February 2022
Volume 18 No. 3
Un Periódico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper
Lydia E. Martínez-Alvarez
Announces her Retirement as Assistant Superintendent
Un Periódico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper
Un Periódico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper
Un Periódico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper
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Editorial / Editorial
Vladimir Morales … Cuando otro amigo se va Cuando un amigo se va Queda un espacio vacío Que no lo puede llenar La llegada de otro amigo Alberto Cortez Durante el mes de enero perdimos otro amigo muy querido. Vladimir Morales fue una de las primeras personas que conocimos hace casi cuatro décadas atrás cuando llegamos a Amherst a cursar estudios graduados en UMass. A Vladimir y a mi nos apasionaba el tema de la política, y durante nuestros muchos años de amistad, tuvimos innumerables conversiones sobre política local y el perenne debate sobre el status político de Puerto Rico. Su amor por la isla que lo vió nacer era palpable en todas sus conversaciones y en sus proyectos de justicia social en la comunidad. Te vamos a extrañar muchísimo.
Vladimir Morales 1951-2022 Vladimir Morales was born on July 28, 1951 in Dorado, Puerto Rico. His parents were Herminia Torres-Pascual, and Rafael Miranda Morales. He had two older siblings - Raphael and Carmen “Cuca”. His cousin Angel Manuel Martinez, who he grew up with, helped care for him until his death. Vladimir was married to Victoria Silva of Amherst, MA and was father to his children, Michael De Jesús, pre-deceased in 2016, and Nashema Morales Morrison and her husband Joshua Morrison. Vladimir was grandfather to Brandon and his wife Bobbie, Layla and her husband Brandon, Mariah, Kalyani, and Quinn, and great grandfather of Nivia, Andrea, Leland and Michael Edward. His nieces and nephews include Rafael, Randy, Andres, Anson, Gerald, Carmen, Pilar, Lisa, Carlos and their families. He was a resident of Amherst since 1983, and for many years served as a School Committee member. Vladimir facilitated the official Town of Amherst proclamation of “Puerto Rican Discovery Awareness.” He was the founder of the annual Puerto Rican flag raising ceremony in front of the Amherst Town Hall. In the 1970’s, Morales began his activist career in his neighborhood in the Bronx. Noticing the conflict and devastation between rival street gangs, Vladimir and his brother Ralph created a program called Lifestyles, Inc. Lifestyles encouraged youth to put aside their differences and to improve the community. In 1989, Vladimir brought Amherst area community groups together (Pan-African Student Association and Amherst-Nicaragua Sister City Committee) to form the Caribbean Hurricane Relief Fund. This group jump-started the effort to get a planeload of food and other necessities to areas that had been struck hard by Hurricane Hugo in Puerto Rico. In 1996 he was elected Delegate to the National Democratic Convention in Chicago, Ill. That same year Vladimir began one of his most passionate battles to establish voting rights for permanent resident aliens in local elections. In 2003 he was the Honoree of the Puerto Rican Federal Affairs Administration, Western Massachusetts Chapter, for Leadership in public policy initiatives and the empowerment of Latino communities. (Latinos making a Difference in Massachusetts). In 2004 Vladimir was honored by the Office of Alana Affairs at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in recognition of his standing as “Treasure and Pillar” of the community for advocating educational, governmental and social justice concerns. Vladimir passed peacefully in his sleep, in his home, surrounded by the things and people he loved the most. There was New York Latin Jazz salsa playing for him, which he loved. The family will be placing his remains to rest privately in Puerto Rico. There will be a celebration of his life stateside in New England sometime in the Spring, where his friends and family may honor him, and his legacy from New York, to Washington DC our nations capital, to the hills of Western Massachusetts.
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2 Editorial / Editorial Vladimir Morales … Cuando otro amigo se va 3 Portada / Front Page Assistant Superintendent Lydia E. MartínezAlvarez Announces her Retirement 4 MA Higher Education Commissioner Carlos E. Santiago to Step Down at Close of the 2021-22 Academic Year 5 Episodios de El Sol Latino Podcast 413 - Enero 2022 6 Enlace de Familias, Inc. Appoints Frank Martínez López as New Executive Director Center for Puerto Rican Studies Receives $1.2 Million from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation 7 Estudios Confirman que el Caballo de Paso Fino se Originó del Caballo Criollo Puertorriqueño 9 Opinión / Opinion RUM recibe subvención del NEH para establecer el primer Laboratorio de Historia Oral 10 Educación / Education STCC Receives $55,000 from Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts STCC Remembers Community Leader Ronn Johnson on MLK Jr. Day 11 HCC Professor Vanessa Martínez Honored for Inspiring Civic Engagement 12 Política / Politics Art of the Ancient Americas at the Museums 13 Economía / Economy Art of the Ancient Americas at the Museums 14 Cultura / Culture MUSA, el Museo del RUM Conmemora el Natalicio del Dr. Agustín Stahl 15 Libros / Books Being La Dominicana Olga Dies Dreaming: A Novel
Founded in 2004
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Volume 18, No. 3 n February 2022
Editor Manuel Frau Ramos manuelfrau@gmail.com 413-320-3826 Assistant Editor Ingrid Estrany-Frau Art Director Tennessee Media Design Business Address El Sol Latino P.O Box 572 Amherst, MA 01004-0572
Editorial Policy
El Sol Latino acepta colaboraciones tanto en español como en inglés. Nos comprometemos a examinarlas, pero no necesariamente a publicarlas. Nos reservamos el derecho de editar los textos y hacer correcciones por razones de espacio y/o estilo. Las colaboraciones pueden ser enviadas a nuestra dirección postal o a través de correo electrónico a: info@elsollatino.net. El Sol Latino welcomes submissions in either English or Spanish. We consider and review all submissions but reserve the right to not publish them. We reserve the right to edit texts and make corrections for reasons of space and/or style. Submissions may be sent to our postal address or via electronic mail to: info@elsollatino.net. El Sol Latino is published monthly by Coquí Media Group. El Sol Latino es publicado mensualmente por Coquí Media Group, P.O Box 572, Amherst, MA 01004-0572.
Portada / Front Page
El Sol Latino February 2022
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Assistant Superintendent Lydia E. Martínez-Alvarez Announces her Retirement by MANUEL FRAU RAMOS Lydia E. Martínez-Alvarez made history in 2012 when she was selected as the first Puerto Rican/Latina educator to be appointed as Assistant Superintendent in the Springfield Public Schools (SPS). She recently announced her retirement from the same school system where 28 years ago she began her career in public education as a substitute teacher in a fifthgrade classroom at the Samuel Bowles Elementary School. Martínez-Alvarez grew up in the North End neighborhood of Springfield, Massachusetts. As the first Latina to hold this administrative position in the Springfield Public Schools, she has become a role model to women, Hispanic and non-Hispanic alike, in the field of education and in the community at large. Over the years, she held various positions within the school system, ranging from pedagogical and leadership to administrative. After her initial teaching experience as a substitute teacher, she went on to become a part-time Spanish teacher at Forest Park Middle School. This led to a fulltime teaching post at the same school. Later on, Martínez-Alvarez took on administrative duties at Forest Park Middle. In 2003, she became one of four Assistant Principals of the High School of Science and Technology, eventually becoming the Principal of the Chestnut Accelerated Middle School. In 2008, Martínez-Alvarez became a Senior Administrator for the Leadership Continuum and was named to the system’s Senior Leadership Team. The following year, she was appointed Chief School Officer for Zone 3, having the responsibility of supervising and leading nine Middle Schools and High Schools throughout the city.
