Interviews

Elvira Velasquez stands elegant with a deep stare, in her 90’s but with an essence of youthfulness about her. The story was that she was a looker, and the whole town of Camuy knew it. I have one photo of her, to prove my linkage to the blackness that Puerto Ricans like to negate. Hand on her hip, she lived between centuries, colonizers, (last names), husbands, masters, and empires. I asked in fear- what would be of me if I did not have this picture?  To make the pieces of my soul who yearn for Africa – whole. Elvira, born a slave and died a free woman who knew bomba. — Y tu abuela, ¿dónde está? African slaves were introduced in 1513 and institutional slavery would not be abolished until 1873. Slaves had to remain on their Master’s property for three years to work off their freedom. Even the free were not free in Puerto Rico.  Restricted movement, chains weighing down their bodies, forced labor, control, dominance, submission, deprivation, anguish, all limiting conditions of slavery.  From bits of spirit, they wove together culture in response to those limiting phenomena, a knot to bind all tribes and peoples together, no matter what their mother tongue. That knot, a culture, and a lifestyle called Bomba.  A celebration of the most absolute kind, one, that in its mere existence, is a miracle.  The abundance of 500 years of dance, represented here in Buffalo by one face. INTERVIEW WITH BEATRIZ FLORES Beatriz Flores is the Founder and Director of El Batey-Puerto Rican Center of Music and Dance. I met her first- when I heard her drummers- well before I saw her face, I knew she was beautiful.  Curiously peering into her performance space, I could tell she was in charge. Time froze to be rebuilt around her body’s movements. She stopped- with a flash of her perfect smile to greet me. After talking to Betty, you feel seen- you feel acknowledged- full of hope and promise. That is what Betty does; she is one of those people who fill up your spiritual cup of Cafesito.  Rightly so, one of those people – people love to know. The face of “Betty” Flores as she is known to her adoring fans, has ushered in a new period of appreciation for OUR traditional arts and folklore across the entire city and we are grateful. Betty Flores remains humble in her interview she says: “As an individual being teachable cultivates humility.” Betty’s job? To remind us, that even though we do not know the steps, we know the way because bomba runs deep in our souls, and here in Buffalo, Bomba lives at el Batey… 1.What motivated you to become an educator? I teach an over 400-year-old oral tradition called Bomba. It has the power of lived experiences that hold incredible wisdom. The power in the stories of the people who came before us. We are the descendants of that history. This centuries-old tradition holds our history within it.  A history that encompasses all that we are and defines us as a people. This type of education gives kids the knowledge to understand and be proud of who they are. I honestly believe that without our culture and traditions we cease to exist as a people. Being part of the Puerto Rican diaspora intensifies that belief, so the natural response is to do what we call in Puerto Rico, “hacer patria”, to be in service of Puerto Rico and of our people by preserving our traditions and culture. Yo hago patria aunque esté en la luna, that is my main driver.  What was your experience like as a student? I went to school in Puerto Rico, my memories of being a student there were great! I recall teachers were like an extension of your family, discipline entangled with love and encouragement. I was a quiet student on the honor roll and had all As except for Spanish class! Go figure! Now contrast that to my experience in the states as a teenager, the school felt like an institution where kids had no voice, there were no teachers I connected with, coupled that with the shock of the racial divide, and the violence that it breeds. It was not fun. My experience as a Puerto Rican student in Puerto Rico allowed me to thrive academically as opposed to here where I was met with a harsh institutionalized culture that left me feeling completely disconnected. I did not do well as a student and ended up dropping out.  Did you like school/learning? Yes, both in my work and in my personal life constant learning is part of what sustains and guides me. I think having a student’s heart is the key for me as an educator. As an individual being teachable cultivates humility. How did your experience as a student inform your leadership style as an educator? It is the reason why I am very intentional about building relationships, bonds, and trust with my students. Pouring love, light, and hope into them without exception.  In our classes respect is mutual. And support is not conditional. Allowing them to have a voice, to make mistakes, to have choices, to learn at their own pace is critical. Students blossom under that type of environment. Those are life principles they will learn to apply in their own path.  When did you start your work as an educator and what was your role? I am not an academic educator in the traditional sense. I began my work as a dance instructor, and this led me to discover Puerto Rico’s oldest cultural expression; Bomba. My role was and still is that of a student of the tradition. I went ahead and founded the first Puerto Rican center dedicated to our music and traditions 4 years ago called El Batey. The mission is to empower and honor our people through our music, history, and traditions. It is all about community building from the root! Our

