El Sol Latino | April 2016 | 12.6 by El Sol Latino

April 2016

Volume 12 No. 6

Un Peri贸dico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper

Nurturing Fathers Program Completion Ceremony 2016 Un Peri贸dico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper

Un Peri贸dico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper

Editorial/Editorial

¡Regresa el Festival de la Familia Hispana de Holyoke! Después de un año de ausencia, volveremos a disfrutar del evento Latino más importante del verano en Holyoke - El Festival de la Familia Hispana. Al igual que en años anteriores, el evento cultural contará con música, comida y actividades para toda la familia. El Festival se celebrará el 14, 15, 16, y 17 de julio en el Springdale Park de Holyoke. El programa artístico combinará una amplia gama de músicos locales y regionales tales como José González y su Banda Criolla, Luis René Robles y la Orquesta Yunqueña, Bachata Heightz, Grupo el Coquí, Grupo Amapolas, Miguel González y Así Canta la Montaña, Verónica Robles y su Mariachi, YeraSon Orchestra, Alex Bueno y su Orquesta, Contrabanda Orchestra, Los Gigantes de la Plena, Frankie Rodríguez y su Orquesta Homenaje, Charlie Berríos, y Orquesta NG2. La Parada Puertorriqueña , también organizada por La Familia Hispana, Inc., regresará bajo el nombre de Desfile Hispano del Oeste de Massachusetts el dia 17 de julio. Durante el mes de abril de abril se anunciará quiénes serán los homenajeados de este año.

Foto del Mes/Photo of the Month

Inauguran el nuevo local de Los Jibaritos Club

contents

2 Editorial / Editorial ¡Regresa el Festival de la Familia Hispana de Holyoke! 3 Portada / Front Page Nurturing Fathers Program Completion Ceremony 2016 4 Exposición Fotográfica Celebrando las Abuelas abre en Wistariahurst Museum 5 Hearing About Public Debt, Fiscal Policy and Poverty in Puerto Rico 6 Tinta Caliente / Hot Ink

6 Opinión / Opinion Healthy environments help a person be healthy 7 La Realidad? Nary a Cry nor a Whisper 8 ¿Qué Pasa en...?

10 Comercio /Business United Airlines Solicita Autorización para Viajar a Cuba 11 Libros / Books? El Amante Japonés 12 The Sovereign Colony: Olympic Sport, National Identity, and International Politics in Puerto Rico 13 Deportes / Sports #8 Carla Cortijo: Boricua Floor General 14 Salud / Health Baystate Children’s Hospital Specialty Center brinda ayuda excepcional a familia puertorriqueña Foto MFR. Luis Rivera, Monzy Rivera, Tato Colón, Ketsia Cotty, Nelson Román – Concejal del Barrio 1, y Alex Morse - alcalde de Holyoke durante la inauguración del nuevo local de Los Jibaritos Club el 3 de marzo en Holyoke.

Cita del Mes/Quote of the Month The problem with Puerto Rico is not its debt. The problem is not the vulture funds, all demanding immediate payment. The problem is that Puerto Rico, a tiny island in the Caribbean Sea, is staring into the barrel of the entire US capitalist system.

Nelson Denis

Waragainstallpuertoricans.com (February 27, 2016)

15 Hepatitis C and Hispanics in the United States

Founded in 2004 n Volume 12, No. 6 n April 2016 Editor Manuel Frau Ramos manuelfrau@gmail.com 413-320-3826 Assistant Editor Ingrid Estrany-Frau Managing Editor Diosdado López 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.

Veanos@www.issuu.com/elsollatino

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 April 2016

Nurturing Fathers Program Completion Ceremony 2016 by MANUEL FRAU-RAMOS On March 10, 2016, Enlace de Familias /Holyoke Family Network celebrated another graduation for the participants in their Nurturing Fathers Program. The Nurturing Fathers Program helps to fill a void in our community. Many local services tend to focus on the needs of single and/or struggling mothers. Enlace de Familias wanted to support fathers as this helps entire families to thrive. The Program is a 15-week evidenced –based program for developing attitudes and skills for male nurturance. Among others, participants learn the secrets for creating safe, loving, stable, and nurtured families as well as positive discipline tools taught through a uniquely father-friendly method for successful child behavior management.

Photo MFR. Sheriff Michael J. Ashe Jr. recipient of the Community Alliance Award

In 2000, Enlace integrated Mark Perlman’s nationally recognized Nurturing Fathers curriculum into one of the many services. After being trained by Perlman directly as a Master Trainer, Roy J. Lichtenstein took on the role as the Nurturing Fathers coordinator at Enlace. Soon after, Jamal King, from the Department of Children and Family Services, and Efraín Santana, then a family case-manager at Enlace, became part of the program team as facilitators. Today, Freddy DeJesús and Andrew Espinosa complete the team

of facilitator of this successfully program. At Enlace’s graduation ceremony, not only did the facilitators acknowledged the fathers for completing the rigorous standards of the course, but each graduate also made a public commitment to their children and family about the kind of father they wanted to become. This year graduates - Gerardo Rodríguez, William Santiago, Luis Guzmán, Ernest Tupper, Manuel Torres, Hector Rodríguez, Tomas Nater, Evander Machuca, Timothy Jones, Emilio Rivera, Keoko Salters, John Harley,

Photo MFR. Program facilitators – Jamal King and Efraín Santana

Giancarlo Santana, Anthony Caballero, Michael Poreda, Mike Martin, Ricardo Collazo, Daniel Angove, Alex Petith, Glenn Ligus, Alexander Baez, Jacob Belanger, Ronald Dionne and Manuel Torres. Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse congratulated the graduates and commended Enlace for addressing issues of fatherhood, and especially, for reaching out to father who are incarcerated. The Mayor recognized the drug addiction crisis and its effects as he has witnessed first hand how this problem disrupts families and communities. Enlace’s Executive Director, Betty Medina Lichtenstein, recognized the work of Sheriff Michael J. Ashe Jr. of Hampden County. He has held his post for nearly 40 years. Sheriff Ashe announced the he will not be seeking reelection when his term ends this year. He was recognized with the Community Alliance Award. Sheriff Ashe’s motto of correctional supervision is “strength reinforced with decency; firmness dignified with fairness.” Jim Magagnoli, who was not in attendance, was chosen as Enlace’s Community Champion this year. This award recognizes an individual who is very good example of a community leader and through his or her actions reflect the mission and values of the Nurturing Fathers Program.

El Sol Latino April 2016

Exposición Fotográfica Celebrando las Abuelas abre en Wistariahurst Museum por Manuel Frau Ramos El 5 de marzo se celebró la recepción de apertura de la exhibición fotográfica Nuestras Abuelas de Holyoke: Empoderamiento y Legado/ Our Grandmothers of Holyoke: Empowerment and Legacy, en el Wistariahurst Museum en Holyoke. La impresionante exposición consiste de una colección fotográfica acompañada de ensayos en español e inglés que cuentan las historias de nueve abuelas puertorriqueñas a través de los recuerdos de sus nietas/os. Las historias de estas puertorriqueñas revelan sus retos como mujeres y abuelas y el legado que cada nieto/a lleva consigo. La organización de la exhibición estuvo a cargo de la Curadora Waleska Santiago con la valiosa ayuda de María Salgado-Cartagena y Nelson Román. Alberto Sandoval Sánchez, Profesor de Estudios Latino Americanos en Mt. Holyoke College y Jennifer Guglielmo, Profesora de Historia en Smith College proveyeron el contexto histórico y asesoría para la exhibición. Santiago, una de las pocas curadoras Latina en el noreste de los Estados Unidos es Museum Educator en la Galería de Arte de University of Saint Joseph en West Hartford, Connecticut. Tiene un bachillerato en Historia del Arte de Mount Holyoke College, y está haciendo una Maestría en Artes Liberales en Museum Studies en Harvard University. En la ultima década Waleska Santiago ha montado varias exhibiciones exitosas, tales como la exhibición de fotografías en STCC de la llegada de los puertorriqueños al North End de Springfield, Madamas: Women, Madonnas, and Mothers en el Jasper Rand Art Museum en el Westfield Athenaeum Library, y Nuestras Abuelas: Their Hope, Our Strength. Esta ultima exhibición exitosamente exhibida en Amherst, Holyoke, Northampton y Westfield, surge de un proyecto original de Natalia Muñoz, fundadora del desaparecido La Prensa del Oeste de Massachusetts, y la activista comunitaria Noemí E. Valentín. “Esta exhibición tiene la habilidad de tocar nuestra alma cultural. Waleska (Santiago) sabe que frecuentemente son nuestra abuelas las que comparten con nosotros nuestras historias familiares y tradiciones. Esto es exactamente de lo que se trata el Wistariahurst – preservando nuestra historia local y cultura a través de exhibiciones y eventos, ” dijo Penny Martorell, Historiadora de la Ciudad de Holyoke y la directora del grant de este proyecto.