January 18, 2022 - Capping a 28-year career with Springfield Public Schools (SPS), defined by an ascent from substitute teacher in to appointment as the district’s first Latina assistant superintendent in 2012, Lydia E. Martinez-Alvarez today announced her retirement from Springfield Public Schools. “It has been my honor and my pleasure to serve the staff and students of the Springfield Public Schools. In many ways, the very idea of retirement from the district seems surreal because the children of Springfield Public Schools and their future has been the focus of my life for so long,” said Martinez-Alvarez. “But the time has come for me to shift that focus to my other family and our best interests, knowing that I will forever cherish the work I’ve done on behalf of Springfield’s youth and that I will never stop loving them.” Martinez-Alvarez’ SPS career spanned 7 promotions, 4 superintendents and more than 100 high school graduation ceremonies; and witnessed the technological shift that replaced chalkboards with smartboards, necessitated a cell phone policy, and called for social media guidelines. Her front row seat in education resulted directly in the opening of the district’s first school of the arts, blazed a trail for Springfield Public School students to become Springfield Public School teachers, and even opened up new, nationally recognized opportunities for the city’s adult learners. Superintendent of Schools Daniel Warwick, who hand-picked MartinezAlvarez as his second in command, said her departure is a great loss for the district. “The two greatest elements that make Lydia such an effective assistant superintendent is the level of education doctrine knowledge that she possesses; and her unapologetic passion and love for Springfield kids,” said Warwick. “She’s a great advocate for our Springfield community and her contributions to our school district reflect her sincere belief in our students and all they can achieve.” Warwick pointed to Martinez-Alvarez’ work around student attendance, which included leadership of the district’s attendance officers, Springfield Attendance Resource Center and Attendance Matters campaign. He also pointed to the tens of millions of dollars Martinez-Alvarez brought to the SPS through her leadership with school turnaround work, which included an influx of funding as schools elevated in levels; her ability to formulate meaningful relationships with education-supporting businesses; and her acuity in re-defining accountability practices required by the district’s grants department.
Lydia E. Martinez-Alvarez
Martínez-Alvarez is a first-generation college student. She completed her undergraduate studies, a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management at Westfield State University, in three years. She later earned a Master of Arts Degree in Teaching from Elms College, and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate studies from Westfield State University. She is currently a Doctoral Candidate at American International College. She is currently a Trustee of Westfield State University. The University’s Urban Education Program recognized her for her years of dedication, support and commitment to the program. Martínez-Alvarez sits on the board of New England Public Media, the National Conference for Community and Justice, and Gándara Center. She is the President of the Massachusetts Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents. Below is the official press release from the Springfield Public Schools announcing Lydia E. Martínez-Alvarez’s retirement.
Mayor Domenic J. Sarno stated: “This is bittersweet. Lydia has been a steadfast and unyielding advocate for our children and their families and to our Springfield Public Schools family. She is a trailblazer, serving as our districts first Latina Assistant Superintendent. Superintendent Warwick and I will truly miss her as she has been instrumental in a number of SPS initiatives and a strong voice within our community. Throughout her 28year career, starting as a substitute teacher and raising through the ranks to Assistant Superintendent, Lydia has done a tremendous job. On behalf of the City of Springfield and the School Committee, I want to wish Lydia and her family good health and continued success on a well-deserved retirement.” More inclined to delight in her impact on the lives of students and community than in her work in the executive suite, Martinez-Alvarez said her most-prized accomplishments are those that met students and families where they were. She used her role as a district executive to breathe new life into the home visit program and expanded pockets of summer school opportunities to include students in every school.
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Portada / Front Page
El Sol Latino February 2022
MA Higher Education Commissioner Carlos E. Santiago to Step Down at Close of the 2021-22 Academic Year BOSTON, MA | MA Department of Higher Education | January 12, 2022 - The Department of Higher Education announced today that Higher Education Commissioner Carlos E. Santiago has informed the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education (BHE) that he will step down from his current position at the end of the 2021-22 academic year in June. He will assist the transition to new leadership of the Department, as well as the completion of the Strategic Plan for Racial Equity that was launched in 2021. The search committee process for his successor is expected to begin in February. “After forty years of engagement as a faculty member, researcher, and academic administrator, it is an opportune time for me to assist the BHE in identifying new leadership and ensuring the completion of the Commonwealth’s first 10-year strategic plan to achieve racial equity in higher education,” said Commissioner Dr. Carlos E. Santiago. “It has been an honor to work with the dedicated staff of the DHE and the exceptional colleagues, faculty, staff, and students of our higher education institutions in Massachusetts.” “Commissioner Santiago has been a visionary leader who has sharpened our strategic focus on closing gaps of access and success in higher education, especially for first-generation college goers and students of color. Under his leadership the Department and Board has received well-deserved national recognition for its work developing and launching the Equity Agenda,” said Education Secretary James Peyser. “For almost seven years, the Commonwealth has been most fortunate to have Dr. Santiago as our Commissioner of Higher Education,” said Chris Gabrieli, chair of the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education. “Leveraging his deep academic and leadership experience and credibility, he has addressed two huge agendas at the same time. He has steadfastly helped our institutions weather the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic while also laying the foundation for a nation-leading agenda focused on racial justice, fairness, and opportunity through educational equity. The widespread recognition of this work positions our system for sustained progress in the years ahead.” Dr. Santiago was appointed Commissioner of Higher Education on July 1, 2015 by the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education. In this capacity, he has worked closely with the Board and with the leadership of the three segments of the public higher education system in the Commonwealth, including the community colleges, state universities, and the University of Massachusetts. Under his leadership, the Department of Higher Education has: • Launched a statewide effort to address racial inequities in public higher education, winning both national recognition as a TIE (Talent, Innovation, Equity) state and $1.2 million in Lumina Foundation funding to dismantle systemic barriers to student success; • Greatly expanded early college opportunities to enable thousands of Massachusetts high school students to enroll in college courses and accumulate college credit for free; • Worked to increase financial aid through the new MassGrant Plus program, which expanded assistance to thousands of public college and university students; • Developed a statewide, seamless system of transfer from community colleges to four-year universities, in part by creating over 13,000 course equivalencies;
• Worked with public campuses to eliminate costly and ineffective developmental education programs that were barriers to students’ academic progression toward degree attainment; • Promoted a multi-agency approach to address college student homelessness, food insecurity, and other basic needs; • Created a new system of financial assessment of independent colleges and universities to identify and monitor institutions at risk of imminent closure. In recognition of these achievements and its commitment to racial equity, the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education was named the 2021 Exceptional Agency of the Year by the State Higher Education Officers Association (SHEEO) in November. “Commissioner Santiago has been an advocate for students throughout his career,” said Robert Anderson, Ph.D., President of the State Higher Education Offices Association (SHEEO). “His current focus on state policy levers as a means of improving student access, success and the closure of equity gaps has benefited all of Massachusetts and those it serves. Personally, I have turned to Commissioner Santiago numerous times for counsel during his tenure as Chairman of the SHEEO executive committee and will miss his service in this capacity. He has left an indelible impact through his service to students, state and nation which will benefit us all for years to come.” Dr. Santiago previously served as the chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM), becoming the first leader of Puerto Rican descent to lead a major U.S. research institution. During his tenure he was tasked with leading UWM into the ranks of Tier I research universities, which the university attained in 2015. Dr. Santiago also served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at the University at Albany, State University of New York (SUNY) and functioned as the chief operating officer of the campus. He was named a Collins Fellow for distinguished service to SUNYAlbany in 1996. Dr. Santiago was professor of economics at UWM and SUNY-Albany and holds a Ph.D. in economics from Cornell University. A labor economist, he is the author or co-author of six books and has published dozens of articles and book reviews, of which many focus on economic development and the changing socioeconomic status of Latinos in the United States. His most recent book, published in 2018, is entitled Puerto Ricans in the United States: A Contemporary Portrait (with E. Acosta-Belen). Dr. Santiago was recently selected to serve as the Chair of the Executive Committee of the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) and was named to the Board of the Council of Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Dr. Santiago also serves on the Advisory Committee of the Smithsonian Museum of African American Culture and History. On two separate occasions, in 1996 and 2011, Santiago was named one of the 100 most influential Hispanics in the United Stated by Hispanic Business.
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Portada / Front Page
El Sol Latino February 2022
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Episodios de El Sol Latino Podcast 413 - Enero 2022 Episodio grabado durante el mes de enero de 2022. Con el episodio #71 comenzamos nuestra tercera temporada. El primer episodio se grabó el 14 de enero del 2020.
un Bachillerato en Artes (BA) de la Universidad de Puerto Rico – Río Piedras.
Los episodios del Podcast 413 están accesibles en la página web de Holyoke Media (holyokemedia.org/programming/public-programmingarchive) al igual que en su página de Facebook y en su canal de YouTube. También se pueden ver en la página de Facebook de El Sol Latino.
Su investigación actual analiza el activismo universitario de mediados del siglo XX en el campus universitario público más grande de Puerto Rico, la Universidad de Puerto Rico-Río Piedras, desde 1945 hasta 2005. Este período vio la consolidación del Estado Libre Asociado (ELA) como el estatus político de Puerto Rico. En este periodo también se desarrolló la Nueva Lucha por la Independencia y la política pro-estadidad que reflejaban la insatisfacción con el status quo colonial.