This month I will be introducing Evelyn Pizarro, an educator who worked and retired from the Buffalo Public School system. Evelyn Pizzaro is a Puerto Rican integrationist. She integrated the white schools of the Sicilian West Side in the 1960s. Evelyn’s parents achieved social mobility and bought a house. One of the three Latino families in the West Side. Buying a house allowed Evelyn the privilege and the responsibility of being one of the first Latina children to attend BPS 03. At the time attending, all the white schools were understood to be a privilege because all white schools were better. While Evelyn’s parents were integrating the West Side, Puerto Ricans were fighting hard to access “better” for their children all over the country. For the folks who like definitions, social mobility is defined as a change in social status relative to one’s current social location within a given society. In the West Side commonly referred to as “the come up.” Mendez v. Westminster was filed in 1946 in California because Felicitas, a mother from Juncos Puerto Rico, was on the come up too. She refused to accept the fact that her 9yr old daughter Sylvia was denied access to their local white school. Felicitas was not backing down and took that case to the Supreme Court. Evelyn’s parents were not backing down either- part of the first 2000 Puerto Ricans to settle in Buffalo they both worked two jobs. Literally and physically working night and day to earn enough money to buy a house in a good neighborhood so Evelyn could go to school. Latino sacrifices to access education have not always been well understood and or well documented. For that reason, history won’t tell you the Mendez case came before Brown v. Board of Education and that Sylvia was ½ Puerto Rican or that the case led to the integration of California schools. History will not tell you about Evelyn Pizzaro who integrated a school and returned as its Principal.  So simply we must rewrite history. In honor of the women like Sylvia and Evelyn. Who as girls were isolated, and not wanted inside their own school buildings and in response grew into women who out-worked and out achieved their peers? Evelyn’s grit remains today, she says in her interview: “I was known as a toughie in the neighborhood. I wasn’t one that was intimated very quickly and that stayed with me as a student.” Help us rewrite history and read Evelyn’s interview on my blog. Learn the true story of a trailblazer that fought for Latinas before she even knew it- every time she stepped into the classroom. INTERVIEW WITH EVELYN PIZARRO 1.What was your experience like as a student? I went to Buffalo public schools I graduated from BPS # 03 at Porter and Niagara – around 15 or so years later I came back and became the principal. You finished at school 03 and then you would go to Grover Cleveland High School. Back then there were neighborhood schools, so you went to school where you lived.  At the time I went to school the West Side was a mostly Italian neighborhood and only a handful of Puerto Ricans lived there. My family lived around the block from the school. What was special about my family was that we were accepted by the Italians and we owned the house that we lived in. 2.Did you like school or learning? I was the first Latino principal in the City of Buffalo because of my parents. “First of all, in my house, you never failed”. If you failed, you were going to get your ass kicked. My parents made it known that “You better come home with passing grades.” If any of the six of us failed any classes, you would have to spend the whole afternoon at the table. And then if not, you were reading out loud so my mother could hear you. My parents understood education was important. My parents came from Puerto Rico and they met in New York City. I was born in New York City, but my family moved to Buffalo when I was a baby.  In those days, most Puerto Ricans only went to school until 08th grade because children were also working in the fields. During my parent’s time, If you got a high school diploma you were lucky.  So, when my parents came to Buffalo, NY they worked hard. First, my father was working in the fields. Then our neighbor down the street got him a job driving a garbage truck in the morning. And then he got a job at the steel plant. He had a garbage truck in the morning and a steel plant job in the evening. Then we had enough money to buy a house. My mother worked at the cannery and sewed at home at night. There were only 3 Hispanics in the whole neighborhood when we bought our house.  Little by little more people started to realize – if you can buy a house and you use your money to invest in your house you can make money. 3.What were your experiences like as a student and how did they inform your leadership? I was considered a tough cookie. I did not take any abuse from anyone. When my friends had a problem with the Italians. I would go to them and take care of that problem. I would say “Why are you calling her a spick?” Or telling her that “we should be on the farm?” Then I would say “you give her a hard time again- I am going to kick your ass!” I was known as a toughie in the neighborhood.  I was not one that was intimated very quickly and that stayed with me as a student. I studied here in Buffalo in the West Side.  I went to D’Youville college in the West Side because they had bilingual courses. I then went to SUNY Buffalo State