Nuestras Abuelas – Our Grandmothers coincide con los esfuerzos del Museo de Wistariahurst, en la misión del nuevo museo del siglo veintiuno; empoderando a nuestra comunidad. Proporcionando un espacio para que se den enlaces significativos entre las historias y el arte, y así descubrir, preservar y Foto MFR. Profesor Alberto Sandoval -Emeritus de Mount compartir las memorias de Holyoke College, Waleska Santiago curadora de la exhibición, los residentes de Holyoke Penny Martorell curadora del Wistariahurst Museum y Kate Preissler- Directora del Wistariahurst Museum del pasado al presente. “Podemos aprender muchísimo al escucharnos unos a los otros”, dice Kate Preissler, Directora del Wistariahurst. Las historias de esta exhibición serán parte de la colección Historia Latina en Holyoke de Carlos Vega para futura referencia e investigación. Nuestras Abuelas – Our Grandmothers forma parte de los esfuerzos del Museo de Wistariahurst de empoderar a la comunidad a través de actividades que fomenten le relación de las historias y el arte. Este proyecto ayuda a descubrir, preservar y compartir memorias significativas de residentes de Holyoke. Las historias pasarán a formar parte de la colección Historia Latina en Holyoke de Carlos Vega. La exhibición permanecerá abierta hasta el 24 de abril. Las horas de la galería son de jueves a viernes de 3:00pm a 7:00 p.m., sábados de 12:00 p.m. a 4:00 p.m., entrada libre de costo los jueves. El costo de admisión es de $5.00. Para más información o para ver el itinerario de otros eventos, puede visitarnos a nuestra página web www.wistariahurst.org. Join us!

Conversation With:

Charles R. Venator Santiago. Ph.D

Las abuelas participantes y sus respectivos/as nietas y nietos son María de los Angeles Figueroa Marrero (Comerío) - Abalis Rivera, Ana García (Salinas) - Alexis Díaz, Juana Sierra Reyes (Guaynabo) - Ángel Pérez, Dolores Toro (Aguadilla) - Bianca Correa, Luz María Altreche (Vega Alta) - Efraín Vázquez, Ángela Vázquez (Yauco)- Myriam Quiñones, Aida Sánchez (Aguada) - Jonathan Maysonet, María Luisa Barrientos (San Germán) y Melín Mejil-Cuevas (Guánica) - Nelson Rafael Román.

Holyoke Public Library Puerto Rican Cultural Project Join us! Conversation With: Join Us!

Conversation With:

Charles R. Venator Santiago. Ph.D Charles R. Venatort Santiago, Ph.D.

Puerto Rico’s Territorial American Citizenship Second-Class Citizens?

R. Venator-Santiago, Political Science, UMass-Amherst) is an assistant Charles R. Venator-Santiago, (Ph.D.,Charles Political Science, UMass-Amherst) is(Ph.D., an assistant professor with a joint professor with a joint appointment to the Department of Political Science and the Institute appointment to the Department of Political Science and the Institute for Latino Studies @ UConn- Storrs. He for Latino Studies @ UConn- Storrs. He is currently Vice-President/President Elect of the is currently Vice-President/PresidentPuerto Elect ofRican the Puerto RicanAssociation Studies Association (PRSA), a SteeringCommittee/Board Member of Studies (PRSA), andand a Steering Committee/Board Member of the Latino Latina Critical Theory (LatCrit) organization. the&Latino & Latina Critical Theory (LatCrit) organization. Professor Venator-Santiago teaches courses in the Public Law, American Politics and Political Theory. His courses focus on U.S. Law and Society, Latino political behavior

R. Venator-Santiago, (Ph.D., Political Science, UMass-Amherst) professor with a joint Professor Venator-Santiago Charles teaches courses in the politics, Public Law, American Politics and Political Theory. Hisis an assistant and Latino law and immigration, variousfordebates the history of political appointment to the Department of Political Science and and the Institute Latino in Studies @ UConnStorrs. He courses focus on U.S. Law and Society, Latino political behavior and Latino politics, law and immigration, thought. He has been researching writingRican aboutStudies U.S. territorial history, and is currently Vice-President/President Elect of and the Puerto Associationlegal (PRSA), and race a Steering and various debates in the Committee/Board history citizenship; of politicalMember thought. Hethe hasLatino been &researching and about U.S. organization. and the relationship between lawwriting and nation-state building in the Americas. of Latina Critical Theory (LatCrit)

territorial legal history, race and citizenship; and the relationship between law and nation-state building in the Professor Venator-Santiago teaches courses in the Public Law, American Politics and Political Theory. His Americas. Saturday, April 16 - 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM courses focus on U.S. Law and Society, Latino political behavior and Latino politics, law and immigration, and various debates in the history of political thought. He has been researching and writing about U.S. territorial legal history, race and citizenship; and the relationship between law and nation-state building in the Americas.

Community Room, Holyoke Public Library

Foto MFR. Melin Mejil-Cuevas, tercera de izquierda a derecha en la primera fila, junto a su nieto Nelson Rafael Román a la extrema izquierda –primera fila y otros miembros de la familia.

FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Portada / Front Page

El Sol Latino April 2016

Hearing About Public Debt, Fiscal Policy and Poverty in Puerto Rico SAN JUAN, PR – March 21, 2016) – The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (Commission) based in Washington, D.C., will hold a public hearing on the public debt, fiscal policy and poverty in Puerto Rico on Monday, April 4 at 11:30 am, was announced today by representatives of about 42 civil society organizations of Puerto Rico and the diaspora. This is the first time that an international body grants a hearing on Puerto Rico’s public debt. “The international community is concerned about the urgent situation in our country. It is unusual for the Inter-American Commission to hold hearings on Puerto Rico or about public debt and fiscal policies. It is even more unusual for the Commission to hold two hearings on Puerto Rico in consecutive years. The governments of the United States and Puerto Rico are accountable and have been called upon to provide answers about the effects of this crisis on the population,” said Annette Martínez Orabona, Executive Director of the Caribbean Institute of Human Rights and the Human Rights Clinic at the Inter-American University of Puerto Rico, School of Law. Organizations will provide information to the Commission on the fiscal policies adopted to face the economic crisis and how these have lessened the rights to education, housing, work, health, access to public information and access to justice. In addition, they will focus on the effects that this fiscal crisis have on the most vulnerable populations, including children with functional diversity, women, migrants, persons deprived of liberty, lowincome people and afro-descendants, among others. “While it is true that the economic situation affects all of us, the data we have collected indicates that the more affected in this crisis are historically marginalized groups. Social segregation is real and fiscal policies

implemented in order to address this economic crisis have deepened these inequalities in our country. Fiscal measures taken by the government of Puerto Rico and the United States are public policies and as such are subject to international human rights obligations”, said Eva Prados Rodríguez, spokeswoman for the Movimiento Amplio de Mujeres de Puerto Rico (Women’s Movement of Puerto Rico). The organizations will present a written report that will be available to the public the same day of the hearing in electronic format via Internet. The same report will be presented and discussed in a panel at the U.S. Congress and with officials of the Executive branch, in Washington, D.C. In this report, civil society groups are proposing several measures to address the economic situation from an approach that guarantees human rights.

