People

El nombre de una mujer; she inspired me to learn that less is more, and more is less, and no one cares about your excuses. She lives simply, streamlined, and efficiently, yet feminine, drenched in muted colors, and too chic for your fashion-forward lens. Very euro- the very Bronx like a chameleon with the heart of a lion. I met her in the West Side of Course, on grant Street (where real gangsters have been meeting real gangsters) since my grandfather’s butcher store was open. She was teaching English to refugees and new Americans, fitting for someone- who I would learn taught herself English at age 7. She told me she was a political science major and that did it. I knew we were going to become instant friends. She reminded me of myself frankly. Why? Because political science is defined as the branch of knowledge that deals with systems of government, and the analysis of political activity and behavior. And any Latina who consciously chooses to study political science in my mind is a genius. Liz and I both were done an injustice in our studies though, not taught about the history of women and or common folk. I always say I was taught the victors curriculum- the one where -it was told to us; all our Taino ancestors were killed, and colonization brought “progress” to our islands. That’s not the true history. Liz being Dominican and Puerto Rican – taught through the lens of the separation, of our islands and our peoples. We weren’t told the Taino lived in both lands and creation stories said we emerged from caves in a sacred mountain on Hispaniola. Or that genetic studies show in Puerto Rico, that a high proportion of people have “Amerindian mtDNA.” Thus, the Taino survived. And their ideas and lives were expressed in art- left out of our textbook. History teaches us to separate ourselves, but unity is our strength as evidenced by the labor and women’s rights movements and activists like Luisa Capetillo. Who changed the course of politics across the Caribbean just by wearing pants in public! She went on to publish one of the first feminist theses in Puerto Rico. Liz and I are political scientists who have a serious responsibility to learn and rewrite our own histories of power. The new curriculum is based on the revolutionary idea: we survived thus we are the victors. And what do they say- “To the Victor Go the Spoils”. I’m just glad I don’t have to go at this alone. Lucky Liz matches her glamor with her grit.  Her quote “Be fearless about it.” Read her interview and you’ll see why she is. THE INTERVIEW Where were you raised, and what were the values taught in your home? I was born in the Dominican Republic and raised there for the first 7 years of my life. Then came Washington Heights. Those are my child(hoods) but the Bronx and Buffalo also raised me!  My parents did not play about me and my sisters, we were to be respectful first and foremost; Bendiciones (blessing) every time we said hi to our elders, and Con permiso (permission) if we needed to speak, were expected. We were also taught that family was love. My family means the world to us and growing up we always made sure to keep that present. I am very close with both my father’s and mother’s sides.  Lastly, hard work.  Growing up low income in DR. I understood at a very young age that nothing came easy and hard work was the only way I was going to get what I wanted in life. Since I can remember my father has been waking up at 3AM to head to work. He continues to inspire my dedication and ambition.  What was your experience as a student? I love being a student. I loved going to school and learning. Growing up in the New York public schools was an experience of its own. My teachers cared for me and my learning. In primary school, especially, as a multi-language learner, I learned very fast and excelled tremendously. High school and college saw a different student in me. I started to notice all the holes in my education and that impacted my performance. I shifted from focusing on my academics and more on the social and extracurricular activities that supported the learning I was doing in classes. This meant joining clubs, becoming a leader in my spaces, and applying my knowledge to my every day. When did you start working and what was your first or favorite job? I started working at like 9 babysitting my family’s kids. My first real job was at American Eagle when I was 18. My favorite job was working with Buffalo String Works. It was my first time stepping into the “real world” after graduating college. I was working with youth, community, and development in education; amidst covid-19. The most challenging and awarding experience I’ve ever had.  What was the moment that you were inspired to take control of your future? At the age of 7, it was my third or fourth day in my new school in New York. I didn’t know a speaker of English. I came to school late and missed morning pick-up, so my grandfather dropped me off in the main office. They gave me a pass and told me to go to my classroom. I didn’t remember where it was and got lost. A teacher saw me wandering around and asked me something in English, I truly cannot remember. I said to her “No entiendo” and she replied “Como que tu no me entiendes? Tu tienes que saber Ingles.” she took me to the main office and then to my class. I went home that day and cried my eyes out. I knew right then and there that I had to learn English if I wanted to make it. I had to do this on my own