Education is supposed to be an equalizer. But in the beginning and increasingly now, it is a polarizer. What school you go to, if you have the internet or not, and what zip code you live in indisputably- matters in terms of educational access, and in society’s understanding of your perceived ability to “succeed.”  Accessing education has always been a challenge for us – part of how institutional racism is expressed in this country. For the folks who like definitions- Institutional racism is a form of racism that is embedded as the normal practice within society. Most often – girls were the first to be denied any education. Writing from Puerto Rico, I close my eyes and think of my abuela. She only had a third-grade education, but she was one of the wisest people I will ever know. She taught me “education” is more than whatever “lessons” I would learn in “school”.  Two years before abuela was born in 1921, the United States reported only 41% of the nearly half a million school-age children in Puerto Rico were “enrolled in school”.  In 1945, the year Puerto Rican troops were returning from World War II, only 50% of their sisters and brothers were accessing primary education. Now, ask yourself, where did the other children learn? Who were their teachers if they were not “enrolled” in school? The answer?  Their “educators” were leaders in their own community. Heidi Romer is a community educator, she teaches/advocates for health equity. Additionally, in doing so – she drives progress, speaks for the voiceless, the vulnerable, and those needing care. Heidi’s bright eyes look excited because she believes in possibilities. Heidi has conquered impossibility. As a strong Puerto Rican woman, she says: “Be bold, be brave, be humble. Pursue your dreams, Ask the right questions. Fight for what you want. Be your own cheerleader, advocate, and pastor. Find a way or make one. Love yourself. Love your neighbor and lift up those around you.” March is Women’s History Month, and Heidi, like the rest of the women who inspire me, embodies the idea that living is giving. Her entire life is an example. Values are taught outside and inside of the classroom, and Heidi’s commitment to communicating hers is why you should read her interview on my blog. Our message? Always be open to learning in spaces – outside of the classroom- those lessons are equally as important now, as they were for the women who came before us. INTERVIEW WITH HEIDI ROMER  I attended classes all day and remember running to class because the school was overcrowded and if you were late, you most likely had to sit on the floor.  I also attended night school three times a week and worked on three take-home courses on the weekends called concurrent options.  I graduated in January and gave birth to my first son in March.  I attempted to attend Bronx Community College but realized I needed to work sooner than later.  I went to an open house at the Katharine Gibbs School and asked the counselor, “What is the shortest program, offering guaranteed job placement and making the most money?”  I immediately enrolled in the Legal Executive Assistant program and a few months later I was making more money than most of my friends.  I hated working in a law firm. What was your experience as a student? My student experiences are a bit of a blur.  I attended many schools throughout my life.  I traveled between New York City and South Florida until 9th grade.  Looking back, I can say I was not academically challenged, and subjects came easily to me.  My favorite subject was History, and my concentration was Performing Arts.  I thought I was going to be an actress.  I am laughing out loud just thinking about it.  In 10th-grade I was a victim of a hit-and-run accident.  I am dating myself with what I’m about to tell you, but all I can remember is returning the movie rental Boomerang to Blockbuster Video- – -yes, that was a thing and eating McDonald’s French fries. I was in the ICU for two weeks, spent one month in the hospital, had surgery to repair a broken fibula and ankle, and missed a semester of school.  I spent my junior year making up classes.  Shortly after I was pregnant with my son.  My only goal at the time was to graduate high school early.  “I will either find a way or make one”-Hannibal. I had my second son when I was 20 years old.  After 9-11, I moved to Buffalo, NY, and obtained my degree from SUNY Erie Community College and thought I could be a CEO with AAS.  I am laughing out loud again just thinking about it.  It took me ten years to complete my bachelor’s degree.   Every time my life changed my priorities changed.  Survival of the fittest and cannot stop will not stop sums up what my experiences as a student were like. Did you like school or learning? I did not like going to school or being in a structured environment at all.  In New York City, schools are built like a fortress.  In Florida, schools are built like mini college campuses.  In New York City, you must get yourself to school and that meant buses and trains.  In Florida, gym class was held outside in the blazing sun and heat.  These were real issues for me at the time.  I am laughing out loud again. I love to learn and experience, and explore.  I am a lifelong learner and understand “I know that I know nothing”-Socrates. How did your experience as a student inform your leadership style as an educator? Traveling between the Bronx and Miami throughout my childhood did have its benefits.  My father is German, and my mother is Puerto Rican.  I am a first-generation American.  My best friend at the time was Vietnamese.  My babysitter was Italian.  I was always exposed to diversity,