The Inter-American Commission of Human Rights is a principal and autonomous organ of the Organization of American States (“OAS”) whose mission is to promote and protect human rights in the Americas. The IACHR has the power to evaluate the state of human rights violations in the United States, including Puerto Rico. At this hearing, the governments of United States and Puerto Rico should publicly respond to these demands. The hearing will be broadcasted live through www.cidh.org.

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El Sol Latino April 2016

OT TINTNAT E H INK CAr MLanIueEl Frau Ramos Po

In Springfield…Where in the world is the Puerto Rican / Latino Leadership Council?

In the middle of 2011, a selected group of Puerto Rican leaders launched with much fanfare and high expectations the Puerto Rican / Latino Leadership Council in Springfield. Almost five-years later, the Boricua controlled organization appears to be inactive… or has it closed down?

En Springfield ...... ¿Dónde está el Puerto Rican / Latino Leadership Council? A mediados del 2011, un grupo selecto de líderes puertorriqueños lanzó con gran fanfarria y altas expectativas el Puerto Rican / Latino Leadership Council en Springfield. Después de casi cinco años, la organización controlada por Boricuas parece estar inactiva…¿o es que ha dejado de existir?

Opinión / Opinion Healthy environments help a person be healthy by WALTER MULLIN, Ph.D. and MIGUEL ARCE

Wealth is a predictor of health. Healthy neighborhoods and healthy individuals go hand in hand. In 2008, the Public Broadcasting Corporation released a four hour documentary series titled Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick? The series highlighted the importance of neighborhood environments (financial resources, quality of housing, access to healthy foods, clean air/water, safety) on individual health. The series concluded that economic and social conditions of a neighborhood influence the health status of individuals who live in those neighborhoods. This has tremendous implications for the health of individuals who live in poorly resourced neighborhoods characterized by unhealthy environments. Economically depressed neighborhoods, with countless medical conditions caused by environmental factors in the neighborhoods, have a collectively lower health status than wealthy neighborhoods. Health status and wealth correlate on a continuous decline from the wealthy to the poor. Life expectancy is shorter and disease is more common the further down the social ladder. Clearly people who live in neighborhoods characterized as poor districts must cope with more stress than those who live in wealthier localities. The circumstances that are currently occurring in Flint, Michigan with regard to the drinking water underscore the dynamics of this relationship. Careless government decisions about a new water source for people living in poverty have led to the potential poisoning of children and adults who live there. Now, people without resources must shoulder the burden of a problem they did not create. The more affluent nearby communities do not have to cope with this in the same way.

One of best known facts about healthy living is that it is wise to eat healthily. In deciding to do this, a person must be able to access nutritious food, which is not easily available in poor neighborhoods. The term “food desert” has been coined to describe the barren area of community where healthy fresh food cannot be found. The World Health Organization (WHO) states health is greatly impacted by the availability of healthy food. It is known that the impact of not eating well may result in diabetes, obesity, hypertension and heart disease. Further, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports: “rates of severe asthma continue to disproportionately affect poor, minority, inner-city populations”. The same report also identifies lead based exposure and poisoning as a result of minorities disproportionately residing in older housing because of segregation. The exposure to multiple pollutants and toxins exist in these inner city neighborhoods where older, affordable housing and the possibility of employment is available. In recent years, there has been an increase in knowledge about the ways that individual wellness and personal stress are connected. Michael Lu of the University of California at Los Angeles School of Medicine discusses the “life course model,” which speculates that an individual’s health is determined not only by genetics and current circumstances, but by all conditions experienced since conception (and even before). Low income families commonly suffer from chronic stress as they have to balance worries about financial security—how to feed the family or how to adequately house their family in a secure and decent neighborhood. Chronically stressed parents may, therefore, be less likely to be able to prioritize their own health.

“Toxic stress” is a commonly used term for those stressors found in poor neighborhoods. It is the response to emotional pressure suffered for a prolonged period over which an individual perceives he or she has no control. Long-term exposure to stress creates a biological response in the body that easily leads to high blood pressure, heart disease, suppression of the immune system, and mental health problems. Critical components of health can also be structural. A structural explanation emphasizes that discrimination, racism, and classism all contribute to the dynamics connected to which neighborhoods will be resourced as opposed to those which will not. Job opportunities, housing, health care access, food availability are all a part of this. Set apart, it is ethnic and racial minorities who are left to deal with the problem on a daily basis. Poor health outcomes for poor people are woven to the structure of our society. Living conditions determine health; it is not strictly cultural or individual behavioral decisions. Women of color, African American women and Latinas, on average, are significantly more likely to give birth to premature and/or low-weight babies than white women, even when studies control for factors like income and education. The vicious circle continues. Without attention, the environments entrap the people who live there. Health outcomes are closely tied to public policy. Healthy 2020, an initiative of the United State Department of Health and Human Services, has several goals including achieving health equity, creating environments promoting good health, and promoting quality of health care. Implicit in their goals are that the current status quo needs to be interrupted. A lethal combination of prejudicial economic arrangements and poorly thought out politics has impacted unequal distribution of health damaging experiences. Walter Mullin, PhD (wmullin@springfieldcollege. edu) is a Professor at the School of Social Work at Springfield College. Miguel Arce MSW (marce@ springfieldcollege.edu) is an Associate Professor at the School of Social work at Springfield College.

Opinión / Opinion ¿La Realidad?

por JOSÉ RAÚL GONZÁLEZ Casi siempre pensamos que nuestra percepción del mundo es mucho mas completa de lo que es en realidad. Sentimos que registramos lo que pasa a nuestro alrededor como una cámara de video. Pero sucede que es muy distinto. Nuestro cerebro no es sólo un receptáculo donde se almacenan cosas e información que le llega. Además no cesa de hacer predicciones, proyecciones, a la expectativa de lo que es importante para nosotros, como nuestra identidad por ejemplo. Nuestra actividad cerebral desde el inicio cambia y se excita en función de nuestras expectativas temporales basándonos en lo que ocurre a cada momento. No siempre lo podemos controlar y no siempre somos conscientes de ello, pero sucede todo el tiempo. El tiempo no solo es relativo en el mundo exterior sino también dentro de nuestra propia cabeza. En nuestro cerebro el tiempo puede parecernos mas lento o mas rápido según la cantidad de estímulos, lo novedosos que sean y la atención que les prestemos. Todo ello hace variar nuestro recuerdo sobre el paso del tiempo. Por ejemplo, cuando vivimos una situación peligrosa el tiempo parece alargarse y tenemos la sensación que todo pasa a cámara lenta. Allí el cerebro registra todos los sucesos que están teniendo lugar segundo a segundo y como registra más cosas de lo que sería habitual, tenemos la sensación de que el tiempo se expande. Si uno está encerrado en un cuarto oscuro sin noción del día y de la noche, el carecer de estímulos tiende a condensar el tiempo y a creer que hemos estado menos días encerrados. Cuando una situación se repite constantemente el cerebro se acostumbra a esa situación y predice que va a ocurrir lo mismo y cuando algo nuevo acontece el cerebro no tiene como predecir lo que pasará. Entonces aparecen las señales de alarma para poner en actividad el aprendizaje sobre esa situación. En realidad estamos haciendo predicciones todo el tiempo. El cerebro manifiesta sus propias ideas sobre lo que está ocurriendo afuera y al mismo tiempo esa proyección se combina con elementos o informaciones que el cerebro recibe desde el exterior. También depende para lo que uno crea que sirve la percepción. Si pensamos en ella como una forma de obtener una visión fotográfica del

