COMITE NOVIEMBRE: MES DE LA HERENCIA BORICUA

Community, español /

COMITE NOVIEMBRE: MES DE LA HERENCIA BORICUA Celebrando la herencia de Puerto Rico y su legado pionero aqui en los Estados Unidos. El mes pasado recorde el legado de dos pioneras boricuas: Yvonne Carretero y Aurea Martinez, educadoras de la salud y edificadoras comunales a nivel global. Ambas siempre recordaban el legado de la Isla de Puerto Rico en sus platicas y charlas de salud publica–usaban sus experiencias para poder construir lazos con las comunidades urbanas e inmigrantes a las cuales servian. Puerto Rico, su historia, legado y cultura siempre estuvo presente en sus charlas con todos. No mi importaba quienes ,  Yvonne y Aurea siempre tomaban un minuto para educar a la comunidad acerca de Puerto Rico y lo que significaba ser boricua en la gran urbe de NY y en el mundo. Las luchas sociales y civiles y las contribuciones de Puerto Rico a la comunidad latina del estado de Nueva York siempre estaban presentes para motivar a todos a edificar comunidades y a ver la justicia social y la salud publica como dos alas de un mismo pajaro. Hoy en medio de una crisis global de salud public por el Covid 19 honro la memoria del trabajo de educacion publica comunal y familiar que hicieron esta pioneras boricuas! En el mes de la herencia y el legado del Puerto Rico ante el mundo, tomo un momento para pedirles que continuen la edificacion de sus comunidades como lo hicieron estas dos mujeres valientes  y visionarias. En el presente, vivimos momentos historicos y de gran incertidumbre. Pero a la vez podemos tomar como ejemplo, la valentia de muchos quienes forjaron un mejor futuro para nosotros a traves de su trabajo y amor por la comunidad. Hechos concretos que hoy nos encaminan hacia nuevos horizontes. Tenemos una gran diversidad de personas de Puerto Rico, Latinoamerica y el Caribe en Buffalo. Unamos nuestras fuerzas para manifestar un cambio en las urnas de votacion. Tu voz es tu voto.. Examina las plataformas de los candidatos del cambio y progreso! Pon en una balanza las promesas de aquellos quienes solo nos buscan cuando ‘quieren elegirse o reelegirse’–pero que estas ausentes en nuestras luchas y en nuestros derechos civiles y de crecimiento economico. Atrevete! y  motiva a tus seres queridos, amigos, y siempre vecinos a votar! Es hora de un cambio para todos: donde las necesidades de la comunidad Latina se escuche y se haga realidad para el progreso de todos! Tu voz es tu voto! Atrevete! No hay excusas, la definicion de un nuevo rumbo a la historia esta en nuestras manos. Adelante! Ni un paso atras…PODER LATINO! 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 Who We Are COMITE NOVIEMBRE: MES DE LA HERENCIA BORICUA November 22, 2021/No CommentsRead More TRAILBLAZERS: LATINAS IN PUBLIC HEALTH, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY CENTENNIAL October 22, 2021/No Comments TRAILBLAZERS: LATINAS IN PUBLIC HEALTH, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY CENTENNIAL Aurea Martinez and Yvonne Carretero, public health educators and community empowerment organizers, Read More NECESITAMOS UNA REFORMA INMIGRATORIA: HUMANA, SENSIBLE Y COMPASIVA-YA! September 22, 2021/No Comments NECESITAMOS UNA REFORMA INMIGRATORIA: HUMANA, SENSIBLE Y COMPASIVA-YA! La crisis en la frontera sur es real. A diario cientos de Read More Load More End of Content.

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FROM LOWER WEST SIDE TO CENTER STAGE

