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LOCAL LATINO COMMUNITY RADIO SILENCE

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Since moving back home to the Buffalo area in October 2022, I have been curious to see how local media outlets targeted and focused attention on our stories and community, particularly the Puerto Rican community in Buffalo and the Western New York region, as Puerto Ricans make up over 90% of the local Latino community. As a media professional, having worked for almost nine years during the early 2000s at two of our affiliate stations, WKBW-TV and WNED-TV respectively, I was very familiar with the lack of coverage our community received and after leaving WNED-TV for Florida in December 2010, I wondered if the coverage would ever improve. Fast forward twelve years and sadly, things remain the same. A few months back, on social media, I saw that the local NPR station (WBFO) would be offering Spanish Language content for those in our area through a partnership with “Sin Fronteras WNY” and “Radio Bilingüe.” Upon hearing this news, I was excited as I thought this would provide an amazing opportunity for Spanish-speaking residents of Western New York, mostly those of us with Puerto Rican roots, a chance to be more informed about the many ongoings within our community. One afternoon, I happened to log into the WBFO website and find the Sin Fronteras page and was disappointed in what I saw, the lack of any content related to Western New York Latinos or our interests. As I perused through the website, I was greeted with articles that mentioned DACA, Mexican American issues, Immigration Reform, California Politics, and Southern Border happenings.  These are all important issues, yes, however, none of the stories discussed within the radio programs nor the website listed as clickable articles spoke to our community needs as Western New York Latinos. Continually Ignored and Misrepresented: After experiencing my “Sin Fronteras” disappointment, I’ve just come to accept that local media outlets are just happy to throw our community a bone without really investing true attention to our needs within the Western New York Puerto Rican or Latino community. As I write this column, it just so happens it comes on the heels of yet another “Grease Pole Festival” celebration, a festival I’ve always felt uncomfortable acknowledging as part of our “cultural heritage.” As a young Boricua working in local media, I was always conscious of the way our people were presented onscreen within news stories. To be honest, working at Channel 7, particularly the evening news, I hated whenever “Grease Pole” season was around, as I was always reminded that the only time, at that time, my people were shown on local television was either in handcuffs or climbing a greased-out pole for a salchichon or a case of beer. Living in New York City during the late 90s, I loved seeing our Puerto Rican culture celebrated at the 116th Street Festival and the Puerto Rican Day Parade. I always imagined what our NYC Puerto Rican brethren would think if someone proposed putting teams together to climb a greasy pole during these celebrations. I don’t think that proposal would go very well. Yet why is this accepted here in Buffalo? THE WAY WE REPRESENT AND ARE PRESENTED MATTERS During my time at WKBW, I remember confronting station Channel 7 General Manager Bill Ransom himself when the news department did a story about the “Wild West Side” calling it the heroin highway back in 2004. I grew up on the Lower West Side and was horrified that a reporter, one who shall remain nameless, who was hired from out of town and who had no connection to my home dared to call my part of town “wild and lawless”, especially when this reporter was not a person of color, yet was painting a negative picture over our community, one full of mostly Puerto Ricans. A few months ago, I wrote about how we must take our representation into our own hands here within our community. I just hope and wish anyone reading this will challenge those who claim to do work on our behalf to demand more. Yes, it’s great that WBFO threw us a bone and is offering Spanish Language content on their air, I just wish they threw us a piece of the steak too, and covered our local community which has been ignored far too long. Read More From This Writer All Post Art Books & Poems Business Column Community Community News Education Entertainment español Food & Culture Health Interviews Media Military & Veterans Music Peace People Politics Sports Technology LOCAL LATINO COMMUNITY RADIO SILENCE August 26, 2024/No Comments Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo. Read More… Read More Finding Passion in Face Painting: The Journey of Darlene Berrios Blair July 22, 2024/1 Comment With summer upon us, the Summer Festival Season is in full swing. Typically, at these local events, among vendors selling… Read More BRIDGING THE GAP: LATINO REPRESENTATION IN THE TECH INDUSTRY June 6, 2024/2 Comments Back in early November, I took a Civil Service Exam for a Communications Specialist position with Erie County at the… Read More Load More End of Content.