El Sol Latino April 2016

mundo, entonces lo hace fatal, pues creemos que tenemos una buena película. Pero si la detenemos y ocultamos algunas escenas de ella, tal vez no las recordemos. Vemos dos cosas al mismo momento, pero tenemos la sensación de que lo vemos todo porque todo eso son posibilidades. Si pensamos que la percepción existe para ayudarnos a sobrevivir en este mundo entonces es un sistema muy bueno. Puede ser que el mundo real no sea como lo vemos, y a veces no cabe duda que la realidad es distinta. Se ha podido estudiar la cognición y su interacción con el mundo, nuestras acciones y navegar por nuestra existencia de forma casi perpendicular al misterio que esconde la pregunta: ¿es esto la realidad? Así no podemos estar seguros que la realidad sea tal cual la percibimos, pero sí es útil lo que vemos pues nos sirve para nuestra propia vida. Dice la neurocientífica Kia Nobre: “Nuestra atención es selectiva y amplifica o filtra la información que le llega del mundo exterior conforme a nuestros propios propósitos y deseos creando hipótesis del mundo, que junto a las memorias que tenemos en nuestro interior guían y manipulan la información sensorial para crear nuestra realidad particular.“ Dicho así, la percepción de la realidad es una construcción de la mente. La eterna pregunta sigue pendiente: ¿conocemos la realidad o solamente pensamos en ella? Nuestra mente es el umbral entre el mundo físico y el mundo particular de los pensamientos. Las cosas han cambiado. El mundo es un lugar cada vez mas ajetreado y caótico. La gente evita pensar, pensar en silencio, leer algo de principio a fin. Como que hay un temor pensar en los misterios de la vida. Viven solo el momento, alejándose de la realidad porque creen que es muy aburrida. Se debería prestar más atención a la mente y quizás a otras cosas como las emociones. No sólo vivirlas sin pensar. ¿Cómo se puede vivir sin reflexionar sobre los grandes misterios de nuestro tiempo? Deberíamos preguntarnos: ¿Por qué pensamos? ¿Por qué creemos? ¿Estamos viviendo? ¿Por qué sentimos así? ¿Cómo empezó el universo? Son preguntas divertidas. No sabemos lo que nos va a ocurrir. Así que valdría la pena maravillarse ante esos increíbles misterios. El autor es natural de Perú, abogado y sociólogo, fue Magistrado en Lima y Catedrático en la Universidad de San Martin de Porres. Actualmente reside en Springfield, MA. Su email: qi-negro@hotmail.com

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Nary a Cry nor a Whisper by DAVID YOS | jdyos@hotmail.com Not a word has appeared in the mainstream media about the downright nasty remarks made about a Holyoke city councilor at a recent Chamber of Commerce function. Not to go into detail, but underlying them was an incident that anyone with the slightest shred of decency would find utterly repulsive, way beyond anything you may have read, which could be considered merely cartoonish. Never does one rude, crude and inappropriate comment excuse another, but please contrast the silence on this one, which was heard by a roomful of people, to, for instance, one attributed to a mayoral challenger last year which was widely trumpeted in the newspaper, and which, contrary to what is widely believed, never in fact rose above the level of an unsubstantiated allegation. There have been many variations on this theme, but it always seems to matter much less what was said than who said it. Of course this goes to show how all-powerful perception is, and that is in large part shaped by the mainstream media. Political control, therefore, goes to those who are best able to exert their influence over that media. Sadly, in Holyoke fear, selfishness and perhaps helplessness seem to have become the predominant emotions. What it is hardly a stretch to call the ruling class remains in power not by building a consensus, but by holding the slimmest majority in a highly polarized community, relying heavily on rewards and retributions, and the aforementioned mastery of the media, with the region’s largest paper going to absurd lengths editorially to prop it up no matter what the circumstances. While there are too many acting opportunistically, looking out only for their self-interests and forgetting about the larger community they’re a part of and ultimately dependent on, and those who feel intimidated and keep quiet after seeing how others have been humiliated and discredited, there are still plenty more good, decent people who have gotten caught up in the hype, or are simply too busy to see beyond it. As angry as some of us may understandably feel, anger is not the answer, for that only divides us more. While that certainly doesn’t mean acquiescence either, I believe we should begin by seeking and promoting the qualities that are most lacking now: empathy, the maturity admit ones mistakes, and the understanding that not exclusively our own views are valid, that those of others may be equally so. As I help raise my grandchildren in this great community, this issue is in a sense far more troubling to me than city’s economic condition and impending insolvency, for while they may be too young to understand about finances, they can certainly see how we treat each other.

¿Qué Pasa en...?

El Sol Latino April 2016

Holyoke Wistariahurst Museum: April Events

Certamen de Ms. Senior Latina

Exhibit: Immigrant City Thursday April 21, 2016 - Saturday May 14, 2016 All Day This spring the research archive at Wistariahurst hosted three classes of the Holyoke Community College and Amherst college combined history course entitled Immigrant City. Sessions at Wistariahurst provided students the opportunity to immerse themselves in archival research. Using primary source documents and artifacts from the Holyoke Collection and the Vega Collection of Latino History, students researched the waves of immigration, labor and management issues, and socio-economic issues that have faced the city over its 143 year history. Professors Frank Couvares and Mark Clinton integrated readings explaining the waves of immigration that took place in the early 20th century, the urban development of industrial centers and also the deindustrialization of the post world war II years. Holyoke’s unique history as planned industrial city presents an outstanding example of the American industrial revolution and select students took on the role of guest curators to tell this story from the immigrant perspective. These curators investigated the archives more thoroughly to come up with objects, artifacts and documents to illustrate how Holyoke’s history was shaped by waves of Immigrants and Migrants. This exhibit will open on Thursday, April 21 from 2 – 5 p.m. and will be on exhibit until May 14th. For more information or to view the schedule of events, visit www.wistariahurst.org.

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Si tienes 55 años, hablas Español y quires participar en el certamen….comunicate con Magdaly al 322-5625. Los ensayos serán durante el horario del grupo Reunión Social (los jueves de 1:00-3:00)

Dia: Jueves, 21 de Abril a las 3:30

El Sol Latino May 2014 9 1/8 x 5 3/8

Your community radio station, broadcasting 24/7 from the campus of Springfield Technical Community College

www.wtccfm.org WTCC is your source for music - from salsa to R&R oldies, gospel to jazz, R&B to bluegrass, Motown and more, as well as Ecos del Ritmo, Cantares Latino-Americanos, and Club House Dance Music plus local talk shows with local hosts discussing local issues.

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Yoz Family Celebrates

Christabell & Wilmer Rivera’s Wedding, 2-14- 2016

El Sol Latino April 2016

Springfield International Fair 2016 @ Sci-Tech: The Fair Everybody is Talking About! The International Fair is an annual, extracurricular event that takes place at the High School of Science and Technology every spring. The event was born seven years ago, as the initiative of its founder Dr. Ana R. Rivera-Passalacqua, teacher of Spanish language and Chair of the Foreign Language Department at the HSST. The first International Fair Committee was founded on October 2009 with the participation of parents and teachers from Sci-Tech’s Foreign Language and the Technology Departments. The International Fair has been a total success since then. Every year over 600 people from diverse backgrounds and beliefs, gather to celebrate in harmony the cultural diversity of our community. As the International Fair continues to grow from year to year, its goals also expanded! Extending its commitment to the international community, the International Fair Committee donated $1,000.00 to the Ryan’s Well Foundation for building sanitary facilities in elementary schools in Haiti and Uganda for the last two consecutive years.

