Community

This year in 2022, let’s open our eyes and be more alert and observant of the way our community functions and is treated by the political community.  Be responsible as a citizen. Since you pay taxes, find out who are the politicians or elected officials that represent the community you live in. Get to know your community leaders and observe how they are doing. Are they legitimate community leaders or “self-proclaimed leaders produced by politicians always looking for easy votes, winning elections without opening their eyes, or accountable to anyone except the few who help in the manipulation and delivery of the community votes? (Empty promises). Let’s start the new year with a commitment to get our house in order – socially, economically, and politically. Let’s get closer to our local organizations, like Hispanic United of Buffalo, PRLC, Father Belle, PRACA, Hispanic Heritage Council, Hispanic Women’s League, El Buen Amigo, El Batey Puerto Rican Center, Pushing Latinos Forward, etc.  Visit them, introduce yourself, ask questions, and request to see the budget, how they operate, what are the salaries of their top personal el, and who’s on their board of directors?  Ask about their mission and purpose in the community. Ask about employees, what they do, and how they get their jobs. What money are they getting from the city, state, and federal government? How is that money spent or utilized?  You need to pay attention to your community. Did you know there are plans for a “Hispanic Heritage Center” planned for Niagara Street, sponsored by the Hispanic Heritage Council? Ask them about who’s involved, and what they have in mind.  Have they talked to you or your neighbors about it, what community people are involved in? Who’s putting up or funding the project? Who’s handling the construction contracts? Who’s getting the jobs? These are all legitimate questions for you to ask, it’s the responsibility of the people, of a community to care.  Join and support some of them, especially if you like what you see and learn. White communities will tell you, “Homie don’t play that.” They demand to be kept informed of what is happening in their communities. We need to do the same.  Unfortunately, the reason why black and Latino communities are always behind the 8 ball is that we don’t ask questions, and we don’t care. Change that in 2022, let’s make our community better, for our children, family, and community.  Let’s meet and talk to our leaders, let us build a better community.  In 2022, work on Transparency.    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 Comments LACK OF COLLEGE SERVICES FOR LATINO STUDENTS: This is in response to a story by UB Spectrum reporter, Kayla Estrada, Read More “GETTING VERY LITTLE FOR THE WHOLE,  BUT GETTING A LOT FOR THE FEW” WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN 2023 January 25, 2023/No Comments While I might appear to be biased and selective, I strongly feel the four people in the photo are the Read More The Isaías González-Soto Branch Library (formerly Niagara Branch) is a member of the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library System December 25, 2022/No Comments When the Hispanic Heritage Council (HHC) moved to rename the Niagara Branch Library several years ago, with the support of Read More Load More End of Content.

Dear Buffalo Latino Community: Time to upgrade the imagination and creativity of the people leading our Puerto Rican/Latino community and move to develop a short and long-term plan for business and economic development on Calle Niágara.  We already have a small movement in that direction with HHC’s plans to build a cultural center. But unfortunately, that’s as far as they have planned, failing to see the business, arts, and cultural potential.  With the money that’s coming into Buffalo, thanks to President Biden, and the community leaders, including the emerging young progressive faction, what are the leaders able to do? We can plan and take Niagara Square up to Porter Avenue, just like the Cubans in Miami have “Calle Ocho.” Imagine Puerto Rican and Latino shops, stores, art galleries, restaurants, bookstore, entertainment outlets, a library, cultural center (HHC), as well as secure government and private funding to get groups like El Buen Amigo, Buffalo Online Latino Art Gallery, El Museo, Los Artistas del Bario, and El Batey Puerto Rican Center, to relocate to Calle Niágara.  This includes Panorama Hispano, La Ultima Hora, and the Latino Village to have office space, and other related individuals or groups not mentioned here.  El Batey Puerto Rican Center is the leading Puerto Rican Cultural organization, located in Riverside, we should be able to convince them to open a satellite center on Niagara Street, but also support their location on the upper west side; it’s an area with an influx of Puerto Rican/Latino residents.  This is the time to make it happen. Let us not be overlooked this time; we have been overlooked for too long. As a point of information, you should know that past Porter Avenue, Niagara Street has over twenty (20+) development projects in operation: bookstore, restaurants, housing, and more. What happened to our side of Niagara Street, from Porter to Niagara Square? Many of you have excellent relationships with Mayor Brown, State Senator Sean M. Ryan, Councilman David Rivera, Assemblyman Jonathan Rivera, State Senator Tim Kennedy, Congressman Higgins, and other elected officials. Put them to the test and see if they truly support our community. Utilize them! ¡Sí Se Puede! 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 Comments LACK OF COLLEGE SERVICES FOR LATINO STUDENTS: This is in response to a story by UB Spectrum reporter, Kayla Estrada, Read More “GETTING VERY LITTLE FOR THE WHOLE,  BUT GETTING A LOT FOR THE FEW” WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN 2023 January 25, 2023/No Comments While I might appear to be biased and selective, I strongly feel the four people in the photo are the Read More The Isaías González-Soto Branch Library (formerly Niagara Branch) is a member of the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library System December 25, 2022/No Comments When the Hispanic Heritage Council (HHC) moved to rename the Niagara Branch Library several years ago, with the support of Read More Load More End of Content.