Entertainment /

As I’m celebrating the first year as a columnist with the Buffalo Latino Village, I’ve begun seeing some positive news from the documentary project that introduced me to the publisher of this monthly publication, Mr. Alberto Cappas. A year ago, I went back home to Buffalo to film some interviews and footage for my project, “Boricua Soy Yo.” My main goal for this series is to capture what does it mean to be “Boricua”, and how is it defined. Although I conducted a few interviews in Central Florida during the late summer in 2019 for the piece, I could not have thought of a better place to really get footage rolling than my hometown, the lower West Side of Buffalo, NY. Although this project is trying to capture what it means to be “Boricua,” because of its personal nature to me, I wanted to capture when I grew up and how the West Side may have influenced my life as a Boricua moving forward. This documentary project has introduced me to many people from all walks of life who have that one connection; a Puerto Rican identity as it relates to our history and even our future. In early October, I was made aware of an Arts & Cultural Festival that would be hosted by The University of Central Florida (UCF) in downtown Orlando, at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Arts, in April of 2022. One of my past interview subjects recommended that I submit my (still to be completed) project for a showing, and after some thought, I went ahead and started the process. To my surprise, the documentary project was selected to screen on April 9th, 2022 at 8pm, but also, I was asked, if I would be interested in having a panel discussion!  To say that I’m not proud of this achievement would be an ultimate lie, as I’ve always been a little critical of my own productions, and honestly, always felt embarrassed when others watched my work. However hearing the excitement from the event organizers and how well they thought this project fit into their event, left me with a good feeling of accomplishment, even if I still have some edits to complete. Saturday April 9th, for better or worse will be the culmination of an almost two year journey that started during the early summer of 2019, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when masks where a daily thing and vaccines felt like a lifetime away. As it stands, the film project, which is going to be broken into multi-episode pieces of 25 – 30 minutes in length, is still in production, however much of the theme is already set in stone. In fact, two of the episodes I plan on screening during the event at Dr. Phillips Center for the Arts, are already pretty much completed, save for a few more interviews I’m doing, centered on Puerto Rican arts and culture. Although the screening will take place in downtown Orlando in April of next year, I’ll carry with me a little piece of the lower West Side. West and Maryland to be exact. Where my family was raised, where I rode my bike as a child and where the sights and sounds of my youth shaped me into the man I am today.   Until Next time… Read More From This Writer All Post Art Books & Poems Business Community Education Entertainment español Food & Culture Health Interviews Military & Veterans Peace People Politics Sports A BITTERSWEET NIGHT, LISTENING TO THE MUSIC OF “GITANAA July 6, 2023/No Comments On Saturday, June 24th, my wife and I joined a few friends and enjoyed a night of live Latin music Read More MAKING A MARK ON OUR YOUTH June 6, 2023/No Comments During my column last month, I wrote about having the opportunity to visit my childhood school, Herman Badillo Bilingual Academy, Read More IT STARTS WITH A BOOK May 12, 2023/No Comments IT STARTS WITH A BOOK On Friday, April 29th, I will have attended the 13th Annual Dia del Ninos y Read More Load More End of Content.

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THE HOUSING TREE

Community /

“If you don’t use it – You lose it!” There are dangerous implications and consequences when the different objectives and end results between urban development and urban restoration are confused. DEVELOPERS are like termites eating away at the wooden foundations of community (you) to make room for something new (them). RESTORATION ADVOCATES are like exterminators or surgeons trying to cut out the cancer to save or restore the rest of the body. There is also a need to understand what’s meant by CIVIL AND CIVIC duties and responsibilities. Government is in the process of downsizing much of its responsibilities, obligations, expenses off through the process of privatization where “FOR PROFIT” is the goal:  Health Care, Law Enforcement, Prison system, and “watch out” even your friendly neighborhood post man/woman is under attack and on their way out. Remember that next time you turn to UPS and Amazon – Use it or lose it! Playing into urban development, public officials have been passing off abandoned/foreclosing property (potential public property) through periodic auctions rigged to out-price the common person/s in need. Furthermore, good public housing complexes are being turned into condos and co-ops. WOW! Buy your apartment (and still pay rent as a maintenance fee) or keep absent profiteering slumlords charging big rent with little maintenance oversight yet compensated with tax funded public voucher compensation. Then again, you can always double up families into single dwellings, find yourself a shelter, or prepare for a life of homelessness. All the while there are vacant lots and buildings waiting to be developed for profit or restored / renovated to offset the affordable housing crisis. Ask yourselves “Why can’t groups of homeless people willing to work for their housing take a seemingly abandoned piece of property and “Build a Home for themselves?” If income is a requirement “Why can’t the unemployed volunteer work to help bail out present shortcomings in city programs needing able bodies? There were/still are programs to do just that; homesteading and squatter rights, back to work for your benefits programs and repair and deduct laws to handle slumlords. Can it be done? It was done  during 70’s & 80’s. LOOK IT UP AND GET INSPIRED! YOU CAN DO IT TOO. Start holding meetings in local churches to research, document, organize, and petition plans for willing homeless and struggling residents to manifest their destiny. After all, didn’t Jesus say things like preach “The Kingdom of God is upon you and heal the sick (feed, cloth, shelter my people) NOW!” Yes, it’s a process, there are criteria’s to be met – SO GET EDUCATED and LEARN TO PLAY THE GAME “THAT AIN’T A GAME!” IT’S TIME TO SHAKE THE TREE to determine what good and bad apples fall out because the outcome is either your blessing or curse – USE IT OR LOOSE IT! Continue to read all my columns, by visiting: https://2bspoken.blogspot.com/ Read More From This Writer All Post Art Books & Poems Business Community Education Entertainment español Food & Culture Health Interviews Military & Veterans Peace People Politics BETTER LATE THEN NEVER: WHY NATIONAL WOMEN’S MONTH! April 17, 2022/No Comments BETTER LATE THEN NEVER: WHY NATIONAL WOMEN’S MONTH! Women! Ha! What are they good for? Ha! ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING! For starters, Read More “LOVE IS A BATTLEFIELD” February 17, 2022/No Comments “LOVE IS A BATTLEFIELD” Wow! February! Lovey dove time for couples to share flowers, chocolates, dinner, special gifts, and of Read More FOR WHAT’S ANOTHER NEW YEAR January 17, 2022/No Comments FOR WHAT’S ANOTHER NEW YEAR The New Year is a worldwide celebration mainly full of parties, costumes, drinking and resolutions Read More Load More End of Content.

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