Elijah Miguel was born December 9, 2016. Wilmer David’s second birthday

Members of the Springfield Public Schools are currently getting ready for the next celebration of the International Fair 2016, which will take place on Friday, April 29th from 5:30 to 9:00 pm at the HSST’s gymnasium located at 1250 State Street Springfield, MA 01109. The committee 2016 is currently conducting fundraising activities and all profits will be donated to the winners of the Nobel Peace Prize 1999: Doctors Without Borders. We encourage members of the Pioneer Valley to take part in the planning in this magnificent event. As the founder and coordinator of the event, Dr. Rivera Passalacqua affirms: “Our world and its citizens are facing many issues that need to be resolved. In order for us to be better prepared for the many challenges of this era, we must become knowledgeable in multicultural issues and languages. We cannot move toward a vision of a better future until we understand the diverse people’s needs and collaborate to resolve them. We need to unite efforts on making this a better world for all.”

Feria Internacional 2016 ¡Una puerta a la diversidad mundial!

viernes, 29 de abril de 2016 5:30 – 9:00 pm Escuela Science and Technology 1250 Calle State Springfield, MA 01109 413 750-2000 Ext. 1417

For more information about how to participate or support the ¡Entrada GRATIS! ¡Entrada GRATIS! ¡Entrada International Fair 2016, please contact Dr. RiveraPassalacqua at riverapass@sps.springfieldpublicschools.com

María Luisa Arroyo Among Honorees of the 2016 Arts & Humanities Award Springfield, Mass. (March 1, 2016) -- New England Public Radio is pleased to announce the recipients of this year’s Arts & Humanities Awards. The 2016 honorees are: Pulitzer Prize-winning author Tracy Kidder; independent arts center Amherst Cinema; Springfield Massachusetts’ first poet laureate, María Luisa Arroyo; and Community Access to the Arts of Great Barrington, Massachusetts, which celebrates the creativity of people with disabilities through shared experiences in the visual and performing arts. Recipients will be celebrated at the 8th Annual Arts & Humanities Awards Gala, May 10, 2016 at the Log Cabin in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Nick Spitzer, host of American Routes will join the celebration as the keynote speaker. Music and entertainment reflective of this year’s recipients will round out the festive evening. Tickets ($75) will be available beginning in March at NEPR.net. Proceeds support the programs and services of New England Public Radio. Established by the New England Public Radio Foundation, Inc. in 2008, the NEPR Arts & Humanities Awards have been recognizing the rich and varied arts scene in the region ever since. The award celebrates the contributions of local talent and brings public awareness to the critical role played by musicians, artists, dancers, actors, writers, storytellers and teachers in western New England. Multilingual Puerto Rican poet and educator María Luisa Arroyo is the

inaugural Poet Laureate of Springfield, Massachusetts. Many of Ms. Arroyo’s poems, published widely in journals such as CALYX, and in anthologies such as Women Write Resistance: Poets Resist Gender Violence, negotiate the oftentimes hidden, ignored, or rationalized realities of childhood abuse and domestic violence. A 2004 Massachusetts Cultural Council Poetry Fellow, Ms. Arroyo had her first collection of poems, Gathering Words/ Recogiendo Palabras, published by Bilingual Press (2008). Since 2004, Ms. Arroyo has facilitated community-based poetry workshops and readings regularly in partnership with the Springfield Public Libraries and has performed her work regionally and widely, including in Chicago, DC, Boston, and Puerto Rico. A proud product of Springfield Public Schools in an era when a wellrounded education automatically included the arts, Ms. Arroyo went on to earn degrees at Colby (BA), Tufts (MA), and Harvard (ABD) in German language and literature; and in July 2015, she earned an MFA in creative writing at Pine Manor College.

María Luisa Arroyo

Comercio /Business

El Sol Latino April 2016

United Airlines Solicita Autorización para Viajar a Cuba

CHICAGO – United Airlines presentó ante el Departamento de Transportes estadounidense (DOT) una solicitud formal de autorización para brindar servicio desde cuatro de sus mayores puertas de entrada a los Estados Unidos – Newark/Nueva York, Houston, Washington, D.C. y Chicago – al Aeropuerto Internacional José Martí de la Habana. De ser aprobada la solicitud, United será una de las primeras aerolíneas estadounidenses en ofrecer a sus clientes servicio de itinerario diario sin escalas a Cuba. “Se trata de un momento histórico para nuestra compañía, nuestros empleados y, lo que es más importante, para nuestros clientes,” dijo Oscar Muñoz, Presidente del Consejo de Administración y Director General Ejecutivo (CEO) de United. “Queremos ser la elección número uno para los pasajeros que viajen entre Estados Unidos y Cuba. Podemos ofrecerles el mejor acceso y conexiones hacia y desde la Habana mediante nuestra red global de rutas, la mejor en la industria, y estamos emocionados de competir por este servicio tan importante.” La propuesta que United presentó ante el DOT detalla los planes de la aerolínea para atender la Habana desde centros de conexiones que atienden a cuatro de las mayores poblaciones cubano-estadounidenses en el país. De ser aprobada la solicitud de United, el servicio a la Habana en estas rutas será operado con aviones Boeing 737-800 equipados con Wi-Fi y dos clases de servicio de cabina, con 16 asientos en United First, 90 en United Economy, y 48 asientos United Economy Plus que ofrecen espacio adicional entre filas. United lanzó el sitio web UnitedtoCuba.com para concientizar sobre los importantes beneficios, tanto económicos como competitivos, que su servicio generaría, al igual que las ventajas que representaría para clientes individuales, corporativos y gubernamentales.

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• Servicio diario sin escalas desde el Aeropuerto Internacional Liberty de Newark (EWR). Newark goza de una posición ideal para atender a la comunidad cubano-estadounidense en la región, que se encuentra muy concentrada en el área que rodea el aeropuerto. El área metropolitana de Newark/Nueva York es el hogar de la mayor comunidad cubanoestadounidense fuera de Miami. • Servicio sin escalas sabatino desde el Aeropuerto Intercontinental George Bush de Houston (IAH). Houston es la principal puerta de acceso de United hacia América Latina. Houston es considerado como uno de los puntos de entrada internacionales más amigables para el viajero extranjero, y United opera desde ahí 91 vuelos diarios sin escalas a 52 destinos en América Latina y el Caribe. Houston será un importante punto de enlace con la Habana, al conectar directamente con Cuba 20 mercados estratégicos en las regiones centro y occidente de los E.U. mediante servicio con una sola escala. • Servicio sin escalas sabatino desde el Aeropuerto Internacional Dulles de Washington (IAD). El área metropolitana de Washington, D.C. alberga la décima concentración poblacional de cubano-estadounidenses en la Unión Americana, así como las dependencias gubernamentales y los organismos políticos y económicos que son fundamentales para forjar la relación entre E.U. y Cuba. El servicio de United entre Washington y la Habana enlazará dos capitales internacionales con servicio semanal sin escalas y conectará a 20 mercados estadounidenses con Cuba mediante servicio con una sola escala. • Servicio sin escalas sabatino desde el Aeropuerto O’Hare de Chicago (ORD). United es la aerolínea de casa de Chicago y alberga la sexta mayor comunidad cubano-estadounidense en el país. Con casi 500 vuelos diarios, incluyendo servicio sin escalas a 21 destinos en América Latina y el Caribe, el hub de United en O’Hare ha sido reconocido como el que cuenta con las mejores conexiones a otros aeropuertos, en los Estados Unidos y el mundo. Fuente: Marketvision

Libros / Books

El Sol Latino April 2016

El Amante Japonés por ISABEL ALLENDE • (Vintage Español de Penguin Random House, 2015. 352 páginas) Sin embargo, notarla era exactamente lo que le pasó. Era feliz trabajando en Lark House: “La conmovían esos ancianos lentos, torpes, achacosos, macilentos…, tenía un buen humor infinito con sus problemas, no le importaba repetir mil veces la misma respuesta a la misma pregunta, le gustaba empujar una silla de ruedas, alentar, ayudar, consolar.” Entre los residentes, “la lealtad de la joven con Alma era monolítica.” Y mientras que visitaba a su abuela Alma, el joven Seth se fijaba en Irina y se enamoró de ella. Pero para estos dos jóvenes enamorarse de veras, Irina tendría que enfrentarse con su doloroso pasado y hacer la paz con el. Al las historias de los personajes principales, Allende muestra como la historia dirige los destinos de sus personajes. Al relatar la de la familia Fukuda, por ejemplo, nos cuenta de los campos de concentración durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial que existían en los desiertos del oeste de los Estados Unidos y en donde alojaron forzadamente a los japoneses viviendo en el país, aun los que habían nacido aquí y eran ciudadanos estadounidenses como Ichimei.

