hopeful the building owners do the right thing and make the recommended repairs to the property and don’t price out longtime west side residents, but the verdict is still out. The thought of this property being condemned, and the prospect of fellow West Siders possibly being priced out and forced to go elsewhere got me thinking and asking the question, where are we going? Years ago, before I was born, the West Side was predominantly made up of Italian immigrant families from the lower to the upper. As a “Boricua/Italiano” I always say that I’m the product of a West Side Story, with my mother being Puerto Rican and my father an Italian immigrant. As Latinos moved in, specifically Puerto Ricans, the Italian American families that dotted the lower and upper West Side moved out to other parts of Western New York, such as North Buffalo, Kenmore, the Tonawandas, and other suburbs. Moving back to Buffalo in late October after twelve years in Florida, I noticed the West Side is changing as if taking a cue from Italian families from years past, Puerto Ricans are beginning to abandon the West Side. Due to my work, I spend a good amount of time in the Riverside/Black Rock area of Buffalo and more and more, Puerto Rican families are beginning to make this part of town home. The West Side, however, has become the home to many immigrant families from Southeast Asian and African countries. Driving down Grant Street, although the familiar sight of Guercio’s remains, the different old Italian meat markets are all gone. In their place, shops, and storefronts offer a variety of goods and foods that would have been considered “exotic” years ago. The sight of these stores is truly something beautiful. I’m in full support of seeing recent immigrant success stories, even if it means Puerto Ricans are beginning to leave the same place that Italians left before them. As mentioned above, it appears as if Riverside is the new Puerto Rican West Side, however, there are other pockets of neighborhoods where you will see our faces and that familiar Red/White and Blue flag with the one star hanging from someone’s rearview mirror in their car. As I write this, my wife and I are just days removed from closing on a home in the Buffalo suburb of Depew, NY. Although my mother still owns and lives in my childhood home, I feel as if I’m another one of the long lines of folks who have left the places, we grew up in. Honestly, I wanted to stay in the city, however, I just couldn’t justify paying the higher cost of city living, compared to the amount of space we would get if we settled in the suburbs. It’s ironic really, my family was priced out of the West Side and ended up settling in Depew. I just hope the tenants from the building on Virginia and Niagara Streets don’t suffer the consequence of being forced to go elsewhere. I was lucky to have made the decision myself, however, others don’t always have that luxury. Read More From This Writer All Post Business Culture Entertainment Food Government Health Interviews Lower West Side Business & Economic Development Medical Our Community Peace People Sports Where Are We Going? March 23, 2023/No Comments POST TITLE (CAPITAL) Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus Read More “BORICUA SOY YO” A JOURNEY THAT STARTED ON A ROOFTOP IN YABUCOA February 23, 2023/No Comments Special to the Latino Village: “BORICUA SOY YO” A JOURNEY THAT STARTED ON A ROOFTOP IN YABUCOA Almost four years Read More A GENERATIONAL STORM THAT LOOTED OUR  PROGRESS January 23, 2023/No Comments A GENERATIONAL STORM THAT LOOTED OUR  PROGRESS A WEEKEND OF MISERY I originally was planning on continuing my look back Read More Load More End of Content.

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