INTERVIEW # 11: FEATURING LIZZY RIVERA I don’t like the world of disability. No one asked but still.  I am a person with different abilities and as a child they were undiagnosed. That fact affected my learning journey immensely. Some of my siblings have different abilities (the term I prefer) and face varying health challenges, mine being the absolute least.  My family is a family of overcomers, but my learning journey was not an easy one.  As a child I struggled to learn on paper, I could hear anything you said, but if you gave it to me on paper, you lost me. I remember feeling bright, but not being able to transfer that intelligence to paper. I will never forget what it feels like to sit in a class of your peers and be nervous to be called on. It’s terrifying, and I lived that terror every day in elementary school. It gives you shivers all the way to your boots. And lately being a kid is hard enough.  Some Adults like Lizzy Rivera get it. Lizzy is an advocate for families whose members have different abilities, the human embodiment of compassion. She is existing in a state of empathy and her journey and path reflect an infinite determination to succeed. When I met her, I felt so relieved, so grateful that she had chosen to fight for children in our community. She leads a path she walked, being a mother, whose children were educated in public schools.  Born in Puerto Rico and educated across oceans, her sense of feminism is rooted in her mother’s lessons. She committed to helping improve systems and lifelong learning (always a sign of intelligence in my opinion). She’s currently enrolled in a School Psychology program to obtain initial certification, after graduating Summa Cum Laude from SUNY Empire State College with a B.A. in Psychology – as a full-time mom. As a people, Latinos are resilient and self-reliant.  Sometimes those resiliencies lead us to overlook the times we need help or be hesitant to ask for it. Lizzy’s quote: “A person also needs intrinsic or extrinsic motivation to work towards those goals. This is where the community comes into play to remove systematic barriers of ableism, sexism, colorism, and xenophobia that discourage individuals from creating goals and prevents them from seeing themselves in positions that they can achieve to reach their full potential.” Lizzy Rivera is an advocate fighting ableism and if you read her interview, you will learn how and why. Ableism is defined as discrimination in favor of able-bodied people.  According to the Dept of Education In 2018, 32% of the children diagnosed with a disability in New York State identified as Hispanic and or Latino. THE INTERVIEW: Where were you raised, and what were the values taught in your home? My story started in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, with family roots from Barranquitas, PR.   Where were you raised, and what were the values taught in your home? My story started in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, with family roots from Barranquitas, PR. Since my family was from el campo, we had strong family ties and conservative values. My mother, Neida Fonseca, raised me to be independent, resilient, and accept change as it comes. Education was important, and she had high expectations of my brother and sister to graduate college, something she always dreamed of doing. What was your experience as a student?  The journey from Puerto Rico to Buffalo happened right before my Quinceanera. My brother was sent the previous year to stay with my aunt Gladys Santiago to see if he liked the school system, and since he had a good experience, we came to Buffalo. I was not in full agreement with the move since this was before the time of cell phones. I knew I would lose the connection with friends, novios (lol), and most importantly, my extended family. My family was afraid of “las nuevas juntillas” (negative peer influence) and thought it would be best to advocate for high school placement in a monolingual school with ENL support (Bennett High). It was unheard, to take ENL services outside a Bilingual school. Grover Cleveland High was the only option if you needed support in English for your classes. R&B, Reggae, and HipHop became my teachers of acculturation into the new environment. I also had a best friend named Fatima from Mali that served as a guide. She had gone through the same experience years earlier when she arrived in Buffalo. I had amazing teachers and others like the English teacher that told me, “Don’t take the Regents, you will not pass.” Well, don’t tell a Latina she can’t do something; she may just prove you wrong! I was in the top 20 of my graduating class with a Regents diploma of almost 300 students at the time attending Bennett High. At the time, Bennett High offered an International Program that was progressive, offering multiple languages like Spanish, French, Italian, Latin, and Chinese. The Latinx population was very small, and to make our little Borinquen, we created a Multicultural Club that highlighted the school’s cultural diversity. During one of the multicultural assemblies, our group danced to “el baile de perrito” that none of us ever forgot. Also, I would sneak go after school to Grover to meet my cousin and dance for their salsa band. These experiences served as a basis for my passion for working with people from multicultural and linguistic backgrounds. When did you start working and what was your first or favorite job? I started working in Buffalo as a cashier on the old Tops on Niagara Street. Many around my age group have fond memories of this supermarket as it was the unofficial hangout for many in the Westside of Buffalo. I currently work for the Buffalo Public Schools in the Special Education Department as a Spanish-speaking Community Education Leader and for the Parent Network of WNY as a family support specialist for parents that have