La popular autora chilena Isabel Allende, que ganó fama con su primera novela La Casa de los Espíritus en 1982, no toca temas latinos en su última novela, El amante japonés, sino los desplazamientos de europeos y de japoneses, desplazamientos forzados por la segunda guerra mundial. Su novela abre en la Casa Lark, una residencia un poco estrafalaria en Berkeley, California, donde conocemos a la protagonista principal Alma Mendel Belasco, residente y en sus setenta años, y a la protagonista secundaria, Irina Bazili, de 23 años, quien trabaja en la Casa. El año es 2010. Las dos protagonistas tienen historias que contar. Y de ahí en adelante, la novela nos arranca del presente al pasado de estas protagonistas y poco a poco aprendemos los sucesos históricos que manejaron sus destinos. Era niña cuando su familia, alarmada por el crecimiento del anti-semitismo en Europa y los rumores de guerra, mandó a Alma a vivir con Lillian e Isaac Belasco, parientes acomodados en San Francisco, California. A su hermano mayor, Samuel, lo mandaron a Inglaterra donde terminó luchando contra Alemania en la Real Fuerza Aérea durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial, experiencia que lo dejó “enjuto, seco, de ojos duros y boca cruel, la piel quemada por el sol y la cara marcada por profundas arrugas y un par de cicatrices.” La niña Alma, triste y solitaria, al tenderle la mano al conocer a su tímido primo Nathaniel, “se colgó de esa mano como de un salvavidas.” Y de “salvavidas” iba a serla más de una vez tras su larga vida. El único otro a quien se aferraba la niña era al hijo del jardinero japonés, Ichimei Fakuda, personaje que da título a la novela y de quien, con el tiempo, se enamoró. Este amor, escondido y prohibido por los prejuicios de aquella época, iba a durarle toda la vida. Irina Bazili era niña en Moldovia después de la caída de la Unión Soviética en 1991. Las condiciones en el país eran horríficas: “bajo el comunismo la pobreza era la misma, pero había alimento y seguridad, mientras que la independencia sólo les había traído ruina y abandono. Quienes pudieron irse lejos lo hicieron, entre ellos Radmila, la madre de Irina, y sólo quedaron atrás los viejos y los niños que sus padres no pudieron llevarse.” Se separaron Irina y su madre en la huida. La Irina de 2010 esconde dentro de sí horribles experiencias sufridas al abandonar su país natal años atrás. Por fuera “Era…tal su tendencia a la invisibilidad que se requería mucha atención para notarla.”

Aficionada como soy de la obra de Isabel Allende, me decepcionó sin embargo esta novela. Tal vez por el desafío de abarcar tanta historia en un solo libro, muchas veces la autora recurre a pura narración resumiendo épocas y situaciones, técnica que no me agarra el interés como me lo hubiera hecho si fuera escrita con la dramática tensión de acción inmediata. Fue difícil que me identificara con los personajes y que me importaran sus historias por interesantes que eran. Como heroína de la novela, Alma se me queda lejos. Confiesa exactamente la misma opinión que tuve de ella cuando admitía que sufría “la vergüenza insuperable que la agobiaba, vergüenza por la estupidez de quedar preñada, por amar a Ichimei menos que a sí misma, por su terror a la pobreza, por ceder a la presión social y a los prejuicios de raza, por aceptar el sacrificio de Nathaniel, por no estar a la altura de la amazona moderna que fingía ser, por su carácter pusilánime…” Y como héroe de la novela, Ichimei Fakuda tampoco me convence. Comparto la opinión de Nathaniel, (que sí tiene indicios de héroe), cuando reflejaba sobre Ichi: “No entendía qué diablos veía su prima [Alma] en él: era un tipo insustancial, pasaba sin dejar huella, lo opuesto al hombre fuerte y seguro de sí mismo, que podría manejar a una mujer tan complicada como Alma… A Ichimei le faltaban esas dosis de ambición y agresividad necesarias en los hombres…” A veces los personajes nos predican. Por ejemplo, Cathy, médico y residente de Lark House, (ella misma discapacitada), afirma que “Todos tenemos demonios en los rincones oscuros del alma, pero si los sacamos a la luz, los demonios se achican, se debilitan, se callan, y al fin, nos dejan en paz.” El lector no tiene que pensar por sí mismo en cuanto a los personajes porque Allende lo ha hecho por nosotros. La organización de la trama de la novela puede confundir al lector. Hay que prestar bastante atención al leerla porque no sólo salta del “presente” al pasado, sino que a diferentes épocas del pasado. Sin embargo, no lamento haber leído la novela. A pesar de que no me envuelve visceralmente la historia, sin embargo es interesante y aprendí algo de la historia de los Estados Unidos durante la época de los campos de internamiento de los japoneses. Y siempre me ha cautivado el talento de Allende de utilizar palabras para captar personajes y ambientes. Reseña de Cathleen C. Robinson, profesora jubilada español y de la historia de la América Latina quien ahora se dedica a escribir.

Libros / Books

El Sol Latino April 2016

The Sovereign Colony: Olympic Sport, National Identity, and International Politics in Puerto Rico by ANTONIO SOTOMAYOR (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, February 1, 2016) Ceded to the United States under the terms of the Treaty of Paris after the Spanish-American War of 1898, Puerto Rico has since remained a colonial territory. Despite this subordinated colonial experience, however, Puerto Ricans managed to secure national Olympic representation in the 1930s and in so doing nurtured powerful ideas of nationalism. By examining how the Olympic movement developed in Puerto Rico, Antonio Sotomayor illuminates the profound role sports play in the political and cultural processes of an identity that developed within a political tradition of autonomy rather than traditional political independence. Significantly, it was precisely in the Olympic arena that Puerto Ricans found ways to participate and show their national pride, often by using familiar colonial strictures—and the United States’ claim to democratic values—to their advantage. Drawing on extensive archival research, both on the island and in the United States, Sotomayor uncovers a story of a people struggling to escape the colonial periphery through sport and nationhood yet balancing the benefits and restraints of that same colonial status. The Sovereign Colony describes the surprising negotiations that gave rise to Olympic sovereignty in a colonial nation, a unique case in Latin America, and uses Olympic sports as a window to view the broader issues of nation building and identity, hegemony, postcolonialism, international diplomacy, and Latin American–U.S. relations. According to the author, Olympism provides a unique vantage point for understanding the complexities of Puerto Rican politics and identity. Puerto Ricans are by law U.S. citizens, and by culture Caribbean and Latin American. While the U.S. has politically intervened and occupied other Latin American countries, only Puerto Rico has experienced a sustained colonial relation. Sotomayor argues that Puerto Ricans navigated the politics of empire and international diplomacy to negotiate their Olympic nationhood. In this way, Puerto Ricans offer an example of a way in which a periphery managed to negotiate the boundaries of empire, test the limits of nation and Olympism, and assert their place in the international scene. The book documents the often-surprising process by which Puerto Ricans managed to become an Olympic nation despite not having political sovereignty, a process that I call “colonial Olympism.” His study traces the steps towards Puerto Rican Olympism despite the island’s subject status, realizing an ideal expounded by Pierre de Coubertin in his “Athletic Colonization” (1931) essay that sought to spread Olympism to African territories. The author offers an interpretation of Coubertin’s “Athletic