Episodio #71 – 12 de enero de 2022 Invitada – Profesora Aura Sofia Jirau Arroyo Albion College, Michigan | Email: ajirauarroyo@albion.edu | Phone: 517-629-039 Tema - Activismo en la Universidad de Puerto Rico -Río Piedras
Dra. Aura Sofia Jirau Arroyo is a historian of political identity and social mobilization in the Americas. She holds a PhD in History from the University of Pittsburgh, where she wrote a dissertation (Our University: Political Change and Student Protest in the University of Puerto Rico-Río Piedras, 1952-1981) tracing the course of student activism at the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras campus, from 1952-1981. Master of Arts (MA) History, from the University of Pittsburgh, and Bachelor of Arts (BA) University of Puerto Rico – Río Piedras. Her current research analyzes mid-twentieth century campus activism in Puerto Rico’s largest public university campus, the University of Puerto-Rico-Río Piedras, from 1945-2005. This period saw the consolidation of the Estado Libre Asociado (Commonwealth/ELA) as Puerto Rico’s political status. This period also saw the development of the Nueva Lucha por la Independencia (New Struggle for Independence) and pro-statehood party politics that showed dissatisfaction with the colonial status quo.
Manuel Frau Ramos, Aura Sofia Jirau Arroyo y Natalia Muñoz
Aura Sofia Jirau Arroyo es historiadora de la identidad política y la movilización social en las Américas. Tiene un doctorado (PhD) en Historia de la Universidad de Pittsburgh, donde escribió una disertación en el 2021 - Our University: Political Change and Student Protest in the University of Puerto Rico-Río Piedras, 1952-1981 trazando el curso del activismo estudiantil en la Universidad. de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Río Piedras, de 1952 a 1981. Tiene Maestría en Historia (MA), Universidad de Pittsburgh y
Publish your bilingual ad in El Sol Latino! Call us today at (413) 320-3826.
Assistant Superintendent Lydia E. Martínez-Alvarez Announces her Retirement Under her tutelage, programs such as Innovative Pathways and the Student Employment Program afforded new career opportunities for SPS students. And while her commitment to outfit schools with an organized means of providing critical resources to families for free; and to connect educators with donors seeking opportunities to positively impact education at the classroom level focused on students and teachers, projects like her creation of the Parent Community Advisory Council focused on parent engagement. Additionally, Martinez-Alvarez’ creation of the district’s first Diversity, Inclusion and Racial Equity Committee substantially girded the district’s commitment to better operate from that lens daily. Since COVID-19, Martinez-Alvarez has been entrenched in adapting the education process to the global pandemic from an executive and administrative position. Still, she takes great pride in “meeting families
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where they are” accomplishments. Successful campaigns such as the one to secure tens of thousands of donations from toiletries to school supplies for convenient distribution to families in need during remote education. “I just know how brilliant our kids are and I know what their needs are,” said Martinez-Alvarez, a lifelong Springfield resident and Springfield Public Schools graduate. “I know because I’m one of them, I will always be one of them.” Martinez-Alvarez said she looks forward to spending more time with her husband Rafael, and their sprawling families in retirement. “It’s the right time for me to do this. But as education and children will always be my heartbeat, I’m sure I will find ways to feed my passion and hopefully continue making a difference in Springfield.” Martinez-Alvarez retirement becomes effective in the coming weeks.
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Portada / Front Page
El Sol Latino February 2022
Center for Puerto Rican Studies Receives $1.2 Million from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation NEW YORK, NY | CENTER FOR PUERTO RICAN STUDIES at HUNTER COLLEGE – CUNY | January10, 2022 - The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has awarded Hunter College a grant of $1,238,000 to support scholarly groups at the Center for Puerto Rican Studies (Centro) that will bring together academics, journalists and artists to study issues confronting Puerto Rico and its diaspora throughout the United States. The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation supports a wide range of initiatives to strengthen the humanities, arts, higher education and cultural heritage. “As a former director of Centro and a product of Puerto Rico, I am especially grateful to the Mellon Foundation for this important and generous gift,” said Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. “CUNY and Centro have a longstanding bond with Puerto Rico and New York’s Puerto Rican community. This grant will support innovative thinking that makes real contributions to a better future for the island and its diaspora here in New York and across the country.” “Hunter College is honored to have Centro be recognized for its leadership in Puerto Rican studies,” said Hunter College President Jennifer J. Raab. “The grant provided by the Mellon Foundation will enable Centro to continue building on its legacy and further its role as the premier site of collaborative research regarding Puerto Rico and its diaspora.”
Centro hopes to spur not only the production of academic texts, public scholarship and journalistic writing but to also foster artistic endeavors in a way that can cross-pollinate and help plant new seeds for thinking and envisioning the future. Each study group will consist of 12 core members — two co-conveners, six scholars, two artists and two journalists — split evenly between Puerto Rico and the diaspora. This core group will in turn convene additional outside experts to present at public events and work within smaller break-out groups focused on more specific sub-themes and questions. The inaugural study group, to be convened in January by Dr. Bonilla and Dr. Efrén Rivera from the University of Puerto Rico Law School, will focus on the question of decolonization. The second group will launch in the fall of 2022, coinciding with the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Maria, and will focus on how to create a more just and inclusive post-disaster future. Each study group will result in a collectively authored publication with concrete policy recommendations for Puerto Rico’s political, economic, social and cultural future. They will also contribute to a digital media hub featuring long-form journalistic pieces, multimedia products, interviews, podcasts and other artistic projects created by group members throughout the project period.
Enlace de Familias, Inc. Appoints Frank Martínez López as New Executive Director HOYOKE, MA | ENLACE DE FAMILIAS | December 21, 2021 – The Board of Directors of Enlace de Familias is thrilled to announce the appointment of Frank Martínez López as our next Executive Director. Please welcome him into the Enlace community, effective January 1st, 2022.
Yarimar Bonilla, director of Centro and a professor in Hunter’s Department of Africana & Puerto Rican/Latino Studies.
“We are thrilled to receive this support and recognition from the Mellon Foundation,” said Yarimar Bonilla, Centro’s director and a professor in Hunter’s Department of Africana & Puerto Rican/Latino Studies. “We plan to convene a broad group of thinkers and creators from across Puerto Rico’s intellectual and geographic communities to engage in collaborative research regarding the pressing issues facing our communities.” One important goal for these study groups is to develop new policy recommendations as well as theoretical foundations and conceptual pathways for thinking and reimagining Puerto Rico and its future. Centro has a 50-year history of interdisciplinary and collaborative research of the history and culture of the Puerto Rican experience in the United States. The new grant will help reinvigorate this legacy by creating benchmark publications, media products and artistic projects that can bridge long-standing divisions within Puerto Rican Studies. These divides are not just linguistic, geographic and ideological, but also reflect the wide range of experiences among Puerto Rican communities. “Recent experiences like Hurricane Maria and the COVID crisis have shown that there is not one singular Puerto Rican experience but a multiplicity of realities, visions and desires,” said Dr. Bonilla. “Even the basic terminology for describing Puerto Rico is subject to conceptual debate: Is it a colony, a territory, a dependency or a nation?” By bringing scholars, journalists and artists together into study groups,
He may be familiar to you. A while back he worked at Enlace as our Intake Specialist and worked alongside Betty in the Hurricane Maria response. Mr. Martínez López, more commonly known as Frankie, comes to Enlace with hands-on experience in job development. As a Talent Acquisitions Coordinator for MassHire Holyoke Career Center for the past three years, his role focused on lower-income populations where he oversaw the moving of talented individuals to more prominent jobs and positions and connected them with community resources, health care, and improved living situations. He honed his managerial and financial skills as a hotel and restaurant manager in Puerto Rico. Frank attended the InterAmerican University of Puerto Rico-Guayama where he pursued a bachelor’s degree in nursing. We welcome Frank’s enthusiasm, love of Holyoke, connection to the Puerto Rican community and experience, and commitment to our mission. He has just the right blend of leadership skills, heart, programming background, and local knowledge needed to lead Enlace as it continues to expand capacity and make a difference for the people of our community. We are lucky to have found him. As you know, Betty Medina Lichtenstein has been the Executive Director of Enlace for the past 27 years. She has mentored Frank for the past two months, as a final act is her process of saying farewell to Enlace. We wish Betty tremendous joy as she continues to pursue her dream of a more just world. Chances are you will find her actively engaged in Holyoke civic, volunteer, and charitable events. Please stop by and say welcome to Frank. We know he will be exceptionally busy learning the ropes, but I am sure he would be thrilled to meet you.