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SHIFT HAPPENS

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I am the son of a Panamanian father and Honduran mother. I never met my black father, but he’s left a lasting imprint, not only on my skin, but on my perceptions of race, family, and fatherhood. My mom, on the other hand, is white as Canilla rice, but every bit of a Latina. And she’ll tell you that until I was 3 years old, I spoke nothing but Spanish. Well, shift happens.  My mom has always been the family interpreter. My grandmother was the first Peraza to arrive in the United States in 1965. She spoke no English. She’s eighty-two now, and she still speaks very little English. Why? One reason is that she brought my mom to the US in 1967, and my mom learned English quickly, helping the family adapt. To this day, my mom is the go-between that makes US society accessible for my grandmother.  All this came to mind last week, when I interviewed a Spanish-speaking childcare provider. As a childcare advocate for Western New York Child Care Action Team, I was asked to document the provider’s language access issues. I learned that this small business owner hoped to expand her staff by hiring a Spanish-speaking childcare professional to help care for Latino children. The problem was, the professional she wanted to hire spoke very little English, and the training materials – the training itself – was done in English. The provider, who speaks limited English herself, was forced to translate for her colleague, which raises an important question: Why isn’t the training in Spanish? I wish I could tell you that I conducted that interview in Spanish. The truth is, I’m out of practice. I rarely converse in Spanish, and since the stakes are high in childcare advocacy, I made a wise decision: I called my mom. With the provider’s permission, I invited my mom to help facilitate the interview.  Any of the Peraza’s in Buffalo will tell you that my mom and I are oil and water – we don’t mix. We’re both Aries and spend 90 percent of our time butting heads. But for 45 miraculous minutes we collaborated on the interview, making sure to document the story with care and compassion. It was one of the greatest experiences I have had with my mom.  I spend a lot of time amplifying my blackness, but today I acknowledge that being Latino is at the core of identity too. I read and write Spanish – my first publication as a young scholar was a Spanish essay on Nicolas Guillen’s poem, “Sensemaya.” Now it’s time to extend my fluency to the spoken word. I want to honor my Honduran mom by speaking my native tongue like I did when I was Read More From This Writer All Post Art Books & Poems Business Column Community Community News Education Entertainment español Food & Culture Health Interviews Media Military & Veterans Music Peace People Politics Sports Technology SHIFT HAPPENS August 26, 2024/No Comments Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo. Read More… Read More AN OBITUARY July 31, 2024/1 Comment I didn’t know my father before he died, and I didn’t care, really, until I learned of his death. Even… Read More

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FROM CRISIS TO PROGRESS: REDEFINING DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP

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My primary concern with the Democratic Party is the tendency toward what I call “weaponized ineptitude.” Politicians campaign vigorously, highlighting the threats to our civil rights and liberties, but once in office, they often display a striking forgetfulness and lack of accountability. This behavior can only be described as weaponized incompetence. For decades, Republicans consistently pushed against our freedoms. Instead of negotiating from a position of progress, Democrats meet Republicans at a centerline of injustices and lose fight after fight. Both Democrats and Republicans demand conformity supported by those they marginalize, by using fearmongering and end-of-days analogies without offering real solutions to problems, only martyrdom and victim mentalities. Project 2025, spearheaded by the Heritage Foundation and other conservative organizations, aims to restructure the federal government to align with conservative ideology. This blueprint impacts reproductive rights, environmental regulations, and federal governance. The roots of Project 2025 can be traced back to DECADES-long efforts by conservative activists and politicians to reshape American government. Key figures include unknown political mastermind Leonard Leo of the Federalist Society, who’s been instrumental in placing conservative judges in the judiciary, ensuring long-term influence over federal and state laws. Leo’s involvement in judicial nominations, including Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett, showcases a strategic plan to cement conservatives in the higher courts. Mitch McConnell, long-serving Senate Majority Leader, played a pivotal role in this conservative strategy, his block of President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee, Merrick Garland, in 2016 set the stage for a conservative judicial revolution. By ensuring vacancies were filled by conservative justices during Trump’s presidency, McConnell aimed to create a judiciary that would support conservative policies and affect the lives of citizens for generations to come. Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign was influenced by conservative think tanks and key figures within the Republican Party. Central to his platform was the promise to appoint conservative judges to the federal judiciary, including the Supreme Court. This promise, orchestrated by McConnell and Leo, provided Trump with a list of potential Supreme Court nominees that would appeal to conservative voters. The refusal to consider Merrick Garland set the stage for appointing conservative judges, allowing Trump to nominate Neil Gorsuch, followed by Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, solidifying a conservative majority on the Court. Project 2025 is not an isolated initiative, but the continuation and expansion of the conservative agenda promoted during the 2016 Republican campaign. Through strategic judicial appointments, deregulation, and targeted social policies, conservatives aim to solidify their principles in American governance. In response, Democrats launched an initiative to “stop” Project 2025 from being implemented. In recent years, Democrats have focused on mobilizing voters by highlighting the dangers posed by their political opponents. This strategy, while effective in generating urgency, fails to offer a long-term vision for the country’s future. Voters are not just looking for a party that will protect them from harm; they are seeking leadership that will guide the nation towards progress, equality, and prosperity. The failure of the current Democratic Party, aside from its internal control struggles within the DNC, lies in its reactionary nature. It is not solution-based, rather reacts to problems as they arise. Democrats struggle to unify around shared values, appearing to lack a clear direction, active effort, or proactively tackling issues affecting American’s lives, until it is time for elections and our rights are at peril of disappearing. Democrats must engage in meaningful dialogue with communities across the nation, listen to their concerns, and incorporate their ideas into a comprehensive strategy. Crafting policies that address economic inequality, healthcare, education, climate change, and social justice in innovative and practical ways. By presenting a cohesive and optimistic vision, Democrats can inspire hope and confidence, rather than fear and anxiety. By doing so, a foundation that empowers and unites Americans can be created, offering a compelling alternative to the politics of fear. The time for change is now – let’s lead with vision and conviction. Read More From This Writer All Post Art Books & Poems Business Column Community Community News Education Entertainment español Food & Culture Health Interviews Media Military & Veterans Music Peace People Politics Sports Technology FROM CRISIS TO PROGRESS: REDEFINING DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP August 5, 2024/No Comments My primary concern with the Democratic Party is the tendency toward what I call “weaponized ineptitude.” Politicians campaign vigorously, highlighting… Read More

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