Colonization” from the perspective of a colonial Caribbean island balanced between Latin American nationalism and United States’ imperialism. This interpretation also addresses both Coubertin’s “Athletic Unification” (1913) ideals of world goodwill through sport, and his Hellenic inspired ideas of progress, civility, and democracy. Sotomayor explains that the book will also contribute to colonial and postcolonial studies by drawing parallels to other colonial and/or subdued places. While each country’s relation to the colonizer (or center of power) has been distinct—and leading to different political outcomes—all negotiated the terms of their Olympic representation. Building on Partha Chatterrjee’s explorations of distinctive nationalisms beyond the West, he analyzes how Puerto Ricans, as a Caribbean people, fashioned nationalism through Olympism within the structures of political subordination. With this analysis Sotomayor supports sociologist John Hutchinson’s arguments about the force and significance of cultural nationalism as distinct from, but in conversato in with, political nationalism. Finally, this book contributes not only to the emerging academic study of sport in Puerto Rico, but also to the study of sport in Latin America, U.S. foreign relations, and international politics more generally. While there have been numerous studies on these topics, situated as it is between the “domestic” and the international, Puerto Rico is often overlooked. This project will convey the significance of Puerto Rico within the complexities of U.S.-Latin American relations and beyond. Antonio Sotomayor, PH. D., is an assistant professor and librarian of Latin American and Caribbean studies at the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign. Source: www.asotomayor.com.

Deportes / Sports

El Sol Latino April 2016

#8 Carla Cortijo: Boricua Floor General by NÉSTOR DAVID PASTOR Cortijo has also publicly announced that she hopes to return to international play so long as it doesn’t interfere with the WNBA season. Born in San Juan and raised in Carolina, Cortijo’s WNBA debut adds to an already impressive resume, which includes being named Puerto Rico’s high school basketball player of the year in 2002 and winning a gold medal at the Pan American Games in 2011 as captain and starting point guard of the Puerto Rican Women’s National Team. Cortijo was also a star at the University of Texas, playing there from 20052009. She eventually returned to the island play in the BSNF for six seasons. Her return to the Atlanta Dream comes after back-to-back championship titles and Finals MVP honors with the Gigantes de Carolina. Much of this success has come after two serious injuries to her left knee: an ACL tear and a hyperextension, both of which required surgery. Nevertheless, Cortijo is healthy and continues her rigorous training regiment to this day, occasionally posting videos of her workouts through social media.

This year the WNBA will celebrate its 20th season despite enduring years of financial insecurity, teams folding, and low numbers in attendance. Much like the league itself, basketball player Carla Cortijo has faced a unique set of challenges. Nonetheless, this year she’s making history as the league’s firstever island born Puerto Rican player to start the season under contract. For 28-year-old Cortijo this is more than a second chance. Cortijo made her first historic debut last year when she played the final two games, an unofficial tryout, to close out the Atlanta Dream’s season in September. Cortijo’s debut was marred by the Puerto Rican National Team’s controversial decision to prevent her from signing with the Atlanta Dream last August. As captain of the women’s national team, Cortijo was expected to represent Puerto Rico at the Women’s pre-olympic qualifying tournament in Canada, which was scheduled to take place in the middle of the WNBA season. As a result, Cortijo did not show up in Edmonton and cut off all contact with the national team.

She is also active in the community and last December, hosted her first-ever basketball camp in her hometown of Carolina. Over 50 young girls attended the free event. Cortijo’s success in the WNBA could pave the way for other Puerto Rican players to join the league. In a recent interview, she named several players, including Dayshalee Salaman, Michelle González, and Yeimily Cabrera, as potential WNBA hopefuls. Damika Martínez is another player to keep an eye on. Bronx-born Jennifer O’Neill, the first U.S.-born Puerto Rican player to ever play in the WNBA, is also looking to make it back into the league. After attending training camp, she signed with the Minnesota Lynx midseason, only to be waived one month later. She is currently on the Connecticut Sun’s training camp roster, but unlike Cortijo, does not have a guaranteed spot on the final roster. For now, Cortijo continues to prepare for next month, which is when training camp is set to begin. The WNBA season tips off May 14th with the Atlanta Dream looking to improve upon a disappointing 2015 campaign.

Many Puerto Ricans expressed solidarity with Cortijo through social media. “Queremos a Carla Cortijo en la WNBA, Dile no al Egoismo”, a Facebook group, grew to over 20,000 followers during the controversy. They have since changed their name to “Ya tenemos a Carla Cortijo en la WNBA, Orgullo Boricua.” Cortijo also received support from Jose Juan Barrea, the BSNF (the professional women’s league in Puerto Rico), and the mayor of Carolina who wrote an open letter on her behalf. Unfortunately, by the time the Puerto Rican Basketball Federation gave Cortijo permission to sign a midseason contract with the Atlanta Dream, the organization had moved on. Cortijo subsequently released an open letter stating that she had not been offered a contract at that time. It was another setback for Cortijo who in 2009 was invited to training camp by the Los Angeles Sparks, but was unable to attend after breaking a finger that same day during the last game of her collegiate career. But late in the year, after several players became injured, Atlanta was given special permission to sign an extra player to the roster for their final two games of the 2016 season. Cortijo’s two-game stint last year set the stage for her to sign a two-year contract as an unrestricted free agent in late January, with the official word coming in February. “I have a list of things to accomplish and signing this contract with the Atlanta Dream goes under the accomplished category […] I am just happy that this organization showed the interest since you don’t see a lot of players from Puerto Rico go to the WNBA or NBA. Being the first woman born and raised in Puerto Rico to earn this opportunity is quite the honor. I can’t tell you how grateful I am for this experience…” Cortijo said in a statement released by the Atlanta Dream.

* Néstor David Pastor is a Brooklyn-based writer and Queens native. He holds a B.A. in Spanish and a B.A. in English with a concentration in creative writing; he is currently enrolled at Queens College as an M.A. candidate in Spanish Language and Literature. He also works as an associate editor for Newtown Literary, and as a social media manager and translator for the award-winning Spanish podcast Radio Ambulante. You can follow him on Twitter @n_davidpastor

Salud / Health

El Sol Latino April 2016

Baystate Children’s Hospital Specialty Center brinda ayuda excepcional a familia puertorriqueña Enid Ramos sabía que lo mejor para su hijo Carlos era despedirse de su hogar en Puerto Rico y viajar cientos de millas para conseguirle mejor atención médica. “Soy una persona de fe, así que vendí mi carro y la mayoría de nuestras pertenencias y nos mudamos a Springfield,” dijo la Sra. Ramos. Carlos, que tiene seis años de edad, sufre de parálisis cerebral y retrasos en el desarrollo debido a una hemorragia cerebral que sufrió al nacer. Además de sus otras complicaciones de salud, Carlos tiene una forma grave de epilepsia. La complejidad de sus problemas de salud superó las capacidades de sus médicos en su pueblo natal. “En casa le daban convulsiones realmente graves todos los días. Entraba y salía del hospital y a pesar de intentar de todo, no podían lograr controlarlas en Puerto Rico,” comentó la Sra. Ramos. Cuando investigaba diferentes opciones de atención para su hijo, Enid se enteró del Baystate Children’s Specialty Center. “Se me habían acabado las opciones y no tenía a dónde ir. Entonces fue que me enteré de que el mejor hospital para tratar a mi hijo quedaba en Springfield, Massachusetts. Entonces, allí fui.” dijo la Sra. Ramos. En cuanto su hijo empezó a recibir tratamiento en el Specialty Center, Enid supo que había tomado la decisión correcta. “Ha mejorado muchísimo desde que empezó a recibir tratamiento en Springfield. Cuando llegamos, no podía caminar o hablar, ahora está empezando a hablar, está más alerta y está aprendiendo a caminar con una andadera,” dijo la Sra. Ramos.

las enfermedades graves, ayudándoles con servicios que no están cubiertos por el seguro,” agregó O’Brien. Pudo obtener los fondos necesarios para que el padre de Enid viajara de Puerto Rico y se quedara con la hermana menor de Carlos. Si bien Carlos finalmente no fue un buen candidato para la cirugía, Enid dice que está feliz de haber tomado la decisión de mudarse a Springfield para que fuera atendido por el Dr. Gilmore y el personal del Specialty Center. “Verdaderamente brindaron una ayuda excepcional a nuestra familia,” dijo la Sra. Ramos.