Portada / Front Page
El Sol Latino February 2022
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Estudios Confirman que el Caballo de Paso Fino se Originó del Caballo Criollo Puertorriqueño MAYAGÜEZ, PR | UPR - RECINTO UNIVERSIRARIO DE MAYAGÜEZ | 11 de enero de 2022 – Un nuevo estudio realizado por profesores y estudiantes del Recinto Universitario de Mayagüez (RUM) de la Universidad de Puerto Rico (UPR), en colaboración con científicos de los Estados Unidos, Ucrania y Suecia, confirma que el caballo de Paso Fino se originó del caballo criollo puertorriqueño, sin contribución genética alguna de otros caballos de paso de América del Sur.
una mutación en ambas copias del gen DMRT3. Dicha mutación se ha encontrado con frecuencia en razas de caballos que fueron utilizadas para la guerra desde los tiempos de Gengis Kan, pues provee una mayor estabilidad al jinete al disparar sus armas desde el animal en movimiento”, explicó el científico.
Competencia de 1938 en Ponce. Los caballos que aparecen - de izquierda a derecha - son Duce, Copita, Batalla y Dulce Sueño Jr. (Suministrada)
Caballo Cuentas Claras, montado por René Concepción, en los terrenos de El Morro. (Suministrada)
El estudio, que es publicado en el día de hoy martes en Scientific Reports, una revista científica y prestigiosa de la familia Nature Publishing, es producto de la tesis de maestría de Nikole Ayala, estudiante graduada del RUM y de análisis adicionales del estudiante graduado Walter Wolfsberger, de la Universidad de Oakland, en Michigan, con la supervisión y dirección de los doctores Tarás K. Oleksyk, catedrático auxiliar del Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas de la Universidad de Oakland y profesor adjunto del RUM, y Juan C. Martínez Cruzado, catedrático del Departamento de Biología del recinto mayagüezano de la UPR. También se integraron, Stephanie Castro Márquez, estudiante graduada del RUM, y la doctora Alondra Díaz Lameiro, catedrática auxiliar del RUM, entre otros. El estudio contó con la importante colaboración de la doctora Gabriella Lindgren de la Universidad Sueca de Ciencias Agrícolas y fue apoyado por el Instituto para el Desarrollo del Caballo de Paso Fino en Puerto Rico, ahora la Paso Fino Puerto Rico Horse Breed Association (PFBREED), así como de varios criadores de caballos de Paso Fino en Puerto Rico. “El estudio comprendió el análisis del ADN mitocondrial de 162 caballos criollos de Puerto Rico y 38 de Paso Fino muestreados por todo el país, y el de 22,347 variantes genéticas localizadas a lo largo de todo el genoma equino en 21 caballos criollos y 23 de Paso Fino. Los resultados fueron comparados con estudios similares hechos en razas de caballos de distintas partes del mundo, demostrándose así que el caballo criollo de Puerto Rico contiene variantes encontradas en una gran cantidad de razas. Los resultados fueron consistentes con un origen mayormente ibérico para el caballo criollo y con las relaciones más estrechas dándose con las razas Andaluz, Lusitano y Mangalarga Paulista”, explicó el doctor Martínez Cruzado. Agregó que, para la sorpresa del grupo de investigación, el caballo criollo demostró tener la mutación del caballo de paso con una frecuencia altísima, de 87.4 por ciento. “El caballo de paso se distingue por su galope que mantiene, en todo momento, tres patas en el suelo. Tal galope provee seguridad a su paso y una gran estabilidad y suavidad a la carga del equino. El paso requiere de
Analizando las regiones genómicas alrededor del gen DMRT3, los científicos lograron demostrar que la mutación en ese gen fue seleccionada en el caballo criollo de Puerto Rico, posiblemente durante la crianza de caballos para la conquista de las Américas por el imperio español. De hecho, el estudio demostró que el caballo de paso peruano comparte componentes de diversidad genética con el caballo criollo de Puerto Rico. Ese descubrimiento es consistente con la documentación histórica que relata el transporte de caballos de Puerto Rico por Francisco Pizarro para su conquista del Perú. Además, el estudio indica que el caballo de Paso Fino surgió del caballo criollo puertorriqueño por procesos de selección artificial en Puerto Rico que se extendieron por más de un siglo. El genoma del caballo de Paso Fino es dominado por un componente casi único, propio de sí, que también procede del caballo criollo puertorriqueño y que es distinto al del caballo de paso peruano, así como al de los componentes encontrados en el caballo de paso colombiano. “Este estudio demuestra el gran valor del acervo genético que existe en el caballo criollo puertorriqueño y las grandes cualidades que pueden ser seleccionadas de ese acervo”, puntualizó Martínez Cruzado. Del mismo modo opinó el doctor Oleksyk. “Nuestro estudio demuestra que el Paso Fino es una raza oriunda de Puerto Rico con raíces en su tradición agrícola. Es un hecho documentado históricamente que ahora ha sido confirmado mediante análisis genómicos. Lo sorprendente es que el caballo criollo sea una mezcla única de Puerto Rico y un recurso genético valioso que debe ser estudiado para entender mejor la genética de rasgos equinos tales como su apariencia, su comportamiento y su paso”, señaló. Por su parte Juan Soldevila, presidente de la PFBREED, destacó la importancia de la investigación para reconfirmar la estirpe del caballo de Paso Fino puertorriqueño. “Con el estudio completo para determinar la procedencia del caballo de Paso Fino, que ha sido publicado en la prestigiosa revista Scientific Reports, una vez más se solventa inequívocamente que la raza de caballos Paso Fino es una sola en el mundo y es original de Puerto Rico. La PFBREED, organización que trabaja por perpetuar la raza de Paso Fino, reconoce a este excelente grupo de científicos provenientes de distintas partes del mundo por este revelador estudio. Precisamente, uno de los propósitos
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Portada / Front Page
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Estudios Confirman que el Caballo de Paso Fino se Originó del Caballo Criollo Puertorriqueño continued from page 7 principales de la PFBREED es apoyar y fomentar este tipo de gesta investigativa”, afirmó Soldevila.
El doctor Martínez Cruzado destacó que otro de los hallazgos del estudio, como resultado de los procesos de selección en el caballo de Paso Fino, arrojó que la frecuencia de la mutación en el gen DMRT3 se fijó en 100 por ciento. “Al analizar la distribución de los niveles de variabilidad a lo largo del genoma de los caballos de Paso Fino, pudimos identificar otras regiones de ADN que han sido seleccionadas en esta raza, cuyos efectos fenotípicos aún se desconocen, pero se postula que tienen que ver con los rasgos seleccionados por sus criadores”, indicó. Además de ser un caballo de paso, el caballo de Paso Fino se distingue por la seguridad y la tracción de su paso aún en las pendientes resbaladizas que abundan en las montañas de Puerto Rico. Su paso es natural, lateral, rítmico, isométrico y de un paso corto en el que usa sus menudillos extensamente para apenas levantar sus cascos y plantar un paso suave sin desviación lateral alguna. Otras características fueron seleccionadas para aumentar su capacidad de carga humana, tales como un torso largo y una crin abundante.