Enid Ramos y Jane O’Brien

Lamentablemente, se determinó que Carlos no era buen candidato para la cirugía. “Si bien esperábamos que esta fuera una intervención que funcionaría para Carlos, determinamos que sus convulsiones venían de demasiados lugares en el cerebro,” mencionó el Dr. Gilmore. “Enid es una excelente persona, es difícil dejar a tu familia y todo lo que conoces. No solo vino desde muy lejos buscando mejor atención para su hijo, sino que también hizo todo lo que tenía en su poder para ayudarlo y ha seguido todas las recomendaciones,” agregó. Hoy, Enid dice que Carlos está camino a la recuperación y está mucho mejor que cuando estaba en su pueblo. “Es una bendición tener personas tan increíbles en mi vida. El Dr. Gilmore, Jane y todo el personal del Specialty Center me cambiaron la vida. Mi hijo no solo está mejor, sino que además ahora tengo a mi familia junta de nuevo en un solo lugar y no podría haber sido posible sin ellos,” dijo Enid.

VAYA VAYACON CON MUÑOZ

Para obtener más información sobre Baystate Children’s Hospital Specialty Center, visite baystatehealth.org/bch.

Dr. Herbert Gilmore, chief of Pediatric Neurology, Carlos Ramos, Jane O’Brien, y la hermana de Carlos, junto a Marily Rivera, Spanish interpreter for Baystate Health

El Dr. Herbert Gilmore, jefe del Departamento de Neurología Pediátrica y el neurólogo responsable por la atención de Carlos, dijo que la decisión de Enid de traer a Carlos a Springfield realmente ha tenido un impacto en su atención. “Cuando lo conocí, Carlos estaba teniendo convulsiones frecuentes e intensas. Después de evaluarlo, hice algunos ajustes a sus medicamentos. Hasta este momento, hemos tenido suerte, y estamos viendo que ahora sus convulsiones están mejor controladas.“ El Dr. Gilmore quería enviar a Carlos a un centro de epilepsia en Boston para ser evaluado y saber si era candidato para una intervención especial. Sin embargo, para esta evaluación debía quedarse en Boston por unos días. Esto era un problema para la familia de Carlos. “Como no tengo familia aquí, no tenía a nadie para cuidar a mi hija de 4 años mientras estuviéramos en Boston para la evaluación de Carlos. Los niños tienen que tener cinco años de edad para viajar en avión, así que tampoco la podía enviar a Puerto Rico a quedarse con mi familia,” agregó. En ese momento el equipo del Specialty Center entró en acción. Jane O’Brien, coordinadora de casos y de atención de pacientes pediátricos, aboga por familias con casos complejos de niños frágiles, y ayuda a conectarlos con recursos y a navegar el sistema de salud. “Verdaderamente quería ayudar a esta mamá valiente que vino de tan lejos para obtener la mejor atención para su hijo. Luego recordé la organización Sam’s Children,” dijo Jane O’Brien. “Sam’s Children se estableció para ayudar a los niños y las familias a luchar contra

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El Sol Latino April 2016

Hepatitis C and Hispanics in the United States by CLAUDIA T MARTORELL* Hepatitis C is a virus that may cause severe liver infection, damage and death.

the highest prevalence of HCV at 4.5%—San Diego (1.7%), Chicago (1.2%), and Miami (0.8%).

The number of Hispanics with hepatitis C (2.6%) is higher than the number of people with hepatitis C in the general population (1.3%). Injection drug use is currently the most common means of HCV transmission in the United States. Treatment of hepatitis C, however, has been found to be as effective in Hispanics as it is in Whites.

Hepatitis C disease progression has been shown to be faster in Hispanics than in non-Hispanic Whites. Factors that can influence disease progres¬sion in Hispanics may include higher prevalence of obesity, diabetes and fatty liver disease in the Hispanic population.

The prevalence of HCV has been found to not only differ by Hispanic American background but also by city. The demographic breakdown of infection within U.S. Hispanic population include: Puerto Rican - 11.6%, Mexican - 1.9%, Dominican - 1.5%, Central American - 1%, South American - 0.4%, Cuban - 0.8%; men had a higher preva-lence of hepatitis C. The Bronx had

Barriers to HCV care in the Hispanic community may include language barriers, access to care, lack of patient education, insurance barriers, lack of trust in health care, immigration status, cultural differences, lack of awareness HCV.

Everyone with hepatitis C should talk to a medical provider about treatment. The com¬binations of HCV inhibitors have the potential to cure everyone with hepatitis C with fewer side effects and shorter treatment periods. *Claudia T Martorell M.D. M.P.H. FACP is Director and Principal Investigator of the Infectious Diseases/ The Research Institute. Contact information: 57 Mulberry Street, Springfield MA. (413) 747-5566.

Prior to the approval of HCV inhibitor therapy, HCV treatment response rates were somewhat lower in Hispanics. Now, Hispanics have the same cure rates as other people with hepatitis C. Credit: CDC

¡Celebrando 40 años de buena música y mucho más! Únase a nosotros para gran arte de todas partes del mundo. MARIA SCHNEIDER ORCHESTRA Sábado, 9 de abril a las 8 p.m. Fine Arts Center Concert Hall

April - May 2016

STOMP

FAC COMMUNITY FEST

Charla con Ms. Schneider a las 5:15 p.m. en el Concert Hall, gratis y abierta al público.

Domingo, 1 de Mayo de 1–4 p.m. | Fine Arts Center Plaza, Free

Martes 12 y Miércoles 13 de abril a las 7:30p.m. | Fine Arts Center Concert Hall Este grupo de big-band fusiona la libertad del jazz y la estructura de la música clásica. Schneider ha tenido nueve nominaciones para el Grammy y ha ganado en dos ocasiones, con una música considerada por los críticos como “evocativa, majestuosa, hermosa, y más allá de cualquier categorización.”

Al público de todas las edades le encantará la sensación internacional de percusión STOMP, que vuelve al Fine Arts Center con nuevas y sorprendentes rutinas además de varios números favoritos del espectáculo original. El grupo de ocho miembros usa todo excepto instrumentos convencionales de percusión – cajas de fósforos, escobas, botes de basura (zafacones de metal), encendedores Zippo, hubcaps, - para llenar el escenario con ritmos explosivos.

¡Ayúdenos a celebrar 40 años en el Fine Arts Center con este evento gratis y divertido para familias, estudiantes y público en general! Vea presentaciones por músicos locales, grupos de baile, y otros artistas además de artesanías, actividades, comida y juegos.

Para boletos, llame al 413-545-2511 o al 800-999-UMAS o visite fineartscenter.com

El Sol Latino April 2016

TRAIDO POR

TU ESTACIÓN PBS

JUEVES 7:30 P.M. ESTRENO ABRIL 14

¡PRESENCIA!

Host Veronica Garcia

Un programa bilingüe de televisión local para ti y nuestra comunidad.

Tendremos conversaciones/presentaciones de nuestras historias, cultura y tradiciones. sponsored by

WGBY.ORG/PRESENCIA