Caballo Dulce Sueño en el 1929 (Suministrada)
Contactos: Dr. Juan C. Martínez Cruzado, catedrático RUM, 787-340-3867 / Dr. Tarás K. Oleksyk, catedrático adjunto RUM, 240-446-2293 / Juan Soldevila, presidente PFBREED, 787-403-7545. Enlace de la publicación científica: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-04537-5
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Opinión / Opinion
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To Address Regional Food Insecurity, Become Part of the Solution by ANDREW MOREHOUSE No one in our region, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or the United States should be food insecure. Most everyone would agree with this statement yet as a society we have different views on how to achieve it. I am often asked, “Shouldn’t the goal of The Food Bank be to solve hunger and put yourselves out of business?” Believe me when I say, nothing would make us happier. Solving hunger isn’t easy when society cannot agree on its causes, much less how to address them. Limited financial resources due to job loss, underemployment, minimum or near-poverty wages, disability, accident, divorce, (systemic) racism, and many other circumstances often, together, contribute to food insecurity. Even with the economy improving, many households and communities will continue to be left behind because economic growth is never even and historically does not “raise all boats.” To make matters worse, food prices may continue to increase more than the six percent last year due to supply chain obstacles. At The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, our two-fold mission is “to feed our neighbors in need and lead the community to end hunger.” Households struggling to make ends meet cannot wait for us to “end hunger.” They need healthy food now -- today, tomorrow, next week. For this reason, we make available the equivalent of about a million meals of healthy food every month for those who need a hand up. True to our history, half of the food we provide is rescued from the food industry and would otherwise go to waste. The Food Bank is able to do this in partnership with dozens of local farmers and many more dozens of retail and wholesale food businesses. Similarly, 170 partner food pantries and meal sites work tirelessly to distribute this healthy food to anyone who needs support to overcome obstacles faced often that are beyond their control. These frontline faith-based and nonprofit members of our region’s emergency food network continue to demonstrate their important role when our economy fails to provide for everyone in society. Over the last seventeen years, I’ve witnessed state and federal governments increase funding for the regional food banks like ours to purchase more food in response to greater demand for food assistance, especially during the Great Recession and now during the era of COVID. The Food Bank is grateful for this investment which is essential to meet the immediate need. We also acknowledge this approach will not achieve food security sustainably and efficiently for all, much less “end hunger.” Only effective government intervention in our free-market economy can do this at scale through public policies and investments that level the playing field for everyone, especially during periods of economic crisis. SNAP and school meals are but two examples of this kind of effective intervention. These programs need to be strengthened. Still, there is much more to be done to support households living in poverty and near poverty as they strive to achieve economic stability. An example is addressing the perverse “cliff effect” that strips people of public assistance
when they get a job or wage increase. Far too often, these households are left with fewer resources to help them afford market rent and utilities, food, and other expenses. They revert to public assistance and are trapped in a cycle of poverty. Smarter public policy would continue to support them until they are more economically stable and no longer need benefits. The pandemic and the media coverage of it have exposed the disproportionate impact economic downturns historically have on people of color and people of lower incomes generally. At The Food Bank, we lead the community in advocating for food security and promote solutions that address the underlying causes of hunger in our region, including institutional racism and funding inequities. The policies we promote help advance our “end hunger” mission. Many other non-profit organizations across our region are also leaders, working creatively with residents to advocate for and provide other critically important services and resources in their communities. The Food Bank is honored to work with and learn from many of them to strengthen households and communities. The Food Bank is at a turning point in its history. The need for food assistance continues, but our infrastructure is no longer adequate to meet the challenge. In the last three years, we have had to decline close to one million lbs. of food for lack of space at our current warehouse in Hatfield. After many years of planning, we purchased land in Chicopee, launched a capital campaign, and designed our future, larger, and greener food distribution center and headquarters. This spring, we plan on breaking ground on our future home, completing construction in about a year, and moving into it by the summer of 2023. In the decades to come, our new home in Hampden County, which has the largest concentration of people living with food insecurity, will enable us to carry out our two-fold mission more effectively and in closer partnership with people with lived experience. Fortunately, the community has rallied behind us these last two years of the pandemic and over the last forty years since our founding in 1982 in a church in Springfield. We invite everyone to join us under our big tent to support our two-fold mission. Start by visiting our website (foodbankwma. org) to learn more about us and our capital campaign. Then, become part of the solution! ANDREW MOREHOUSE (andrewm@foodbankwma.org) is the Executive Director, The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. He is responsible for the overall management of The Food Bank. He also engages in public education and advocacy, carries out fundraising and “friendraising,” and serves on several non-profit boards of directors. Morehouse has served as the Executive Director since 2005.
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Educación / Education
STCC Ofrecerá Clases de Inglés como Segundo Idioma SPRINGFIELD, MA | SPRINGFIELD TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE | 13 de enero de 2022 – Esta primavera, el Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) ofrecerá “Inglés Como Segundo Idioma”, un curso introductorio que enfatiza los conceptos básicos de conversación, lectura, escritura y desarrollo de vocabulario. La clase en persona se llevará a cabo los martes, miércoles y jueves del 1 de marzo al 3 de mayo. Todos los estudiantes deberán proporcionar un comprobante por escrito de la vacunación completa contra el COVID-19. Ofrecido a través del Workforce Development Center en STCC, el curso está diseñado para ayudar a mejorar la comprensión auditiva y aumentar la fluidez conversacional. Los estudiantes tendrán la oportunidad de practicar técnicas de lectura tales como identificar la idea principal y los detalles, y descifrar el significado de nuevas palabras en contexto. Después de completar este curso exitosamente, los estudiantes podrán continuar con ESL-Nivel 2. Para matricularse en la clase, visite stcc.io/esl. Para obtener más información, llame al 413-755-4225 o envíe un correo electrónico a workforcetraining@stcc.edu. Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) es el único colegio comunitario técnico en Massachusetts, continúa el legado pionero del Springfield Armory con educación integral y técnica en manufactura, STEM, atención médica, negocios, servicios sociales y artes liberales. Los programas de fuerza laboral, certificados, títulos y transferencias altamente respetados de STCC son los más asequibles en Springfield y brindan una
El Sol Latino February 2022
oportunidad inigualable para la vitalidad del oeste de Massachusetts. Fundado en 1967, el Colegio es una institución designada para servir a los hispanos que busca cerrar las brechas de rendimiento entre los estudiantes que tradicionalmente enfrentan barreras sociales. STCC apoya a los estudiantes a medida que transforman sus vidas a través del compromiso intelectual, cultural y económico mientras se convierten en graduados reflexivos, comprometidos y socialmente responsables.
STCC to offer English as a Second Language class Springfield Technical Community College this spring will offer English as a Second Language, an introductory course that emphasizes the basics of conversation, reading, writing and vocabulary development. The in-person class runs Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from March 1-May 3. All students will need to provide written proof of full vaccination against COVID-19. Offered through the Workforce Development Center at STCC, the course is designed to help improve listening comprehension and increase conversational fluency. Students will have an opportunity to practice reading techniques such as identifying the main idea and details, guessing the meaning of new words from context and skimming and scanning are covered. After successfully completing this course, students can continue to ESL-Level 2. To apply for the class, visit stcc.io/esl. For more information, please call 413755-4225 or email workforcetraining@ stcc.edu.
STCC Remembers Community Leader Ronn Johnson on MLK Jr. Day SPRINGFIELD, MA | SPRINGFIELD TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE | January 17, 2022 – At Springfield Technical Community College, we are deeply saddened over the loss of Ronn Johnson, a lifelong advocate for justice and community leader. Mr. Johnson served as executive director for Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services in Springfield and passed away on what would have been Dr. King’s 93rd birthday. As the Springfield Republican reported, friends and colleagues of Mr. Johnson said it was “fitting that he died on the birthday of the hero he often emulated.”
Mr. Johnson was a husband, father and friend to many. A champion of health equity, an advocate for youth and a great partner for community change, he was a thoughtful and strong communicator and “inspirational personality,” as his friend Henry Thomas III told the Republican. Mr. Thomas is the president and CEO of the Urban League. Mr. Johnson made a meaningful difference in the lives of so many in our community, including past and current STCC students, faculty and staff. He understood that many in the community did not have the opportunities he had and became a mentor to many. Interviewed on Jan. 5 for an STCC article about recipients of a social justice award, Mr. Johnson said they embodied the spirit of Dr. King’s quote, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: ‘What are you doing for others?” There’s no doubt Mr. Johnson took that quote to heart and strived throughout his life to apply Dr. King’s teachings. He will dearly be missed. On January 17, 2022, as people reflected on the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr., they were asked to keep Mr. Johnson’s family and friends in their thoughts and prayers. May Ronn Johnson rest in peace and may his legacy live on in the Greater Springfield community. A tribute to Mr. Johnson was incorporated into an event that celebrated the life of Martin Luther King. Jr. The event reflected on Mr. Johnson’s contributions to the community. The event featured “hundreds of youth, community leaders, and artists of spoken word, dance, music, and theater to reflect on the enduring legacy of Dr. King and the continued struggle for social justice in communities across the country.”
Ronn Johnson, holding a microphone, stands with Tracy Chappell, left, and Jynai McDonald, right, a STCC trustee. In the background is Veronica McNair.
Educación / Education
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HCC Professor Vanessa Martínez Honored for Inspiring Civic Engagement HOLYOKE, MA | HOLYOKE COMMUNITY COLLEGE | January 13, 2022 – Holyoke Community College professor of anthropology Vanessa Martínez of Holyoke is the recipient of the 2022 Thomas Ehrlich Civically Engaged Faculty Award from ˚purposes of higher education.
engaging of large groups. Remember, there are community agencies to assist, neighborhood mini libraries to build, book clubs to host, protests to plan, government policies to change, peer support groups to run and so much more.” Born in San Sebastian, Puerto Rico, Martínez holds a bachelor’s degree from Columbus State University, a master’s degree from Georgia State University, and a PhD from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. In 2011, she received the “Latino Teaching Excellence Award” from then governor Deval Patrick, and in 2015 she was selected as a Leadership Fellow by the American Anthropological Association. In 2020, Martínez received the Elaine Marieb Award for Teaching Excellence, HCC’s highest faculty honor. She has been teaching at HCC since 2006. The Thomas Ehrlich Civically Engaged Faculty Award is named in honor of Thomas Ehrlich, former chair of the Campus Compact board of directors and president emeritus of Indiana University. The award is presented annually as part of Campus Compact’s Impact Awards, which recognize the outstanding work of individuals and institutions in pursuit of the public purposes of higher education.
Vanessa Martínez, PhD, HCC professor of Anthropology, prepares to deliver the Commencement address to graduates in June 2021.
The award, presented in partnership with Brown University’s Swearer Center, recognizes senior faculty who practice exemplary engaged scholarship through teaching and research. Recipients are selected on the basis of their collaboration with communities, institutional impact, and high-quality academic work. “Holyoke Community College is incredibly fortunate to have Vanessa Martínez among its faculty,” said Lisa Mahon, professor of English and service-learning coordinator at Holyoke Community College in a letter nominating Martínez for the award. “Her outstanding commitment to community-based learning, teaching, and advocacy has positively impacted our students, staff, and faculty, as well as the greater Holyoke community.”
Martínez will share the 2022 award with Kimberly Buch, a professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. They and other award recipients will be recognized at Compact22, Campus Compact’s virtual conference, March 29-31 The 2021-2022 academic year marks the 75th anniversary of Holyoke Community College, the Commonwealth’s oldest community college. HCC opened its doors in 1946 as the first two-year college in Massachusetts. In the decades since, the college has paved the way for generations of learners from western Massachusetts and beyond, a beacon of hope and opportunity for people seeking better lives. Please visit us at hcc.edu.
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Martínez was recognized for teaching and scholarship that inspires students to take on leadership roles in their communities. Through academic work that focuses on storytelling, culturally responsive instruction, and cultural humility, Martínez invites diverse groups of students to learn about community-based organizations, advocate and fundraise for community needs based on engaged research, and think critically about the role they play in their communities. One example is the Women of Color Health Equity Collective, a Springfield-based nonprofit organization she co-founded that seeks to provide communities of color better access to maternal health, therapeutic services, and support. Through the collective, students learn about the social determinants of health and the role social inequality plays in health outcomes while researching community needs and developing advocacy plans to help create change.
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“This is a wonderful and distinguished honor, and well deserved,” said HCC president Christina Royal. “Professor Martínez continues to be actively engaged in our community, and our region is better for it. It benefits our students, who get to witness some exercising civic engagement beyond the classroom.” Martínez is also coordinator of HCC’s Honors Program and leads a new community leadership certificate program at the college to give students formal training to continue work at community organizations and take on leadership roles. “Taking action in the world can and should start in your community,” Martínez said in a speech she delivered to graduates for Commencement 2021. “The actions can be big or small, they can be self-reflective or
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Política / Politics
El Sol Latino February 2022
Critics Warn Puerto Rico Debt Plan Will Lead to More Austerity by JULIA CONLEY This article was originally published in Common Dreams | January 19, 2022 Progressives and anti-austerity campaigners on Wednesday were wary of a federal judge’s ruling which wiped out 80% of Puerto Rico’s debt—the product of four years of negotiations between the U.S. territory’s government, creditors, and a fiscal control board that Puerto Ricans derisively call “la junta.” While Gov. Pedro Pierluisi said the debt restructuring plan, which reduces $33 billion of the island’s debt to $7.4 billion, will be “very good for Puerto Rico” and will “serve our people,” critics said the plan will do little to help future generations of workers on the island while allowing some Wall Street hedge funds which previously bought up the debt to profit off of the deal. Under the debt restructuring plan announced by Judge Laura Taylor Swain of the Federal District Court for the Southern District of New York, bondholders “will receive $7 billion in cash and other benefits,” according to economic justice coalition Jubilee USA.
As Graulau reported, while the deal saves Puerto Rico $50 billion in debt payments and allows for repaying loans at a discount, it still commits the island “to debt payments that some say are unsustainable.” After a federal law giving foreign companies tax incentives to operate in Puerto Rico expires at the end of 2022, economist José Caraballo-Cueto of the University of Puerto Rico told the New York Times, the government’s general fund will be reduced—translating to “more austerity measures to essential services or higher taxes to make the payments.” “Some believe the debt should’ve been cut down further,” said Graulau. “Others say the debt shouldn’t be paid by the [Puerto Rican people] without auditing it and holding those responsible accountable.” Puerto Rico’s debt exceeded $70 billion and it owed $55 billion in unfunded pensions when it entered bankruptcy in 2017. Its debts were partially brought on by decades of lost tax revenue after the U.S. Congress repealed a tax break for businesses on the island in 1976. “Vulture” hedge funds then bought up the debt, only to sue the Puerto Rican government when it defaulted on paying the funds back—forcing the bankruptcy filing. Jubilee USA said while “there is room for optimism, only time can tell if the debt cuts were deep enough to prevent Puerto Rico from needing another debt restructuring in a few years.”
In a victory for Puerto Rican activists, existing pensions for retired teachers and other public sector workers will not be cut, as the fiscal control board previously planned following restructuring talks last year. But while the deal was hailed by the board as the beginning of “a new chapter to lead to renewed economic prosperity,” independent Puerto Rican journalist Bianca Graulau pointed out that the government will not be able to make cost-of-living adjustments to pay for public employees.
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“We remain concerned by some of the assumptions of the debt deal. The island’s ability to resume growth and avoid cuts in anti-poverty programs are both chief concerns,” said executive director Eric LeCompte. Julio López Varona of the Center for Popular Democracy was far less optimistic, saying Swain “turned her back on Puerto Ricans and approved a debt adjustment plan that leads us down the path of austerity and bankruptcy.” “The plan that was approved today is a plan predicated on continuing the suffering that we have suffered for decades and that has led thousands of people to leave the island while those who remain suffer from a lack of resources, basic services, and increases,” said López Varona. “This is not over, last year we worked with pensioners to achieve the elimination of pension cuts from this agreement. We will now take our claim to Congress and the White House to make sure the board can no longer abuse and pass legislation that helps us achieve the fair recovery we deserve.” Congress put the fiscal control board in place in 2016, and it is set to remain on the island until Puerto Rico can show four consecutive years of balanced budgets. Former San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz denounced the board’s claim that the ruling brings a “new chapter” for Puerto Rico. “A new chapter of austerity which has not worked anywhere else in the world,” tweeted Yulín Cruz. “Reducing the debt at what cost?” The economic justice campaign Hedge Clippers, which targets “unscrupulous hedge fund managers, private equity firms, and Wall Street speculators,” said that as long as the vulture funds profit off the debt restructuring plan, “people suffer.” “This is why we have always said that the only way to ensure a just recovery for Puerto Rico is to cancel the debt,” Hedge Clippers said. JULIA CONLEY is a staff writer for Common Dreams. COMMON DREAMS is a reader-supported independent news outlet created in 1997 as a new media model. Our nonprofit newsroom covers the most important news stories of the moment. Common Dreams free online journalism keeps our millions of readers well-informed, inspired, and engaged. We are optimists. We believe real change is possible. But only if enough well-informed, well-intentioned—and just plain fed up and fired-up—people demand it. We believe that together we can attain our common dreams.
Economía / Economy
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Racial and ethnic diversity is lacking among nonprofit leaders – but there are ways to change that by ATINUKE ADEDIRAN This article was originally published in The Conversation | January 13, 2022
women to lead the largest nonprofits, including charities.
About 87% of nonprofit CEOs in the U.S. were white in 2019, down from 90% in 2016. Similarly, roughly 78% of nonprofit board members were white in 2019, down from 84% in 2016, according to Board Source, a nonprofit that tracks this information.
Boosting the diversity of nonprofit leaders
In a country where Black and Latino individuals and other people of color make up about 40% of the population, this lack of diversity among nonprofit leaders could interfere with both the work that nonprofits do and their influence in the communities they serve, for several reasons.
Americans tend to form relationships with people of similar racial and ethnic backgrounds. That is why I believe it makes sense for nonprofit leaders to go out of their way to mentor and hire other leaders from different racial and ethnic groups, and to recruit board members outside of their networks.
Constraints caused when diversity is lacking
They can follow diversity, equity and inclusion best practices, such as setting a goal that a nonprofit’s leaders reflect the demographics of the population the group serves and becoming aware of their own implicit bias.
According to Board Source’s most recent data, just 6% of nonprofit board chairs identified as Black, 5% as Latino and 2% as Asian or Pacific Islander. Only 5% of nonprofit CEOs were Black, 3% Hispanic and 2% Asian or Pacific Islander. This lack of diversity is a major concern for nonprofits that provide services or advocacy primarily to communities of color, and among those groups whose mission is aimed at promoting race equity. That mismatch can undercut trust among the communities nonprofits serve, since a lack of diversity can interfere with communication and hamper efforts to address racial inequality. Diversity can also influence institutional decision-making by bringing unique perspectives that shape how the nonprofit approaches its mission in more inclusive ways. Research has shown that specific racial groups perceive race relations and racial inequality differently. For example, Black people are far more likely to point to racial discrimination as an impediment to Black progress, while white people are more likely to point to family instability as a major obstacle for Black people. The role of women The picture regarding gender equity, to be sure, is strikingly different. Board Source found that nearly 3 in 4 nonprofit CEOs in 2019 were women, as were more than half of all nonprofit board chairs and board members. When I studied the leadership of legal nonprofits, I found that 60% of CEOs and 51% of board members were women in 2020. Even with so many women calling the shots, however, men still hold most of the sector’s highest-paid jobs. That’s because they are more likely than
I study one of these issues: racial homophily – the tendency of people to associate with others who share their racial and ethnic backgrounds. It affects everything in America, including nonprofits.
I also believe it’s worth it for nonprofits to hire recruitment agencies capable of identifying prospective hires outside their networks who might be a good fit. White nonprofit leaders can become better at increasing diversity within their ranks if they endeavor to develop professional, if not personal, relationships with individuals of different races to address racial homophily. Nonprofits should also consider limiting how long someone can serve on their boards, since shorter term limits make it possible to increase board diversity at a faster pace. Based on my interviews with 81 nonprofit CEOs and board members between 2017 and 2020, I feel confident that the nonprofit sector can reject racial homophily and increase racial and ethnic diversity. Many of these nonprofit leaders are taking best practices into account in hiring and recruiting new executives and board members. But there is still much work to be done. ATINUKE (TINU) ADEDIRAN is an interdisciplinary legal scholar with expertise on the legal profession, corporate social responsibility, and nonprofit organizations. Her work sits at the intersection of the private and nonprofit sectors and focuses on inequality along a range of interests, including race relations, gender, philanthropy, access to justice, and governance. Adediran earned a PhD and MA in Sociology from Northwestern University, where she was a Ford Foundation Fellow, and received her JD from Columbia Law School, where she was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. Professor Adediran’s work has been published or is forthcoming in the California Law Review, Columbia Law Review, Fordham Law Review, Harvard Civil Rights Civil Liberties Law Review, Law and Social Inquiry, Ohio State Law Journal, and other journals. She was previously the David and Pamela Donohue Assistant Professor of Business Law at Boston College Law School, and an Earl. B Dickerson Fellow and Lecturer in Law at the University of Chicago Law School. The Conversation is a nonprofit, independent news organization dedicated to unlocking the knowledge of experts for the public good. We publish trustworthy and informative articles written by academic experts for the general public and edited by our team of journalists.
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Cultura / Culture
El Sol Latino February 2022
MUSA, el Museo del RUM Conmemora el Natalicio del Dr. Agustín Stahl RÍO PIEDRAS, PR | UNIVERSIDAD DE PUERTO RICO | 21 de enero de 2022– La genialidad de Agustín Stahl pervive los tiempos. Más allá de su profesión de galeno era un artista amante de la flora y la fauna. Fue así como conjugó sus múltiples talentos para legar una obra científica y artística a través de las generaciones. Se trata de una serie de acuarelas que muestra, con gran precisión, distintos especímenes que recolectaba mientras visitaba a sus pacientes en sus casas. El Museo del Recinto Universitario de Mayagüez (RUM), conocido como MUSA, es el custodio principal de su obra que cuenta con unas 583 acuarelas que llegaron a la institución en 1976, como una donación del doctor José A. Nolla. Por esa razón, el recinto mayagüezano de la Universidad de Puerto Rico (UPR), se une hoy a la conmemoración del natalicio del científico botánico, nacido en Aguadilla el 21 de enero de 1842. “En el Colegio de Mayagüez, nos sentimos más que privilegiados de ser los albaceas de la colección más grande de acuarelas del doctor Agustín Stahl, quien fue considerado como el primer científico puertorriqueño. Además, se destacó por su pasión por el arte y combinó ambas pasiones -la ciencia y el arte- para legarnos, hoy, este trabajo valiosísimo, tanto por atención al detalle que podemos observar en sus obras, que representa la parte didáctica, como la belleza de las mismas, ya en su dimensión artística”, indicó el doctor Agustín Rullán Toro, rector del RUM. Por su parte, la doctora Zorali De Feria Álvarez, directora de MUSA, reflexionó sobre la relevancia de que un Museo de una institución educativa, que cuenta con un Colegio de Ciencias Agrícolas, sea custodio de tan importante trabajo.
Theobroma cacao (Cacao) Agustín Stahl – Museo de Arte UPRM
“Hacia finales del siglo XIX, la ilustración era de gran importancia para la documentación científica, ya que la fotografía no resultaba tan accesible o práctica como lo es hoy día. El doctor Stahl aprovechaba las visitas a sus pacientes para recoger especímenes en su camino para luego durante las noches, a la luz de las velas, elaborar dibujos y acuarelas de estos. Estas ilustraciones se destacan por su precisión, así como por su calidad artística. Lo interesante es el gran valor de su trabajo en el que unió su pasión hacia el arte con su conocimiento científico dejándonos un legado incalculable con mucha vigencia, aunque hayan transcurrido 103 años de su deceso”, indicó De Feria Álvarez. De hecho, desde su fundación en 2016, MUSA ha celebrado dos exposiciones dedicadas a la obra de Stahl. La primera, Orquídeas y otras flores (2016), curada por las profesoras Sally González Miranda, catedrática
de Ciencias Agrícolas y especialista en forestación urbana y paisajismo; y Jeanine Vélez Gavilán, asociada de investigación y curadora del Herbario MAPR, del Departamento de Biología. Mientras, la exposición Palmas, cactus y comestibles (2018), también curada por las profesoras González Miranda y Vélez Gavilán, fue la segunda muestra sobre el científico. En esa ocasión, la exposición se complementó con otras dependencias de la Universidad como lo son el Herbario MAPR del Departamento de Biología-RUM, que recreó lo que fue el entorno de Stahl e ilustró la importancia de la preservación de nuestra flora, y el Colegio de Ciencias Agrícolas que también da a conocer los esfuerzos del RUM en el desarrollo de agroindustrias. La muestra estuvo complementada por las fotografías del biólogo Omar Monsegur, quien logró capturar la belleza de la botánica puertorriqueña a través del lente, reforzando la calidad del trabajo ilustrativo y preciso siempre presente en el legado de Stahl. Ambas muestras están disponibles en: https://www.uprm.edu/musa/ exposiciones/ “La próxima exposición dedicada a Stahl será en el 2023, ocasión en la que estarán acompañadas del trabajo de varios naturalistas que abarcan los siglos XVIII, XIX y XX”, indicó la directora del MUSA. Stahl fue un ávido estudioso de las Ciencias Naturales y recolectó especímenes de la flora de Puerto Rico para luego elaborar dibujos y acuarelas sobre estos. Su objetivo era incorporarlas a su trabajo Estudios para la Flora de Puerto Rico. Esta obra quedó inconclusa, principalmente por limitaciones económicas. Las acuarelas de Stahl se destacan por su precisión y valor como ilustración científica, así como Mangifera indica (Mangó) Agustín Stahl – por su calidad artística. Además, Museo de Arte UPRM siguen siendo importantes para la ciencia hoy en día, ya que proveen detalles taxonómicos que apoyan la descripción e identificación de las especies que existían en Puerto Rico en el siglo XIX. El legado de Stahl a la botánica ha sido documentado por el Instituto Smithsoniano del Museo Nacional de Historia Natural y se encuentra disponible a través de la página digital de esta institución. Por otro lado, Stahl coleccionó objetos etnológicos. Llegó a acumular más de 800 artefactos precolombinos que, posteriormente, donó a una institución en los Estados Unidos ante la imposibilidad de dar con un lugar apropiado en la Isla para albergarlos. Para más información del MUSA, pueden acceder a: https://www.uprm.edu/ musa/
Libros / Books
Being La Dominicana
Race and Identity in the Visual Culture of Santo Domingo by RACHEL AFI QUINN Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Press | July 27, 2021 | 264 pages About This Book Rachel Afi Quinn investigates the ways Dominican visual culture portrays Dominican women and how women represent themselves in their own creative endeavors in response to existing stereotypes. Delving into the dynamic realities and uniquely racialized gendered experiences of women in Santo Domingo, Quinn reveals how racial ambiguity and color hierarchy work to shape experiences of identity and subjectivity in the Dominican Republic. She merges analyses of context and interviews with young Dominican women to offer rare insights into a Caribbean society in which the tourist industry and popular media reward, and rely upon, the ability of Dominican women to transform themselves to perform gender, race, and class. Engaging and astute, Being La Dominicana reveals the little-studied world of today’s young Dominican women and what their personal stories and transnational experiences can tell us about the larger neoliberal world. Reviews & Endorsements “A unique and timely examination of the significance and cultural strategies of
Olga Dies Dreaming: A Novel by XOCHITL GONZÁLEZ New York, NY: Flatiron Books | January 4, 2022 | 349 pages About This Book It’s 2017, and Olga and her brother, Pedro “Prieto” Acevedo, are boldfaced names in their hometown of New York. Prieto is a popular congressman representing their gentrifying Latinx neighborhood in Brooklyn, while Olga is the tony wedding planner for Manhattan’s power brokers. Despite their alluring public lives, behind closed doors things are far less rosy. Sure, Olga can orchestrate the love stories of the 1 percent but she can’t seem to find her own. . . until she meets Matteo, who forces her to confront the effects of long-held family secrets. Olga and Prieto’s mother, Blanca, a Young Lord turned radical, abandoned her children to advance a militant political cause, leaving them to be raised by their grandmother. Now, with the winds of hurricane season, Blanca has come barreling back into their lives. Set against the backdrop of New York City in the months surrounding the most devastating hurricane in Puerto Rico’s history, Xochitl Gonzalez’s Olga Dies Dreaming is a story that examines political corruption, familial strife, and the very notion of the American dream—all while asking what it really means to weather a storm. Reviews & Endorsements “The extraordinary accomplishment of Olga Dies Dreaming is in how a familiarenough tale―a woman seeking love, happiness, and fulfillment in the big city― slowly reveals itself to be something else altogether. It’s a book about a New York that isn’t always celebrated, the one that belongs to immigrant communities; about money, class, and political power; about one vividly-imagined family and the very idea of the American Dream.” ―Rumaan Alam, author of Leave the World Behind “In this sparkling debut, Gonzalez digs deep into the damaged heart of a family, ably dissecting the knottiness of conditional love, identity, loyalty, secrets and the very definition of home. That she manages to cover so much ground with wisdom, tenderness and abundant humor makes this book a complete joy, and I will think about its richly drawn, deeply human characters for a very long time.” ―Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney, author of The Nest and Good Company
El Sol Latino February 2022
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Dominican women in the contemporary era marked by neoliberal economic structures, (post) colonial geopolitical arrangements, heteropatriarchal beauty standards, and global anti-blackness. It is an important work of feminist ethnography.”—Nicole Fleetwood, author of On Racial Icons: Blackness and the Public Imagination About the Author RACHEL AFI QUINN is an associate professor in the Department of Comparative Cultural Studies and the Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies Program at the University of Houston. She received her doctorate in American culture from the University of Michigan. Her transnational feminist cultural studies scholarship focuses on mixed race, gender and sexuality, social media and visual culture in the African Diaspora. Her first book, Being La Dominicana: Race and Identity in the Visual Culture of Santo Domingo (2021) was published by University of Illinois Press. Quinn was part of a filmmaking team that produced the documentary Cimarrón Spirit (2015) about contemporary Afro-Dominican identities, and her related essay ‘No tienes que entenderlo, solo respetalo’: Xiomara Fortuna, Racism, Feminism and Other Forces in the Dominican Republic was published in The Black Scholar.
“Olga Dies Dreaming is the story of an imperfect family shattered by secrets, grief, and abandonment, and of people who rise up, refusing to be broken. Smart, witty, and driven, Gonzalez’s Olga hustles, stumbles, falls, and eventually finds her way. An unflinching examination of capitalism, corruption, gentrification, colonialism, and their effects on marginalized people, Olga Dies Dreaming is a poignant, scalding debut.” ―Jaquira Díaz, author of Ordinary Girls “Olga Dies Dreaming is as funny as it is insightful, as deft as it is original. In this impressive debut, Xochitl Gonzalez displays a gift for capturing the absurdity in the fabric of life. Wit and wisdom rarely combine in such a powerful one-two punch.” ―Mat Johnson, author of Pym and Loving Day “Olga Dies Dreaming is a love letter to Brooklyn brimming with the best music, with dreams and sorrows―the stuff of real life. At turns hilarious and heartbreaking, Gonzalez gives us a gripping novel about community, family, betrayal, and the complicated inheritance of diaspora―a wild and ambitious saga that shows once again how the personal is always deeply political. An unforgettable story about finding and defending home.” ―Jennine Capó Crucet, author of My Time Among The Whites About the Author XOCHITL GONZÁLEZ has an MFA from the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop where she was an Iowa Arts Fellow and recipient of the MichenerCopernicus Prize in Fiction. She was the winner of the 2019 Disquiet Literary Prize and her work has been published on Ninth Letter, Joyland Magazine, Vogue and The Cut. Her debut novel Olga Dies Dreaming will be published in January ’22 by Flatiron Books. Prior to beginning her MFA, Xochitl was an entrepreneur and strategic consultant for nearly 15 years. She serves on the Board of the Lower East Side Girls Club. A native Brooklynite and proud public school graduate, she received her B.A. in Fine Art from Brown University. She lives in her hometown of Brooklyn with her dog, Hectah Lavoe.
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El Sol Latino February 2022
Fine Arts Center
Próximas Atracciones 2022
Únase a nosotros para celebrar la apertura de la Temporada 2021-2022 del Fine Arts Center con una serie de eventos virtuales y presenciales que celebran la humanidad presente en todos nosotros.. ARTS.LIVE.HERE. UMass Amherst Fine Arts Center
Cirque FLIP Fabrique - Six°
Miércoles - Febrero 16, 2022 | 7:30 p.m. | Fredrick C. Tillis Performance Hall Boletos $45, $35, $20 | Estudiantes de los Five College y jóvenes de 17 años o menos: $10 Originario de Québec, Cirque FLIP Fabrique es una de las compañías de circo contemporáneas más importantes de Canadá. En la cima de su talento artístico, se inspira en imágenes, personalidad y la experiencia humana. Habiendo actuado internacionalmente para más de un millón de espectadores, Cirque FLIP Fabrique trae su mas reciente espectáculo explorando la inquietud de la espera, la intrincada belleza de los encuentros inesperados, y la alegría de la risa a través de comedia slapstick, malabarismos y hazañas acrobáticas impresionantes.
Emily Johnson/Catalyst: Being Future Being Reimagine Residency Series
Lunes - Febrero 28, 2022 | 7:30 p.m. | Bowker Auditorium | GRATIS
Admirada por su repertorio de danzas, Emily Johnson une al público en una experiencia compartida de movimiento, lugar, historia, acción colectiva y la continuidad de las prácticas y perspectivas culturales indígenas. Johnson comparte extractos del proyecto más reciente en desarrollo, Being Future Being. Con la música de Raven Chacon, el trabajo profundiza en el poder de la creación para construir un paisaje visual, auditivo y ancestral del poder indígena.
Berta Rojas: Classical Guitar Master Class Domingo, Marzo 6, 2022 - 10:00 a.m. ET Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art Boletos Admisión General para Observadores $15
Rojas impartirá una clase magistral con estudiantes avanzados de guitarra, abierta a observadores. Disfrute de la interacción entre estos aclamados músicos y estudiantes selectos de guitarra clásica de Nueva Inglaterra.
Aviso sobre COVID 19: Siguiendo las recomendaciones de Centers for Disease Control, la política de UMass Amherst 2021-2022 requiere que la facultad, personal y estudiantes estén vacunados. Todos los asistentes a las presentaciones en vivo del Fine Arts Center, el University Museum of Contemporary Art, y las galerías Augusta Savage y Hampden deben usar una mascarilla.
Para nuestra programación de la temporada completa o boletos de entrada llamar al: 413-545-2511 ó al 800-999-UMAS ó en línea fineartscenter.com
